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Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Homesick for the Prairie


I knew it was bound to happen, after all it happens in every relationship; the honeymoon is over with me and the East Bay. In short, I miss Minnesota, specifically Northfield.

Pictured above is the Cannon River as it bisects Northfield, and just to the right out of the frame of the photo is Just Food Co-op. Big sigh. I miss it terribly. Even though the current high and low temperatures are pretty freaking cold – 23 is the high, 10 is the low – I still miss the place. The small-town feel of it, the fact that I would recognize and know so many people coming into the co-op. The fact that everyone would be bundled up. And the even bigger fact that despite the cold and the bundling up, tomorrow night most of Northfield’s 17,000 residents will come out for the downtown celebration of “Winter Walk.”

Winter Walk is the annual downtown business association’s attempt to get people to shop the historic downtown for the holidays. Last year, Just Food participated and what that meant was that the Clydesdale Horse Drawn Hay Wagon ride stopped at the store and took on and let off passengers. We had a fire going in a grate outside the store and kids were getting their faces painted inside the store. There was about a foot of snow on the ground and it was very festive! I was dressed as an elf with a Santa cap and all, and several times I lead carol singing over the P.A. as shoppers joined in or just smiled in appreciation. It’s a wonderful memory.

So I’m missing all that – the security of a full time job, the knowledge of working for a good cause, and a sense of community. Here’s hoping that will be forthcoming in my new home!

Love and Hugs!

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