Friday, January 18, 2013

America's Coolest Small Towns

  




      I just read about Budget Travels "Coolest Small Town Contest".  So I had to head over to their website to check out their list.  I was rather pleased to see one town that I lived near as a young teen and at least 3 others that I have actually been to visit!  They list the populations of each place as well as tourist information.  So, hop on over there and check it out and vote for your favorite! You may be surprised to find your favorite small town among the top 10!
http://www.budgettravel.com/contest/americas-coolest-small-towns-2013,14/#candidate-detail12247




        Of course, if this sleepy little town were named among the "Coolest", it would be a rather big deal.  Everyone in town would have voted by now, and there would have been a "results party" to see who won, and the mayor would have named a street after Budget Travel..........but you'll get that in a small town.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Advice from an Old Farmer

I read this today and just had to share.




Old Farmer's Advice:






Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.


The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'. 

Always drink upstream from the herd. 

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment. 







Life is simpler when you plow around the stump. 

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered... not yelled. 

Meanness don't jes' happen overnight. 

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads. 







You cannot unsay a cruel word. 

Every path has a few puddles. 

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty. 

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway. 

Don't judge folks by their relatives. 

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. 








Live a good, honorable life... Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time. 

Don 't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.  

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'. 

Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got. 








Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight,
he'll just kill you.

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in. 

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around..

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. 
Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.



*Great straight-forward common sense advice with a bit of old fashioned dry humor......but you'll get that in a small town!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Country Compassion

 



      Tragedy struck our small town this week.  A mother and her young children were headed out of town on a snowy morning and slid off the road down an embankment and struck a tree.  A three-year old boy was killed.  Our community is in mourning.  Even though many of us did not even know the family, mutual tears were shed for the family, the mother, the father, the brother. 
   A member of our close knit community has been taken away. Even in the everyday busyness, there is a somber curtain that hangs over the area.  I have heard many say that this is such a terrible time of the year to go through something like this, but any time of the year would be a terrible time to go through such a loss.
     I drove past the site of the crash today.  I could see the tire tracks and the spot where the car struck the tree.  I shed a few tears thinking of the young mother and what she must be going through. I prayed for the family and the days ahead in dealing with the loss of a young child. I thought of the rescue workers and the policemen and the images that they must be dealing with in this loss.
     I was reminded of the true compassion found in the small town way of life as our family discussed the loss yesterday.  An uncle went over to clear the snowy sidewalks in front of the home of the family that was in the car crash.  In a small town area, when you hear of a loss like this, you find what you can do to help in any way to make life easier for a time.  As he started on the walks, another man came around the corner with a shovel in his hand. Most likely no words were spoken, but they just worked there together, bearing the load of the snow and the grief.  As they worked, another man came down the lane, carrying a shovel and joined in. The news had spread like wildfire, and they needed a way to show their compassion.........but you'll get that in a small town.