Welcome, Natick Girl

[5ft Diva]

I started to post this on the Harry Potter question but decided to start a completely different thread since I'm sure this is going to be a little longer than a couple of posts.

So, welcome to the forums, Natick Girl! It's great to have you here. I'm 5'Diva or 5D or 5ft as some may call me. If you couldn't tell from our posts, BS and I are an "item" (married w/5 kids) and it's thanks to him that we even have this wonderful website. I'm quite social and love getting to know new people so I hope you don't mind all of my questions.

How do you like MA and are you missing UT? Kind of a dumb question but I'm interested all the same. Is MA your permanent home or are you away for school? How far away are you from Boston or even Clinton? BS has a sister that lives in Clinton. And I just have to ask, did you stumble upon our website or did you hear about us by word of mouth? I love that you're here and I hope we hear more from you in the future.

See ya 'round the boards!

[bookworm]

Oh, I posted my comments on the wrong page... Didn't see this until now. I think Natick Girl is my good friend from wayyyy back...I hope it is!

[5ft Diva]

Well, if it is, way to go, BW!

[bookworm]

I'm gonna post what I said in another thread here, just in case she doesn't look there for it... Yes, I'm a total goob.




HEY Natick Girl! You wouldn't be my oldest dear friend, would you??? (oops, not oldest, just that you've been my friend since 8th grade- or is it 9th? I don't remember... I think it's 8th... then there was the year of Tracy Taylor...)

The one who had the boy in her ward growing up that I was in love with until I met my husband??? The boy you didn't like??? Who's initals are BKC??? Wow, flashback city...

The one who was here just a few weeks ago visiting with me and my kids in beautiful Tooele???

Welcome!!!!


boy, I'm gonna feel stupid if it isn't you.

[Mamallama]

Welcome to BnS NG. It's great to have you onboard!

[natickgirl]

Yup, BW, it's me...your good ol' buddy! Thanks for the link. As you can see, I've already posted a few times. The discussions are very interesting.

5 ft asked many questions. Thanks for asking. Here are the answers:

I do miss Utah...the mountains, the hills of Bountiful, my family. But what I miss most is the LDS community & the general friendliness & wholesomeness of the people there. It is very difficult to get to know neighbors here since most people work full-time, including the women, and you don't see them at church. I have made a few good friends, but most of them are from elsewhere (UT, CA, FL, etc.). Those native to MA are more difficult to get to know...more formal & uptight than casual UT.

The people here, except for church members, look so world-weary. I seldom see a teen without a tattoo or body piercing. Most girls are scantily clad & most boys look shaggy. Everyone is hooked on coffee.

My children are the only members of the church in their schools of 600 and 800 kids. I am learning not to cringe every time someone swears or uses God's name in vain. I know it's just part of the speech here, but I don't like it. It has also been tough for the kids to turn down party invitations again & again because everything is on Sunday, including parties for school, soccer, and Girl Scouts. Sunday is just another day here.

Another adjustment has been that our ward is EXTREMELY wealthy. Natick is surrounded by 3 of the most wealthy "towns" in MA, all of which are in our ward boundaries. We are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination--even though we're from Bountiful--so it's a little hard finding common ground with women of such different lifestyles. (Think spending the entire summer months in Europe, Florida, or on Martha's Vinyard.) Couple that with the liberal thinking and focus on education--most of the women have at least a master's degree; many are PhD's, including my freind the Harvard professor. I just don't fit in with my piddly BA degree & brief career as a foster care case worker for DCFS.

We are here temporarily, about 2-3 years. We kept our home in UT, and are renting here, which also doesn't endear us to the ward members. I actually had a lady in my ward tell me that it wasn't worth her time to get to know me if I was just going to move in a few years. Now that's the spirit of fellowship, eh? It's a good thing I know the Gospel is true; it would be so easy to stop going to church here.

We're about 20 miles straight west from Boston. 1/2 hr from the temple in Belmont, MA. 1 hr. from the beaches. 1 1/2 hrs to Cape Cod. 1 hr to NH, RI, CT, and VT. 3 hrs. to NYC. 5 hrs to Philadelphia. 8 hours to Washington, DC. 5 hours to Palmyra. 2500 mi. (5 1/2 hr. flight) to UT. I'm sorry, but I don't know where Clinton is. I could mapquest it if you want.

MA is beautiful & humid. It's nice to see green even in the heat of July & Aug. (when everything is brown in UT). I had to readjust to the altitude, though, when we visited UT in early July. We hiked Doughnut Falls--8000+ ft. and I was wheezing like an old lady. My muscles weren't sore, but my lungs were having a tough time. Natick is only 200 ft. The beach is 1 hour away; the ocean is fun, but I'd rather live in the mountains.

OK, that's enough of a novel. MA is soooo different from UT that I could go on indefinately. I won't. Any other questions?

[bookworm]

Some of the things you listed are what I understand to be fundamental differences between East USA and the wild west, too. The casualness especially. Things just slow down as you go west. That's what I understand, anyway- having never been further East than Jackson Hole, I can't really express and expert opinion

Sounds like an interesting experience for you all- I didn't know you kept your house, are you renting it out? How's that going? It's going to be worth a fortune when you get back- home rates are climbing soooo fast here.

[5ft Diva]

Oh, your story sounds all too familiar. When I was 16 my parents moved to WI and it was weird to be among the only LDS kids in the whole school.

My SIL says the same things you do about her ward and her in-laws even go to her ward. It's crazy. She says everybody is filthy rich as well and they have a hard time relating to her. As far as the members....that's been an interesting experience as well. Her husband is from Boston and so she was "prepared" before moving there as to what the culture shock would be like but it's been interesting living there all the same. I'd love to go back and visit her sometime so it's fun for me to hear all about the fun places around you there. I hope your experience gets better.

[Meticulous madness]

WELCOME NATICK GIRL!

Any friend of BookWorm's is a friend of mine!

It will be fun getting to know you!

[Dia Minha]

Welcome, welcome.

Dia