Chasing the Elusive Dream
Viewing comments for Chapter 18 "Green Acres"A southern couple's journey in the 60's,70's & 80'
33 total reviews
Comment from Carolyn 'Deaton' Stephens
Happy trails to you. :-0 The week-end farming sounds typical for a country boy, or girl. I love the country and was brought up on a small farm. Now I am content with a convenient little subdivision, lots of shopping nearby hearing a train now and then and a potted tomato on the patio. However, we do have a lake lot that gets us away to fish and hunt when we want. I can totally relate, right down to the 'why is Sam'''?....
Great write Beth, Carolyn
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Happy trails to you. :-0 The week-end farming sounds typical for a country boy, or girl. I love the country and was brought up on a small farm. Now I am content with a convenient little subdivision, lots of shopping nearby hearing a train now and then and a potted tomato on the patio. However, we do have a lake lot that gets us away to fish and hunt when we want. I can totally relate, right down to the 'why is Sam'''?....
Great write Beth, Carolyn
Comment Written 24-Aug-2013
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Thank you Carolyn. We are living on nineteen wooded acres but just minutes from the city. We've finally compromised on a place we both love. It is five minutes from a lovely ltttle town and fifteen minutes from a huge mall.
Beth
Comment from adewpearl
Why don't we see if we can buy some...? - add the question mark
the woods were teaming with trees - teeming
more suitable activities - typo in activities
I like your closing observation :-)
good explanation of how you became landowners and ranchers :-) Brooke
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Why don't we see if we can buy some...? - add the question mark
the woods were teaming with trees - teeming
more suitable activities - typo in activities
I like your closing observation :-)
good explanation of how you became landowners and ranchers :-) Brooke
Comment Written 24-Aug-2013
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Thank you Brooke, I appreciate the review and the help with spags. I can never seem to catch all of them.
Beth
Comment from Belinda
Hi,Beth. I like your story and how you end it:Sometimes, "it's a good thing we can't see into the future." Now I find myself waiting for your next post... :)
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Hi,Beth. I like your story and how you end it:Sometimes, "it's a good thing we can't see into the future." Now I find myself waiting for your next post... :)
Comment Written 24-Aug-2013
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Thank you Belinda. I appreciate the review and comments. I'll probably put the next one on tomorrow. Thank you for continuing to read.
Beth
Comment from emjaihammond
I really enjoyed reading this story of a part of your life. It is very similar in some ways to what my dad went through. Farming was in his blood and he had difficult time letting go of it. Your story of the bull and weekends at the farm brings back wonderful memories.
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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I really enjoyed reading this story of a part of your life. It is very similar in some ways to what my dad went through. Farming was in his blood and he had difficult time letting go of it. Your story of the bull and weekends at the farm brings back wonderful memories.
Comment Written 24-Aug-2013
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Thank you so much for the review and the nice comments. I'm glad you could relate. Memories are something we need to hold on to.
Beth
Comment from Sankey
A good story all the way. I appreciate the hard work thanks. Well done. Always had me a bit confused the "immigrate" "emmigrate" thing. Glad to be back reviewing your great stuff. As I think you know I am writing my own story now so been taken up with that a enjoying reviewing a story on the Mexico Texas thing in here too.
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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A good story all the way. I appreciate the hard work thanks. Well done. Always had me a bit confused the "immigrate" "emmigrate" thing. Glad to be back reviewing your great stuff. As I think you know I am writing my own story now so been taken up with that a enjoying reviewing a story on the Mexico Texas thing in here too.
Comment Written 24-Aug-2013
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Thanks for the review and the great comments. I'm enjoying your story too.
Beth
Comment from Samuel Dickens
I can't help but hear "Green Acres" playing in the background. Somehow, I don't think you were that bad of a fit in the country. And what was that bull's name--the one with something hanging down?
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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I can't help but hear "Green Acres" playing in the background. Somehow, I don't think you were that bad of a fit in the country. And what was that bull's name--the one with something hanging down?
Comment Written 24-Aug-2013
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Thank you so much for the review and the comments. I was thinking of the TV show when I named this Green Acres. I like the country as long as I'm not too many miles from the city. We live in the woods on nineteen acres among the deer and other wildlife but in ten minutes we can be in the city. It's the bsst of both worlds.
Beth
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It sounds like you have the best of it all. I love the country, but am not fond of driving twenty miles for a loaf of bread.
Comment from Spitfire
Excellent story telling skills, Beth. You manage to make each chapter interesting. A nice condensation of your hubby's past. Fascinating how the land turned out to yeild so many paychecks. A good laugh with kids asking about Sam's body and behavior. And how about the government paying you for not growing crops! Unfortuanately, what goes up must come down. Looks as it that describes your next chapter. Oh, the men we put up with.
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Excellent story telling skills, Beth. You manage to make each chapter interesting. A nice condensation of your hubby's past. Fascinating how the land turned out to yeild so many paychecks. A good laugh with kids asking about Sam's body and behavior. And how about the government paying you for not growing crops! Unfortuanately, what goes up must come down. Looks as it that describes your next chapter. Oh, the men we put up with.
Comment Written 24-Aug-2013
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Thank you so much for the review and comments. I'm so glad you find my story interesting. Yes,the trip out West didn't turn out exactly the way we expected it to. It was an adventure, or a misadventure. LOL
Beth
Comment from marion
Hi Beth
I couldn't but help chuckle at the differences between you and your husband - country verses city! I do love the way you supported him, though, despite it wasn't your thing. And I do like the compromise at the end!
I'm pure country! Hate cities and large towns! Country provides my excitement. Nature in particular! It's funny how we are all different. My best friend is pure city!
country where we could go on weekends" (.)
we had to (buy in or provide?)hay and food for the cattle.
Daddy, why is Sam trying to climb up on that cow?(")
cattle when it's time to take them to market.(")
I enjoyed.
Marion.
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Hi Beth
I couldn't but help chuckle at the differences between you and your husband - country verses city! I do love the way you supported him, though, despite it wasn't your thing. And I do like the compromise at the end!
I'm pure country! Hate cities and large towns! Country provides my excitement. Nature in particular! It's funny how we are all different. My best friend is pure city!
country where we could go on weekends" (.)
we had to (buy in or provide?)hay and food for the cattle.
Daddy, why is Sam trying to climb up on that cow?(")
cattle when it's time to take them to market.(")
I enjoyed.
Marion.
Comment Written 24-Aug-2013
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Thank you Marion, I do appreciate the review and the help with the spags. I'm a nature lover too, and I like to spend a lot of time in the country. I just didn't want to be quite so far from the city. Now we live on nineteen wooded acres, and we both love it. Deer and other wildlife roam around, and I take a lot of pictures. We're close the mountains, and we can go deeper into the country or into the city in minutes.
Beth
Comment from Phyllis Stewart
I too am a country lover like your husband. I spent many summer weeks on my grandma's dairy farm and still miss the life to this day. I'm not a city girl, but I married a city boy, and he wins, of course. He has to be where the jobs are.
Evan and I, both, had rural roots. << Might change this to
Both Evan and I had rural roots.
Sex education ideally SHOULD be taught around age 3, when kids are learning about the parts of the body. Read my essay on it to see why and how: Click here to read.
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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I too am a country lover like your husband. I spent many summer weeks on my grandma's dairy farm and still miss the life to this day. I'm not a city girl, but I married a city boy, and he wins, of course. He has to be where the jobs are.
Evan and I, both, had rural roots. << Might change this to
Both Evan and I had rural roots.
Sex education ideally SHOULD be taught around age 3, when kids are learning about the parts of the body. Read my essay on it to see why and how: Click here to read.
Comment Written 24-Aug-2013
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Thank you Phyllis, I appreciate the review and comments. I love being in the country. I just didn't want to be that far away from the city. Now we live on nineteen wooded acres and have a garden and fruit trees and we love it. In ten minutes we can be in the city. We have the best of both worlds. I do agree that any question a child asks should be used as a teaching tool. His question was answered on the basis of what his mind was capable of understanding. We just weren't prepared. My husband was less equipped to answer than I and was a bit embarrassed by the questions. Thanks for the suggestion for rewording the sentence.
Comment from barleygirl
Your writing is excellent. Your sentences are well put-together & clear, plus it's easy to visualize the subject matter. I have to admit, however, as a dyed-in-the-wool country girl, I'm really appalled by your viewpoint. Taking a subsidy from the government, as well as taking a check for logging & mineral rights, really causes me to dislike your values intensely. Also, having grown up in the country where I was never bored, I seriously wonder why you & your kids found it so boring. I know you didn't write this to incite a negative response, but that's what has happened. But I must still give you credit for good writing & good story-telling. Sorry to be so honest & blunt. Wish I could be more accepting & understanding.
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Your writing is excellent. Your sentences are well put-together & clear, plus it's easy to visualize the subject matter. I have to admit, however, as a dyed-in-the-wool country girl, I'm really appalled by your viewpoint. Taking a subsidy from the government, as well as taking a check for logging & mineral rights, really causes me to dislike your values intensely. Also, having grown up in the country where I was never bored, I seriously wonder why you & your kids found it so boring. I know you didn't write this to incite a negative response, but that's what has happened. But I must still give you credit for good writing & good story-telling. Sorry to be so honest & blunt. Wish I could be more accepting & understanding.
Comment Written 24-Aug-2013
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2013
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Thank you so much for the review and the truthful response. I can understand your reaction to the government subsidy as we've both had regrets about that. I'm not sure what is wrong with selling timber since we only cleaned up sections where new trees would soon grow back. As for the mineral rights, the companies had a option to drill for a ten years. They never did but if they had maybe this country would be more energy independent.
Country life can be hard and not everyone is suited for it. Now my husband and I live on 19 wooded acres and absolutely love it. When I was young, I had a different set of values. I didn't expect everyone to see things as we did at the time.
Beth
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I know, I did many things in my youth that would also appall people. I should applaud you for having the courage to present the unvarnished truth, regardless of how people might like or dislike. I hope my review didn't make you want to stop being straightforward, as that is one of your many strengths.
