Home, home on the range...........

Well, not really. OK, Gina is having a contest and part of the contest is writing a post all about where we grew up and maybe a little about where we live now. So, here ya go.I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. I officially lived in the city, all though we actually lived in a very nice suburban neighborhood. Close enough to everything in the city (just a bus ride away) but we had a nice little neighborhood of duplex homes, complete with a large (or at least we thought so at the time) fenced yard with a swimming pool and a swing set. Everyone in my neighborhood attended the local Catholic school and we were all great friends.

In the summer, the parents would hang outside in someone’s driveway. They would have lots of wine or beer and probably snacks as well. We kids paid very little attention because we knew if our parents were doing a driveway party, we kids could also party. In our very innocent way, we would first of all be allowed to play outside well into the night. That in and of itself was great fun; I can remember many evenings of running around outside at night with all of the other neighborhood kids. Bare foot, with mayonnaise jars catching lightening bugs and playing kickball or tag. Another thing we loved to do is put on shows for our parents. This usually consisted of us standing on the picnic table singing crocodile rock for the adults. We were so hot! lol Back then, there was another thing phenomenon was making its way across the country...The streak! Do you remember that? Once in awhile, one or two kids would decide to streak! I don't think I ever did it. I was always way too shy. But I was really good at "encouraging" others to streak. Ha-ha!

Our house had a ball field behind it and woods and a stream and on the other side of the street, behind those houses was a little farm. They boarded horses and grew corn. So I can remember as a kid, living in the city, having the great joy of seeing the horses. Also, in the summer, we would go to the farm and get corn from the farmer. Always a bakers dozen for about $1.00, and it was so good! Another fond memory of my childhood living in Maryland is boating. We had a Boston Whaler (boat) and we would go crabbing and fishing in it every summer. It was awesome. We all loved steamed crabs and we didn't mind getting up at the butt crack of dawn to drive to where we put the boat in. Now my parents live on the water in Maryland and just hop in the boat to go crabbing. Even better, they still get up at the crack of dawn though.

Now as an adult, I live in South Central PA. We are surrounded by farms and corn fields and new developments as well as little towns that have been here forever- and it is great. Living here is a little different than living nearer to the water as we did in Maryland, but still great in its own way. For one thing, the countryside is absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. There is nothing like the rolling hills and green fields and trees. You see it all here. We are close enough to Baltimore (1 hour), and only 2-3 hours from New York City. So we can jump in the car and see any show, museum, etc. that our hearts desire but we live in a fairly serene, safe, country area. Now it is growing and changing here as I suspect it is everywhere. But it is still quiet and family oriented. And let’s face it; there are not many areas where you may encounter sophisticated shoppers (that would be me) mixing with the quaint Amish shoppers, in the local grocery store, yard sales or outlets. So there you have it. Home sweet home!