le tte rs
CONNECT WITH US
WE ASKED: What are
you doing to keep your
neighborhood strong?
ALL SUMMER LONG OUr children
arc the focus of our neighborhood,
so in fall we have a “Wine Walk”
that’s for adults only. We have 7 to
9 stops; each has different music,
decor, and hors d’oeuvres. Each
couple who opens their home to a
stop provides wine. Last year we
had light-up wine glasses and about
50 people showed up. It’s great for
everyone and allows those new to
the neighborhood to get to know
one another.
Jodi Brayman, Bay City, Ml
MY NEIGHBORS AND I have decided
to make our neighborhood beautiful
and safe. We meet on a regular basis
at the local school and discuss how
to improve our neighborhood. So
far we have: 1) planted over 60 trees,
2) had a peace rally, 3) had our
second neighborhood cleanup,
4) begun a blog. Upcoming events:
1) plantinga garden, 2) gettinga stop
sign, 3) gettingsummer jobs for
our youth.
*
Leticia Carrasco, Lynn, MA
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD consists of
22 look-like patio homes on a golf
course, but the outside is the only
We’d love to know.
.*
„tout your holiday traditions,
bo vou have any interesting
or unusual ones? Please share-
we’U include them in our
December 2008 issue.
thing alike. Inside dwell diverse
groups of people with a multitude of
styles, vocations, experiences—some
from countries far away. On the first
Friday of each month we gather at a
selected house for a few hours. It’s
a time for catchup—sharing stories
of our grandchildren, our travel
adventures, our health issues. These
few hours really keep the neighbor-
hood special and strong.
Patsy Elmore, Richmond, VA
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD is mostly
composed of newly retired couples.
We have a little coffee shop in town
where we meet each week if we are
able. We all look forward to Thursday
mornings and know this is a time to
connect with each other, hear about
past trips or who will be out of town
next week, or just laugh together
and talk about solving the world’s
problems. I t’s a fun group where we
can just be ourselves and nobody
expects too much, except kindness
and friendship.
Richard Calhoun, via e-mail
FOR
2 5
YEARS I have lived on a small
cul-de-sac. A number of years ago,
a neighbor’s car was broken into
overnight. Someone called the
police, who arrived early the next
morning to be greeted by nearly
every homeowner in various stages
of dress. The officer was amazed
we all knew each other’s names and,
moreover, cared about what was
happening. We assured her that this
was, indeed, the way it always was
with our group. We have cul-de-sac
parties and greet new neighbors as
they move in. People don’t like to
leave our area because we truly
watch over one another.
Cindi Nelson, Overland Park, KS
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©2008
P&C
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS AUGUST
2008
17
