Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Seadory, you have been such a delight to have in our forum. Since you arrived, the quality of discussion has been so much more clever and robust. Even Grandview Gloria, posting from Lake Oswego, Oregon, is entertaining us with her whimsy and colorful imagination without managing to trigger a landslide of vitriol from all the less thoughtful respondents.
And I thought the posting from Winona, MS about the dragonfly garden and daily walks on 60 degree days was downright poetic, one of the best posting I have seen (IMVHO). It makes me want to take another swing from Winona to explore the nooks and crannies.
Desert Kid is our soul, giving us a window into the world of a college kid who is making major life decisions and dealing with family dynamics.
With that said, I'm curious as to what your ideal community would look like (size, weather, distance from larger city, architecture, terrain, etc). There is a difference between a town of 4,000 people and a town of say 35,000, which in MS would be considered a larger city.
I appreciate your kind remarks. My posts are only in proportion to the generous and thoughtful replies that I've yielded throughout this entire thread. Such specific and comprehensive responses to all of my inquiries-all of them straightforward. I love Grandview Gloria's posts too. Her observations about Mississippi are wildly entertaining and well written.
My ideal community would have a population of between 4,000 to 10,000 within a reasonable traveling distance to amenities. If I never see another shopping mall landscaped with palm trees again it would be fine by me. A nice neighborhood where houses aren't separated by ten feet and a home that backs up to a forest would be ideal. I like all kinds architecture, but am partial to New England Colonial and Bungalow styles. We have many lovely Arts and Crafts houses in downtown Long Beach.
I lived in San Fransisco, Berkeley, San Diego area. My daughter was born in San Diego.
Whatever can be said about California, I can both substantiate and refute. It just depends on where you are. Everything is all true sometimes in some places, except for the fact that the California legislature is way out of control. That's true all over California, all the time.
Almost the same in the south. Huntsville, AL is a great little city, with lots to offer. And I knew a man who retired to Vinemont, AL to establish a blueberry farm - something he always wanted to do. Vinemont, AL can hardly be found on a map.
I live in a little town of 30,000. It would be hard for someone from 'somewhere else' to break into, socially. I know people who tried, and they were disappointed. But, then last week at the weekly free concert down town we sat next to a couple from New Orleans and they aren't interested in city society. They're just happy knowing some people around town. They said they like it here.
Rural settings? I've seen people retire happily, if rural is your passion. Like that guy with the blueberry farm. But what is rural to me, may be 'out in the sticks' to you.
And I'm not real fond of rural people. I find them to be small, and out of touch.
You have to be careful. My brother in law retired from the State Department, and thought he'd like to own some land. They moved to Amory, MS, and hated the small mindedness of the small town. Seems like no one was impressed with their State Department worldliness. They divorced. Then left. Florida.
You're going to sound funny to us. You have to get ready for that. I doubt if anyone will pull a gun on you because of that funny accent, but they will turn their head slightly. And they may even reach over and move the kids away. You think I'm kidding? They did that to my sister! I know this sounds unlikely, but I have a sister who is Chinese and from Chicago. I'm an Anglo from Alabama. Go figure. She didn't like it here, but loves North Carolina.
You'll find your place. And you'll know it when you see it, too. Speaking as someone who has visited 49 states and 19 foreign countries, I can confidently say there is a place in America that will make your little heart go pitty-pat. If it's not Cary, NC (Containment Area for Retired Yankees) it'll be Huntsville, AL, or Helen, GA, or someplace else. It'll be a great adventure looking. Even if I wasn't married to That Woman I'd probably still be here. Makes me feel good running into my barber when I go to Lowe's, I guess.
G'Luck!
I love that!! That really spoke to me.
Thanks for that, it really gave me greater confidence in my own real estate dreams.
I love that!! That really spoke to me.
Thanks for that, it really gave me greater confidence in my own real estate dreams.
Listener's post gave also me greater confidence in the pursuit of a home in MS. I especially liked the part about NC being a "Containment Area for Retired Yankees"
I am still reading, (on different forums) that many Southerners resent the influx of Yankees into Mississippi and other states. I understand why, but I still hope that my husband and I won't be shunned because we are natives of California.
Until starting this thread I had no idea how polarized the Northern and Southern United States have become. I must say that a good many Californians still cling to unflattering Southern stereotypes. Maybe this is good way to keep rude Yankees from infiltrating Mississippi.
I am still reading, (on different forums) that many Southerners resent the influx of Yankees into Mississippi and other states. I understand why, but I still hope that my husband and I won't be shunned because we are natives of California.
Until starting this thread I had no idea how polarized the Northern and Southern United States have become. I must say that a good many Californians still cling to unflattering Southern stereotypes. Maybe this is good way to keep rude Yankees from infiltrating Mississippi.
Seadory
You are not going to have a problem.
The following writeup is generally posted in jest, but there is a morsel of truth in some of the rules. Most folks in the South have experienced one or more violations of most of the rules.
Rules For Visiting Yankees From the Southern Tourism Bureau:
1. Don’t order pasta primavera at Waffle House. It’s just a diner. They serve breakfast 24 hours a day. Let them cook something they know. If you confuse them, they’ll kick your ***.
2. Don’t laugh at our Southern names (Merleen, Bodie, Ovine, Luther Ray, Tammy Lynn, Darla Beth, Inez, Billy Joe, Sissy, Clovis, etc.). Or we will just HAVE to kick your ***.
3. Don’t order a bottle of pop or a can of soda down here. Down here it’s called Coke. Nobody gives a flying damn whether it’s Pepsi, RC, Dr. Pepper, 7 Up or whatever-it’s still a Coke. Accept it. Doing otherwise can lead to an *** kicking.
4. We know our heritage. Most of us are more literate than you (e.g., Welty, Williams, Faulkner). We are also better educated and generally a lot nicer. Don’t refer to us as a bunch of hillbillies, or we’ll kick your ***.
5. We have plenty of business sense (e.g., Fred Smith of FedEx, Turner Broadcasting, MCI WorldCom, MTV, Netscape). Naturally, we do sometimes, have small lapses in judgment (e.g., Carter, Clinton). We don’t care if you think we are dumb. We are not dumb enough to let someone move to our state in order to run for the Senate. If someone tried to do that, we would kick their ***.
6. Don’t laugh at our Civil War monuments. If Lee had listened to Longstreet and flanked Meade at Gettysburg instead of sending Pickett up the middle, you’d be paying taxes to Richmond instead of Washington. If you visit Stone Mountain and complain about the carving, we’ll kick your ***.
7. We are fully aware of how high the humidity is, so shut the hell up. Just spend your money and get the hell out of here, or we’ll kick your ***.
8. Don’t order wheat toast at Cracker Barrel. Everyone will instantly know that you’re a Yankee. Eat your biscuits like God intended-with gravy. And don’t put sugar on your grits, or we’ll kick your ***.
9. Don’t fake a Southern accent. This will incite a riot, and you will get your *** kicked.
10. Don’t talk about how much better things are at home because we know better. Many of us have visited Northern cesspools like Detroit, Chicago, and DC, and we have the scars to prove it. If you don’t like it here, Delta is ready when you are. Move your *** on home before it gets kicked.
11. Yes, we know how to speak proper English. We talk this way because we don’t want to sound like you. We don’t care if you don’t understand what we are saying. All other Southerners understand what we are saying, and that’s all that matters. Now, go away and leave us alone, or we’ll kick your ***.
12. Don’t complain that the South is dirty and polluted. None of OUR lakes or rivers have caught fire recently. If you whine about OUR scenic beauty, we’ll kick your *** all the way back to Boston Harbor.
13. Don’t ridicule our Southern manners. We say sir and ma’am. We hold doors open for others. We offer our seats to old folks because such things are expected of civilized people. Behave yourselves around our sweet little gray-haired grandmothers or they’ll kick some manners into your *** just like they did ours.
14. So you think we’re quaint or losers because most of us live in the countryside? That’s because we have enough sense to not live in filthy, smelly, crime-infested cesspools like New York or Baltimore. Make fun of our fresh air, and we’ll kick your ***.
15. Last, but not least, DO NOT DARE to come down here and tell us how to barbecue. This will get your *** shot (right after it is kicked). You’re lucky we let you come down here at all. Criticize our barbecue, and you will go home in a pine box. Minus your ***.
Seadory
You are not going to have a problem.
The following writeup is generally posted in jest, but there is a morsel of truth in some of the rules. Most folks in the South have experienced one or more violations of most of the rules.
Rules For Visiting Yankees From the Southern Tourism Bureau:
1. Don’t order pasta primavera at Waffle House. It’s just a diner. They serve breakfast 24 hours a day. Let them cook something they know. If you confuse them, they’ll kick your ***.
2. Don’t laugh at our Southern names (Merleen, Bodie, Ovine, Luther Ray, Tammy Lynn, Darla Beth, Inez, Billy Joe, Sissy, Clovis, etc.). Or we will just HAVE to kick your ***.
3. Don’t order a bottle of pop or a can of soda down here. Down here it’s called Coke. Nobody gives a flying damn whether it’s Pepsi, RC, Dr. Pepper, 7 Up or whatever-it’s still a Coke. Accept it. Doing otherwise can lead to an *** kicking.
4. We know our heritage. Most of us are more literate than you (e.g., Welty, Williams, Faulkner). We are also better educated and generally a lot nicer. Don’t refer to us as a bunch of hillbillies, or we’ll kick your ***.
5. We have plenty of business sense (e.g., Fred Smith of FedEx, Turner Broadcasting, MCI WorldCom, MTV, Netscape). Naturally, we do sometimes, have small lapses in judgment (e.g., Carter, Clinton). We don’t care if you think we are dumb. We are not dumb enough to let someone move to our state in order to run for the Senate. If someone tried to do that, we would kick their ***.
6. Don’t laugh at our Civil War monuments. If Lee had listened to Longstreet and flanked Meade at Gettysburg instead of sending Pickett up the middle, you’d be paying taxes to Richmond instead of Washington. If you visit Stone Mountain and complain about the carving, we’ll kick your ***.
7. We are fully aware of how high the humidity is, so shut the hell up. Just spend your money and get the hell out of here, or we’ll kick your ***.
8. Don’t order wheat toast at Cracker Barrel. Everyone will instantly know that you’re a Yankee. Eat your biscuits like God intended-with gravy. And don’t put sugar on your grits, or we’ll kick your ***.
9. Don’t fake a Southern accent. This will incite a riot, and you will get your *** kicked.
10. Don’t talk about how much better things are at home because we know better. Many of us have visited Northern cesspools like Detroit, Chicago, and DC, and we have the scars to prove it. If you don’t like it here, Delta is ready when you are. Move your *** on home before it gets kicked.
11. Yes, we know how to speak proper English. We talk this way because we don’t want to sound like you. We don’t care if you don’t understand what we are saying. All other Southerners understand what we are saying, and that’s all that matters. Now, go away and leave us alone, or we’ll kick your ***.
12. Don’t complain that the South is dirty and polluted. None of OUR lakes or rivers have caught fire recently. If you whine about OUR scenic beauty, we’ll kick your *** all the way back to Boston Harbor.
13. Don’t ridicule our Southern manners. We say sir and ma’am. We hold doors open for others. We offer our seats to old folks because such things are expected of civilized people. Behave yourselves around our sweet little gray-haired grandmothers or they’ll kick some manners into your *** just like they did ours.
14. So you think we’re quaint or losers because most of us live in the countryside? That’s because we have enough sense to not live in filthy, smelly, crime-infested cesspools like New York or Baltimore. Make fun of our fresh air, and we’ll kick your ***.
15. Last, but not least, DO NOT DARE to come down here and tell us how to barbecue. This will get your *** shot (right after it is kicked). You’re lucky we let you come down here at all. Criticize our barbecue, and you will go home in a pine box. Minus your ***.
I like it I'm going to email it to all the naysayers who have railed against our decision to seriously consider Mississippi as our new home.
LIne #4—Eudora Welty, T.Williams, and Willie Morris, should be required reading in public schools. Just as interesting are their bios. Pretty notable alumni if I must say so.
I just recently learned that the first lung transplant took place in MS in 1963 and that The Textbook of Medical Physiology, which is still the most used medical textbook in the world, was written by Dr. Arthur Guyton - University of Mississippi. Paul Harvey, in an article dated 2005, stated that, "The Case Method of practicing law, the basis of the United States legal system, was developed at the University of Mississippi."
Oh yes, let's not forget John Grisham. Never read any of his books, but he's certainly successful.
Thank you.
Last edited by Seadory; 11-10-2013 at 06:28 PM..
Reason: punctuation
Seadory
You are not going to have a problem.
The following writeup is generally posted in jest, but there is a morsel of truth in some of the rules. Most folks in the South have experienced one or more violations of most of the rules.
Rules For Visiting Yankees From the Southern Tourism Bureau:
1. Don’t order pasta primavera at Waffle House. It’s just a diner. They serve breakfast 24 hours a day. Let them cook something they know. If you confuse them, they’ll kick your ***.
2. Don’t laugh at our Southern names (Merleen, Bodie, Ovine, Luther Ray, Tammy Lynn, Darla Beth, Inez, Billy Joe, Sissy, Clovis, etc.). Or we will just HAVE to kick your ***.
3. Don’t order a bottle of pop or a can of soda down here. Down here it’s called Coke. Nobody gives a flying damn whether it’s Pepsi, RC, Dr. Pepper, 7 Up or whatever-it’s still a Coke. Accept it. Doing otherwise can lead to an *** kicking.
4. We know our heritage. Most of us are more literate than you (e.g., Welty, Williams, Faulkner). We are also better educated and generally a lot nicer. Don’t refer to us as a bunch of hillbillies, or we’ll kick your ***.
5. We have plenty of business sense (e.g., Fred Smith of FedEx, Turner Broadcasting, MCI WorldCom, MTV, Netscape). Naturally, we do sometimes, have small lapses in judgment (e.g., Carter, Clinton). We don’t care if you think we are dumb. We are not dumb enough to let someone move to our state in order to run for the Senate. If someone tried to do that, we would kick their ***.
6. Don’t laugh at our Civil War monuments. If Lee had listened to Longstreet and flanked Meade at Gettysburg instead of sending Pickett up the middle, you’d be paying taxes to Richmond instead of Washington. If you visit Stone Mountain and complain about the carving, we’ll kick your ***.
7. We are fully aware of how high the humidity is, so shut the hell up. Just spend your money and get the hell out of here, or we’ll kick your ***.
8. Don’t order wheat toast at Cracker Barrel. Everyone will instantly know that you’re a Yankee. Eat your biscuits like God intended-with gravy. And don’t put sugar on your grits, or we’ll kick your ***.
9. Don’t fake a Southern accent. This will incite a riot, and you will get your *** kicked.
10. Don’t talk about how much better things are at home because we know better. Many of us have visited Northern cesspools like Detroit, Chicago, and DC, and we have the scars to prove it. If you don’t like it here, Delta is ready when you are. Move your *** on home before it gets kicked.
11. Yes, we know how to speak proper English. We talk this way because we don’t want to sound like you. We don’t care if you don’t understand what we are saying. All other Southerners understand what we are saying, and that’s all that matters. Now, go away and leave us alone, or we’ll kick your ***.
12. Don’t complain that the South is dirty and polluted. None of OUR lakes or rivers have caught fire recently. If you whine about OUR scenic beauty, we’ll kick your *** all the way back to Boston Harbor.
13. Don’t ridicule our Southern manners. We say sir and ma’am. We hold doors open for others. We offer our seats to old folks because such things are expected of civilized people. Behave yourselves around our sweet little gray-haired grandmothers or they’ll kick some manners into your *** just like they did ours.
14. So you think we’re quaint or losers because most of us live in the countryside? That’s because we have enough sense to not live in filthy, smelly, crime-infested cesspools like New York or Baltimore. Make fun of our fresh air, and we’ll kick your ***.
15. Last, but not least, DO NOT DARE to come down here and tell us how to barbecue. This will get your *** shot (right after it is kicked). You’re lucky we let you come down here at all. Criticize our barbecue, and you will go home in a pine box. Minus your ***.
P.S.
I get #14. Annoys me too when Californians smirk make condescending remarks about people who live in the countryside. There is no need to be so mean spirited. #15 might be a problem. My husband insists that his barbecue is the best barbecue in the U.S. Uh oh.
It's interesting that every single post in California (the forum) about leaving the state immediatly extolles how beautiful parts of the state are. There are trees and lakes and mountains and rivers, etc. We'd go to the mountains a week a year when I was a kid. Dad wasn't going to drive to Big Bear on a whim. The best fun I ever had there was as an adult, when my friends took a van and some tents and went to Big Bear to camp out. We decided to hike to the top. Starting on this one trail, with acutal pathways, we got on one which was just dirt, then not even much of that. Don't know how we managed to get to the 'expert' hiking trail but it was scary as hell and absolutely exilerating. Would I do it again knowing what was ahead? I'm not sure, but it was an unforgetable experience I had once.
Most people don't have time to go to these places and are usually stuck with traffic, pollution, noise and asphalt. We tried to move up towards Lassen after the two trips up there, but couldn't sell. I could never feel good about the where we lived in the IE after that. I'd imagine it with all but the trees and plants gone and how it might be beautiful too.
One of the most amazing things since I moved is driving a block out of town to open country with grasses and trees on a two lane highway which is an interstate segment. Things you can go to once in a great while and may not really get out into at all are wonderful, but having that openness and greenness (or browness at times) there all the time is as good. That and air not full of grey stuff.
To me it comes down to having MORE less spectacular nature all the time is better than having really awesome stuff on only special rare occasions.
It funny you say that. Anytime I talk about leaving California I get "but you can go to the beach and mountains in the same day"!
I am a California native and I have need done that.
P.S.
I get #14. Annoys me too when Californians smirk make condescending remarks about people who live in the countryside. There is no need to be so mean spirited. #15 might be a problem. My husband insists that his barbecue is the best barbecue in the U.S. Uh oh.
I am still reading, (on different forums) that many Southerners resent the influx of Yankees into Mississippi and other states. I understand why, but I still hope that my husband and I won't be shunned because we are natives of California.
Until starting this thread I had no idea how polarized the Northern and Southern United States have become. I must say that a good many Californians still cling to unflattering Southern stereotypes. Maybe this is good way to keep rude Yankees from infiltrating Mississippi.
I know a few people who live in Colorado, and some of them derisively comment that is it turning into "East California". Mainly it's because in statewide elections the urban areas (typically dominated by liberals) have started outvoting the rural areas (typically dominated by conservatives). They blame the California transplants; the ones who moved out of California to get away from the bad aspects of the state, but then try to change their new state to match their old state, not realizing that the changes would result in the same bad aspects they wanted to move away from in the first place.
I addressed this in my first post to this thread. If you move in and try to make the locals conform to your worldview, you will be despised and rejected. If you embrace the local culture (while maintaining your own personal quirks and idiosyncrasies) then you are much more likely to be welcomed and embraced. Your leg up is that you moved away from the craziness in the Republik of Kalifornia and toward a more sane way of thinking. From everything you've posted here, I have confidence you will fit in just fine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern man
3. Don’t order a bottle of pop or a can of soda down here. Down here it’s called Coke. Nobody gives a flying damn whether it’s Pepsi, RC, Dr. Pepper, 7 Up or whatever-it’s still a Coke. Accept it. Doing otherwise can lead to an *** kicking.
...
7. We are fully aware of how high the humidity is, so shut the hell up. Just spend your money and get the hell out of here, or we’ll kick your ***.
...
15. Last, but not least, DO NOT DARE to come down here and tell us how to barbecue. This will get your *** shot (right after it is kicked). You’re lucky we let you come down here at all. Criticize our barbecue, and you will go home in a pine box. Minus your ***.
Three is right on. It's not unheard-of to have someone ask, "What type of coke do you want?", where acceptable answers range from "Sprite" to "Pepsi". Also, Coca-Cola has nothing on the sugar content of southern-style sweet iced tea. Lots of other language differences to consider. Using this site, you can pick your home town and see which parts of the country are most like and most unlike your own. It aggregates survey data from this site. And finally, here are a few southern sayings that you might encounter: Southern Sayings - Business Insider
Seven is also right-on. You may look at a weather map and scoff at the 99°F high in Mississippi as compared to the 110°F high in SoCal. But as someone who has endured both, I'd rather have a dry 110°F than 99°F with 99% relative humidity any day. Get on a plane in a dry area and get off in Jackson and it's like you're stepping into an aquarium.
Ok, here's where I'm in danger of an ***-kicking. I'm not a fan of Mississippi-style BBQ; it's too weak. I like the dark & sweet Midwestern-style, which is similar to Memphis-style. Next would be "Carolina sweet", which is a mustard-based sweet sauce.
Last edited by An Einnseanair; 11-11-2013 at 11:20 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
