Today was the quintessential kind of day we'd envisioned when we fell in love with Corvallis and dared to imagine living here. We started the day at our local favorite morning spot, New Morning Bakery in downtown Corvallis. First off, breakfast out is an entirely different experience. The pace of life is so much slower here, and it's starting to rub off on us hurried FCs (former Californians - sshh!). We pick out a scone or muffin (everything is delicious here), pay for two coffees and the additional 50 cents per mug to allow for refills, and add butter and jam for the scones and walk away with about seven bucks less in our pocket. We fill up our mugs, meander over to a booth, spread out the local two-section paper and leisurely (what an unfamiliar term) enjoy our breakfast. Of course, it's near to impossible to describe the lively activity coming from Joshua, who has recently discovered uncontrollable ants in his pants. Yet, despite his bouncing on his knees, crawling back and forth under the table as he switches allegiance between his parents, spilling his oatmeal on his t-shirt and shrieking at it sticking to his fingers, it actually is a very peaceful experience. The two-section paper is just long enough for his attention span and we leave it behind for the next patron to learn about the local events (there are many), the crime reporter with a wry sense of humor, and the letters to the editor by citizens with time on their hands. Reading a local paper really does provide quite a bit of insight to the flavor and feel of a town!
Since it's Saturday there's a farmers market going on, coinciding with Crazy Days downtown. The merchants have dragged out tables and racks to display their wares, and it's a great way to check out some stores that haven't yet caught our eye. And because we have a three and a half year old in tow, we spent a good half hour in a fun store that sells about 50 kinds of sun hats, ranging from cowboy hats, outback-style coverings, fedoras, and stylish hats beyond my ability to name. I'm sure the owner was thrilled when we walked out - and not surprised at all that no purchases graced our hands (or heads).
The farmers market was just what you would expect on a summer's day in a thriving community in the heart of good agricultural land and rich culture: fragrant and plentiful produce, three separate groups playing music, lots of people, and men ogling the scantily-clad belly dancer displaying her...talent.
And that's not all! We returned to downtown a couple hours later to act as tourists in our new town as we took a free hour-long tour on a trolley throughout the historic district! The styles of homes were practically lost on me, but I could admire the history behind them and especially those who held that history so dear. Many of the homes were in very good, restored condition, but interestingly enough, some of them had eventually been sold and currently are rented out to OSU students.
And if all that wasn't enough to win in the category of The Most Staid and Boring Folks Around in our age category, we went out to our local Fred Meyer and purchased our first Scrabble board (ooh, on a turntable with a raised letter grid! Does it give you chills?) and spent the evening playing (and convincing our son to give us back the tiles he kept "borrowing"). We've missed our weekly Scrabble tournaments with my MIL and her SO (significant other) (see? we were Staid and Boring before moving here) and we didn't want our skills to get rusty. Ha - skills is a loose term where I'm concerned. Leif scored an 84 point turn while I kept the computer nearby and looked up questionable words. (Shh! Don't tell my MIL - she would be quite aghast.)
A quiet breakfast out with the local paper, strolling through downtown and the farmers market, taking a trolley on a guided tour through the historic district, and a night of Scrabble...now that's a day in the small town.
And we love it. :)
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