Nannyde wrote an interesting article about moving to another town in Iowa and adapting her son and daycare business to the neighborhood. I decided to publish it on her blog even though its not a story about daycare but her life experience. As always, Nannyde has a great take on events and situations. You can read it here:

https://www.daycare.com/nannyde/choo...ising-kids.htm

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Almost makes me want to move to Northwood, Iowa!
Thanks for sharing.

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I can't believe it already has 12 shares!!!!!!

It's kind of off topic... but what the heck.

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I have to say that I am jealous.

This is the life that I would have loved to provide my children and my grandchildren.

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Oh I really enjoyed reading that, makes me almost want to move. I chuckled at the part of GammaWinda's grandson's affections being swayed over by Snickers a.k.a. kale, etc. Nannyde, you do have a way with words.
Just curious, what is the population of Northwood? My town has around 6000 but nowhere near the hometown feeling yours has.

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Nan where you live sounds like a story book. Or like something you would only see in a moive.

One day I want to live on a farm with all of the free open area and green grass you speak about, but none of my family want to live with m. so I may be milking cows on my own....I don't know why I want to, I don't even drink milk.......

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After growing up in the woods... moving to a big city for a few years in another state... here I am back in the woods.. mere miles from where I grew up.

I also can NOT imagine living ANYWHERE else... or raising my kids anywhere else.

I would never trade walking outside and seeing nothing but trees... no neighbors... no crime...

Your article was a great read Nan and I completely identify.

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A lovely article. I too live in a small town where I love all my neighbors etc. Wouldn't trade for anything.!

So glad you found "the" place NannyDe!

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NannyDe's Northwood Iowa and my town of Springville Utah !!!

Same small town feel

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I am SO going to take a picture of downtown Pelahatchie, MS and post it tomorrow LOL.. even though I don't really live IN town... out here they call it "between communities"... lol

and FYI... when we lost our ONE red light in the middle of town years ago... I cried.. it was like the end of an era... now there are just ugly stop signs there... and 4 flashing red lights haha and of course it's only two total lanes in ours... one east and one west.

ETA::: I am a little jealous though that other than a WARDS and a Subway in the chevron, there's no food to be found anywhere around here!! There is only one park but it's 10 minute drive into town from our house... SIGH>>>> NOTHING BUT TREES... lol..

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The second picture looks just like our downtown. Love that old storefront feeling
Nice article, Nan.

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Thanks guys! I had fun writing it.

Northwood is population 1997. It is a patch of heaven. We love it.

The town is God, Football, School, Homework, God. In that order ;-)

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We have a stop light..... so there. We also have portable stop signs..... so there too!

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You are a smaller town, NannyDe! My Springville is growing fast, but most of it on the west side of town on the other side of the freeway. The picture I posted is of Main Street. I live on the far east side of town, up on the mountain bench. An older part of town, which I love. I love the fact that I know every single family in the whole block and beyond. I love going to the grocery store and knowing I will say hello to several people on every single isle.

That feeling of being home and safe can't be beat. Enjoy, NannyDe.....it only gets better

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Such a wonderful article! Makes me want to move there, too
Nan, you are a wonderful writer, I am positive you could write a fantastic novel if you were so inclined. Let me know if you do, 'cause I want to read it!

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Not so much a writer... but I thank you for that. I actually don't like doing it very much. I would rather binge watch "The Real Housewives of.... " any day of the week. I'm shallow and lazy like that.

But it's okay. It's work. I think of that line in ELF when his boss is telling him to be quiet and get back to work. "Make work your favorite". That's what writing is to me.

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That was beautifully written, Nan. I live in a smallish town, but it has none of the whimsy and peacefulness that it seems your new town does. Supposedly, I'm in one of the safest cities in Kansas, but citizens know it's not true... the police simply aren't catching our bad guys. Meth is prevalent here. Cars are broken into on a nightly basis. We have a rising number of homeless and there is literally no one here to help them.. there are no shelters here.

Your article makes me want to seek out a better place to raise my son.

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I love that your house was never 'improved.' I love the vintage tile bathrooms & original kitchen cabinets. We're looking for our own vintage gem too. Happily, they're generally cheaper than the newer ones. Do you have coloured tiles & fixtures in your bathroom?

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The sheriff presence here is unprecedented. A couple of years ago they had an influx of section eight housing recipients because there is a zero wait time for most families. They have section eight and a Worth County fund.

So they get a group from Worth County Illinois. They had applied for Worth County Illinois but hit Iowa on the scroll down menu instead of Illinois and found out there was no wait list.

So they came and the crime started right away. They had their first murder in over six decades. Since then, the sheriff department has stepped up the number of cars and cops. When I'm sitting outside, I don't go more than twenty minutes without seeing them. When you leave town, you call and they have a house watching service. I gave them my keys last time I left for Des Moines.

The town is happy to receive new families. They just aren't going to allow the crime. They are HIGHLY funded by the Casino here for EVERYTHING so it didn't take more than a few weeks to fund the sheriffs.

Every town has it's issues. Here they have SO much community money that when something happens it gets taken care of right away.

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Here's the thread I wrote right before we moved:

https://www.daycare.com/forum/showth...ight=northwood

Oh yes the bathroom has colored tiles. Green of course. My fave color.

It is an amazing house in immaculate condition. Never had a single bit of remodeling except the carpet and kitchen linoleum.

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