Geography 101: Let's Talk About the Places You Love
 

I grew up in a very rural environment. The closest Wal Mart was 40 miles away. Our town had three cafes but no fast food restaurants. The truth is, I didn't even live in a town. I lived on a farm 8 miles out of town (1700 people). Our county was the poorest in the state with a total population of around 12,000.

Entertainment didn't come through a tv or "monitor" in our Pentecostal home. As kids we played wiffle ball, nickel hockey on the table, and velcro darts in the hall. The church kids got together for swimming, basketball, football and of course - the Pentecostal favorite - softball.

Our area was wooded and filled with many clear running streams. The big river that ran through the community was called "The Canoe Capital of the World". It was a hunter's paradise. A fisherman's paradise. A nature lover's paradise.

When I grew up, I moved to the city for several years. I couldn't handle it. I eventually moved away from it.

Where did you grow up? What was it like? What are your favorite memories from your hometown?

I was born and reared in Alaska until I was 14 years old and I loved it.

My favorite places that I have been to are;

Alaska
Southern California
Tennessee
Texas
Canada
England
Scotland
Italy
New York
Colorado

These are off the top of my head and in no particular order.

Cotton, you were born in Boston....you were the son of Increase Mather. At an early age you wrote prayers to your classmates, rebuking them for their wicked ways. At 11, according to some accounts, you spoke Latin fluently and had gone through most of the New Testament in Greek. You had begun to learn Hebrew grammar. You graduated from Harvard at the age of 14 (the youngest graduate of Harvard at that time)...You put aside your plans to become a physician to go into the ministry. You married 3 times and buried most of your 15 children.

You have had many idiosyncrasies...and were described as pedant, neurotic, megalomaniac, and a reactionary...At all costs you wanted to preserve the "Old New England way". The Puritan Revolution that you attempted to cling to was never as all important as you portrayed in your writings.

For all your efforts, you did not invigorate the religion of your time. Jonathan Edwards came along a little later and did that. It is said that "you wrote too much and thought too little for that"...It is said that you often modified or shifted your intellectual positions. Your style of writing was so antiquated that it's almost too difficult for modern readers but you did give provincial Boston a place in the sun.

Most remarkably, I never knew colonial Boston had a Wal Mart only 40 miles away!

What should I do with such a little smarty-breeches? Burn her at the stake?

Alaska huh? What part?

I grew up in place much as you did. I now live close to Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, a retirement community, though I am to busy to go out on the water.

We love to travel and have been to England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Russia, Belaruse, Arkansaw, Estonia, Germany, and brief layovers in Ireland and Austria.

Our favorite place is the Northern Italian/Swiss Alps. We plan to return there soon. I wish I could live there.

Having said that, it is always good to come home to our circle of friends and family in Missouri.

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ton_Mather.jpg

Cotton, you were just a typical Puritan. You had no facial hair but for Apostolic standards, you might not have been approved of today.

Cotton needed a hair cut ,boy he needed a flat-top.

I think my lifestyle may have been a problem for Apostolics. We Puritans drank ale like water, believed in parishoners remaining silent in church, and three hour sermons at every service.

That picture doesn't flatter me at all. I would prefer my avatar picture.

I grew up in the downtown area of the city we lived in --- just a couple blocks from the downtown core. I guess for that reason I've always loved cities, but I like more rural areas as well. After marrying my husband and beginning a life of ministry I lived mostly in rural communities. So I like both city and rural areas. They each have their advantages and disadvantages.

I have a lot of wonderful memories of all the places I've lived over my lifetime.

Central Alaska!! Middle of the state. None of that sissy Anchorage weather for me. In the winter it was VERY cold and in the summer it was pretty nice (mid 70's in the day)

Well, I started off in South Florida. Thank God he delivered me from there!!! Then I lived about an hour from Daytona Beach. Ormond Beach was very pretty. As far as places I love, I've always loved Colorado and Montana. But Wisconsin is at the top of my list. Wisconsin is beautiful.... I've been all over the U.S.a. and into Canada. I might even get the chance to move to Washington state! Now that would be interesting.....!!!

There is not a prettier place on the planet than Door County, Wisconsin.

Wal-Mart is an evil thing started by Trinitarians. :lol

I've never been to Wisconsin.

We've been in every state except Wisconsin, Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas, and Oregon. Nebraska, Wyoming and Minnesota.

I can't believe any place can be any more beautiful than where I'm living now -- British Columbia or where I come from -- the Maritimes (New Brunswick) on the east coast.

You simply must visit Door County in autumn. Wow! Door County is the huge peninsula that juts out of the northeastern portion of Wisconsin above Green Bay.

Cherry and Apple orchards, pumpkin festivals, antiques, fun things for the kids everywhere, and most importantly - beautiful views of Lake Michigan everywhere you go.

Sounds wonderful. I'm looking at a map here to see just how far that is from where we are. :)

It is my three teenagers favorite place to visit. Great memories.

You are sooooooooooo right on ! My boys loved going to the Bay Beach Amusement Park. The rides are still only .25 and .50 cents a ride! That helps out $$$ ... lol... Door County is beautiful. We drove up into sturgeon bay last year. I didn't want to leave....

have you been up in any of the lighthouses? We took a tour of the Cana Island Lighthouse. We then road a ferry boat over to Washington Island (bicycles only). Simply stunning. We stayed in a three bedroom fishing cabin located on Rowley's Bay (the very tip of the peninsula).

I wanna go back soooooo bad!

I wanted to but we had been traveling all day. We do plan on going back there very soon. We were just there a few weeks ago in the Bay area. When I go, I'm going to rub it in! :lol

I've wanted to go on that ferry for a long time.....

We about froze our sitdownskis off, but it was a blast.

Have you seen any of the totem poles? The ice cream shops in Door County are unreal

That's cruel!

nOpe. I spent most of my time in the Green Bay area. I almost moved close to Racine....Besides Green Bay, Madison is wonderful. And Madison has a very very very large Barnes and Noble! Way cool!!!

Yeah, but Madison is the world's capitol for liberals.

I'll tell ya what was really great about it. Last year on the 4th of July, we were watching the fire works over the Fox River, (i think it was the fox rvr.)..any way, I was wrapped in a blanket, I was cold!! BRR. That was the first time I had ever been cold on the 4th of July!

I know it, man. I told my husband that it was a beautiful place to live and the first thing he said was, "waaay tooo many liberals"

So is San Francisco, but man what an experience!

NOT the weirdos- the city itself.

I haven't been to California in years, but I AM going this year! I can't wait. I don't really care for the lifestyle there in san fran, at least for what it is known for, but I will visit. I heard that Carmel is one of the most beautiful places ever........ Oh, I can't wait to go!!!

thanks for the clarification!

if i didnt live in northern California i would live in southern california.
If i didnt live southern Ca. i would live in Northern CA. There are things about the south i like and things about the northeast i like, but overall CA. is still the place. were I live is by far not the top place in CA. BUT ! it is close to the top places.
california just hit 38 million btw

We didn't even have a Wal-Mart when I grew up. :) I lived in a city (Niagara Falls, NY) that had over 100,000 people when I was born but that now has less than 50,000.

I was one of those kids from a single-parent Welfare family - a kid that ran the streets unsupervised.

The Niagara Gorge was walking distance from my house and we used to play in the gorge.

When I grew up, I joined the Navy and visited several Asian countries (at least one of them more than 20 times).