When it comes to time management, you could slap a lot of labels on the Beandricks’ family and we would be hard-pressed to argue: ambitious, eager, impatient, impulsive, busy, over-scheduled, you get the point.  One thing we are not, however, is lazy.  Even on a nothing little day, we are sure to find ways to ensure a level of productivity or results.  This weekend, which is one of very few had very little planned or requiring us to pack the car for anything, is a great example of how we, The Beandricks, are able to maximize ‘the nothing’ to guarantee it doesn’t go to waste.

Part of what makes this ‘something from nothing’ so possible comes from where we live, meaning within a community.  I love where we’ve chosen to lay down our roots; this isn’t the first, nor will it be the last time you hear me say those words.  When we first moved to Elora, we admittedly weren’t sure what to expect – we had been living in Guelph and were ready to expand on our space in order to make room for a family.  For what we wanted, Guelph no longer seemed accessible to us, so after throwing a dart at a map, we put an offer on a home in Elora.  Twelve years later, here we are.  I don’t want to say we are lucky that it worked, because we do strive to live by the mindset of ‘making the most of it’, but I also can’t deny…we did get a little bit lucky with how things all worked out.

Every now and again, however, we start to dream.  We think about what other corners of the world we might enjoy as much or more than this quaint little town – even to the point of dropping in on the odd open house, or evaluating how our jobs might fit into a certain commute, or perhaps even starting something completely new.  For those who know me well, they also know that I don’t like to just sit still and that I’m not happy unless I’m learning.  Because of that (and many other reasons we don’t need to crack into there) my wheels are always spinning in thoughts of what new venture I could embark upon – what new business could I open up?   Is is a cheese shop?  A food truck? A hat shop?  I’m always considering ways in which I could be happy and satisfied working for myself .  Sometimes my mind wanders on its own free will; sometimes there are outside influences that get my creative juices flowing.  ‘Sometimes’ I might drive every morning on my way to work past a Christmas tree farm that happens to be for sale.  Sometimes I think about how much joy it would bring me to own a Christmas tree farm – one on which I could host events, weddings, workshops, or to plunk down some converted shipping containers, setup as little mini homes that could host any number of getaways and retreats.  Sometimes, I bring these ideas home to my wife.  Sometimes she says: that’s not a terrible idea.

I’m going to skip and spoil things here: we’re not buying a Christmas tree farm.  it was very seriously considered and planned out, but if I’m being totally honest, after all of the calculations and considerations, we simply can’t afford it.  Not even close.  This is probably a good thing, because if it had been even remotely close to the realm of possibility, then that would only spell trouble for The Beandricks, whom I might remind you, are impulsive, ambitious, and impatient.  No, for all the things I know we could have done with 27 acres and a barn, I also know it would have come with a whole different bag of stress and worry that we’d need to deal with.  Not to mention the fact that it would find us beyond the outskirts of any town – beyond the outskirts of community.

While we played with the idea very seriously, we also found some semblance of peace when we ultimately decided it wasn’t going to happen.  The freedom that comes from making a decision allows one to see and appreciate the things that are in front of them, rather than dwelling or stressing on the peripheries of a ‘what if’.  I was reminded of that this weekend, as our three days of relative nothing allowed us to freely explore whatever was happening within our quaint little town.  The community yard sale at the Arts Centre, the famers market, the KIPP oven bake in the park offering fresh cinnamon buns, the free community barbecue in the evening, a spontaneous play date, followed by another as we ran into friends downtown.  So many events taking place, all within walking distance, and all from the support of our neighbours.

We spent time at the library, signing the kids up for the Summer Reading program – an event that takes place every summer and is organized and hosted by the local group of libraries and librarians.  If you sign up on the first day, then you get a special tag to show off your keenness of books and imagination, and every year til now we’ve collected our special tag, so why make this year an exception?  And oh how we weren’t alone.  Standing in line as we waited to register, we ran into friends and neighbours, all of us connecting though something special that few other spaces can pull off quite the same way as a library can.  In that moment, and the conversation it led to as we walked back home, Alison and I both were reassured of the choices we’ve made to both move to Elora, but also to stay here.  Frustrating as tourist season might make me, we are a part of something wonderful, and though perhaps I may look back one day a think ‘we should have taken that chance’, and while I’ve not doubt we’d find joy in other places, and I am certain we’d find a way to bring to community to us on that Christmas tree farm, when weekends like this happen, it’s hard to make an argument to leave.

…unless, of course, someone out there wants to gift me a cool 3 million.