Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Homesick

I'm feeling a little homesick lately; missing Chaska and everything that was familiar. It didn't help my homesickness to stop by our old house today to pick up the St. Joseph statue. I had it hiding in the bushes in faith that the house would sell soon but got worried about it with all the rain because it's an inside statue.

But to celebrate our new home, I'll tell you everything that I know about Norwood Young America. I can tell you that the two cities of Norwood and Young America merged together in 2010, bringing the population to a whopping 3,500. It has a McDonalds and a Subway as it's two main chain resteraunts. Unhinged Pizza also was just added recently in the past year. It also has one family owned restaurant that is sort of in the slummy part of the city. That's it for restaurants, but it's more than I hoped for for this small town.

It has a Super America and a Family Dollar store as a General Store. Personally, I would prefer a Walgreens instead because if the Dollar Store isn't going to sell things for a dollar like it says, than you might as well become a Walgreen and sell better quality stuff. Plus, I could get my photos done.

There is one school--Central Public School. Everyone assumes our kids go there or will be going there because that's how it is here. They are always surprised when we tell them our kids go to Cologne Academy because it's in Cologne, not Young America.

There is only one Catholic church in the town, the rest are Protestant. It's a very small church too. I'm not sure we will be going there for mass because I always feel like an elephant in a china shop (or whatever the expression is) when I take my kids to mass in small churches. They do adoration only once a week too, but they do have daily mass which is nice.

They only have one mass on Sunday too, because there aren't enough people to have another one.

I had gone to daily mass at another small church--this time in Cologne, and I was sitting behind a lady with 5 young girls. I was feeling inspired by this woman who brought her young children to daily mass with her and thought, "If she can do it, I can do it!" Then, in the middle of the mass, a man who I assumed to be her husband dropped off a boy with her. A sixth child, wow! She didn't give him a dirty look or anything!

Then at the end of mass, the priest wanted to say a prayer for the VBS group that was starting that day. It was only then that I realized that the "family" in front of me was not a real family at all--it was the Vacation Bible School! Five kids, that's it! I have never seen a VBS group that small before. I am used to classrooms and classrooms full of children, but this one made up for a large family...I'm sure my mouth was hanging during the entire prayer.

Anyway, that is how small these churches are around here. It's not bad, just a little hard to get used to. I have gone from an overcrowded band-playing church to a very small town quiet one with no music whatsoever because there's no room for an organ or piano.

Anyway, back to what is around here in town....There is an Economart. I think that's what it's called? I have never heard of those before, but it's a decent sized grocery store with ok prices, though I still shop at Walmart about 3 towns away. It's easier that way, because I can get our food and retail stuff at the same time.

There is also a Dairy Queen, a big plus in my book! We don't go there often, but it's nice for those rare times to treat the kids.

And happy news,  a new building is being built near the school, we noticed. I am always on the look-out for new buildings popping up in small towns. Whatever they can add means one less trip out to Waconia or Chaska to get whatever we need. So far it looks like they're building a Kwik Trip, which means we will have two gas stations! Whoo-hoo! I personally really like Kwik Trips; it's like an upscale gas station.

There is also a small one sized room library, a few small parks, a hardware store and a few other stores that I can't think of right now. They also have a pool that is nearby and within bike riding distance. We plan to go there often during the summer.

So there are things here that you need but all on a smaller scale. There just simply is no need to make big libraries, churches, pools or parks when there is such a small population. In time, I'm sure I'll get used to it.

As for the stores that I tend to depend on for pretty much everything--like a Target--that is two towns away, in Waconia which isn't too far away.

So that is what is our little town of Norwood Young America.

I'm a little homesick now, but soon, I hope, I will find a place in my heart for this little strange town.






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