Being Neighborly.

I am so not going to get into my situation with my neighbors...ugh. But sadly the relationship is far from good. It has always saddened me. I grew up where everyone knew each other and had not problem popping over for a cup of sugar or and egg. Even if it was a 1/4 mile to the nearest neighbor. I played with the neighbor kids all summer long and that is just the way it was. They looked out for each other. Now a days my Dad goes around for hours after every snow storm and clears everyones driveways. And living in MI that is more often than not this time of year. Anyways so it is weird for me that my neighbors are so awful. Sorry there is no other way to put it they are awful. I have tried and tried. Bringing over pies and cookies and always waving and smiling when driving by. But after so long of them looking directly at you and just staring then looking away I have kind of given up. I mean we can be working outside in the summer 10 feet away and they will act like they don't even notice us. Ok I said I wasn't going to get into the details. Anyways it has always bothered me and you never get that feeling of belonging to a community. Something that I think you should have and almost need when you are out in the country. For those little things like an egg or something when you are snowed or just pop over to the store. But I guess that is the way the times are taking us but something I try to hold onto. All that to say I have always wanted to have that feeling of community and today I was completely blessed by on of our neighbors and it just warmed my heart.




We buy our hay from our neighbor about 3 houses down. Every two weeks or so he drops off a round bale. It is wonderfully convienent since we do not have much storage for hay. I can call sometimes even the same day and he will pop on over 30 minutes later. Well today I hear is loud old tractor coming down the driveway and I look outside and see no hay. I mean I knew I didn't call for it but I wasn't sure why else he would be coming especially in the middle of the snow storm. Then I realize he is plowing our driveway!!! You don't even know what a blessing that is. I am not kidding when I say how blessed and excited I was about this. You see the first year we moved in here we talked to local people and they said we wouldn't really need to worry too much about having a plow. Well that year we got over two feet of snow in one day!! We didn't know anyone and our driveway is a good 200 ft long. I am not joking my husband spent 8 hours straight shoveling our driveway. I guess we could have called someone but for $100 we just couldn't afford it at the time. Year after year we have struggled with this problem. There has maybe been one year out of the 6 we have been here that we have had less than a few feet at one time or another. We have payed to have it done or shoveled it or just tried to drive through it but never once have we had someone offer to plow it for us. Not that I expect it but it really is just something that is very common living where we live. But I have never once until today felt like we are finally starting to feel like we belong here. I hope this will become a trend. Not just the plowing thing but the feeling that we are part of a community.