If These Walls Could Talk ... They Did!

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Added: Sun. Nov 16, 2008 10:08pm
Posted in: Relationships

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I hate to admit it, but I know very few of my neighbors.  Despite the fact that we live in a great neighborhood with a small-town feel, my husband and I haven't gotten to know too many of our neighbors during the five years that we've lived here.  Sure, we know the names of some of them and we've even exchanged keys with our immediate next-door neighbors, but that's about it.  I guess it's a sign of the times.

But that changed this weekend.  By some strange coincidence, six houses within two blocks of our house hosted yard sales this weekend.  I was never much of a yard saler until I had a baby.  Now, with my 401K shrinking by the hour and as part of my efforts to minimize our carbon footprint as much as possible, I'm really loving going to yard sales and consignment stores for baby clothes and toys.  As anyone with kids can attest, they wear their outfits for no more than two months and they get bored with toys almost as quickly.

So, we loaded baby into the stroller and started going neighbor to neighbor to check out the goods. For the most part, we struck out.  However, we did snag an entire Fischer Price kitchen set for $1.  Yes, $1!  Sure, the dishes and toy toaster are a little worn and they need a lot of washing, but giving her toy dishes instead of mine to bang on is worth a whole lot more than that!

But the real score of the day was talking to the lovely couple who lives right across the street from us. We've waved to them here and there, but we've never actually had a conversation with them.  And boy am I sorry it took so long.  It turns out that they used to live in our house!  They had five kids, and all five were born here!  Man, am I spoiled.  Seven people in our three-bedroom house? I sometimes wonder if the three of us are going to have enough room here! They lived here for 16 years in the 1960s and they added on an addition that we've had so many questions about since we moved in. 

When we first moved here, the house needed a lot of TLC.  For example, you've heard of a the bridge to nowhere? We had a door to nowhere.  It was in the wall and glued shut.  It puzzled us for months.  As someone who grew up reading "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," I kept fantasizing that someday I'd magically be able to open it and step into Narnia.  But that never happened. Our neighbors explained that what is now our master bedroom used to be two smaller bedrooms and when the people who bought the house after them renovated it, somehow the door stayed. Ah ha!

Also, I've been known to complain on occasion (OK, often) to my husband about our house's siding and how I think it's time to think about changing it.  He always said it just needs some "minor repair work."  Well, we learned that our neighbors are the ones who installed it -- more than 40 years ago.  Even the neighbor kind of laughed that it was still here! Vindication!

He also told us lots of interesting stories about the orange groves and cow pastures that used to line our street instead of the homes that are now there.

So, what's the lesson? Get out there and get to know the people in your neighborhood.  You'll never know what you'll learn about your own home and community!