California Leavin'

Here is a portion of an article that is in today's Owensboro paper. Kiesha and I are not the only Californians moving to Kentucky.

California Leavin': "California Leavin'
Transplants from Golden State find a lot to like in Kentucky


01/09/05

By Rene� Beasley Jones
Messenger-Inquirer
Samuel and Sandra Glazebrook moved from Wildomar, Calif., to Owensboro.
On purpose. And, no, they're not crazy.

The Skaufel family, from left, Heather, 30, Kassi, 7, Shelby, 5 and Eric, 33, moved to Owensboro from Oroville in northern California in March 2000. They made the change in part because of the lower cost of living and what they consider a family-friendly, small-town feel of the area. One of Eric Skaufel's friends who played baseball at Kentucky Wesleyan College and later moved his family to Owensboro called to tell him how great the city was. Moving to Owensboro has allowed Heather Skaufel to stay at home with her children while still making ends meet on Eric Skaufel's income, the couple said. Photo by Gary Emord-Netzley, M-I

The retired couple, who lived 27 years in Southern California, love bluegrass music and wanted to start a program that encouraged kids in the public school system to play the guitar, banjo or fiddle. Kentucky, the birthplace of bluegrass, seemed ideal.
Also, the Glazebrooks feared the skyrocketing cost of living in the nation's best clime -- where average rents run $1,200 a month and energy costs are the highest nationwide -- would squeeze their retirement income. So in May 2003, they lived out their own version of the Beverly Hillbillies -- in reverse.
They sold their Wildomar home for four times what they paid for it, which enabled them to pay cash for a comparable house here. They had enough left over for a nice nest egg and to fund a music program, which provided $8,000 in instruments to Daviess County schools last year. Now, they operate a similar program "

Sometimes Kiesha still asks me the same question just to confirm that I am not crazy.