the tea room is the breakfast nook

The Tea Room is like the breakfast nook of the town if the town were a house and different places were the rooms as Kelly and I used to say. Sunny, happy and good food there, just like a breakfast nook. Tea Room greens are the best and the tea of course.

Indigenous people live(d) out in their communities and any 'houses" were for sleeping. That is sort-of how I see our town. Our house is small by American standards—850 square feet. Two of us live here and work here and sometimes we have Scott's son here too since it is downtown and it is convenient for him to sleep here after hanging out with his friends all evening. Often, I'll meet my clients downtown in my other offices, namely cafes. The rent is cheap, just $3-$15 per hour or two and coffee or lunch is included! I do a lot of strolling downtown during the day and at night also--good excercise and fun. If we need something at the store we can walk. When I am working at home, I leave the door open for the sun and the neighborhood sounds to come in.

The town is our larger living space—the longer I live here the more little places there seem to be, the more little routes are discovered to walk or bike. You can't see anything in a car though. Those routes are fine for efficiency but you can't really see where you are at. You can't see the orange tree in the vacant lot bursting with fruit on the way to the Tea Room in a car. And if you see someone you know in a car, you whiz on by and maybe don't even wave if you aren't quick enough, if you are biking you can say hello and keep going or you can stop. If you are walking, you generally stop. Then you can talk, even if it is a short time and that small but vital connection has been made.