"Ranée at Arabian Knits" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Polly Esther" > wrote:
>
>> "Ranée at Arabian Knits" <> wrote in part
>> > There are hardly any mothers in the neighborhood to keep an eye out
>> > for their own and other children. Most people don't even know their
>> > neighbors.
>>
>> You've nailed what I see as part of the problem that we can do
>> something
>> about. When did it happen that folks don't know their neighbors? We
>> don't
>> get to choose our families or our neighbors (much) but it is surprising
>> and
>> sad that people don't meet/know their neighbors. Being neighborly didn't
>> come easy to some of ours and it took years.
>> There's one home on our road where I've never met the folks. Don't
>> think they'll shoot me but they might not welcome me with open arms. (
>> or
>> they might) I just may bake them a banana nut bread and go introduce
>> myself. Do you know your neighbors? Polly
>
> I do. I live in the country now and our neighbors came to meet us
> and we went to meet them. People brought us produce from their gardens
> and invitations to a neighborhood barbecue and we brought baked goods to
> them. We have met several people who can babysit, drive our children
> places in a pinch, watch our animals while we are gone, and our children
> have farm sat/pet sat for them. We were told when it was safe to go
> swimming in the irrigation ditches and which side of the ditch to use.
> We buy hay and straw from our neighbors and plan on getting our next
> steer from one. Our butcher is about two miles from us and we get to
> see the animals he raises out on grass every time we pass. Folks we
> didn't even know came to help get me out of the snow and ice, when I
> foolishly pulled to the side of the road (instead of putting on my
> flashers and parking in the road) and got stuck. When I skidded into
> the irrigation ditch during the ice, other folks from the neighborhood
> brought their back hoe to hook up to our bumper and pulled the car out
> and then brought 50 pound sacks of their extra potatoes and onions over.
>
>
> There are a lot of things we don't like about this area. The lack of
> shopping (and I mean grocery stores), the lack of trees, winter. But
> our neighbors are some of the finest people around. They have been
> universally kind and friendly and all of them (with the exception of one
> house up the street from us) look out for all the rest.

It sounds like a wee bit of heaven