Good Neighbors...

As I was waking up this morning I thought about how I didn't mention our good neighbors when I was talking about our bad ones. Back, and back and back some more--we used to live in a neighborhood. There was a small trailer park kitty-corner across the street where some of our best friends lived. There were many fine people who lived there through the years.

Surrounded by an institution, our two homes stand side by side. The H's home is the one in the center, ours is behind the red pin oak tree.

H house on left, ours peeking out on the right

Our house with my jeep parked next to it.

Directly across the street were two buildings with a total of 6 apartments in them. They had hardwood floors, crown molding and wonderful wood trim everywhere. Then there were a few old houses, like ours, only bigger. Probably they were all built about 100 years ago and they reflected the craftsmanship that was evident in that day.

As I mentioned in another post,  these homes and trailers were surrounded with lovely trees that blossomed in the spring and had vibrant colored leaves in the fall. Even if I didn't have a calendar, I could tell the change of seasons easily by looking out my front windows at my neighborhood.

 I remember a block party we had before---before the seminary bought and destroyed all the homes, apartments and the trailer park and everyone moved away. There were great people with hopes and dreams, living simple lives in a friendly neighborhood. It was small town living at its finest.

H's house with ours in background on right.

Now, there are two of us left. Us and Dr. and Mrs. H. Dr. H was a college philosophy professor up until he retired a few years ago. Mrs. H. is a bundle of energy. She is wife, mother, grandma to 17 and a confidant to many. Originally from Uruguay, she is a friend to all nd an adopted mother and grandma to many, many Hispanics in our area. The two--Dr. and Mrs.--are THE BEST neighbors anyone could ask for. 

For 18 years we have lived side by side--they with a parking lot on their left, us with one on our right, and both with lots across the street. We have been there for each other through marriages, births, deaths and the very serious accident Dr. H was in ten years ago which left him  barely alive. Mrs. H. would not let them pull the plug and amazingly, with the hand of God prevalent upon him and a dedicated wife fiercely supporting him, he mostly recovered. Slowly and steadily, he recovered all but his short term memory.

We have shared tears, jokes and brownies over our white picket fence. Bob played the piano at their youngest son's wedding and they have been there when our children married. There were several Sundays when Dr. H. helped us out by filling in as the preacher at the little Methodist churches Bob was pastoring at that time. It was a two hour drive each way, but they did it willingly.

Coming out my back door. The H's and Bob and I have had many conversations over our fence.

When I walk in their back door and yell, "Hello" I am always greeting with a smile, a hug and sometimes a familial kiss on the cheek.

Yes, we have awesome neighbors. It is one of the many blessings in my life to have neighbors such as these. I guess the good neighbors on my left almost balance out the bad neighbors on the right. And, I have to say, the squirrels scamper happily in their lovely treed back yard even in the midst of gravel, dust and stumps.

Take Care,
Jill