Delaware is one of the smallest states of the union. When one thinks of a “Big Sky” country one thinks of a state like Montana. While I’ve never been to Montana (one of the many items on my Bucket List), I’m very happy living in Delaware, my “Big Sky” country. Having been born and spent most of my life in southeastern Pennsylvania, I was used to rolling hills and winding roads. Here in Delaware, those geographical attributes are almost non existent. Perhaps the only part of Delaware that is somewhat like the topography of Pennsylvania is Greenville, which is near the Pennsylvania border. Bill (my Domestic Partner) misses those forested hills and picturesque roads of Pennsylvania. We visit my Mom occasionally who still lives in Pennsylvania. Bill always gets nostalgic when we cross the Delaware/Pennsylvania border on Route 896 on the other side of Newark, Delaware. Bill doesn’t like the flat country of the coastal plain of Sussex County, Delaware where we live now. I love it. At first, when I used to visit my friend Bob in the late 1970’s, who lives near Georgetown, Delaware, I was put off by the flat land and straight roads intersecting one another, leading to the coast east or west. However, one aspect I always was impressed with this flat land of Delaware was the big sky. I’m sure there is a sky in Pennsylvania but it was hard to see amongst all the trees. While I also loved Pennsylvania, I did miss seeing the sky. Here, in good old Slower Lower, the sky always is impressive. Maybe my feeling has something to do with freedom. As I got older I felt more cramped living in Pennsylvania. Looking back, I can see now I moved in progression from my house in center city Philadelphia because I felt like I was being smothered by the closeness of all those row houses euphemistically called “town houses.” Having moved to Chester County to a big house on 7 acres of wooded land, I felt like I could breathe again. That feeling lasted for 25 years (1981 to 2006.) However, the need to break free from the oppressive taxes of Pennsylvania and losing electric power quite frequently whenever the wind picked up became an obsession with me. After the traumatic experience of selling my home in Pennsylvania and the nightmare of packing up all my belongings and moving to Delaware, I know now it was all worth it. Every day when I step out of my house I am greeting with a show in the sky. The picture featured on this blog is of the sunrise that greeted me as I opened my front door last Monday, November 12th. In the evening, I enjoy the always different sunsets that are displayed through my wall of windows in my sun room and great room. I purposely built this house with the front facing east to take advantage of the sunrise. In the evening, I can relax in my sun room or great room and experience the always spectacular sunsets. The stock market can have its gyrations, dire predictions of an economic meltdown continue, but one day still leads to another and I still absolutely love my new home in Delaware. I paid a high price to relocate myself to the Diamond State but it was well worth it.
