Living in a great place

A couple of things happened on Sunday evening that made me think, “We really do live in a pretty amazing place with some pretty amazing people.”
Sundays are quite lazy around our house. After church, we had lunch and then took a little siesta. Around 4 p.m., I got a message from my friend Betty wondering if I had some eggs she could buy and offering to come get them. She did and we had a good visit.
Shortly after she left, Betty called to tell me she had a flat tire. I told her to hang tight, I would holler at Angie to come help if we had to change it and I would stop at the shop to grab an air tank to put air in it, if it would hold air. I got to the shop and Angie was right behind me with Rick. We filled the air tank and headed the short distance to Betty and her pickup, but someone had beat us there.
Another neighbor had stopped to see if Betty needed help and was in the process of getting the jack placed and the lug nuts loose. Between him and Angie, that tire was changed in no time at all, and another neighbor stopped to see if there was anything they could do to help, too. We did need the air tank because her spare had never been used and was a little low itself. When we got everything changed, aired and safe, Betty headed to town and I decided to follow her to make sure she got there okay.
We really do live in an amazing neighborhood. I found that out three years ago when Rick was so ill. Everyone stepped in to help and our kids took care of the place. Even now, one of them watches over our head gate to make sure we are getting water when we need it.
But when I followed Betty to her place I made another discovery. Now, she made it home just fine. She will have new tires on that pickup soon. She had picked up a metal siding screw somewhere. The tire might be able to be fixed, but if I know her, it will have a new pair of tires soon.
But as I left her house, I was cruising down some back streets and it was about sundown, and I was taken aback at just how beautiful the residential areas of Basin are. The yards were green, the trees are peaceful, the houses are well-maintained. And I thought, “What a beautiful hometown I claim.” Even though I don’t live in town, I am proud of Basin. It is truly a beautiful town.

Steak Pasta Salad
For the vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 1 lb flank steak
- 1 lb pasta
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 container mozzarella balls, halved
- 6 oz baby arugula
- Wedge of Parmesan
Mix the vinegar and mustard together, then slowly mix in the oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the steak in a shallow dish, season generously with salt and pepper, then pour enough vinaigrette over to cover. Turn to coat evenly, let marinate for at least one hour, but overnight is better. Prepare the pasta according to directions, drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, mozzarella and arugula. Grill the steak ti-rare. Slice thinly against the grain. Add to the pasta and toss to combine. Add more vinaigrette if needed. Coarsely grate Parmesan over the top of the salad and serve.