No Place Like Home?
I fell in love with the Oregon Coast last October. Even when the sun wasn’t shining. When it was windy. Spitting rain. A bit dark in the daytime. And driving wasn’t easy. So, back here in Carroll County, when I didn’t want to pull the trash from my outdoor bins in a steady rain and haul it to the dump I thought, “This is just like Oregon. Quit procrastinating.”
Well, no spectacular ocean views. No seals. Couldn’t run down to the local pub to eat scallops fresh off the boat. But Tootsie the Wonder Dog would tell you there was something better: The wonderful woman at the Berryville Transfer Station who passes out high-end dog treats to canine passengers passing over the scale enroute to the dumpster.
And this woman does not skimp! She asks me, “How many babies?”
“Just one,” I say. And she hands me a fistful of dog treats. Jackpot! It makes me smile every time. What a joy to go to the dump!
On another front, did you know that if you have a library card from any library in the Carroll & Madison Library System, you can peruse their conjoined catalog and order a book from any of the six libraries, from the comfort of your own home, and get it delivered to the closest library? No charge. I love our libraries. This is why The Bookworms, a group of local musicians, jams in the lobby of the Berryville library for tips every Saturday morning—to give a boost to the library building fund.
FYI—Ozark jams are a splendor. Music gatherings with gentle rules to ensure everybody gets a turn—no matter if they are beginners, seasoned professionals, or something in-between. Equal opportunity music circles. This is not the norm in other places I’ve lived.
My husband and I used to attend a lot of jams, and sponsor some, too. When he passed away, I was hesitant about joining the circles without him. But my reluctance was unwarranted. My continued participation in our supportive music community keeps me afloat when all else fails. Seriously!
Now this is small—but true: I love that I can park in the lot on Planer Hill in Eureka Springs for free in the off season. It blows my mind. In greedier places, the lot would be barricaded to incoming cars if there was nobody there to collect parking fees.
And Berryville Square has free parking all the time. I love a town with free parking.
If you read this column with any regularity, you know about the widows and widowers support group, without which I would have long ago come to the end of my very frazzled rope. But I also must credit the Berryville caregiver support group for tending my mental health for over a decade while I took care of my ailing mother. There’s lots of support to be found in Carroll County, for anyone whose tether is getting too short for comfort—for whatever reason.
So—while I’m entertaining thoughts of relocating to the coast, my day-to-day living in Carroll County gives me plenty of reasons to stay. If my house doesn’t sell—it won’t be the end of the world.
When you’re unhappy at home, take your dog to the dump, check out the library, enjoy a jam—with or without an instrument. Find the folks who will offer you the rope you need when yours is about to give out.
Thanks, Carrol County. (And Madison, too. I’ve held your books in my hands.)