Small Town, U.S.A.

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.  ~Buddha

My Deep Thought For The Day:

I view each day of my life as a mystery, a secret if you will, waiting to be revealed.  Some days the answers reveal themselves and some days I have to search to make sense of it all.  But no matter what the day brings, it is a precious day of my life to be spent wisely.

This afternoon, I have to go into town.  Not Muskogee town but Warner town.  Huge difference!  Instead of being filled with dread (because it always takes me at least four hours to get all my stuff done in Muskogee), I can anticipate an enjoyable trip to Warner.  A quaint small town atmosphere permeates every inch of this lovely community.  There are no stop lights in town, everyone knows everyone and friendliness is the key ingredient in everyday life.  It is the home of Connors State College (a two year college full of eager and not so eager students). 

My first stop will be Cross Telephone Company.  Before online bill paying came along, it could be a little confusing to pay utility bills in my neck of the woods.  The water comes from Muskogee, the electric from Okmulgee, Oklahoma Natural Gas from who knows where and, as I said, the telephone from Warner (I have no choice here).  When I want to dig in the yard, I have to call OKIE first to mark any existing lines.  It can get complicated.

These are some of the places I stop when I go to Warner, Oklahoma:

This is a real hot spot in town.



This is the only grocery store in town.

The local hardware store is the real heart of the community.  If you need anything and can't find it, the great people who work there can take you to it and tell you how to use it.  Many times when I go into the store, they will ask, "What are you trying to do?' (most of the time I don't really know) and then offer great advice on how to do it.  They are #1 in my book for customer service.




They have just about anything you would need.



 Now it's time to visit my favorite place in any community.  If the hardware store is the heart of this community, then the library is the soul.  The wonderful people who work there are so friendly and helpful.  I just heave a big sigh of contentment when I walk into this oasis in the middle of the chaos of the world.

Love, love, love the library.  The small size of this building belies the content.

And last but not least is the Warner Post Office.  I still have a P.O. box there because I haven't had time to change my address with all the junk mail companies (killers of trees).

The Warner, Oklahoma Post Office is located next door to the library.

And so my day went much too quickly.  I am now home with my reusable Eco bag full of books from the library.  I am one happy girl.  Living Simply is just my style and small town (eight miles away) living suits me just fine, thank you very much!