Mary Anne has her own blog now
Category Archives: Local

Finding a life in a new area

by Mary Anne

When we first moved out here, I started trying to find out how and where my kids (all young adults) could go to meet other folks their own age.  Everywhere I went I struck up conversations with the young adults that I was interacting with.  The cute waitresses at the local restaurants, the young receptionist at the veterinarian’s office, and the bank tellers. 

If the person looked to be about the same age as my kids, I was talking with them, asking them “where can people your age who have just moved into the area go to meet other new people?”

I was hoping they would tell me something like “all the kids hang out a Joe’s SpeakEasy” or something along those lines.  Or “they go to the bowling alley” or “the skating rink” or “the movie theater.” 

But no, all I got was “this place is dead, there just ISN’T anyplace for them to go to meet people!”  I was hoping that maybe someone from the many places I went to would have at least ONE suggestion, but no, they all think the place is dry.  Or even it would have been nice (Where is that Southern Hospitality I’ve heard so much about?) if some of them had said something along the lines of “my group of friends is going to the movies this weekend, why don’t you have your son meet us there and we can meet up?” 

When I ask them what they do for entertainment they say that they just “drive around with friends” and go to their friends houses.

I joined the local Newcomer’s group, hoping that they might have a “young adult” section of the club, but they don’t cater to that group at all, so that was a bust.


I’ve noticed more and more interracial couples lately

by Mary Anne

When we lived in New England, we didn’t see very many people that were not Caucasian.  In fact, the state we lived in was 98% Caucasian, so it was a very rare incident to see someone who was of a different race!

It was very interesting, when we moved further south, to be around so many different people, so many different races and cultures.  I have found it to be very intellectually stimulating to help my family sort through their perceptions of what people of other races really are like!

I have been especially pleased to see so many incidences of interracial dating on the social scene.  It gives me hope that the unpleasantness of racism will eventually fade into just a bad memory.


We want a Florida room and a family room

by Mary Anne

Every now and then my hubby and I talk about how we would like to do some remodeling to our house. We’d like to convert the garage into a recreational/family room to set up my hubby’s pool table that is currently broken down in pieces in the basement gathering dust and taking up storage space. And I’d love to put a “Florida room” on the back of the house, off of the dining room.

What’s stopping us? Well, for one thing, we don’t have the money right now to do the sun room. As for the garage, well, I think we just need for me to get a little bit of time to be able to sort through some of the items that I rushed out there a couple of months ago to make room for the family dinners over the Holidays. I’ve just been really out straight with work. Can you believe that I still haven’t taken down the Christmas tree? Embarrassing, but true.


A summer’s trip

by Mary Anne

Guest post by Alicia Dennison

Can you imagine my surprise when I got a Facebook friend request out of the blue from a long-lost cousin of mine in England! Her profile picture looks just like I did ten years ago! Well, she is planning to have a big family reunion this coming summer and she was trying to find her relatives on the “other side of the pond” to invite.

She suggested that she could help us to find some London Apartments to stay in for a week or so and that we could use the time to do some sightseeing while we are there. That is something that I have always wanted to do – go to London and see all of the famous landmarks. I knew from my grandfather’s stories that he had come from London back in the 1920′s and yearned to go back there to at least put my feet on the ground where he was born and raised, but never thought it would happen. The chance now to go over as part of a big family reunion and all stay in some London Apartments and take in the sights is something I would hate to pass up! I sure hope we can swing it!


Pest control

by Mary Anne

One of the things that has bothered me ever since we moved down here is how many ticks there seem to be. Almost every time my family spends more than a couple of minutes outdoors, they seem to be coming inside and finding a tick or two trying to make itself at home. I’ve never been very good at removing ticks, it seems that even though I try really hard to remove them correctly the head seems to stay in the bite and then there is a swelling around the bite that takes a very long time to fade away.

The folks on the Yahoo groups that I belong to are frequently writing about how they keep a small flock of backyard chickens to help keep the ticks at bay. In addition they say that they enjoy all of the fresh eggs that they could possibly want. From time to time they offer up some chickens for sale and my hubby and I discuss the ins and outs of owning chickens. My biggest concerns involve predators and who would care for them if we went on vacation. I really don’t think we just dump a bunch of chicken feed in a trough and leave them for a week.


Scrappy Theme by Caroline Moore | Copyright 2012 Mary Anne Carter | Powered by WordPress