Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Living in the Country

I always get a kick out of reading this rather sarcastic children's book (as I do its predecessor The Happy Hocky Family). If you haven't read it is a must especially if you live in the "country". Basically it is filled with little snippets about adapting to small town country life. For the education of those of you non New Englanders, despite living near a big city, it's not "suburby" here like other areas, it's all little small towns. Mine boasts a population of about 7,000 very nice people. We have our town center complete with white gazebo and our town hall which also houses the police, fire, and library. It is charming and quaint- although inconvenient everyone fights to keep it that way. We have one stop light and 2 gas stations and no chain restaurants or grocery stores. It has it's plusses (Like being able to hurl your rotten fruit into your backyard without your neighbors caring, community traditions) and it has it's minuses like 12 minutes to the closest grocery store, and curvy 1 1/2 lane roads that change names thousands of times over a 5 miles stretch. Anyway, today I was pondering on these pages of city words and country words... I had my own city/country word experience. City Word
Ticker









Country Word
tick"er"



Seriously- it's not even warm yet how are this evil little beasts out already!! Anyway we're on Lyme disease watch here for the next 3 weeks. My 2 year got on in the upper fold of his ear- it was at the worst angle and we couldn't get it all the way out- so we enjoyed a trip to the pediatrician today. Ahh the joys of New England country living--
1. fine drs. office tweezers
2. no tantrums all day (this was a truly benevolent blessing)
3. tasty fruit salad

8 comments:

Becky said...

I feel your pain...Stevie had two ticks two weeks in a row at Thanksgiving time. Two trips to the ER because they both happened on the weekend. Thankfully no LYME disease. Sorry to hear...

LL said...

OHHH, the guilt. The farmers wife guilt. I'm sorry we shared our tick-ers with you!!!
please return, I hope we didn't scare you away.

nanci said...

The dreaded tick! All I can say is - there had better be a really great explanation for them when we get to other side of the veil!

aubreyannie said...

i don't even know what ticks do to you? and without meaning any offense, i would like to keep it that way. but i just put that book on hold because it looks pretty funny!

Cathy said...

I love that book. I'll have to check it out. Reminds me of my childhood. . .
Did I ever tell you about my tick?
Every year when we start finding them on the kids we rethink the New England life and wonder if it's time to get out.

smart mama said...

LL- you are Not responsible for your "farm's" ticks --feel no guilt they are just as prevalent in my own yard. seriously last year n got one just walking out to get the mail- no joke

aubrey- oh you must visit new england in late spring to become aquainted with the infamous tick- they are nasty little things that attach onto your skin- trouble is they can carry bad disease like lyme disease

nanci- yah i am waiting for the explanation for this pestilence i mean we already slog through interminable winter(i guess they are better than scorpions or black windows or killer bees?)

Smilin' sunshine said...

We lived in New England for 5 years and never experienced the tick. Knock on wood. Is it because you live in 'the country'? I am going to have to get those books. They look hilarious!

Arlyn said...

I also enjoy country living, but it's much different in Eastern Idaho than in New England! We don't deal with ticks in our area so much as MICE, MICE and lots more MICE!

I lived in a little township in PA when I was 12, so I know a little bit of the countryside there. It's very beautiful!