Country Culture

Last night, before going to sleep, I started a new book, "Kill the Messenger" by Tami Hoag, a great author.  Right from the get-go, the book grabbed my brain and won't let go. The book starts out with this young guy driving a bicycle around NYC delivering a mysterious package.  These messengers are incredible bike riders, veering in and out and around traffic like little beetles.  Cannot visualize myself living with massive crowds.  Maybe I'm a hayseed, but my soil needs to be spacious, soothing and silent. 

Whenever we drive through a big city, the sirens drive me nuts.  Ambulances, cop cars, and fire trucks are flying in all directions.  Some ambulances have a siren that sounds like the British bobbies use, and man alive it gives me the willies.  In our little village, when the ambulance comes to town, it's either compassion or curiosity that brings people out of their homes to see which house it's headed toward.  Bottom line is that we do care about one another. 

I've heard a million times that the big city is "where it's at." but I've never quite figured out what the "it" is.  Oh, I imagine a city dweller would say there's more culture in the city, and I don't argue that.  We love visiting the museums and theaters like the next person, but there are other elements to culture, like country calmness that fosters the growth and expansion of the soul.  I fear that living in the congested, hurried, and blaring wilderness of the city would shrivel my soul into a raisin. 

My roots are close to nature.  Growing up on a farm in the Midwest gave me a start that wasn't maybe cultural, yet it was as close to the real mccoy as I'd want any kid to have.  Looking backwards, a person always sees the highlights, not the lowlights.  For me, I remember ever so clearly the baby animals that were born, the learning about birth, deaths of our pets, orchestrating their burials, selling our loved animals, and other passages and barriers that we ultimately face as adults.  Our parents sheltered us from nothing.  We were little rocks, put into a tumbler from little on, and then at age 18 we were supposed to be polished and ready to fend for ourselves.  Oh, I don't mean polished in the sense of us being filled with poise and a perfect shine.  Rather, we had pocketsful of useful life-smart weaponry with which to fight the battles we'd eventually encounter. 

Today we are headed to my husband's family.  Our nephew is marrying a sweet little gal, and we joyfully welcome her into the clan.  Bridal parties are so fun, and this one will be a Pampered Chef Party.  We hostesses are serving an Italian lunch, and the PC lady is making pesto pizzas, as I understand.  Maybe I'll learn how to prepare something new.  That's always exciting.  I have a couple gadgets that I bought at Pampered Chef parties, but my favorite is the apple slicer.  Just love gadgets that simplify.  There's that word again.....simplify.

Today's Trivia:  Lemon wood is used to make fishing rods and archery bows.