Country Mouse vs. City Mouse

On the American Christian Fiction Writers email loop a couple of weeks ago, we discussed how where we live affects our ability to write, research, market our books in addition to finding a setting conducive to writing. The responses showed that many of us crave quiet and the serenity country life offers a writer. Others of us feel something akin to withdrawal thinking about living more than five minutes from a Starbucks.

Friend and fellow writer Linda Fulkerson migrated from city life to country life. She's adapted well, both in her sanity and her writing, but noted several distinct signs that the transplantation has now "taken." She's firmly rooted in country soil. Here's what she shared.

You know you've been out of the city too long when:

• You can back a one-ton dually against a loading dock without scratching the trailer hitch.
• Your favorite pair of shoes is now reserved for the barn yard.
• You can identify four breeds of ducks but can't remember the name of Macy's new line of handbags.
• You have more charges on your credit card for feed than shoes.
• They call you by name a the local Co-op.
• Each morning you feed 12 goats, 18 ducks, four geese, two pot-bellied pigs, eight chickens, and a llama before you feed yourself.
• You silently pray the new perfume your hubby gave you contains Deet.
• You no longer need an alarm clock.
• When someone tells you they "took a shot" at something new, you wonder what caliber weapon they used.
• You watch eggs hatch instead of fry.

If you'd like to read more of Linda's humor and musings, check out her blog--http://scrivenings.com

And if you have your own, "You know you've lived too long in the (city/country/world of toddlers/world of the retired) if..." list, please share it with me. Connecting with you is a blessing.