Ahhhh....country life

It's not quite like the old tv show Green Acres, but it is different from where we had previously been. I must admit though that there are times that I feel like going e-i-e-i-o. We do not have any animals here at RanchCouture but behind us and in other nearby locations there's a variety of farm animals. For the most part we usually can forget they are there. Except for the rooster. Someone near us has a time challenged roooster. He will start crowing at about 3AM and keeps up almost all day. The other night it was cool enough for us to sleep with some windows open.YES! FINALLY!COOL NIGHT! All is quiet, the goats behind us had settled down after giving their evening concert with an occasional moo thrown in from a neighboring cow. We had all settled in for an end of summer snooze........then all of a sudden, a jarring crowing from Mr. Rooster. Yes folks, it was around 3AM and Mr. Rooster decided it was time to wake everyone up -even though was pitch black outside. During the summer he was starting in at about 4Am - now the last few weeks he has gotten earlier. My hubby came too with me muttering about finding the soup pot and going hunting for some rooster. Lucky for Mr. Rooster I was to comfy in bed and very tired.

A friend has also recently moved to more country life and a post on her blog got me to thinking. Yes, we have no Starbucks at every corner, nor a multitude of fast food places in our new little town ( nearby towns, "cities" are another story) but being able to go out, do errands and come back to our little sort of tucked away plot of land is like being able to go and get a good deep breathe of fresh washed air. You now, the type of air that hangs after a good storm that cleans all the gunk out of it. Yes, pace of life is a little slower here ( which I admit bugs me sometimes) , and they are delayed in a few things like recycling programs, but I think as a family we needed a change. For the most part, it is working out.

There is a few downsides to this. Have to plan errands better. No longer can just run down the street and in a few short moments have all kinds of shopping and doctors on hand. So going out and doing things can take a little longer. But I have Costco and Target not to far away - so what more do I need?! LOL We no longer have tons of neighbors nearby, but that can be a good thing too. At least I don't have to worry about a neighbor being able to reach my bathroom window from his. We can get to know our neighbors a little better. You show your face in our little town enough, soon your face if not your name is known. Going to the little store in town is like stepping into Cheers..... the regular cashiers will know you and all your kids. Ask about you, how things are going.....take a moment to talk. The little library, crams a lot into it's size challenged space. The ladies who work there get to know you and what you like to read, listen too, and watch. They always take a moment to talk to the kids to see how their day is going, what's happening at school. Kind of refreshing. But having grown up in small towns, I know they can have their
downside also.

Do I miss the hustle and bustle....sometimes, but not very often. I wouldn't have had been able to stop my van on our street and watch two hawks play in the wind, nor watch my kids make friends with a neighbors horses, or have a cow in the field behind come and watch me work in the garden...from his side of the fence. Kyle would never have been able to go to a friends and bring home fresh eggs, tell about feeding the horses and cows there and how he helped with the irragation pipes. Now, through a grant he can take part in after school programs. He has chosen robots and science, no big surprise to us. Before they go to "class" homework gets done and help received for it if needed. Did I mention the YMCA comes in for physical activites, snack given and bus ride home? Megan and Danielle can spend kindergarten together in the same class. In San Jose they would have been split up. Now they can spend at least one more year together in class. All three kids can particpate in low cost activites and, we as a family can go to events that allow most if not all three kids in for free. I like free !

Yup, country life....learning to love it.....and for the most part we do. It's a new adventure for us - one filled with all kinds of places to explore, things to do and see......

I could do without the triple digit summers though.

7 years ago......

Seven years ago on this date, I was awoken by a ringing phone. On the other end was my dad calling from the East coast , asking if I had the morning news on yet. I sd no, I'm not fully awake to stomach news at this hour. My dad sd I think you better go turn it on and be ready to sit down. Why I ask. He told me that the Twin Towers had been crashed into. I got up, turned on the news, watched for a little while then got ready to get our oldest off to kindergarten.While getting our son ready I got a call from my hubby telling me what happened. By then I had turned off the tv and had switched to news reports on the radio. I didn't think that the tv news reports were right for such a young and innocent child to see. Besides, it was making me feel a mix of emotions. I wanted to, needed to , be as pulled together as possible to get him to school. School that morning was not operationg in total same as usual mode. That mornings flag salute was somber. Questions were answered and police were present along with councelors. After making sure their children were safe in classes, many parents mingled around talking, shaking heads and crying. Some of our school families were affected in many ways, either that morning or soon after due to military duty or other services used at that time. Everywhere you went that day - in our little corner of the Bay Area- either a tv was on or the radio set for news reports. Our picture of the New York skyline, that used to hang over the fireplace - has the Twin Towers in it -it is a reminder of another time.

Now, seven years later our little kindergartner is in the 7th grade and asking questions about that day. We are answering as best as we can. His sisters who are only five - the age he was on 9/11 are trying to figure out what we are talking about. They can't really grasp the events, why someone would want to do that (can anyone really?).

I think 9/11 is going to be one of those days that is going to live on in everyone's memories . It's the day that lives were changed in so many ways, a day that served as a wake up call not to just our Nation but to the world.

Take a moment today to say thank you to all the people who serve to help keep us protected: the fire, police, resue, military, to hug your family a little closer. Like humans , our Country has it's faults, but we are still a Country with many Freedoms.