Home

[Hillbilly77]

Did you choose it or did it choose you?

Our house is over 200 years old. It was built by a soldier that served in the Revolutionary War.

Mrs. Hillbilly's ancestors came to the country and bought the house in the 1850s. The house has been in her family ever since then. Her grandfather was born in this house. Her great-grandfather died here. She grew up here.

We remodeled the house and have lived here for 12 years now.
It took us over a year to remodel just to get the place livable and has been an ongoing effort ever since.

There is 200 years of history, including 160+ years of her family history here and the time we have invested here.

I grew up just up the street. My father ended up here after being stationed at the former Griffiss Air Force Base in nearby Rome, NY.
He met my mother and stayed here when his enlistment ended.

I don't like living in New York, so I guess it'd be fair to say that my home chose me.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

I don't know why I keep reading this thread and having memories jerk at my heart strings.

I was born in Clay County, Alabama. We were poor, but all our neighbors and relatives were to, so we didn't know it.
The family moved back and forth from the country to town while Dad sought work. Mom carried me to Barfield School when I was an infant to have a photo taken of me, in case I didn't make it and she would have a picture. I managed to grow up, joined the National Guard on a whim, met the girl of my dreams and she has been my constant companion and sweetheart for almost 54 years. We live about 35 miles from my birth place.

My only regret of my childhood is that my Dad died at the age of 49 from a stroke, and I was almost 10. Never had the chance to grow up and have my Dad around. If you had that privilege you are truly blessed.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[ParadiseRoad]

...my Mom and Dad were both Army Veterans...they met at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Aurora Colorado...

...they married and bought a home in the Washington Park area of south Denver...if you had to grow up in the city...I couldn't think of a better place...I lived most of my young life in that beautiful park...

...when my wife and I were married we found an apartment also near Washington Park...problem was my wife was a country girl and didn't want to live in a city the rest of her life...so we got the bright idea that I would become a commuter and we would live in my wife's grandmother's little cabin in the mountains...

...grandmother decided she didn't want us roughing it too much...so she improved the place quite nicely...and we lived there for four years...then my father in law was diagnosed with multiple myeloma...and he knew his farming days would soon be over...they had no choice but to move where we were...

...so my wife and I...after five years of marriage...were off on our own to find the place of our dreams...and we did...and we've been here 35 years now...

...photo of the tower on my high school from Washington Park...

 

[vt_shooter]

Grew up in CT, joined the air force when I was 18, and after tech school spent the remaining 4 years at Plattsburgh AFB in northern NY. I enjoyed Plattsburgh immensely, and the north country just felt like that's where I belonged. Eventually I ended up in northern VT, which is mostly a good place, except every time I think the politics can't lean any more in the wrong direction, or taxes can't go up any more, they prove me wrong again. Getting to too old to start over in a new state, but if I was to, it would not be in New England.

 

[TX-Dennis]

Native Texan. I reckon I'll stick around awhile yet.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Went into the Air Force in 1973 sent 20 years with the last 8+ at Hurlburt Field in Florida

Dad's last duty station was Hurlburt Field #9 He processed out in '66. We lived in Crestview.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Our house is over 200 years old. It was built by a soldier that served in the Revolutionary War.

Mrs. Hillbilly's ancestors came to the country and bought the house in the 1850s. The house has been in her family ever since then. Her grandfather was born in this house. Her great-grandfather died here. She grew up here.

My house is only 110 years old. It is the same house that mom and dad bought in '66 and where I lived during high school. Ruthie, the grandkids and I moved into it 6 years ago.

My father passed away in his recliner, in the living room in '99.

Sometimes, late at night when all is quiet, I can hear him telling me what a dipstick I am.

Ah....the memories.

 

[pharmer]

I was born and lived in NJ about 10 miles west of NYC. My dad retired in 1980 and moved to Florida along with 3 of the "Old Italians." I came along to unload the truck with 3 households of stuff. On the day I left a snowplow buried my "lead sled" Oldsmobile twice. Getting out of the car 3 days later on Jan 7th it was 80 degrees. Been here ever since. I guess it was "mutual attraction." Nowadays, when folks ask me where I'm from, I tell 'em Florida. Joe

 

[LVSteve]

I'm 5000+ miles from where I was born or anywhere I lived in the UK. Came here in '97 for a two/three year job and never went back. Still cannot say whether I shall see out my days in this city. May have to move to a place where my retirement goes further, lol.

 

[walkin jack]

My house is only 110 years old. It is the same house that mom and dad bought in '66 and where I lived during high school. Ruthie, the grandkids and I moved into it 6 years ago.

My father passed away in his recliner, in the living room in '99.

Sometimes, late at night when all is quiet, I can hear him telling me what a dipstick I am.

Ah....the memories.

I've always been a talker. My dad was always telling me that " Nobody ever learned anything while they were talking. You learn by listening and watching." Another favorite of his was any time (every time) he caught me being ahh inappropriate he'd shake his head in annoyance and ask me rhetorically..."You makin' me proud?"

He passed away in his recliner in the living room of his home in Waco Texas on June 28th, 2009. He had been cleaning his hearing aids. He had been listening to A Bill Gaither tape (Hymns). He had always joked that he wanted to die with his boots on. As it turned out he had his house shoes on. I guess he found that acceptable.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Two of my dad's favorites were:

1 "You make a better door than you do a window."

2 " You need a glass window in your stomach."

 

[johngalt]

I guess my work has always chosen my home for me.

I grew up in Illinois. No choice there, that was where I was born and my Dad worked.

My first job out of school was in Maryland. I would never have chosen to move there, but that was where the work was. My plan was to get my foot in the door, then transfer out and get closer to home.

After 2 years, I transferred to Cincinnati. That was the closest office to home, so I guess I sort of chose it myself. It turned out to be a nice place, I liked it there. Then due to a combination of issues with my folk's health and changes (for the worse) at work, I moved closer, which ended up being Indiana (again because that's where the work is).

I'm not very happy in Indiana, so trying to find someplace else again. I suspect, yet again, I will not get to choose where I want to live but will have to go where the work puts me. Probably in a dense, overcrowded city with no ranges.

I have kept my eye out for opportunities back in Cincinnati, but haven't found anything. Dayton seems to be where it is at these days.

 

[Muley Gil]

I was born in Tidewater Virginia, not far from where the first Davis ancestor lived in the 1600s. Mom and I went to live with my great grandmother and grandmother in Maryland after Mom divorced my father. The area we all lived in was semi-rural, but was changing quickly. I decided to go to college in Auburn, Alabama so that I could attend a college that had a Navy/Marine ROTC program. Maryland was becoming too liberal for my tastes. Plus, my granddaddy's folks were from Alabama, so I had lots of family nearby.

Health issues kept me from getting a commission in the Marine Corps, so I needed a major that would get me a decent job. So I changed from history to criminal justice. I did an internship with the local sheriff's office my senior year and I was offered a job there a few months later.

I stayed with the SO after college graduation, but the pay and lack of promotion made me seek another job in the Birmingham area.

My mom and (step) dad had bought land near the Shenandoah Valley, where they planned to build a home. To back track a bit, as a child, one of my favorite trips was when my folks would go to the Skyline Drive, where I learned to love the mountains. In the back of my mind, I planned to someday go back to the Virginia mountains to live.

Meanwhile, I got married, children were born and I was building seniority at my police department. So I was stuck in Alabama for the time being. As I approached retirement age, I considered moving near mom and dad, but got off of the interstate down in Southwest Virginia after a trip up to see them. I found out the mountains were higher and the land was cheaper. So, after I retired, I went to SW Virginia.

I spent 5 years working overseas as an international police officer and as a police advisor. I found a house with 20 acres, so I bought it. The house was built in two sections, the first in 1850 and the "new" part in the 1870s. I have lots of pasture, several spring branches (streams) and a nice creek. In the evening, the wife and I can sit on the porch and watch the traffic, which is usually a car or truck every 15-20 minutes.

I don't plan on ever leaving.

 

[CCHGN]

Did you choose it or did it choose you?

After dad retired from the military he moved us to Cincy as he had two brothers living here and he would be close to their boyhood home in Bracken County KY. He quickly landed a great job at Cincinnati Milling Machine and we settled in nicely.

I have lived and worked in and traveled to many wonderful places in this land. I always made my way back here as it was familiar and reassuring territory. All in all, for me anyway, a great place to live.

My question: How did you folks end up hanging your hats where you do?

Hmmm, I was born in Florida and started school there, but we ended up moving around alot and ended up in the Cincy area, to Hamilton, where my dad was born and raised. I went to school and grad from Fairfield HS and joined the Marines at 17 and went out west for 10 yrs. When I went back to Cincy, it seemed WAY too small and alot dirtier than I remembered. I took my family back to Florida, raised my kids here.

 

[CCHGN]

I was born and raised in Cincinnati. Moved a little north to Fairfield with my parents after graduating, then bought my first house in Cincinnati a couple years later. Lived there for 8 years then bought a house in Fairfield due to the schools,,,,,, well I kinda miss a real bowl of chili now and then....

Ahhh, good ol' 5 Star Chili. IDK, I used to love it, but went out West for 10 yrs and got used to THAT chili. Now, 5 Star seems like Chef Boy-r-Dee.

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[Coot47]

Was born in McKeesport, PA, a small steel town near Pittsburgh. Was raised in Detroit and was around long enough to see the Tigers go 35-5 in '84 and go on to win the series. Moved to Dallas, and was adopted by Texas as it's ******* son. On to small town Alabama in the late 90's, and I saw Ohio at the new Millennium. Been here ever since, though I left my heart in the black dirt prairie of the Lone Star. Who knows, may make it back home before the last roll call.

 

[CCHGN]

I was born in Tidewater Virginia...Health issues kept me from getting a commission in the Marine Corps... I did an internship with the local sheriff's office my senior year and I was offered a job there a few months later....I stayed with the SO after college graduation, but the pay and lack of promotion made me seek another job in the Birmingham area....Meanwhile, I got married, children were born and I was building seniority at my police department. So I was stuck in Alabama for the time being... after I retired, I went to SW Virginia.....I spent 5 years working overseas as an international police officer and as a police adviser....I don't plan on ever leaving.

So were you ever in the USMC?

 

[bigwheelzip]

Sometimes, late at night when all is quiet, I can hear him telling me what a dipstick I am.

LOL, uttered lovingly I'm sure.

 

[CapnB]

Born and raised in central Washington state. After the military, I returned home and worked for the police department for 25 years. When I was about to retire, MrsB landed a job in Europe (an event we had planned for) and we spent five years there, before a promotion opportunity brought us back to the Pacific Northwest. When it was her turn to retire, we decided we didn't like the traffic and liberal nonsense of Westen Washington, nor the extreme weather on the more conservative East side of the Cascade mountains. Also, after enjoying all the opportunities larger metropolitan areas had to offer, returning to our small one-horse hometown was off the table. Warm weather, no tax on our retirement income, and policies and politics we find more agreeable eventually brought us to Southern Texas where we are now livin' the dream.