My grandparents lived on a ranch, and when I was a girl, I would hear them talk about “going to town.” The nearest town was 5 miles away. That’s where they would go for groceries and the bank. To do any major shopping they had to go to a larger town that was 20 miles from the ranch. I grew up in the city, and I thought the phrase “going to town” sounded so exciting.

Now that my husband and I live out in the country, we use that phrase all the time. He will say to me, “Are you going to town today? If so, I need to go to the hardware store.” We consolidate our errands to save gas.

Yesterday we went to town with a list of nine errands. We crossed off the first two, then went to a new restaurant for lunch. The owner had mailed out coupons for “buy one, get one free” dinners. It was a trendy sandwich shop oriented toward tourists and business lunches. The thing that impressed me was that three of their sandwiches were available in “no bun” versions. This has to stem from low carb and/or BTD pressure in the restaurant industry. I’m glad to see it. I had a sirloin burger that was topped with a fresh vegetable garnish. Instead of fries, I got a fruit cup. It was delicious.

We dropped off a photo order at a client’s (if you need a Christmas gift idea, I have one for you below), then went by the tax office. One thing I love about small towns is walking into the tax office and talking to someone right away. When we lived in the city, I would block out an hour for any errand at the courthouse.

Then we went to vote. I cast my ballot for candidates who promise to pass better health care laws than the current administration and who encourage self sufficiency and entrepreneurship.

Next, I got a flu shot. Every year I weigh the pros and cons. Last year I got the regular flu shot, but not the swine flu. This year it is all rolled into one. In the end, I decided that the possibility of feeling terrible for a week was worse than the risk of the shot. I’m not advocating that for you, it was just the lesser of two evils for me. I may change my mind next year.

Last of all we picked up produce at the grocery store and headed for home. My husband took the dog for a walk while I put things away. He poked his head in the front door and said, “Come see! There are four deer in the neighbor’s yard.” The best thing about going to town is coming home to the country.

Now for the Christmas idea. Part of my photography/graphic design business is converting old 35 mm slides to digital. I can correct faded color and make the slides into a DVD movie. No more slide projector - you watch your pictures on TV. Because I custom scan each slide, now is the time to order for Christmas. There is more information on my website Practical Photography and Publishing