In earlier American rural life, communities raised barns because many hands were required. These events occured in a social framework with a good deal of interdependence. Members of rural communities often shared family bonds going back generations. They traded with each other, worshipped with each other and celebrated with each other. Barn raisings were an integral part of life and socializing.

In our modern American life, communities don't mean nearly as much as they did back then. It is our family's goal to bring a sense of community back to our lives and those lives that touch ours.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Paonia

  The kids and I went exploring today. I have loved every visit to Paonia, but they have all been brief and the children haven't always been with me. It is just about a half an hour to get there and in between here and there is a store/farm/deli named Delicious Orchards http://www.deliciousorchardstore.com/  that I want to stop in at every time I pass by. Today was the day to do it. And I am so glad that I did. I think I'm in love. They make their own apple juice and cider, which coincidentally we have been drinking for years. They specialize in local and organic food products, which is really important to me. Thankfully local includes a few items from Fort Collins, namely MouCo Colorouge cheese. http://www.mouco.com  I have not been able to find this anywhere and thought I would never get to delight in it's stinky flavor again. So imagine my delight when there it was, sitting beautifully in the cheese case with all of the other artisan cheeses. We stocked up on produce, fresh made tortillas and tamales, and some hard apple cider for the Hubby. I paid for a lifelong membership, which was only ten dollars and included a free reusable grocery bag. I know we will be back as often as possible. After our stop there, we continued on our way. We meandered down the main street, going in and out of shops as we pleased. We found a good childrens' clothing only thrift store. We stopped in at a coffee shop to get some smoothies and found some kindred spirits. The couple that owns the coffee shop have two young girls near S and M's ages. After consuming (and spilling) our smoothies, the children played hide and seek for another hour. I sat in the sunshine and spoke with the owner/mom. It was lovely. When I finally was able to round up the kiddos, we went to the park. What a great park. Our visit coincided with the BMW motorcycle rally which delighted T to no end. When everyone was worn out (meaning me) we headed home. For dinner we consumed the tamales and tortillas we had picked up earlier. What a fun day.





BMW motorcycle rally camping at the park
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1 comment:

  1. JanelAugust 9, 2011 at 9:28 PM

    Amanda! GREAT pictures, it looks like you are finding your niche.

    ReplyDelete

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