What I like about Rural Western Ohio

As I listen to some works of Johann Sebastian Bach on Pandora after eating my breakfast, and reading the paper, I decided that I wanted to recognize that my family's new home is spectacular. Though the new house itself is small, the neighbors are kind and OPEN to getting to know their own neighbors. Yesterday, we got a message on the machine asking if someone could help Olivia, a neighbor, with her algebra. Because our neighbors just recently started attending our church, Dad located the newest chuch directory, found their number, and called over. A few minutes later, I was teaching, and being reminded that my mathematic ways, though obscure, and accurate, but I don't know if I'd be a good teacher....

Though the cars speeding by did hit my cat, they are far and few between, and salt trucks clear off our Route when it snows. There are not random students who walk through our yard (though Dad did let them do that, as a vow of service to appreciate the youth in Streetsboro), and no one to knock down our rather muscular snowman (although the fact of the matter is that we don't, in fact, have a snowman, and if we did, at some point, someone from our new church home youth group might come and knock it down, to spite Marie. But hopefully we won't have to worry about that.) There are so many wonderful benefits to be living in the country, yet have a town a couple of miles away in almost every direction (of the towns I know of, we can go left, right, and forward-ish to reach one). One thing that I thoroughly enjoy is the grid-like road system--you always know where you are--and each of these grids are one mile in distance from each other--and so it's great for measuring the distance of a workout. The even greater thing about the road that leads to our church is that there is a railroad track halfway between the two aligning roads--yay for subdividing! Another amazing thing about Western Ohio--though we do get snow here, it is NOTHING like Streetsboro snow. We are not in the Lake Effect snow area, so we have about two and a half inches, rather than eight plus that exist in the Boro as of yesterday. But this also means that they call off school for fog, which happened to Marie once (much to her dismay).

One of the things I would take advantage of if I was here more often would be the waving-to-everyone-you-see-wherever-you-go. Because every other place that I have lived has been a rather impersonal city, it's hard for me to get used to this idea, but I hope that in time, I will be willing to do that. But first, I have to learn the names and faces of all the people in church. (In this case, it would be beneficial to get a job around here this summer, but Camp Luz is so much more my style. I was thinking about convincing someone in our church to hire me to help them plant, and deal with all my naive ability, so that I can have something to do in the month before I go work at camp.) Thus, I'm still not comfortable with waving at everyone I meet. Which, if I took on this habit, it would be interesting to go to DC after that and assimilate into their culture.

This summer, we were humbled by the hospitality of everyone who brought over their fresh produce (and their best of the best dessert, for the new pastors and their family~Yikes). We were able to freeze mountains of green beans, and corn, and we didn't even have a garden (something which I hope to change for next year). From the minute I came home from Camp in August there were people here, dropping off food and saying,"Hello." This happened especially when it was warmer, but if people from our church, or some who somehow knew our parents, were passing by, and they saw that we were home, they would stop in to see us, just to say hi.

More nice things--family and local businesses. Stella Leona's in Pettisville makes artisan chocolates--like you've never tried before, and I've spent time at the home of the owner, making "sinful bars" with one of her daughters. The Rupp car shop, also in Pettisville. Mom and I went to get the Daewoo fixed up before Anna and I left for school (and wrecked the car) and somehow, she made some connections with one of the workers, to her own family (who do not reside in Western Ohio at all). Ahh the Mennonite game. Such is my life.

So I feel like we have made a great impression on the people in these towns. And some of the best parts happen because there are people from EMU who I didn't know lived in the area, and then, or course, you run into them at the winter Pettisville schools concert. And then proceed to go back to their house for coffee and ice cream. Or you see them (someone else), at one of the local gift stores.

So these are the things I like about Rural Western Ohio. Oh, and the 55mph speed limits on all the county roads. And the Buckeye, the local paper. And the fact that I found out my hair stylist went to Goshen, and also her cousin goes to school with me. And that a certain type of barbeque sauce at the local grocery store, according to the bottle, was made at the address which we now reside.

Yay.