Small Town Living

Episode Number 1: On Wednesday I called a girl to babysit. I've never met her or her family before (which is rather unnerving, entrusting your children to a stranger!), but she came well recommended from a friend of mine. She said she could get a ride to our house so not to bother picking her up. I was about to start giving her our address and directions when she interrupted, "Oh I know where you live. I'll see you Friday."

Episode Number 2: I had a doctor appointment this afternoon (just routine, no worries, mothers-of-mine) and left the boys with the above-mentioned sitter. As the receptionist typed in my info, she said, "Oh, you're a friend of Grace's, right? The one with the four adorable boys!" Why yes, those would be mine, thanks. "Oh, and tell your husband thanks for getting our computer hooked up the other day." Will do. Now I don't know this woman from Eve, but in a town this size, everybody (except me) knows pretty much everybody (including me).

Episode Number 3: This morning I put an outgoing card in the mailbox. This afternoon I returned to find a phone message from the post office saying that because of its shape, said card required an extra 20 cents postage. I grabbed a quarter and walked to the post office. Before I got to the front desk the postmaster had pulled my card from somewhere out of sight, and before I plunked down my quarter he'd slapped a 20 cent sticker on it and handed me my change. And when I said that I'll try to make my cards more rectangular in the future (rather than square), he handed me a "mail dimensional standards template" for my own personal use.

I love small towns.