Love Thy Neighbor . . .

Six and a half years ago I was slugging my very pregnant self all over Virginia Beach looking for a house to buy. When Bill picked this one, I thought he was crazy. It was at the top end of our budget, had a huge yard to take care off and four bedrooms, plus a room over the garage. Since at 7 months pregnant, I was quite sure I was only having one baby, I thought it was too big. When I got a second vacuum for Christmas (so I wouldn't have to lug one up and down the stairs) I relented a little. When I got to know my neighbors, I was sold.

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and the people I share a fence line with have become part of mine. When I spent 5 days in Pennsylvania, I came home to a pressure washed porch and freshly weeded flower beds. When I was trying to figure out what on earth I was going to do with K for the last week before school started, everyone who could (even those without kids) pitched in a took a day. While I'm sitting here typing this on the back patio, I can hear the music from the King's house, where we spent the afternoon swimming. Just like every other weekend, the only invitation we needed was the open umbrella in their back yard. While we were there, we invited ourselves to the Lewis' on Thursday night for the Steelers opening game. Within 20 minutes it was a full fledged party, despite it being a work/school night. We will be a regular fixture there every Sunday until February because we love their company, and their 60+" flatscreen HDTV.

Six and a half years ago, I would have never dreamed of all the twists and turns my life would take between then and now. I never thought I would be 36 and divorced. Or have to figure out how to date when you rarely leave the house after 7:00. I could have never imagined that I could change a light switch by myself or fix a toilet.

Luckily, if I ever need help figuring it out, all I have to do is lean across the fence.