Heading into month two..

Can't believe we've been here a month now. Too often my blog has been serious.  It's either about our move, adjustments or memories.  It's the diary of 2013, but published for the world to share rather than tuck away in a drawer with a lock and key.  Putting words out there for the world to see is therapeutic and very enjoyable.  It will surely make it easy for archeaologists in 100 years.  Having not been especially inspired, this is merely an update - no breaking news..

Daniel is at work.  He's been working long hours, which we were expecting.  Funny thing is, he loves it.  He really enjoys what he has worked so hard to gain.  He likes what he is doing, he likes who he is working with, is making friends and he has a great respect for the company he is working for - as they have been so good to us, good to him and make working there a positive experience. 

Annabelle - well, she's so happy-go-lucky.  She's doing just fine.  She was "star student" yesterday at school, a thing she had been waiting on since day one there.  The star student is the class helper all day.  They do "Sweet Talk" for the student first thing and everyone in the class has to say something nice and they make a poster for the student.  She was sooo proud of her Sweet Talk.  Of course, they used words we all know and use to describe her too, but I guess like anyone, she enjoyed hearing people who really do not have say positive things say them.  And of course - violin lesson number one!

Maddie continues to resent Arkansas for being 700 miles from KY.  I know that it would be hard being anywhere but at "home", but for a town that is so similiar to Stanford it's a constant reminder that we aren't there.  Maddie was offered violin lessons and adamantly refused by the way..

So, tonight I'm thinking about some of the similiarities and differences in Berryville/Carroll County, Arkansas and Stanford/Lincoln Co., Kentucky.

1.  I don't exactly understand this whole town/county thing for sure but from what I can "see" on the surface, it seems each town operates independently of the county.  Maybe.  I'm sure not entirely, but it looks like there are offices in each town, libraries in each town and courts.  I haven't found a clear "county" seat like in Kentucky.  I can check out a book in Berryville and drop it off in Eureka Springs.  I can get my license in Berryville, but I saw a "court house" in Eureka Springs.  I don't know and it hasn't been pressing enough for me to inquire yet.

2.  There are 1/2 dozen Mexican restaurants in this town.  I have yet to try any of them, but definitely want to try Happy Taco, because, well it's fun to say that.  I guess when it comes to restaurants Berryville has Stanford beat.  There is the usual fun fast food places - Subway, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald's (the rudest, hatefulest McDonald's on this side of the Mississippi, I do declare.. makes it easy to avoid), Sonic.  I am guessing at least two Chinese places. Two Italian places, one Guatemalan place nearly across the street.  And as far as I can see - one nice little home town, folksy kinda place. It's the kind of place that I'm afraid to go in, because, well.. you know.. we aren't from around here.  People would stare and I might sit in the wrong place.

3.  The office where you go to get your driver's license is called the "Revenue Office".  The library is in the same building with the "County Assessor" and it stays busy - the county must "assess" a lot.

4.  The school uses finger prints instead of lunch codes, high tech if you didn't care.

5.  I have to drive 30 miles to Harrison, AR for things that I would have normally driven 25 miles to Danville or Somerset for.  Things like home improvement (Home Depot country here..) and Walgreens, a doctor, chain stores other than Wal-Mart.  This seems like an all day trip to me now that everything is sooo close to us.  Daniel left work at 2:18 am the other day.  He was in the bed, lights out by 2:30 am.  That is a short commute.  Getting used to being "in town" has certainly taken some getting used to.  We used to save up our trips.  I have only gotten gas 3 times since we have lived here - and that includes 2 trips - to Springdale and Rogers, both an hour away. 

5.   Waynesburg often feels like the red-headed step child of Lincoln Co.  Most will agree.  Well, if they are the step child of Lincoln - I wouldn't know what to call Eureka Springs in Carroll County.  It's a beautiful place, we like it.  The initial reaction when we tell people in Berryville (10 miles away) that we had to stay in Eureka for 3 weeks before we got here, is "I'm sorry" or "We aren't like 'them'".  Literally in the same breath, someone Daniel works with was inviting him to her church and telling her what a great place it was and when she found out where were were staying, her words were "Oh, we don't like those people, we don't want our kids around them."  I am guessing that Eureka is a free-spirited, artsy community where almost anything goes. If you read the Lovely County Citizen, the newspaper there, you'll find that they don't like noise and the police spend a good part of their day chasing down noise barrier villians and stray dogs.  People literally call the police when they see a dog on the street.  Anyway...

6.  When I look for similiarities, I have decided that all people are the same.  I see families in the stores, at the church... it would be hard to decide in what state I am.  At AWANA, parents helping their kids and the kids in the community grow and learn in Christ, in the Bible Study - the prayer concerns are eerily the same.  A house fire, a cancer patient, a death, an illness.  The more I am away, the more I am convinced it doesn't matter where I am, because it's all the same.  A lady crying at work because she has too much pressure on her at her job.  A McDonald's with hateful employees that never get an order right.  A school where the kids are indifferent to the teachers.  It's all the same.  I'm guessing that you'd have to go pretty far away and beyond the realm of Arkansas and Kentucky to find much difference.  For this, I am comforted. 

I will admit for the first time this week, I wished I was at home for just a minute.  I read an obituary in the newspaper for someone that I felt like I needed to be there for.  I'm sure that wasn't the case, but my gut instinct is to help.  There is nothing I can do and nothing I can say at this point.  I had other friends who were hurting this week as well, another loss in a family.  I probably wouldn't have seen my friend and talking to her on facebook was what I would have done if I had been 7 miles from her, but 7 X 100 makes my heart a little more for her and for the people she cares about.  I also have read on the wonderful facebook about someone else grieving their heart out, and knowing what that's like - I can't give the hug I want to give.  I have been following surgeries and illnesses as well - and I can't take a pot of chicken soup to share.  This is what's making the distance real.. when I want to help people and when I want to be there for someone. 

*sigh*

We are getting ready for our first visitors next week and are so excited.  Daniel's parents are coming for a long weekend and a little getaway.  Can't wait to share what we have found here and hopefully find some new things to do with them.  So, until the next little blurb, that's what's going on in Razorback country.... tell me what's going on in the Bluegrass and where ever your front porch is.