Dorothy was right.

After being away for 5 days, I can't believe how good it feels to come home.  Of course, I have been away longer, but this time coming home just felt so lovely following a family funeral and the arrival of spring (in our absence!).

This thought struck me last night as I strolled home from a quick check in at the church.  Murray dashed around like a crazy squirrel and I took in the evening quiet and calm.  The lake was flat glass.  I smiled at the "big", "medium" and "baby" trees in our neighbour's yard~ the ones Rowan used to hug as a toddler.

I have moved so many times.  Until now, the longest I lived anywhere was for the first 4 years of my life. I have now been in this place for 5 years, which breaks my standing record of 3.  This has meant being part of a number of wonderful communities and meeting lots of great people, but it has also meant a cycle of arriving and leaving without putting down roots.

While visiting with family, I was asked many times if we 'like living up there' (we are only 400 km from my home region, but to most folks we may as well be at the North Pole!). And we do. And I realized how much I meant it when I answered the question.

And that feels so good.
So peaceful.

This is the place where the arrival of spring comes with the smell of the chip wagon on the highway frying burgers and the sound of the Canada Geese engaging in the yearly battle for the beach with my neighbours.
This is the place where I have a peony bush that I started 5 springs ago and each year I can count the increasing number of blooms as it grows larger and stronger.
This is the place where you can leave an IOU at the bulk store, or call the pharmacist at home for advice.
This is the place where our first visit to the park each spring brings new discoveries... that the scary slide is now just right or that Rowan can clamber up onto the swing without help.

It is totally small town, with all the good and bad implications of that label.
But it is our small town.
And as a (nearly) 38 year old experiencing home in this way for the first time, it is pretty darn cool.♥