Wild Turkeys

I thought it might be fun to list a few things that make living in New England different from living in the West. So here's my list:

1. Trees. I remember hiking up to different mountains in Utah and looking out over the valley and thinking, "There sure are a lot of trees." Now I know what people were talking about when they talked about the trees in the East. You know you have a lot of trees on your property when 2 massive oak trees fall over, and it doesn't change the landscape of your yard. It literally shook the house when it happened; I thought it was an earthquake, but then I saw the trees fall. They're still there in our forest. Maybe we'll remove them . . . maybe we won't.

2. Wildlife. It's not just living in the forest that makes me feel like Snow White. I remember one day I looked out in the backyard and saw birds sitting on the deck and rabbits on the lawn. Then I went to the front door to get something, and when I opened it a huge squirrel ran off the porch. I started singing and looking around for my little dwarf friends :). I've seen two coyotes in the yard, I screamed out loud when some huge bird was lurking next to my car one dark night and flew off when I got a few feet away from it, and today I looked out my kitchen window and there was a family of about 10 wild turkeys walking across my lawn. I ran outside to get a picture, and this was the best I got. They are huge! No wonder the pilgrims ate them for dinner!
3. When we mention to Samantha that we are going on a picnic, she just assumes it's at a lighthouse. She's spoiled, for sure.

4. People have never heard of a "Freeway". It's a western phenomenon.

5. You don't realize that when you name your daughters Samantha and Anna that you're really naming them Samanther and Anner. Every word that ends with a is pronounced "er". Like sofa is a sofer and idea is an idear. I had my hair cut by a girl named Jennifa. I wonder if her parents just thought that was the right way to spell it so it would be pronounced Jennifer.

6. There are very few young mothers. Most of the mothers I meet at the park and library are much older. One girl at the park asked me if I was an opare (sp?). I said, "A what?". I had no idea what she was talking about. She had a German accent, so I thought I was just not understanding her accent. Finally she asked, "Are you the mother?" I said I was, and she said, "You look so young!" Yeah, it really boosts the ego! I found out later that an opare is a foreign nanny, which is what that girl was for the kids she was with at the park. If I see young people at the park and library with children, it is almost always that they are their nanny.

7. You don't have to water your grass. People in general do not install sprinkler systems. We did not water our lawn once all summer and it was green all summer long. This was so unreal to me! Everything I planted this year grew. You just have to keep the animals from eating your vegetables.

Well, there's just a few. Maybe I'll add to the list in the future. It really has been so fun to have a new experience out here! Life really can be an adventure!

Oh Christmas Tree!

Samantha helped me decorate the tree a few weeks ago (I know - I'm slow). She did a fabulous job! The picture of Anna was taken the next night because she was already asleep when we decorated the tree. There's nothing cuter than a picture of a child decorating a Christmas tree. What a fun memory!