Wed 12 Jul 2006
I have always loved to move. After all the road goes ever on and on. Half the fun is that once you step out of the door:
“It is risky business, …. and if you dont keep your feet, you never know where you might be swept off to.”
I’ve lived everywhere, man. I’ve lived everywhere.
Cincinnati, OH
Morrow, OH
Richmond,KY
Ft Pierce, FL
Deland, FL
Toccoa, GA
Long Beach, NC
Wilmington, NC
Hartsville, SC
Sagamore Beach, MA
Mashpee, MA
Charlotte, NC
Peru, NE
Rockford, IL
Phoenix, AZ
Millersville, PA
Vineland, NJ
Bridgeton, NJ
Salem, NJ
E-town, AL
And if there are any others I may have forgotten….
I didn’t want to move to Alabama. I wanted to move to Tennessee. Now I may get to move to Tennessee and I don’t want to leave Alabama. In my long career of moving I have never once felt sad to move on. I know that sounds bad but I suppose I have a bit of the Mr Toad in me; the love of the open road.
Still I was hoping I had reached Rivendell. Perhaps I shouldn’t set my sights on Rivendell, perhaps I should set them on the Grey Havens instead.
If you ever have a chance to move to Alabama, do.
Here are 10 reasons:
10. The Spring is long.
9. The Autumn is long.
8. The Winter is short.
7. You can wear sandals 9 months of the year.
6. It is lush. Everything grows bigger in Alabama
5. It is filled with lakes. Water sports abound.
4. They don’t play sports on Sunday.
3. Everyone is a Christian.
2. The houses have porches and central air.
1. You can sing Sweet Home Alabama and mean it.
I haven’t moved yet. I am sending this post to God.
24 Comments
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Too bad you don’t live in Cincinnati or Morrow anymore . . . I could give you a pile of boxes to fill if you’d enjoy it so much.
Personally, my sympathy is all with Mole.
Comment by Queen of Carrots (July 12, 2006 @ 10:45 am )
Do you think you may actually HAVE to move? Last week you were unsure or thought maybe Tim would have to work away from home for awhile. What is the status now?
And as for your “10 reasons to live in Alabama” list, #1, and unfortunately #4, I think, are the only two that would change. #4 might remain the same if you live off the beaten path; if you are in the heart of Chattanooga (or Knoxville), things are a bit more “metropolitan”.
Comment by Linda (July 12, 2006 @ 11:01 am )
I used to love to move, Cindy. Then Steve retired from the Marine Corps and the companies he worked for don’t pay for our moves - we do. So we do the packing, hire trucks, load trucks, drive trucks, unload trucks, unpack boxes. And in the space of 4 1/2 years we moved 6 times. It cured me of my wanderlust. Now I’m willing to stay here in this house in this small town in Alabama. I love living in new places, but the physical dynamics of a move are too exhausting for me anymore. My hat’s off to you and your boundless energy. Enjoy your move!
Comment by Laura D. (July 12, 2006 @ 11:11 am )
You almost made us willing to move to Alabama even though when we moved to this house Vince stated emphatically that it was his last time to ever move.
I usually don’t mind living in PA, but this past February I was very tired of winter and the thought of short winters and long springs and autumns was very enticing.
We already do have wonderful neighbors and a great sense of community and I think you have now given me an idea for my next post.
Comment by Jeannine (July 12, 2006 @ 11:17 am )
Cindy, do you ever desire to move West? You seem to stay grounded on the South East side of the country. It is a very different world on this side. I betcha the Wal-Marts are laid out exactly the same on this side of the country as yours.
Comment by Faith Proctor (July 12, 2006 @ 12:21 pm )
Yeah Cindy. Come out to Phoenix, it’s going to be 113 today and they’ve issued a heat advisory
But it’s a dry heat. 
Here’s my list of towns, just for fun
Elmhurst, IL
Wheaton, IL
Minocqua, WI
Tucson, AZ Go Cats!
Tempe, AZ
Dallas, TX
Phoenix, AZ
Peoria, AZ
Glendale, AZ
My list is short compared to yours. My list is in order too.
Comment by Janet (July 12, 2006 @ 12:57 pm )
I could use a little try heat right now!
Hugs and prayers from a sweaty PM in VA
Comment by Carmon (July 12, 2006 @ 10:09 pm )
Stop, reverse that…
It’s “dry” heat and “sweaty and tired” PM in VA
Comment by Carmon (July 12, 2006 @ 10:10 pm )
My prayers are with you and your family in this time of uncertainty. My family moved six times during my childhood, due to my dad’s job transfers, and my mom did NOT handle it well at all. So I’ve grown up with a fear of moving. I admire your good attitude, and will be praying for the path to be clear and certain in God’s time. You’ll be blessing some new people with your friendship in a new place!!!
Sally in OH
Comment by Sally in OH (July 13, 2006 @ 9:20 am )
And I thought my list was long as a former military brat!
Comment by Sandy (July 13, 2006 @ 2:10 pm )
I found out last week that one of our friend’s sons will be attending a Merchant Marine prep school in Alabama this coming school year.
Then today another local friend emailed me to let me know her husband is interviewing for a job in Montgomery, AL.
Comment by Jeannine (July 13, 2006 @ 6:02 pm )
Cindy, come back to GA. I’d love to get some of your wisdom in person. I’ve lived here for almost twelve years and when I approached nine years I remember having that wanderlust feeling come over me because that’s the longest I’d ever lived anywhere. Plus my husband was unemployed then and was talking about looking out of state for a job. Here’s my list -
Wilmington, DE
Claymont, DE
Milford, MA
Royersford, PA
West Chesterfield, NH
Clifton Park, NY
Evanston, IL
Marietta, GA
Roswell, GA
Marietta, GA
The last three don’t really count since they were just moves from an apartment to another apartment and then to our first house. But it makes my list longer! Ha, ha.
Comment by Meredith B. (July 14, 2006 @ 8:41 pm )
Wilmington, De was the big city nearest us in NJ. We went there often.
Comment by Cindy (July 14, 2006 @ 8:51 pm )
Can’t resist ….
Norfolk, VA
Ankara, Turkey
Los Angeles, CA
Sierra Vista, AZ
Goeppingen, Germany
Petersburg, VA
Hopewell, VA
La Mesa, NM
Colorado Springs, CO
East Lansing, MI
Amherst, MA
South Bend, IN
Dallas, TX
Garland, TX
Wilmington, MA
Plano, TX
Fremont, CA
Spicewood, TX
Austin, TX
Florissant, CO
Bristol, TN
Adair County, KY
Comment by Rick Saenz (July 14, 2006 @ 8:52 pm )
Were you in the Navy, Rick?
Comment by Cindy (July 14, 2006 @ 8:56 pm )
Cindy,
My dad was in the Army. (There is a small Army base in Virginia Beach, Fort Story. I was born at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, though.)
That only takes me up through Colorado Springs, though. Rootlessness accounts for the subsequent moves up to Spicewood, TX. Then incompetence takes over, I guess—we had decided to put down roots there, and each move after that we were sure was going to be the last one.
This time for sure!
Comment by Rick Saenz (July 15, 2006 @ 7:19 am )
“South Bend… sounds like dancing.”
For a military wife my list is pretty boring. I lived in Little Rock until I married. My list since then is:
Biloxi, MS
Valdosta, GA
Rome, NY
Montgomery, AL
Hampton, VA
San Angelo, TX
and now King George, VA
That’s almost the kind of list the average American has!
Comment by Kelly (July 17, 2006 @ 7:14 am )
Well it may not have made your top ten but I came up with a number 11: You won’t have to pay $2000 to heat your house in the winter.
We just got our oil bill today so we can prepay and lock in the price in case it goes up and that’s how much it will cost us this year for heat and hot water unless we take drastic measures. Vince said he’s not paying that much just because some nitwit congressmen can’t get rid or our dependence on foreign oil. I guess drastic measures will be used this year.
Comment by Jeannine (July 20, 2006 @ 8:50 pm )
“Drastic measures,” Jeannine? Like moving South?
Comment by Kelly (July 24, 2006 @ 8:29 pm )
Kelly,
We’ve considered it. I know it wouldn’t cost $2000 to heat a house in Alabama.
Vince went out today and bought three new electric heaters and we’re going to go without central heat this winter for the first time ever.
The heaters are very nice–we already have one in our schoolroom–and I’m probably going to blog about them later this week.
I’m not real happy about the thought but now that we no longer have any babies who can’t stay covered I’m not as upset as I would have been a couple years ago. It does seem like a step down in the world and rather drastic.
Comment by Jeannine (July 25, 2006 @ 9:14 pm )
Our heater broke during the coldest week of the year last winter and we made do with the propane heating stove in the living room, an electric space heater (the hot oil radiator kind) in the kitchen’s breakfast area and our bedroom, and lit numerous candles. It wasn’t too bad for the few days it took for the fixit folks to get out and fix it, but then it never got too much below freezing that week - upper 20s, I think.
The Deputy Head Mistress listed several tricks for keeping warm last winter, which is where I got the idea to use candles for heat. I might see if I can find that old post and link it for you.
Comment by Kelly (July 26, 2006 @ 6:05 pm )
Thanks Kelly! I’d appreciate that.
I was also thinking of doing LOTS of baking.
Comment by Jeannine (July 27, 2006 @ 12:49 pm )
Here ’tis: Winterizing, Part 1 and Part 2.
I hope Cindy doesn’t mind me using her blog to advertize other people’s blogs.
Comment by Kelly (July 27, 2006 @ 2:46 pm )
Thank you so much Kelly! And Cindy–for the use of your blog.
Comment by Jeannine (July 30, 2006 @ 9:38 pm )