Hi Everyone-Thanks for the welcome. To answer a few-I was born in Hempstead, Queens, but lived there only 9 months or so as my Dad was in the Air Force. So I can't claim to be a big city girl. I was raised in Upstate New York-in the Oneida County region-Barneveld/Holland Patent area. Has anyone heard of it? Utica usually gets a blank look-so I usually say, greater Syracuse area, and people say-Oh-Yeah! Carek-1230-what part of Upstate for you?
Syracuse U. is my alma mater, and grad school marked the migration south (University of So.Carolina) Imitating Scarlett O'Hara, I declared I'd NEVER live through another Upstate NY winter again.
Somehow, all these years later, I long for a (Sort of) Homecoming. I won't mention the southern taboo "word...." but let's just say: Snow falls-you plow it-it stays put-until it melts, in early May. Something to be said for that. Cheers all.