Just wondering where everyone is from and why you are from there!?!?

I live in the Ohio Valley, southeast Ohio. It is a an area with rolling hills, lots of trees and woods. The old growth area of Dysart Woods is only a few miles from my house. They think it is over 400 years old. Huge trees. We love to hike there in the Fall.

I have never lived anywhere else. My house now is only about 2 miles from where I was raised. I absolutley love it here and wouldn't mind if I never went any further than St.Clairsville (town I shop in, about 12 miles from here) I have traveled a bit, but when I round that turn before you get to my house, and then see the place I call home, I ask myself why I ever leave. I tell the kids the only reason I go anywhere is because it is so great to come home.

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), October 12, 2001

Answers

I live in central Ky. and our terrain is much like yours Melissa. Our farm has over 45 acres of old trees - oak, hickories, maple, walnuts, etc. It is beautiful. I'm like you, I love home and when I do go some place, I can't wait to get back! I have lived here (in this area) since 1970. Moved here from Fla. with my ex. We were divorced not too long after that and he went back. I had planned to but then I met a Ky. man, married and well the rest is history! I love "my old Ky. home!"

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), October 12, 2001.

We live in Southeastern Indiana. My husband grew up around here. This is where we found jobs.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony@countrylife.net), October 12, 2001.

Eastern Ontario--generally flat with low rolling hills. Lots of "bush". Many farms molding nicely into small towns. Heat the house from October to April, sometimes snow that long. Have also lived in Pennsylvania (3 places), Maine, New York (2 places), Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee. Hope we're "home" now.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), October 12, 2001.

We live in NW Arkansas. Our place is in the top NW corner, on the Missouri and Oklahoma borders. We live 4 miles out from Bentonville, home of Wal-Mart, which is only about 15,000 people in a town of @3000. Unfortunately, our town is now the fastest growing one in Arkansas and like 10th in the nation!!! I am origanally from a town about 25 miles from here. It is growing so fast that we moved out here so we could afford land. We paid about 3000/acre. It is now worth about 10,000/acre in 4 years!!! We will stay here because my husband loves his job and the company he works for. We are in the poultry industry. My dad was too all my life, so I don't know anything else. My husband's family lives about an hour and a half away in Ft Smith AR, and my family lives less than 30 minutes away, so we are very fortunate. I live in a 100+ yr old farmhouse with 30 acrs and love it. I would never want to have to move back to town. I have just recently become interested in homesteading and am glad that I have the perfect place to accomplish this goal. I am also thankful that we have a place we can pass on to our 3 boys when they get older, because I'm afraid it will be even harder to be able to own land then.

-- Ivy in NW AR (balch84@cox-internet.com), October 12, 2001.

Forgot to mention. We live in the Arkansas section of the Ozarks. Hilly, but with a lot of good pasture land too. Have a lot of nice large lakes withing driving distance. Hot summers, moderate winters. Great springs and falls, if you can live through the allergies!

-- Ivy in NW AR (balch84 @cox-internet.com), October 12, 2001.

I grew up in Connecticut, moved to Arizona 6 years ago, live in the Valley of the Sun, but are leaving here for the Green Mountains of Vermont. Vermont is where my heart belongs. We hope to find a homestead there for our family in the near future.

Take care!

-- Judy L. (quiltjude@iwon.com), October 12, 2001.

I'm a Texan, born and raised, and that's where my heart is(pretty sure ya'll've heard;)..We moved to Colorado this May, following hubby's work. It is also a very beautiful state, and we have made some very nice friends. We are on a little over two acres now, with large pine trees on one side. Previous owners had horses, and we are using half of one of the horse corrals as our garden area(did pretty well on short notice this year:), and we are converting the horse barn into a goat barn, and adding onto the back of it, where there will also be a section for my chickens(hopefully all this will be more or less finished in the next week or two).

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), October 12, 2001.

Central Oregon. Was raised near Seattle (in rural area). Got sick of the rain so just packed up and moved here almost 18 years ago. I love it here but it's not for everyone. This is high desert country - Short growing season, winters can be harsh, etc. Lots of sagebrush and juniper. Can't even say for sure why I like it so well, I just do and seriously doubt I will ever leave this area. My dh has lived here (actually on our place) since 1941, he grew up here and bought this place from his folks when they retired. The only thing I DON'T like about cental Oregon is all the yuppies who've moved here from California and from the other side of the mountains here in Oregon. Don't mind sharing with like minded people, but I HATE it when people move here because they like our way of life, then instantly try to make this look like where they came from, with the shopping malls, big movie theaters, smog and all the rest.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), October 12, 2001.

I also live in Central Oregon about 25 miles from Lynette, and lived a year not too far from Ivy in Arkansas. The beauty of Arkansas beats Central OR hands down! But we don't have the bugs, so thats a major bonus. I don't like it here for the "yuppie" reasons Lynette mentioned plus I think it's ugly, but my hubby won't leave (yet).

-- Julie (julieamc@eagleslair.net), October 12, 2001.

I am a relatively new member to the forums but have been enjoying it. (Have had the Countryside magazine for years though!) We live in Eastern Washington, the dry sagebrush side of Washington state!! We live on three acres (all thats left of what my grandparents farmed) We have 4 kids. I raise rabbits and poultry. Only one kid is interested in the rabbits and she is at college so they are now moms. The youngest though is quite interested in the poultry. Took his ducks and turkey to the fair this year and was Grand Champion and Reserve Champion Waterfowl. I cook mostly from scratch and love to garden. First year I have not had a garden in ages due to the turkeys help...long story. But the fruit trees did well. Nice to hear from all of you. Denise

-- Denise K. (Rabbitmom2@webbworks.com), October 12, 2001.

I'm in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the northeast part of the state. I'm a half hour drive from Ohio and an hour drive from Michigan. I grew up here and liked it well enough to stay. It was a great place to be a kid and to raise two more. My daughter married in May and she and her husband are living north of Indianapolis where he works and she attends Indiana University Law School. My son is a senior at Purdue and will likely be moving to Milwaukee for a job with GE upon graduation. He interned there last summer and they made him what I feel is an outstanding offer to come to work for them. He's still fielding other tenders now, but I think GE has the inside track. He'd like to stay here but it's not looking like that'll happen.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), October 12, 2001.

I live in deep south Texas, along the U.S. / Mexican border, where my family has been for over 300 years. I have some roots here. My father's side of the family owns a small ranch, where one of my uncles raises Red Brangus cattle. I hunt the ranch frequently, and treasure the thoughts that my great great grandfather was born on the property; I am the fifth generation to live on this property. And like my father, will pass on the land to my kids.

The Tex/Mex culture, easy access (or used to be) to Mexico, and my family keep me here. I do threaten now and again to become a transplant; summers here keep all of us awawsh in 'persperation incontinence' from May through September. I want to see some snow, and one day may move up to northern New Mexico / Arizona. But not now. And not soon. Next.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), October 12, 2001.

I guess I'm next. My husband and I moved to the country just two months ago. We just love it here near Garnett, Kansas. I found our place on the internet. We looked closer to hubby's work, but didn't find what we wanted. We have 20 acres and plan to plant a few apple trees. I am hoping for Dominique chickens next year, but have to build a chicken house first. Our home sits on a hill and the view is really pretty, especially now that the leaves are turning colors. We are so happy we finally made our move.

-- Janet in Kansas (whisperingpines@terraworld.net), October 12, 2001.

Hello everyone seems no one is from Florida! I was born and raised in Jacksonville Florida. It used to be a slow southern style town but in recent years it's gotten very big. I live on the same property my parents bought when my Mom was pregnant with me! We live on 3 1/2 acres with 1 sister and her husband and 1 brother with his wife and son and then my parents it may not sound like we have lots of room but we have enough to do what we need.

My husband was born in Calif. and moved to Mass. but he moved there when he was 2 and very much has the "yankee" accent. He sounds very funny saying ya'll!! LOL He's lived in Florida for around 12 years.

-- Sandy(N.E.FL.) (REDNECKGIRL32@prodigy.net), October 12, 2001.

Hi, greetings from England. I live in Devon, South West England ( where a lot of foof and mouth has been) We have a 30 acre holding, 2 acres of wood. We have three children, Christopher 5 today, Charlotte 3 and William 1. I love these forums.We live about a mile from the sea and work full time on the farm at the moment.

We store caravans for people in a barn, have 23 pigs which we are fattening up, 24 jersey calves we are looking after for someone, and lots of poultry (about 175). We sell eggs on the door.

It's great hearing about everyone. I lift you all in my prayers daily.

Love and best wishes at this worrying time

Alison

-- Alison Homa (alisonhoma@aol.com), October 12, 2001.

Jacksonville, Alabama here..in the NE section of the state on 8 acres of heaven on earth. Born in Boston, lived in Florida, Texas, Maine, California, Oklahoma, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Colorado and probably some others I have forgotten. I am continually amazed at how much this part of Alabama looks identical to Maine without the snow.Our home is surrounded by enormous Pines and Oaks on three sides and an open field across the street. Two miles down the rural road is a beaver pond; across the pasture we watch wild turkey and deer, hawks and Golden eagles. Two pair of Piliated woodpeckers tear up the trees behind the house, and we have learned that the local Rat snakes are "our friends". We have chickens to consume all of those HUGE Southern insects. They do a great job. Our four dogs had not a single flea or tick on them since we got the chickens last March. Soon we will have a small goat herd as well for meat production. Our plans for this Spring include having a water catchment system in place for when the drought returns or the county water supply goes bad..whichever comes first. We had five children and eleven (yes, 11) foster children, and three grandchildren with the fourth due in December. We were blessed to be able to sell our home in PA a year and a half ago and pay cash for this place, so we are debt free and in our 50s'...old enough to enjoy staying home by the fire and young enough to rejoice in having the proverbial empty nest. Our home is interesting: two rooms began life as a log cabin in 1867, three other rooms belonged to a farmhouse built in the 1930s and one entire side of the house is only 4 years old. Previous owners squished it all together and sided it with log siding. With all exposed wood and wood floors, it is just our cup of tea. I have a wood cooking stove and we use kerosene lamps often, but not exclusively. Love to hear where everyone else is from and what their part of the country experience is like! God bless.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), October 12, 2001.

Hi-I live in South Central Ky. My husbands family have been here since 1970's found property through an ad in Mother Earth News-He's a second generation "back to Earther" I grew up in East Tn. My folks lived there since Revolutionary war, but they were attracted to city life-after 200 years of subsistance farming, I can't really blame them. My husband's folks carved off some property for us and we built a house. We have four generations around the Sunday table. I'm like y'all, I'd just as soon stay at the house!

-- Kelly in Ky (Ksaderholm@yahoo.com), October 12, 2001.

Hi, I live on the opposite corner of OH from Melissa. While they have beautiful rolling hills down her way, it's flat as can be up this way. We're surrounded by big fields of beans, corn, or wheat most years. Living only a few miles from where I grew up, but may be moving in a few years. -Vicki

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), October 12, 2001.

I am in NE. We have lived in PA, KS, IA, MN, and FINALLY SETTLED DOWN here again. It is where I met my hubby. :o) It is the first place we have bought. I absolutely love living here, since we were raised in NE for the most part. Lots of memories to tell the kids.

-- notnow (notnow05@yahoo.com), October 12, 2001.

We also live in NW Ohio - just a few miles from both Indiana and Michigan. I am originally from Oklahoma as are our three sons but my husband was from PA before moving to Oklahoma. We also lived in Maryland for eight years.

Like Vicki in NW Ohio said, it's very flat here (and windy!) and we too are surrounded by fields. This year they are in soybeans. This is a very friendly part of the country and we are enjoying living here. One thing I like a lot, about living further North than we use to, is the lack of venomous snakes. I enjoy being able to be in my herb and vegetable gardens (with my hands and face down in the middle of it all) without so much worry.

-- Terry - NW Ohio (aunt_tm@hotmail.com), October 12, 2001.

Hello Melissa, We moved to the Ozarks (southern Missouri) about two years ago from Orlando Florida. We chose to deliberately live simply here on our land and to be as self-reliant as possible. We bought undeveloped land and have live on it as we build our homestead. We built the chicken moat (see webpage), outhouse and toolshed first. Then we planted our three gardens. We are now working on our house and hope to be inside it before winter. Meli and I have done all the work ourselves using simple tools and lots of hard work. I am self- employed as a handyman in the area and also make doll furniture which I sell on Ebay. Meli raises our 18 month daughter, (Caroline), cans our harvests, cooks all our meals from scratch, quilts, makes soap, (which she sells on Ebay) and also helps me build our homestead. We have discovered that the more simple we live, the more happier we are. Some of our friends think that we are just escaping reality by living out in the woods away from the complexities of life. We believe that it is those people that are escaping reality, refusing to challenge themselves to become more self-determined and self- reliant. Living in a illusion that they HAVE to make a lot of money, live in a big house, drive an expensive car, own a cell phone, and be in debt just to have a happy life. We left all of that behind discovering precepts of Scott Nearing and Henry David Thoreau to be true.....Live simply and pay as you go.....to be the secrets of happiness! Sincerely,Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), October 12, 2001.

Born and raised in Central Virginia near Blue Ridge Mountains. I've lived the last 22 years with DH in a town about 27 miles NW of Boston, Mass. People here claim this is country but it's much to citified for me. We have two grown children; one lives in a nearby town, the other moved back to VA to an 80 acre farm with her husband and two year old son. We also have a neat camp in Vermont where we spend as much time as possible.

Really enjoy this forum, Melissa. Thanks for all your hard work.

Wishing you enough.

-- Trevilians (aka Dianne in Mass) (Trevilians@mediaone.net), October 12, 2001.

Hi! We live in north Alabama on 13 acres, about three miles outside a small town of 5000. We have beautiful rolling hills and lots of beautiful trees!

I have lived in Plant City Florida and in Hot Springs South Dakota but this is where I was born and this is home!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), October 13, 2001.

Native Floridian here, and that's where I still am. Only experienced the change of sesons a couple of times in my life (when we traveled out of Florida to see it) and only seen snow three times. I live in one of the largest counties in the U.S. and I really don't like it but it's all I know. I would someday like to move someplace else where the change of seasons would be a yearly event for all of us to experience and enjoy together. My husbands entire family are here (also natives), but my family had exited the Florida rat race for a more laid back life in South Carolina where my sister and her husband live on 2+ acres and have five goats. We have three children - Ouroldest daughter (20) bought herself a condo close by. Our youngest daughter (17 this Monday 10/15) is a Junior in high school and works part time as a hostedd in an upscale restaurant nearby. Our son is 7 and in the 2nd grade. He enjoys the outdoors and animals very much. He helped me plant our fall garden just today. He's been asking for a rabbit lately too. Someday I would like to have our own homestead (we rent now due to the fact that we KNOW we don't want to buy here in this area), and I would like to have a HUGE garden, raise some chickens (foe eggs only) and maybe some rabbits (for fertilizer). I have a fulltime job that pays very well with plenty of bonuses and retirement as well as health insurance for our family. Hubby is in the construction industry and all his business contacts are here. I suppose this is why we're still here. We MAY have an opportunity to relocate to Maryland (hubby's work), but I can't really forsee it. Guess you never know though. For now, this is home.

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), October 13, 2001.

We live on 40 acres in southcentral Michigan, about 20 miles from where the Mich, Ohio and Indiana borders meet. I am approximately 50 miles from where I grew up. On my mother's side my roots are deep in Michigan, mostly first settlers in the area. My dad's side is rooted in West Virginia which probably explains my love of mountains.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), October 13, 2001.

We live in Nova Scotia Canada. I was born and raised here and hubby is originally from Quebec. There is no place like it!

-- Alison in N.S. (aproteau@istar.ca), October 14, 2001.

I live in Phoenix Az for the past 8 yrs but Lynchburg virginia is my home, beautiful blue ridge mountains, hope to return there.

-- Roxanne (Roxanne143@webtv.net), October 14, 2001.

North Central Florida! Moved here 17 years ago from Massachusetts. It is amazing how much it has grown here. I have thought lately of moving to a more rural area. I have visited Alabama a few times and lie it there but Family will probably win over and keep me here. I think I was meant to be a "Redneck"

-- Mark in N.C. Fla. (deadgoatman@webtv.net), October 14, 2001.

South East Kansas 3 miles from the OK boarder. We had lived in town, then next door to Little House On The Praire by Independence. We decieded we need trees. It is amazing what moving 6 miles south can do to the senery.

-- Micheale from SE Kansas (mbfrye@totelcsi.net), October 15, 2001.

We are in NE Ohio. Been here 40+ years. Urban sprawl is creeping up on us though. Wouldn't mind moving to southern OH but would need to know if there are jobs there.

-- Kathy (jubilant@ncweb.com), October 15, 2001.

Me and my family live in Cornwall Ontario, right beside the border to Massena, Ny. Its not bad here, its a fairly small city. Not my choice living , but i am thankful that GOd has me where i am, and i do enjoy the people i have close here. What we need are some mountains!!

-- jillian (sweetunes483@yahoo.com), October 15, 2001.

Well, rekon I'll let the cat outta the bag. After living in bunches of places for the first 15 years of our married life-here we are. Lil Dumplin and this old hick live in S.E. IL, Richland county--on our own 24 acres of farmland. Lots of trees now but when we moved here in 78 it was the corner of a cornfield. I set trees out for years and years. Now I can see the results! Shade in summer and windbreaks in the winter. Sides all that we love trees.

I "grow'd up" about 5 miles east of this place-on a farm that ole jeep lives on. Lil dumplin is from E. Texas--north of Longview area. Redheaded and purty as a picture, she is. She's a traveling X- Ray Tech-doin dexa-scans for osteoporosis in older folks. I'm a "no account" stay at home old fat man. Me'n ole Calvin keeps the home fires burnin when I'm not doin anything. Other things about us that would put ya'll to sleep. old hoot, the hick, gibson. Matt.24:44

-- "old " hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), October 15, 2001.

Love this new forum - I've only lurked but thought I would "come out" and answer this interesting question. My husband and I live on 20 acres in NW Montana, and absolutely love it! We're out in the middle of Forest Service, with trees and mountains all around. I grew up in the soggy, foggy SW corner of Washington, then Hawaii, New York, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, and finally here - no more moving! Oh - I'm 49 and my husband is 50 - how in the world did this happen??? http://carlajames.themomteam.com

-- Carla (cjmelamom@iglide.net), October 16, 2001.

Hi..I guess you might say I'm very well traveled.I live about 17 miles from Meliisa but I have only lived here for 29 years..I was born in the town I live in now but at the age of two I was put in a orphange on the other side of Ohio in a town called Xenia where I spent 16 years and then went into the military and spent the next 22 years traveling around the world..Two years in Japan, three years in England ayear in Duluth Minnesota and three years in Indiana and six years at the weather bureau in Washington D.C.before coming back to home and in between all this traveling spent three years in Korea during the Korean War and also a year in Vietnam before I retired in 1972..Coming back to SE Ohio...I wouldn't have any other place to live because like Melissa says...Its Heaven

-- Bob S (snuffy@1st.net), October 30, 2001.