Introduction Post

I wasn't going to make a formal introduction post, but as much fun as it is to generalize 'city folk' and 'country folk' there are really so many differences within the two groups that i can't accurately claim any sort of expertise on rural living if i don't narrow down the field a bit--at least this way you can do your own research about anything i claim, or argue if you know someone who knows better.

So here's a bit about me: I'm a married, stay-at-home mom of three.  I homeschool my kids, but not for religious purposes (around here that's weird and definitely worth mentioning).  I was born, raised, and continue to live in southwest Missouri.  I used to live in a 'city' of 4000, but i currently reside near a town with no official population data available (i'm going to estimate there are around 300 people living between the 'entering' and 'exiting' signs, and perhaps up to 1000 in the outlying area, generously counting anyone who gets mail from our post office, and all of the undocumented types that live in RVs, tents, caves, etc. nearby).  I'm 'city' enough to be frustrated when utilities don't work, but 'country' enough not to be surprised.

I'm not going to get too personal here.  I will probably post pictures of myself and my family on occasion, and while it would be simple to put names to faces by matching up posts on my other blogs, i'm going to assume that my readers won't be nearly that bored or desperate for entertainment.  I won't use the names of my town, neighbors, or kids, just to lower the amount of google hits by creepy types.  If they still make it here, we'll get to the posts about my guns soon enough (he he).  But i'm not going to be particularly paranoid either.  I'm not exactly worried about losing a job offer based on my internet presence or anything like that.

You may be wondering what the purpose of this blog is.  As the title suggests, i would like to discuss life on the geographic fringes of American society.  I want to talk about the weird things we see every day, and the wonderful things that people in cities often miss.  I'd like to know how others cope with some of the issues that arise 'out here' and offer support for the same.  I'll share a bit about my life, and hope that others will comment or even contribute about theirs as well.