Husband got back from Alabama last Sunday, we took a deep breath, and bought an 8 acre place in Jacksonville (NE of the state).Wonderful 165 year old restored log home....great price, very low taxes..five miles out of town and the nearest neighbor is a quarter mile away..no zoning, no restrictions....good well, good septic.half pasture, half woods (pines), all fenced and crossed fenced.Then, just three days ago, we sold our house here in Pennsylvania!!! we started packing today, I handed in my month's notice at the prison, and on May 30th, we'll wave "good-bye" to suburbia...Yeehaw! We had asked God for enough money to pay cash for the house..bingo..we asked Him for a good house for the cash he gave us..bingo..we asked Him to hurry up and send us a buyer for this one...bingo...I hate the heat, so he nicely gave me central air AND an inground pool..oh, the lap of luxury!After working for over 30 years, I sure am looking forward to unpacking and floating in the pool while I relax from a day in the garden.We will spend the summer adjusting to the South and planning our garden for next year, AND building a chicken coop for when we take THAT plunge.We will take our time with the planning and learning so we do not practice on some poor chickens! Thanks to all of you who gave me advice on looking, etc....This is a dream almost 40 years in the making.God bless.

-- lesley Chasko (martchas@gateway.net), April 13, 2000

Answers

Congratulations Lesley! You must be ecstatic. I hope you will keep us posted on your progress.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), April 13, 2000.

Sounds like the perfect place. ENJOY !!!!!!!!!!

-- Pat (pmikul@pcpros.net), April 13, 2000.

Congratulations! You deserve the best!!!

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), April 13, 2000.

Congradulations ! My only thought would be--change those yankee plates the day before you move in. When they ask you where your from--say Pennsylvania county--maybe it will go over their heads. Can you learn alabama slang overnight? In Alabama --"He needed killin"--is a viable defense ! Good Luck !

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), April 14, 2000.

Alabama is a beautiful state. We lived there in the outskirts of Birmingham for about 6 years. We called it a veritable garden. It isn't very hard to pick up the slur(I'm originally from Md.) You may have trouble understanding it at first, but you'll get the hang of it. Congratulations on your purchase. I believe you will love it there.

-- lynne (leaves8@hotmail.com), April 14, 2000.

Lesley,

Congratulations sounds wonderful. Living debt free is true freedom. We moved from WI to the Ozarks and love the place and the people. We wish you all the best!! Kim

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), April 14, 2000.

Lesley, You have done died & gone to heaven! Amen! Good luck & don't worry too much about the chickens, they are pretty much self-sufficient! Jane

-- Jane Gauch (Sewbears4u@aol.com), April 14, 2000.

Congratulations Leslie on your new "experience"!!!! It sounds like you have found yourselves a nice place to live. People told us that people in the south don't like people from the north BUT we haven't found that to be the case. We just had to adjust to their quirks and live with it!! Some things are acceptable in different geological areas!! I hope you keep us posted on your BIG move and keep in touch!! Take Care. Good luck on the move!!

-- Emily Nouvertne (BellyAcresFarm@kyk.net), April 14, 2000.

Congratulations! that's definitely worth waiting 40 years for.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony@yahoo.com), April 14, 2000.

Congrats! That is fantastic! Along Joel's line of thought, if asked, tell 'em your from South Pittsburg, TN or Philadelphia, MS, but you've gotta pickup that deep south drawl to pull it off. ;-)

Seriously, I doubt you'll have much trouble with the neighbors. The folks down in Bama are great. Just don't tell them over and over again how much better things are done in PA or anywhere else. They really don't want to hear that, are quite happy with the way things are and can become annoyed very quickly. Good luck on your move.

-- Steve in TN (lynswim@mindspring.com), April 14, 2000.

Ah Schucks guys, I was born in Boston, grew up in Florida,Texas,Oklahoma,California,Kentucky...back to Boston, married and moved to Maine,Missouri,Texas,New Jersey,Pennsylvania, and will go out feet first in Alabama ! I learned a long time ago that no region has the right ideas all the time, each place has a "special" something about it.Picking up all those wonderful ideas along the way has helped to make me who I am.I already have a Midwest accent, a Confederate flag decal on my truck,an NRA card in my wallet,and a copy of Carla Emery's book on "Country Living"....I make the best cornbread I ever ate (she said humbly), and use it to accompany my homemade clam chowder....before I break into a rendition of "America, America", I'd better go.....thanks to all you lovely people.....

-- Lesley chasko (martchas@gateway.net), April 14, 2000.

Lesley, no place is perfect but I think most every place has something to offer if we have the right attitude and sounds like you do. Living debt free is wonderful, not having to work 9 to 5 or in my case, 7 to 3, is wonderful. It's a great life and I love it. You will to. Keep us posted on how things are going!

-- barbara (barbaraj@mis.net), April 14, 2000.

COOOOOL! What does Mike think? You are still welcome in Maine, 'tho' it'll take a little longer to get here now. We are very happy for you and Neil! Have fun & good luck! Brad & Maggie

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), April 14, 2000.

lesley, welcome to alabama lived here most of my life and just a few miles north of you in marshall county. dont believe all the storyies you have seen and heard about people from the south. we are like anyone else in the world hard working and generous folks. when you get settled in and yall need any help or anything we can do to help e mail me at this address and we will get in touch with you. by the way it's not us that talk funny it's all you yankees. ha ha

-- david jackson (davidejackson@ccconnection.com), April 14, 2000.

YAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!

-- Novina West (lamb@stellarnet.com), April 18, 2000.