Friday, April 29, 2016

Small Town Living, Love at First Sight




Living in a small rural town is like a hot cup of really good coffee on a cold rainy day.  There is just something warm and inviting about it.  While not everyone is cut out for small town living, I have to say I fell in love with it all over again this past week.  



The other end of main street where the residential section begins

I stepped back into the role of being a parent  because the grand-angels’ mommy and daddy were off for a mini vacation/conference. It made me once again appreciate the environment that I had raised my girls in and silently said prayer of thanks that my grand-angels also get to experience this life as well.


Main street - notice NO stop lights


The school is home to K-12. it is where the teachers/staff know who the parents are as well as the grandparents. 


The other kids also know who you are too.  And the very first day I went to school to pick up the youngest, one of the teacher’s aide saw me and said “Oh you must  be here to pick up Miss M, she’s in the office waiting for you”.  It made me smile.  One of the high school girls saw Miss M, picked her up and gave her a hug and said, “hanging out with grandma today?  Lucky you!”  Later on one of the classmates of her oldest sis patted Miss M on the head as we were waiting for the middle sister to get out of school.  I saw kids greet each other with hugs.  I thought to myself, every child should know this kind of environment.  And would I trade my experience of living here, raising a family and being part of the community for big city life? Never.

Yesterday while at the school to help with the bread in a bag project sponsored by the Wheat Council, I also had the opportunity to give the school a really cool farm book, Planters and Cultivators, a Casey & Friends book. 
Yea!! a book about farming!
The kids loved it

It was so timely as Spring work is in full force here on the Palouse.  The number of tractors almost equals the amount of cars on the road (not really – but there is a lot of activity going on and tractors on the road at any given time of day is a normal site).  Living in a farming community, the kids see this first hand. So first, I’ll share pics about the book, then about the baking of bread by the kids.

 
Making bread in the Home Ec room. Bread in a Bag project

Proud of their efforts

I had forgotten my town's charm, mainly since my girls are all grown and I built a farmhouse outside of town plus work in a different town, I just don’t seem to be around the townspeople I know and love.  Usually when I head in, it’s for a direct purpose such as  dropping something off for my elderly dad or seeing my daughter’s family. So this was a good re-connect of why I chose to stay in the area.  It’s where the tree lined streets beckon you to walk down them, you hear kids laughing and see them riding their bikes, there are people walking their dogs, and almost always a smile and a wave from those you know and don’t know. 
It's where you see a farm  truck parked at the baseball field during Spring work because the dad, all dirty and dressed in his work clothes is helping coach a kid's softball practice.  How cool is that?
Yup this town captured my heart when I first moved here as a new farm bride.  It’s a place that has held many memories of the past and a promise of more to come.


As always, thank you for stopping by (again another sincere promise to try to blog more!) If you have questions, please email me at swheatfarmlife@gmail.com.  Also a special thanks to Stephanie from Octane Press for sending me a book about farming, Planting and Cultivating, A Casey and friends book

All my best, Gayle