Wednesday, January 16, 2013

It's Cold There



By Liz Flaherty

I’ve lived within 20 miles of the farm where I grew up for the entire 62 years of my life. We moved into our present home over 35 years ago, when our kids were little, and have spent most of that time renovating the house and then remodeling the remodel. Last year, we built a big office-sewing-room in the garage for me, so home is particularly wonderful for me.

But, of course, it’s cold there.

I’m not a fan of the cold, but my husband hates it. So this year is our first time at being snowbirds. We rented a house in Florida, turned everything off we could, created a neighborhood watch program for our home comprised of our kids and nearly everyone else we know, and started south in two packed cars.

And it’s…well, an adventure.

I love that Walmart, a supermarket, and an office supply store are within five miles. I love Florida’s water for washing clothes and dishes. I love the food. Oh, wait, that has nothing to do with the region—I always love food. I love being able to spend time with the family that lives here. I love that it’s going to be 70 degrees today. I love that there are a lot of churches nearby and I’m almost certain I’ll be welcome in whichever one I choose.

Then there are the differences. 

The cost of groceries has me shopping more carefully than I have in years. A woman referred to Yankee women as “pushy” yesterday and I had to swallow hard rather than prove she was right. I told my sister-in-law Lynn—with a sigh—that “None of you ever hurry, do you?” She gave me a blank look and said, “Why would we?”

Why indeed?


In JAR OF DREAMS, my new release from Carina Press, Lucy Dolan comes to a small town—“Welcome to Taft, Indiana. Home of No One Special. Population 1841 counting cats, dogs, and the occasional parakeet.” —from a lifetime in Richmond, Virginia. She finds differences galore, as well as new friends and a livelihood as the part-owner of a tearoom. Maybe, just maybe, when Boone Brennan comes to visit his aunt (and Lucy’s business partner, she’ll find a new kind of adventure, too.
Thanks for stopping by. All the requisite links to buy my books or just come to visit me are below. If you leave a comment (and your email address), and answer the following question, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a teacup and saucer. Where would you like to live if you relocated?

http://www.amazon.com/Jar-of-Dreams-ebook/dp/B00A22UVXC




15 comments:

Unknown said...

We're in Florida right now and with 75 degree sunny days, wouldn't want to be anywhere else!
KP

Unknown said...

Lived in Oklahoma my whole life and can't really complain. There are several places I would like to visit: Hawaii, Florida, Area 51 (smile), but as far as living the only change I would make is from the city to the country.
Looking forward to your book.
grandmabkr at yahoo dot com

Kristina Knight said...

I think small towns have more characters than big cities, in a lot of ways. Cities may have 'more' to offer, but small towns definitely have character!

TNeal said...

Growing up in South Texas and now living in wintry Wisconsin, I agree with your husband about cold. I also know about slow. While living in Russia, I seemed to be the fan favorite of translators. I spoke as clearly as a Midwesterner and as slowly as a Southerner.

Cathy Shouse said...

My fantasy is to live in London, where I got to live for a couple of months while in college. I know I would miss the states and family, but this is a fantasy, so I'm sticking with London. :)

Linda Robinson said...

Liz, my answer is multi-part. We relocated from Orlando to southeastern Alabama. Now, seventeen years later, I would rotate between the foothills of the Rocky Mountains (maybe Boulder Canyon) in June, July, and August, then I'd come back home for September through November. Then you'd have to move over in Florida and share the turf during December, January, and February. Maybe my word should not be relocate, but vagabond, or wanderlust. :-)

D'Ann said...

I love my small town and my farm, but I'm not loving the frigid weather. Florida sounds pretty darn nice about now.

Margie said...

A friend moved to Florida recently and her facebook pics make me a little envious. BUT---I don't want to live somewhere where hurricanes and tornadoes are a seasonal occurance. Sure, we have a little bit of rain--okay, a lot of rain, but that's nothing.

Fantasy place--I think the Tuscany or Provence, France.

J.B. DiNizo said...

When Hurricane Sandy hit this area, we were without heat for a week so I began wearing socks to bed. Storm's over, heat's back on but I'm still wearing socks to bed!

morgan said...

Liz,
I am so jealous, especially now when they predict new week will be even colder in Indiana.

You have also whetted my appetite for Jar of Dreams. Loading it to my Kindle today.:)

Liz Flaherty said...

Thanks to everyone for dropping by! I'll announce a winner here soon!

ELF said...

Ideally, I would like to live in Hawaii if I could afford it!

elewkf1 at yahoo dot com

Liz Flaherty said...

Thanks to Linda for having me here and for doing the drawing. The winner is Gloria Babb, whose message wouldn't come through. Thanks to everyone for coming by!

Patti Shene, Executive Editor, Starsongs Magazine said...

Definitely not Florida for me! Give me a place where winter lasts for a few months.

I want to see it skiff snow for a foot or so, then settle down to a real storm, not this "light dusting" that we usually get in SE Colorado!

I don't know that I'd want to live in a place as extreme as Alaska (although I'd love to visit there someday), but I sure do miss the Adirondack North Country and the winters I enjoyed there on vacations as a kid. Of course, maybe if I had to live there on a daily basis, I'd find that day-to-day life quite different from vacation!

Liz Flaherty said...

Although I'm not a huge fan of winter, I do like the changing of the seasons, all of them! And ONE big snowstorm--then I want it to stop. :-) Thanks for coming by, Patti!