Small Town Life

My town is not a tiny community but it is small compared to the cities that my husband and I lived in or near in Southern California. You know that urban sprawl causing one city after another to just run into each other. The only way you know you are in another town is the sign saying what city you are entering. We love living here and as I have mentioned we like that small town feeling of people being more friendly and more people are polite on the road because there is less stress and life is at a slower pace. That slower pace really rang home this weekend when I went to the have the oil changed in my car. It had been a year since I had the oil changed and I had not even reached the mileage recommendation of 3000 miles. I was about 900 miles short! But, it had been a year, so I took it in. They checked everything out, tires, fluid levels, etc and didn't come up with anything that needed attention. Even my air filter was barely dirty. And I got a free car wash out of my visit. So, the place was right next door and the car looked a little dirty around the edges, so I went over there and had it done. While I was going through I was glad I didn't have Mary with me because she would of been terrified! With all the loud noises from the water and brushes. She doesn't like rumbling noises. The vacuum and the blender always sends her into tears! When I drove out, the car looked really good and completely dry. As I drove home I got to thinking that I had not washed the car since Mary was born, in fact the more I thought I realized that I had not washed the car since we moved up here 3 years ago! We moved up here in late summer and it was a rainy winter so the car got washed from the rain and then we moved into this house and it has a nice attached double garage. Also Rich has a company truck, so I only use the car to run errands. It is 9 years old and has 78,000 miles on it. The other blessing is the high prices of gas hasn't impacted us very much. When Mary was tiny I only filled up every 3 months and now that I do more things with her, I only fill up once a month! We only have to drive a quarter mile to church and the store is only a few minutes away. Our longest trip is over to my in-laws house on Sunday and that takes maybe 10 minutes and that is almost all the way across town. So, I drove home happily on Saturday with a squeaky clean car and a fresh oil change and if things remain the same for us, it will be next year before I have to do that again:) In writing this post I was reminded of Psalm 23:1 & 2 which says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the quiet waters."

This field is about a mile from my house.