The OTHER Men in My Life!

I'm from "The County."

Kev always mocks me when I say that, but it's true. Everyone from "up there" says it, and everyone from "around here" knows exactly where I mean when I say it. I'm not just being cocky - it's where I'm from. That's just the way it is.

But, I digress....

Anyway, it's a whole different world up there - a completely different culture. The pace of life is slower. The whole art of "dropping by for coffee" like people used to do in the olden days still takes place. And often, at my parent's house! Everybody knows each other. Granted, everybody knows each other's business, too, but people know when their neighbors are sick. They know when there's been a death in the family. And they know when a good old fashioned casserole would bless someone!

One of the things that I was most excited about in being a homeowner again, was the prospect of having neighbors and getting to know the people who live around us. So, in the past six months since we've been living here, the boys and I have sporatically taken cookies and soups or any little extras of anything that we've made to our neighbors on either side of us. We have sweet little widowed men on either side of us, so I often have them in mind whenever I'm baking and cooking.

At first, Kev was a little skeptical. I think in the beginning, he might have even said, "We don't really do that around here." But, I assured him, a little buttering up of the neighbors may come in handy some day if and when our children ever ran streaking through their yards, or something like that. With three boys, I can't even begin to dream what our lives may continue to look like through the years. So, getting on our neighbors good sides, first thing, is always a handy idea.

Anyway, I know for a fact that the previous owners who lived here were most assuredly not allowed to hunt on my neighbor's 75 acres of land behind us, because there were posted signs about five feet into our woods facing our house directly. Well, one fine day, Kev went over to introduce himself, and within five minutes, he not only had permission to hunt the land, he is also allowed to leave a deer stand up, AND we are allowed to play on his land AND in his pond! Nice.

That's what homemade cookies and cream of brocolli soup will do for ya!

Just this past week-end, I was once again reaffirmed in my strong belief that being neighborly always pays off. My good pal, little old man #1 named Lou popped over on Saturday wondering if we'd like our garden plot tilled. I joked that I was just getting ready to walk over there this week to see what it would take to butter him up for a few hours of borrowing his machine. He promptly walked back home, walked his tiller over, and tilled almost our entire garden all by himself!!! I'm making that man one fine meal next week. He was so sweet.

Well, he didn't quite do the whole garden because part of it was still a little wet, he thought. No big deal to us; this garden is ginormous, and we want to start out small anyway. So, I thanked him profusely, I think he called me "Doll," and he'll be getting a visit from me and the kids soon.

Not ten minutes passed before my other good pal, little old man #2 named Arlo knocked on my door saying that he noticed Lou had beat him to the job of getting our garden ready for us! I said, "Yeah, he just finished up a little bit ago," and Arlo decided he needed to go down and have a look-see. "Why didn't he do the whole thing?" he asked me. "Lou thinks it's a little wet along the edges," I responded. To which his prompt reply was, "I'm going home to get my tractor." Not two minutes later, Arlo is down there finishing the garden for us!


I think that man needs a loaf of my homemade bread and strawberry jam!

Seconds later, Lou is back checking out Arlo's work while I get a large kick out of the whole thing. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Kev is up on our roof fixing our gutters and looks down at me with a grin. "I think those men are trying to please you, Honey!"


I'm golden.