Small Town Simplicities

Well I have been in southern alberta for about 3 weeks now. I have spent more time here this last three weeks than I have in years. We are defianetly getting anxious and ready to have our family reuntied and start our next phase of lifein Oakville/Toronto but I haven't forgotten to use this month to unwind a little from the hectic hussle bussle of city life. I have had a few experiences in this last while that has reminded me of some of the diffrences in the rural VS. urban lifestyle. First off, I have finally been able to loosen those grips of maternal control enough to let Maci out the door to play with neighbour kids. When I first got here, I only let her play outside when I was able to stand in the yard and watch her the whole time. Last night a little girl asked if she could come play and I let her out on her own. She was so excited to go out and play like a big girl. It felt a little like a kid releasing a trapped butterfly from a jar. I did open all the windows in the house and turned off the tv and dryer so I could hear her without standing at the windows. This may not seem like a big step for most of you, but for an urban mom, not to mention a mom who has worked in Child Protection for the last 6 years and has a jaded and quite untrusting view of the world- This was a huge step. She came back safe and sound at the end of the playtime!! Another little small town moment happened the other day. Lesley was making Lasagna and had gone up to the Trading Company (only grocery store in Magrath) to get some cottage cheese, she mistakingly got sour cream instead. I went up to the store with the 2 sour creams in hand, and asked to exchange them . I had forgotted the recepit. I knew the sales clery( a classmates fathers) and he let me exchange them without the recepit and also told me not to worry about the small diffrence between the two prices. These are things that just wouldn't happen in my grocery store in Edmonton. I still chuckle as I drive around Magrath and EVERYONE waves at me, although I don't know most of them. Usually in the city, if you are not using both hands on the wheel , you are using one to honk with. One more thing, I was able to sign Maci up for soccer a few weeks late and now she is happliy playing on a little team for the remainder fo our stay.That would of never happened in Edmonton. A deadline is a deadline!!!! This is really my last example: I took Maci to story hour at the public library on Wednesday and the lady who was reading the stories is the very same one who read to me as a 4 year old at the Magrath library, Irene Gruiniger is her name and weird enough she looked the exact same even though 20 years had passed. Anyway, these examples are just a few simple things that have stood out to me while we have been here. Being here hasn't convinced me that a small town is where we should be. I feel most at home now in an urban setting, the slow paced lifestlye is ok to visit but doesn't fit for our family right now, especially for Ryan-he is a big city boy through and through but it has provided us a little respite and time for refueling and rejuvination, and for that we are greatful. Meghann