Now that we've left Manhattan,
I frankly miss very little of our
life in the Big Apple. After all
I've been pining for Lewistown
every day, so it's good to be back
home. For all the many benefits
we've reaped since our return,
leaving the city is not without it's
liabilities. What things do I miss
most? Many but here are a few
of those I truly long for... but the
tradeoff more than makes up for it!
While we certainly have several
lovely dining options in our tiny
town in Montana, we must drive
at least two hours to get any sort
of real sushi. Actually, that's not
entirely true. Our local grocery
claims to sell "fresh" sushi. As an
aficionado of this Japanese rawity,
I don't consider aged raw salmon
wrapped in mushy rice motivation
enough to risk food poisoning. I'll
wait until we can truly get the best.
Hmm... fresh trout sushi anyone?
Beyond the typical florist or grocer
varieties, fresh flowers are a rarity
in rural Montana. Therefore when
dining out our table is often devoid
of the floral splendor of places like
Le Grenouille. Most Lewistown
restaurants have eliminated even an
obligatory carnation from their tables.
Said cuts are part of an effort to keep
costs down. Given the most we can
spend on dinner for two (with lovely
bottle of vino) is less than $150.00,
I'm willing to pay for some posies!
While we're on the subject of dining,
I must confess that there is not a single
"white tablecloth" establishment left in
Lewistown. In an effort to be modern
(and cost effective) most linens except
napkins have been banished. Sadly said
napkins are woven of something that is
clearly NOT natural. Therefore they're
barely absorbent and a bit scratchy but
obviously don't require ironing. Hence
my need to set a table at home that tries
to maintain a sense of civilization within
the context of our wild west abode.
We no longer have a local dry cleaner
in Lewistown. Therefore we must plan
ahead and ship our dirty laundry out to
Great Falls which is two hours away.
The local dollar store is our drop off and
while there we always load up on loose
licorice. So, there is some benefit to our
convoluted cleaning crisis. There is a
local lady who washes and irons quite
nicely. However she has an affection for
"tea" and is often seen "partying" with
fellow tea lovers. For obvious reasons,
I'll continue to iron my undies at home.
The only way to visit Murray's on
Bleeker is now on-line. We have
limited cheese choices here in
Lewistown. Our grocer carries the
basics for which I'm thankful. The
butcher imports some Wisconsin
exotics and again, many kudos for
his extra effort. We'll survive on
basic blue, brie, and Jarlsburg. And
when traveling and able, we'll revel
in the scent of fully ripe Tillageo!
We'll either have to learn to make
our own cheese or ship some in!
There's a reason the sales people know
us by name at Bergdorfs and Barney's.
Moving back home has benefited our
budget if nothing else. Frankly we've
more than enough shoes and togs to
last us for years. Like it or not, living
a leisurely existence limits the amount
of ensembles one needs. Our shop boys
assure us that they're more than willing
to ship anything to us for consideration.
However I'm hoping we'll keep UPS
boxes to a minimum. Less is more and
we can shop online if theres a crisis!
Yes, we do have many dear friends in
Manhattan. And, you are already quite
missed. However we have family and
friends in Lewistown. Home is where
the heart is and while we left with a
heavy heart, we're excited to return to
those we deeply love. Meanwhile you
all have an open invitation to visit us at
any time in Montana. While we're out
in the middle of no where, trust me...
it's out of this world. So go ahead,
pull the trigger, saddle up, and mosey
on out west! WE MISS YOU!
