Thanks, Sojourner, for the new forum!

I am fairly new to CS too. We just started getting the magazine, we love it. We live in northern MN on 10 acres. We came here for a job 6 yrs ago from the city (weird, I know that it usually goes the other way). My husband always knew he wanted to leave the city,,,I wasn't so sure at first. He grew up in the country (they had chickens, big garden, goat) on just a few acres in NH. I had known only the city. I am the most outdoorsy person in my birth family; my family is very urban and I think they don't get the transition that Chris and I have made. Anyway, after a rough two years for me (getting used to the differences, the isolation, the differing attitudes of people, and the lack of anonimity), I love it deeply. We have a big SF garden, dogs and cats, and will probably get chickens next year (trying to scrounge free materials now to build a coop). I want guineas too, to control the grasshopper problem in the garden. (I need to visit the poultry site mentioned here). We love our place and I have some wonderful friends. I think that life in the country is richer, less "generic", more passionate in a way. When I visit the city now (rarely...it's hard to spare the time to travel 4 hours one way), it feels so ... soul-less. Don't mean to offend any city dwellers here, but that's the best word that describes it. And I've lived in both places.

We have really simplified and changed our attitudes and learned learned learned from the people around us.

I like the feel of this forum so far....thank you!

I am a writer, freelance (for income), and creative fiction (income in the future, I hope!) My creative stuff includes two novels in progress (both fantasy/science fiction) and a series of short stories. I think we have a wonderful life right now and I love the fact that we are homesteading and putting this philosophy into place, day by day.

thanks for listening.

-- Cathy in MN (catcrazy@somewhere.com), July 26, 2001

Answers

Hi Cathy,glad to see ya here. Isn't it great Sojourner created this forum, where we can just chat about all different kinds of things? I'm finding myself doing the opposite of you. We lived in the country and now, circumstances have us living in town, but I can't hardly wait till we can get back out to the country. Nothin like it. Welcome again, hope you post often.

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), July 26, 2001.

Cathy, Please don't speak too loudly........Stop to think what a mess it would be if all dem city folk tried to move out into the "country" Scary to think about!! welcome!

-- Jim-mi (hartalteng@voyager.net), July 26, 2001.

I'll be very very quiet :) ...I'm normally pretty shy anyway. But if my birth family and many of our former city friends are any indication, there are tons of people out there that have no interest in, no inclination toward, the country life...

-- Cathy in Mn (catcrazy@somewhere.com), July 27, 2001.