Won't You Be My Neighbor?

When we considered buying a house,

it took me 3 years to find the right first home. 

I wanted lots of storage, a bonus room,

 a garage, a laundry room 

(not a closet like we'd had in our apartments).

But never...not even once...

did I think about what kind of neighbor I wanted.

I mean, it's not like you have much choice.

Our neighborhood does have covenants,

so I wasn't too concerned about it.

The house just before us has had several owners/renters 

and we've never gotten to know those neighbors.

Our driveways are on opposite sides of our properties,

so we don't even see them often.

(Although the newest owner likes to sit on her back deck 

to talk on her phone...for hours!)

But we struck gold with the neighbors on the other side,

Mr. Larry and Mrs. Wanda.

We actually found out they are the grandparents 

to friends from church.

It's because of information Mrs. Wanda gave us 

that we got our precious Zelda Zoo.

They are the kind of neighbors who

 watch out for our house,

pull our trash bin up to the house if we're not home, 

let us use their phone when we've locked ourselves out,

let us borrow their huge extension ladder.

Love on our doggy.

Let us sit and chat on their back porch.

Warned us when there was a robbery 

in our neighborhood.

Those kind of neighbors.

When I discovered the termites in our front flower bed,

I was talking to Mrs. Wanda 

about getting pinestraw delivered.

I mentioned I was going to ask the landscape company

how much they would charge to clear 

the underbrush in the woods between our houses.

She was interested too, and even offered to pay half.

Told you...that kind of neighbor!

Well...the price was way more

 than either of us was willing to spend.

Mr. Larry assured us it was something

 he and Marc could take care of together.

We came home one day 

(back during the school year) 

and he'd gotten started...

He cleared from our fence a little more than half-way,

probably to our sidewalk.

I couldn't believe how different it looked! 

So clean and neat.

When I promised that Marc would help finish,

Mr. Larry said Marc needed to rest
and take care of his health.

Oh, yes...that kind of neighbor!

During breakfast this morning, 

I heard a weed-eater.

I heard a weed-eater getting closer and closer.

I peeked out the window...

Mr. Larry had finished the whole project!

I was stunned and so appreciative!

I am surprised at how much space 

there really is between our homes.

And I'm excited about walking next door

 without being scared of poison ivy

 or burrowed snakes and critters!

Yes, we are blessed with the best kind of neighbors!