The Good Life

This is the lifestyle I have dreamed of having for so many years. When Vince and I were dating and talking about what we wanted out of life, I told him I required three things:  Indoor plumbing, air conditioning and a dependable car. There have been times when he was on thin ice with the air conditioning and dependable car requirements.  Another thing we always talked about was that wanted to live on 40 acres. I wish we had set our goal to having 100 acres but we ended up with 45 acres and there isn’t a single day that passes that I don’t walk outside, either as the sun is rising or setting, or the roosters are crowing, or I see a fox or an owl and I remind myself how lucky we are to be living here. Every now and then a snake, a scorpion or a grass burr causes a little bump in my “I love it here” fest and then there’s the issue with Addie being in Missouri but all in all . . this is a great place for us for now. Who knows what the future holds so I’ll just enjoy each day. I’m very thankful that both of us are happy here . . I probably love this lifestyle a bit more than Vince does but it would be miserable if one of us truly didn’t love living in the country and the chores that go along with being in the middle of nowhere . . things like water well issues, gate issues, “there’s a critter in the shop”, “can you set a trap . . there’s another skunk out there”.

Here’s a funny story. It’s only funny because folks who live in cities sometimes have a hard time comprehending what life is like out here. I’m not complaining but sometimes, the “Green Acres”  similarities make me smile. I did buy some of the old Green Acres shows on DVDs and Vince and I really need to sit and watch them.

First thing this morning, you already know that the sewing room a/c was out. After calling the repairman, I went back over there to vacuum and clean up. When I came back to the house . . no internet! No internet here means no cell phone, no home phone (because it’s Magic Jack and works through the internet), no TV (because we stream everything), no radio (because I listen to it through an app). It’s very quiet here!

I can walk down the driveway a bit and get a little bit of cell service so I did that and sent a text to Vince “No Internet!”. That way he didn’t worry if he tried to call and couldn’t get me or sent an email and I didn’t answer.

Walked back to the house and thought . . I’d better call mom and dad or my sister and tell some of them not to worry if they can’t get me. While I was walking down the driveway, my phone rang. It was the internet guy.

Here’s the funny part . . well, not all of this story is funny. Our neighbors have a ham radio tower and there’s an internet service provider out of Brady that supplies a business or two in town. Brady is about 45 miles south of us and they saw the neighbor’s tall tower and asked if they could put a booster on it and in exchange, the neighbor could get internet. The neighbor told us about it and that’s how we now get our internet.

About 18 months ago, the neighbor’s house burned (very sad!) but they’re just now rebuilding. The night of the fire, and for a few days afterward, there was no electricity at their place so Vince had to go refill the generator with gasoline every 6 hours to keep the internet working. We could have just done without but they had those businesses in town and they need internet 24/7. Vince told the guys it was easier for him to go do it than for them to have to drive 90 miles round trip every 6 hours to fill the generator.

So, now, the internet isn’t working. My phone rang and it was the internet guy. Vince had told him that the neighbors had put a lock on their gate and he thought I might have the code. Yep, I did. I had to give the internet buys the code to the neighbor’s gate so I can hopefully get internet back soon. I called the neighbors to tell them I had given the guys their code.

Then I went back to the house, took a quick shower and the internet was back on. How’s that for great service. I’m sure it’s mostly because those businesses have to have internet and not because they care that I have my internet but . . I’ll take great service any way I can get it.

They say things come in threes so everything I touch, I find myself saying “Are you next?” I got in the shower and said out loud . . The well is working! Yay! . . and the I laughed.

Ahhh  . . the good life!