A Preview of Our American Dream

It's been a few months since I've written. My excuse is predictable.
"We've been so busy with work and blah, blah, blah."

It's true. It's the way of the world if you're trying to live by the rules of American success as defined by a good corporate job, a nice home in the suburbs and secure retirement. I'm not convinced this is the path to contemporary eternal happiness, but Tammy and I had a nice discussion about it over dinner last night. We are blessed. We are successful by the American definition of "success." Even so, it doesn't keep us from dreaming and scheming about living in the country.

We have done a few improvements to the property. We fenced around the cabin to keep the dog in and the cows out. That was a huge relief. We feel like we can relax a little because we don't have to put a leash on Tanner and walk him at 6AM. We can open the door and let him out for awhile.

However, I'm a morning person, so I'm perfectly happy to open the door, let him out, and sit on the steps to watch the sunrise. That's my definition of success.

The peace and space and sounds of frogs and birds are what I miss about living in the country. The friendliness of the locals (and I promise - you can easily distinguish between locals and urban tourists not by clothing or cars, but by friendliness) always fills me up.  I miss the people. I'm surprised how much I miss them, but I find joy in someone driving past the cabin and honking 5 times to say, "hello." I feel comfort in meeting an oncoming pickup, as I drive somewhere, and getting the one finger wave off the top of the oncoming driver's steering wheel.

Tammy and I drove out to our place on Thursday night, and we went over to the Stone Cellar for pizza and Karaoke. I don't do karaoke, but Tammy's great at it. We took Tanner, and he got to be the star dog. I was apprehensive about taking him, but it turns out that Thursday night is mostly locals, so the vibe was relaxed and low key. The energy was right. I ran into old friends from my days of living in Fayette County. It was one of those nights that felt like home.

I really hope we can call our country paradise home very soon.
THAT is our American Dream.