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We live in an urban area in Maryland, but we are lucky to have houses only on
one side of the street and the street dead ends into an expanse of county
owned "nature area". Our back yard is really big too. It goes up on an
incline which has never been landscaped, so it is all natural. But where I
really want to be is western Maryland where all of my extended family lives.
I remember summers there that I spent as a kid. Just breathing the air makes
me think better! One of my aunt and uncle have 10 acres of woods. They
cleared 1 acre for their house and barn. Other than that it is all woods
complete with a stream. Plenty of room for their two ponies! When we
visited 3 weeks ago, I kept thinking what a great place for a kid to just run
around all day! Another aunt and uncle have similar acreage and when we were
there the kids got to see the deer that come into their yard looking for corn
cobs. Sometimes 20 or more will show up. If dh didn't need to be in the city
for his job, we'd relocated in a minute!

Sandy

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--- In [email protected], Broadcolea@a... wrote:
> We live in an urban area in Maryland, but we are lucky to have
houses only on
> one side of the street and the street dead ends into an expanse of
county
> owned "nature area". Our back yard is really big too. It goes up
on an
> incline which has never been landscaped, so it is all natural. But
where I
> really want to be is western Maryland where all of my extended
family lives.
> I remember summers there that I spent as a kid. Just breathing the
air makes
> me think better! One of my aunt and uncle have 10 acres of woods.
They
> cleared 1 acre for their house and barn. Other than that it is
all woods
> complete with a stream. Plenty of room for their two ponies! When
we
> visited 3 weeks ago, I kept thinking what a great place for a kid
to just run
> around all day! Another aunt and uncle have similar acreage and
when we were
> there the kids got to see the deer that come into their yard
looking for corn
> cobs. Sometimes 20 or more will show up. If dh didn't need to be
in the city
> for his job, we'd relocated in a minute!
>
> Sandy

Sandy !
How wonderful! I wish i had an aunt who lived some where like that -
or better still a *Husband* who enjoyed that kind of life style.
Bliss!!
marianne

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In a message dated 9/7/2000 1:52:37 PM Central Daylight Time,
tonitoni@... writes:

> Carron
> I was brought up in a small country village in UK. I loved it. I
> always felt that my own kids missed out living in the suburbs. If I
> had my choice I would be back living on a farm at the drop of a hat -
> or even a country cottage - hubby could commute to work each day.....
> 11yr old daughter hates the idea!! She doesn't know what she is
> missing.
> Marianne

I grew up in a city of lless than 200,000 -- Mobile, Alabama. Not a
metropolitan area, lots of farms within 15 minutes. And the beach an hour
away! I always felt I had the best of both worlds.

Why is it that rural life and unschooling just seem to go so well together?
It's nice being in a city with lots of resources, but why do I long to take
my kids out the back door and down to the pond to do some bug watching, or to
the neighbors to pet the horses, or out to the garden to weed the carrots?

Carron

[email protected]

In a message dated 9/7/2000 3:33:57 PM Central Daylight Time,
Broadcolea@... writes:

> If dh didn't need to be in the city
> for his job, we'd relocated in a minute!
>
> Sandy

Sandy, your description of Western Maryland sounds idyllic. I can't help but
sigh. Over and over.

Carron

[email protected]

--- In [email protected], Cararmst@a... wrote:
> In a message dated 9/7/2000 1:52:37 PM Central Daylight Time,
> tonitoni@z... writes:
>
> > Carron
> > I was brought up in a small country village in UK. I loved it.
I
> > always felt that my own kids missed out living in the suburbs.
If I
> > had my choice I would be back living on a farm at the drop of a
hat -
> > or even a country cottage - hubby could commute to work each
day.....
> > 11yr old daughter hates the idea!! She doesn't know what she is
> > missing.
> > Marianne
>
> I grew up in a city of lless than 200,000 -- Mobile, Alabama. Not
a
> metropolitan area, lots of farms within 15 minutes. And the beach
an hour
> away! I always felt I had the best of both worlds.
>
> Why is it that rural life and unschooling just seem to go so well
together?
> It's nice being in a city with lots of resources, but why do I long
to take
> my kids out the back door and down to the pond to do some bug
watching, or to
> the neighbors to pet the horses, or out to the garden to weed the
carrots?
>
> Carron

It isn't just unschooling that seems to go better with country
living - family life sounds better - less stress - no hustle and
bustle - less distractons - *home made* bread - fresh milk and eggs
straight from the chicken and that wonderful country smell - my
daughter calls it *manure* - actually she doesnt call it manure -
but I thought it sounded better !!!!!
Marianne

Tracy Oldfield

me too! (to the husband and lifestyle bit) we live in a large-ish
village, right on the edge, and I can smell the fields from here, but
not really see them. I want to have a small-holding and do
something like farming alpacas for the wool, chucks, maybe a
goat or three. Dh says he couldn't live with the muck and the
smell. What a snob! oh, well, it's do what I want and get
divorced or stay where I am and stay married I'm afraid. *sigh*

Tracy