Friends & Neighbors

Those of you who read my blog regularly (or as regularly as I've been posting) and who read Judi's 'Bread & Beauty' blog (which,coincidentally, has been on hiatus also), will remember that she was in the process of buying a house earlier this year and it just so happened to be in my area.  I'd say neighborhood but up here the neighbors can be a "fur piece up/down the road".

Anyhoo - she's all moved in and is now in the process of making her home what she wants it to be.  Having said that, I've been here 5 1/2 years and I'm still in that process.  Meanwhile, we've learned the difference between neighbors who become friends and friends who become neighbors.  There's an introductory and 'getting to know you' phase with the first.  Sometimes it develops into friendship and sometimes you're just friendly.

However, when a friend, who has been a friend for some time already, moves up the road from you, it's like being kids all over again.  She comes to your house to hang out; you go to hers.  You now have someone to watch your favorite TV shows with - at either house.  A trip to the city for dr appt's and to run errands is now a fun road trip.  And the dogs are as good friends as you are (the treats each one takes as a hostess gift don't hurt).  We gals prefer a bottle of vintage (or not) wine as a hostess gift but I guess there's no accounting for canine taste.

Really important, we've discovered meals again.  Crackers, cheese, & wine are great for an occasional dinner but when they start becoming mainstays along with Marie Callendar & Lean Cuisine, something's got to give and it's usually the waistband.  Now, we do at least two dinners a week together taking turns making real honest-to-goodness fresh cooked meals.  I remember when, back in the day, dinnertime was fun.  That stopped when there was just me - and five four-legged critters staring at me while I ate a couple of cookies or some take-out in front of the TV and called it dinner.  Now the two of us sit at a kitchen or patio table like semi-normal people and we visit while we eat and dinner has become fun again.

I like having a favorite playmate up the road.  It's even better now.  No one's mom tells anyone when it's time to go home.