I was born in New York City, but came of age in Southeastern U.S., spending the most time in North Carolina and Virginia through my middle passages; however through some simple twists of fate I am now a Midwesterner, having lived in Cedar Falls, IA longer than anywhere else in my life.
Compared to the Southeast, the summers in Iowa are sublime; however, the winters here are long and brutal… hateful… I just read we are ranked 11th worst state for harshness of winters. I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve fallen on my rear end because of ice, but it’s been too many times.
Now that I am retired, the natural question is do I want to remain in Iowa to muddle through what is essentially six months of winter, with an almost non-existent Springtime? While the winters here present a compelling reason to leave, there are strong arguments to stay. Iowa is ranked one of the top states for retirement primarily because of low cost of living and access to great medical services with Mayo Clinic being just less than two hours drive from here. I love the non-pretentiousness of Iowans too and there is such a thing as Iowa “nice.”
Another important thing to consider are the roots that I’ve sunk into my community during the course of 20+ years and that is to what I will speak to in a series of blog articles that I refer to as local treasures which focus on the small business enterprises that make Cedar Falls/Waterloo a special place to reside.
I’ll begin this series by referencing one of my favorite locations in town and that is Milkbox Bakery which is by definition a local treasure. Owned and operated by Andrea Geary, it is an old world, artisanal bakery specializing in breads and pastries; however, they do offer some meal worthy creations, such as Avocado bread and killer homemade soups!
As I mentioned earlier, I lived in New York long enough as a child to appreciate that city for its fine breads and pastries. In fact, those New York creations are the standard by which I measure all others and Milkbox measures up big-time! The bakery holds its own with European breads too, which is no small accomplishment. Andrea has spoiled my family… we will no longer eat loaf bread unless she’s baked it and there’s nowhere in the midwest that bakes a better bagel! Yes… that is true, and I am an aficionado of such things.
I have great admiration for Andrea as she is the creator, heart and soul of this wonderful local treasure! She does it all…
So when I am feeling a bit of cabin fever during our long, cold winters, I am sure that one of the best options in town is to get a coffee (free-trade) and hang out at Milkbox Bakery for a bit. If you’re lucky, you may even have a chance to chat with Andrea when she emerges from the bakery where she does her magic. Oh yes… and when I leave I’ll be sure to have a fresh loaf of “Rustic White” bread and a bag of bagels…