In my life, it seems I have always been pulled in two different directions. I have been pulled by my desire to take the traditional route to "American Dream success," and my unfortunate tendency to be intrigued and drawn in by things off that beaten path.

As a child growing up in typical 70’s suburbia, I dreamed of becoming a television newscaster or ‘weather girl,’ living in a big stone house, with central air, on a 1-acre lot in a historic downtown setting. I dreamt of the typical two-car garage, ordering good meat from the butcher at the A&P, of spending my own money on professional business suits at Dil’s Department Store. (Showing my age, aren’t I?)

My parents, I think pictured me the same way, with 2.5 children, good benefits, a solid savings account and retirement plan. In those days, in my family, that was the image of a "mature, responsible adult." That was self-sufficiency. That was success.

Now, some 30 years later, my life has brought me to have a different meaning for self-sufficiency, and I am searching still for the meaning (or feeling?) of accomplishment.

Even in those suburbian days, we had fresh canned green beans. Our stock was grown in my grandparent’s garden, picked and canned on the porch of their "cabins," two Yankee-framed houses in Blue, WV in Tyler County with a two-seater outhouse out back.

Our "country getaway" was this spot in Blue, where the Middle Island and Blue Creeks joined. And although I have wonderful memories of play; fishing, swimming, boating, hiking - I also remember a lot of work; mowing, tilling, painting, digging, picking, canning, stringing beans.

My choices and decisions in my life did not lead me to the dreams of my youth. My parents set me on the right path, for sure -- I was just distracted and led astray by every butterfly that fluttered by it seems. My wandering led me to the country, to a life where goals of self-sufficiency include growing a decent garden and maintaining a healthy, daily relationship with... chickens.

I never managed to reach the world of The American Dream. And it seems, I have not yet mastered success in the country either.

The potato bugs pretty much won this year’s battle. Even though we broke down and purchased a chemical insecticide, our concern for our treasured honey bees and butterflies prevented us from ever using it.

Due to a raid by rabbits on night, and a raid by deer another, our garden fence (now 10 feet tall) is a hodge podge of patches and pieces of fence and wire decorated with flapping white shopping bags and fluorescent ribbon.

I was rather proud of our garden until I happened to visit columnist Mack Sample’s garden, where I spied healthy, flourishing tomatoes and corn, growing next to perfectly trained half-runners. Not a single weed, not a crooked row, not a bug or sign of thirst in sight. I only hope we learn to manage our future gardens so well.

I have learned how the muscles on the upper back of your legs are effected by hours of picking beans, and how chickens are naturally drawn to cultivated flower beds the minute you turn you back on them. I’ve learned that organic bug control often requires actually touching the bugs. A fact that still dismays me greatly. (Eww.)

Sure, I still dream of being a "true" professional, zooming down the interstate, tweeting and texting from my cell phone and working on a laptop doing business in Starbuck’s. I have business suits in my closet, but find little use for them these days. Chickens are not impressed by Italian leather pumps.

These days though, everyone worries about money, survival, self-sufficiency, success. In the current economy, even the American Dreamers have serious concerns and fears of instability. I wonder though, how many of them find comfort in canning green beans, in braiding garlic and onions, in drying herbs. Each of these, to me is a success. Each is something I managed to grow successfully; each canned jar in the pantry is something that I can "bank" on; each new perennial herb sprouted is an investment in our future. Each fresh tomato is a small success.

See, we lauched Two-Lane Livin’ Magazine so that we, as well as our readers, could learn to slow down a little: to enjoy the simple things in life, to appreciate what we have, to step outside the rat race long enough to see that no one really wins. While we work towards the future of our magazine, the magazine’s success (for us) is directly tied to also succeeding in managing our lives simply, learning to maintain the land and natural benefits available and becoming more self-sufficient.

The challenge for all of us, I think, is to find a balance between the material world and the natural one, and I feel Two-Lane Livin’ magazine has helped me learn some ways to find that balance. Along with our readers, Fank and I too are learning to enjoy and master the two-lane living lifestyle.

One thing readers often assume is that all the columnists of Two-Lane Livin’ know each other. The fact is, our columnists live and work in different counties and regions, and very few of them have ever met. In fact, there are a few that even I have never met in person.

In celebration of our second Anniversary (we launched in August 2007), we have arranged for all our columnists to meet each other. For the first time, our columnists will be in the same place at the same time. I am so excited to have them all come together and talk with each other! In many ways, I feel like my family members are coming together for a reunion where each can ‘catch us up’ on some of their other projects and talents and how they have been spending their time finding balance in their world.

In fact, I’m so proud of each and every one of them, I want to show them off.

That’s why we’ve decided to invite ALL OUR READERS to this event. Am I crazy to invite up to 34,000 folks to a party? Frank thinks I am. But I know folks are very busy, and it is incredibly difficult to get so many schedules to coincide. So I know not everyone will be able to join us. Still -- if you’d like to meet these great folks, you are welcome. Come and chat with them, see what other books, stories, music, crafts, talents they have.

Some of them will have items on display and for sale, and we’ll be offering signed copies of Volume 2, Issue 1 (September 2008 issue) free to the first 50 or so to arrive. We will also be raffling a framed copy of our very first issue (September 2007) -- an issue that is rather hard to get your hands on these days.

It’s a Two-Lane Livin’ Reunion - and our readers are an important part of our family. It only seems right to include all of you as well!

We’ll be meeting on Friday, August 14, at 6 p.m., at The Copper Kettle in Gassaway, a family friendly location (no alcohol or smoking) just minutes from I-79. The full menu will be available to visitors who would like to purchase a fine meal while they visit, and just for our occasion, a vegetarian entree’ will also be featured that evening.

Whether you intend to have dinner, or just come for a visit, please feel free to join us! There’s no cover charge - it’s FREE! Frank may think I’ve lost my mind, but I am just as excited to meet our readers as I am to meet our columnists, and want to make sure all of you feel welcome too. See you then! ~ Lisa