It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ...

I can remember thinking once that I could almost never leave my little city. And by that I mean, I could stay self contained in Draper. I was driving with one of my children and we had a conversation about it. (I thought it was Sophie, but she didn't remember having that conversation so I knew it couldn't have been Sophie since she remembers everything.)

It was at a time in my life, and not too terribly long ago, that I was thinking of being a semi-recluse. Do you ever have days where you feel like that? (Or even weeks or months?) Times when you just wish no one needed anything from you? When you could just exist within your own little few mile radius?

So my child and I, which ever one it was, were driving up Bangeter Hwy toward our neighborhood and I said, "You know. We really do have everything we need right here. We have grocery stores, clothing stores. There are restaurants and specialty stores. There is a pool, and a gym (not that I go, but there is one or two if you do go).

Our church is right down the street, and my office is only 8 minutes away from home. I know most of the Draper City police department (granted, due to unfortunate circumstances, but still), which comes in handy when your daughter gets stopped for speeding and the officer looks at her license, sees her name and address and asks, "Who is your mom?" And she answers, "Polly." And then he says, "Get out of here." And off she drives, without a ticket.

It made me feel safe and secure that day, as we were driving home. I thought the only thing we needed was a movie theater and then I didn't ever need to leave my little town.

(On one of our visits to Nantucket Island, my sister Leslie and I were in the car heading to my parent's house. The streets were dark, the town had closed down for the night, and a police officer was walking down Main Street checking the doorknobs of the shops making sure that they were locked. Leslie said, "Wow. This really is Mayberry here isn't it?")

I like grocery shopping at Albertson's too. Except that now it is called Fresh Market - which I don't love, since I am a creature of habit and am not happy that they changed things up at the place I have been getting my groceries for the past 14 years. But I'll adapt. At least the workers are the same. And they know me.

That's the kind of familiarity that is comforting to have in the place you live.

Like earlier today when I walked into the local Kinko's with several boxes and one of the workers saw me approaching the counter and said, "Shrink wrap?" And I said, "Yup! And I love that you remember that."

And then driving home from Kinko's and passing my friend John who was walking home from work. I picked him up and gave him a ride home.

I love all that ... it makes you feel like it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ... it really does.