You Can Go Home Again

But....it's not as much fun without Don. Seeing my hometown through his eyes has always been a more fulfilling experience than being here on my own, but this was a visit that had nothing to do with site seeing and everything to do with sitting around reminiscing, going to doctor's appts. with my aunt who just celebrated her 87th birthday, doing errands, and then just doing nothing.

Yes, it's true, my little town was recently voted one of the 20 best small towns in America! Check it out:
http://bit.ly/IrTFD6 and I do understand why, however, the bottom line is that unless you've lived here and owned your home all your life, you could never afford to settle down here now. One would be hard pressed to believe that there's an economic crisis going on out there judging by the prices in the shops, restaurants, and up scale grocery stores.

Each time we come we walk past my old homestead, a falling down ruin right now that would have my dad rolling over in his grave. How fastidious he was with his acre of lawn. Perfection was the name of the game. The lilacs and wysteria always trimmed and brimming with flowers. The paint touched up each year, the storm windows puttied and removed when the irises popped up.

I was curious enough to zillow the property only to discover that this wreck of a house, built in1911, changed hands three times in the past six years and each time for a sale price of almost 300,000 bucks. I know my dad paid $14,000. What a kick.

I'm walking everywhere cause I was too cheap to rent a car and need the exercise anyway. As I stroll along and pass people on the street I wonder if I know any of them. Who could these old, gray haired folks be? I haven't aged, right? I'm still Sally Pease who graduated in 1966. What a rude awakening to look at these residents and realize that they're my peers! For me, time has stood still but for them, it's moved on. So many have stayed here and made a life. So why did I always (and still) want to flee?

Haven't read as much as I'd have liked so I have no book news. I will tell you that there had to be hundreds of copies of Fifty Shades in every bookstore in every airport I've passed through. When I think of our 700 customers waiting to read the damn thing and look at the trade paperbacks languishing on the shelves - I have to wonder if I shouldn't have purchased several copies and brought them back to sell. Guess I'd have never made a great business woman.

Ok, the family awaits me so I'm off. Will catch you up on what I'm reading this weekend.