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The absurdities of small town living continue to bring joy to my life. Yesterday, disappointed that my favorite coffee shop closed at 2:00 pm, I trekked across town to the only other place I could think of to get a latte; Espresso to Go.
You’ll notice that there is a mobile home in the background of this drive-through coffee shop. Fittingly, Espresso to Go is actually a metal shack. Here’s to small town life.
Shack, photo by smalltowngirl
Peanut Butter Blondies, photo by smalltowngirl
I found miniature peanut butter cups awhile back at the Olde Tyme Pantry in Farmington, but only recently got around to baking with them.
I’d envisioned the miniature peanut butter cups used in blondie bars, but had never baked them before. I found a recipe online for basic blondies, substituted half whole wheat flour for the recipe’s all white flour, and added the peanut butter cups.
Not bad at all for a first time, altered recipe.
Time to bake + fun finds in local grocery stores?
MO =1; NYC =0
Before I accepted my job in rural Missouri, I researched yoga classes in the area.
I’d been in New York City long enough to have become one of those people who counted on regular yoga classes to keep me centered, balanced, and, well…sane.
Yoga was a big enough deal to me that I wouldn’t have accepted the job here if I hadn’t found a place in Farmington that offered regular yoga classes.
When I walked into my first class, I was disappointed to find that I was the only person in the room under 40. It didn’t take me long, though, to realize that my elders could kick my butt ten times over in some of the poses. Maybe 40 isn’t so bad afterall. 
One of my favorite people in the class is also one of the oldest. A retired California police officer (or maybe sheriff?)-turned beefalo (half cow, half buffalo) farmer, this gentleman would arrive to class in overalls and work boots, underneath which he donned sweatpants and a t-shirt for class. By his side was always his white miniature poodle, Bridgette.
Bridgette became one of the bright spots in my weeks when my transition from NYC to MO was at its hardest points this spring and summer. She would curl up on a pillow beside her owner’s mat and nap through class, and when she woke up to stretch, she did her own little doggy yoga with her big, sleepy puppy stretch (i.e. downward facing dog).
A few weeks ago, Bridgette was diagnosed with lung cancer. This Monday when I arrived to class, her owner was there but she was not. They’d put her to sleep that same morning, and her absence in the class left a sinking spot in my chest.
It’s amazing what a very small part of one person’s life can do to help make very big, very hard pieces of her life more bearable. Bridgette truly was a bright spot in a fairly dark transition for me, and I’m sure she was a shining star in the lives of the man and woman who had to put her down on Monday.
I found myself fighting back tears as we ended Monday night’s class. RIP, little yoga dog Bridgette. This yoga girl misses you.
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Westmount Wellness World is located at 164 Westmount Drive in Farmington, Missouri, on the back side of the Citizen’s Chiropractic Office. Yoga, Meditation and Tai Chi classes are all offered at Westmount Wellness World. For more information, visit www.citizenschiropractic.com.
The Tour de Missouri is finally here.
My excitement about the race stems not from my love for the sport, but from my love for small town, Missouri. Small towns along the race route will be the recipients of a lot of press and a temporary boom in commerce.
Last night, Tour de Missouri was featured on Fox Sports Midwest. My friends and I sat watching footage of world-class bicylcists riding down state highways in Ste. Genevieve County. It was awesome. Today’s footage will include my small Missouri downtown as Stage 3 kicks off here, in Farminton.
I snagged a couple of behind-the-scenes shots of Tour de Missouri folks painting a mural on Main Street last night with my Blackberry.
Before Dinner:
Tour de Missouri mural, photo by smalltowngirl
After Dinner:
nighttime street painters, photo by smalltowngirl
Here’s to small town street art and big time bike racing. Good luck to today’s racers, and for those of you lucky enough to get off work to go downtown to watch the start this morning, have fun!
When I was a little girl, I went to preschool at the school associated with this church.
I have clear memories from inside the old brick school building, and I remember thinking to myself that it would be cool to grow up and come back to the school when it was very, very old.
A few years ago, they tore the school building down, replacing it with one of those metal buildings that all the churches and businesses use these days in the midwest.
I’m glad the original church still stands. If anyone happens to know what year this church was erected, please let me know.
On Sunday afternoon, I took a walk through downtown Farmington, Missouri. There was practically no automobile traffic, and there was even less pedestrian traffic.
Downtown Small Town, Missouri still shuts down on Sundays.
As I walked down Main Street, the occassional driver passing by in their truck or car craned their necks to stare…
What is that woman taking pictures of? I imagined them wondering as they gazed through their windsheild at me with my digital SLR.
If only they’d get out of their cars and take a walk, maybe they’d begin to discover the beauty in their own small Missouri town. Until then, this smalltowngirl is trying to capture it for them, one black and white photo and one Small Town, Missouri blog at a time.
When I was a kid, my dad and brother regularly had their hair cut by the same barber.
When I was a kid, my mom would pull up in front of the post office, and my brother or I would run inside to get the mail. That was when the post office boxes were still locked with a combination (now they use a key). Our combination was B-F-J/A.
That post office seemed huge to me growing up.
The post office doesn’t seem so big now, but the barber’s pole still makes me think of my dad’s haircuts when I was a little girl.
Me, the barber’s pole, and my small town post office…
St. Joe State Park is one of Missouri’s largest state parks, boasting more than 8,000 acres of property and a 14-mile concrete trail for walking, jogging, rollerblading or biking. The best part? This park is really close to my small town.
I jogged on the trail a few times in high school, and took my mountain bike there for my first ride on it when I was in my early twenties. Since moving back to Missouri, I’ve ridden the full trail twice.
St. Joe State Park Map, Credit: Missouri State Parks
If you’re not up for the full 14 miles, you can park at several points along the trail, and ride out half your intended distance before doubling back. If you’re in reasonably good shape, though, I’d do the full loop.
I’ve ridden this starting in Farmington, crossing US Hwy 67, and entering the park at the Farmington Trail head at the Southeast corner of the map. By starting in Farmington, you can add a couple more miles to the ride.
I’ve also parked at the Old Mines entrance at the Northern edge of the park and ridden the loop. If you intend to ride the full 14 miles, where you start the ride is secondary, in my opinion, to which direction you ride in once you’re on the trail.
St. Joe State Park Bicycle Trail, photo by smalltowngirl
Riding the trail counterclockwise, according to this map view, you’ll encounter several long, low-grade uphills. If you ride clockwise, on the other hand, you’ll hit two hills that are neither terribly long nor terribly steep.
The asphalt is smooth; fit for road bikes or hybrids, though I only have a mountain bike, and it works out fine as well. Because there’s a large area for riding ORVs in the center of the park, beware that on dry, windy winds, you’ll be riding through a lot of dust when you’re riding past Missouri Mines.
Missouri Mines from St. Joe State Park Bicycle Trail, photo by smalltowngirl
St. Joe State Park can be accessed from several towns in the area, including Farmington, Park Hills, and Leadington. Parking is available at the trail heads, and there is at least one point along the trail (I believe it’s at the Harris Branch Trail Head) where clean drinking water is available.
One of my favorite things in the whole world is a good thunderstorm, and since I’ve been back in Missouri, there has been no shortage of good ones. Nearly every day, storms have blown through our area.
Missouri’s spring showers have been a welcome home, of sorts, after ten years away, missing the storms that Missouri is well-known for.
Another kind of shower came up this weekend, as a close family friend and her husband (also a long time friend of mine) prepare for the birth of their first baby, due July 20th. My mom and I threw the mom-to-be a baby shower on Saturday for them.
My mom made every invitation and every party favor by hand from scratch, matching everything to the baby’s brown and blue nursery decorations. I followed suit with chocolate fudge mini cupcakes with blue mint icing topped with miniature chocolate chips.
Chocolate Fudge Mini Cupcakes with Blue Mint Icing and Mini Chocolate Chips, cupcakes and photos by smalltowngirl
Whether it’s rain showers or baby showers, seems Missouri has welcomed me back with much adue. I felt really good about being home again after all these years to be present for these special days in the lives of my friends. Now if we can just do something about these rain showers…
It’s the time of year in Small Town, Missouri when tents are pitched under which bottle rockets and Roman candles and sparklers and M-60s are sold to kids who save their allowances for weeks in order to blow things up on the nation’s anniversary.
Like most kids, my brother and I liked to blow things up. Like most country kids, we had plenty of access to flamable objects and ingitables. Of all the things we tried to make explode, my favorite was the He-Man doll.
He-Men were hollow on the inside, so we popped off little He-Man’s head, filled him up with gasoline and lit him on fire. Yellow plastic melted onto the concrete outside the basement door and our dad was fit to be tied. I’m pretty sure we were punished for it, but I’m also pretty sure we spent hours giggling over it out of ear-shot from our parents.
Over the next few days, tables will be set up and truckloads of fireworks will be hauled in. Moms and dad will bring kids to buy supplies for their little kid arsenals, and on 4th, lots of little kiddos will be making memories that they’ll reminesce over, just like my brother and I still reminesce about melting little He-Man.
