So I was thinkin'...

So thinking, thinking, thinking since I finished DIRTY. One realization is how happy I am to know I have my HEA with GG and my boys. Looking back over my life I certainly have had plenty of opportunities for my life to have turned out differently. I honestly couldn't say whether that is by design, fate, or stupid luck. In any case, I'm grateful for my sack of rocks.

I've also been thinking and pondering over the Rock Creek Six series. I've finished JED and am almost done with NATE. While I'm enjoying all the books I think SULLIVAN is still my favorite. These books aren't as historically accurate or deep as I usually like my westerns, but as I was watching my nephew's high school baseball team play today I found myself thinking about Rock Creek, Texas. Which if you've ever been to a high school baseball game you will know how remarkable that is.

My mother's family is from a small town in Montana. As a kid I loved visiting there and knowing everybody in town. Everyone always knew when we were visiting, where we'd been and how long we were staying. Until I was in my teens I couldn't imagine a better place to live. As I got older and past my teen years I didn't think I'd like living my life in a fishbowl so much. Here in the bedroom community I live in Southern California life is very anonymous. Three years ago we hosted a neighborhood potluck BBQ so we could get to know our neighbors because there were so many new ones. Out of the 8 families that participated only two are still here and two more houses were built on our street. So there are essentially 8 new families. I know the names and am acquainted with only two of those families. You can't get more anonymous than that.

My point is this. I'm beginning to think there has to be something in between. Like it says in the 'CHEERS' theme song it's nice to have a place where everyone knows your name. For that reason I went to the same UBS for years and I have had the same nail salon for probably 10 years and hair dresser and dentist and gynnie. You get my drift. Roots, relationships, connections are important.

So not only has it been fun reading those Rock Creek books, but I've also enjoyed getting to know the characters and the community over a period of time and several books. Ms. Handeland in particular does a great job of reminding us in her books how the town is changing and growing up as the series progresses. So once again I find myself thinking that living in a small community like Rock Creek sounds kind of nice.

I'll write more on the books when I finish CASH the last book. I'm thinking about reading something else in between just to prolong it and so the series isn't over.