Ups & Downs

City living has its upsides, that's for sure.

But it also has it's downsides.

And lately, I've been feeling the downsides more than the "ups."

Like last Friday when I walked to the grocery store (which can be an upside until you decide that carrying everything you put in the 'buggy' plus a gallon of milk won't be that bad.... and then walking to the store turns into a downside)...back to my story... as I walked the 6 blocks from our place to the store, I was smiling at the people whom I met on the sidewalk. Not a single person smiled back. One man even looked confused! By the time I got to the store, I let the unfriendliness of a big city turn me sour. 

I miss small town life where you wave at people because you know them by the car they drive. And you just smile at people because that's just what you do. You smile. And they smile back. And no one seems perplexed by being smiled at. 

Okay, stepping down from the soap box to take a breather. 

And let's all take in the beauty of East Texas, shall we?

Ahh, my homeland.

And meet Lawton. The newest Huffstetler. He belongs to my dad and I met him for the first time over the holidays and while "playing" he ripped a hole in my shirt and in my workout pants and clearly likes to dig holes in the backyard (sorry, Mom). .

See you again, soon, Lawton. And you too, East Texas.