Neighbors

The mother didn’t feel like going out for Mother’s Day. She was content to nap and cuddle up with one of the books I got her. (Score! I did well this year in picking out gifts.) Besides, we can go out one night this week when there’s not 500 other people jammin’ every restaurant in a 100-mile radius.

So, I took advantage of Mother Nature’s beautiful gift of a day (low 60s, sunny and NO wind) to mow. Unlike Saturday, where a steady 15-20 mph wind occasionally hit 30 mph, there was only an occasional breeze. Yeah, it would have been bad to try and compete with that!

I finished the backyard and noticed that one of my neighbors was loading the barrels he uses to take his clippings to the dump. I walked over to tell him that the dump is supposedly now closed on Sunday. His wife soon joined the conversation and we commiserated about this, about the fact that the city office that had informed me of this couldn’t tell me when it started, and about the state of our alley and streets. In general, a small, brief neighborhood gripe session.

They were grateful for the reminder. “I guess I’ll just unload it and go back in and rest,” said my neighbor. “I’ll hit it tomorrow afternoon.” I noted I’d be taking mine Monday night since the dump was open ‘til 7:30 at least four nights a week.

Hours later, shortly after emerging from the shower, I found Mrs. C. was at the door. She’d volunteered Mr. C. to take my clippings in when he takes theirs. Since it’s supposed to rain, I’d stuck my bags inside the shed to keep them from getting soaked. “Just have your mom open it up tomorrow and he’ll throw them in the truck,” she said. “It’s no big deal – he’s going anyway.”

Sometimes, it’s just an unbelievable blessing to have neighbors, especially ones like Mr. and Mrs. C.