Comments on: Quiet Silence …

By: Favorite Things: Beauty, Food, and Friendship!

Favorite Things: Beauty, Food, and Friendship! — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:42:11 +0000

[...] of may favorite things is having awesome neighbors who [...]

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:48:00 +0000

Wow. I am so saddened by this post. I kept thinking you were going to have this great ending about your neighbors coming together and making you all feel welcome. What a bummer! I commend you for being the better person and reaching out to them. Will you be my neighbor?

By: Nancy

Nancy — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:36:00 +0000

This story really strikes home. I live in a neighborhood that is “quieter” than it should be. I’m lucky to have become close friends with my next door neighbor and know a few others. Can’t seem to get the community feeling going, though. I even invited all nearby neighbors to my house last Christmas and a few came. I guess it helped a little. I hope the neighborhood will grow closer little by little. We Americans–especially in suburbia–aren’t all so good at community. (I know some are, of course!)

By: reneegrace

reneegrace — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 21:18:00 +0000

I enjoyed browsing through your blog. This was a great post, and BEAUTIFUL pics of the fall harvest… fall skipped us this year (Alaska) straight to cold cold cold!

Thanks for stopping by my wee corner. I’m a little scarce these days!

By: Gina

Gina — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:13:00 +0000

Yes, this does resonate-at least it does with me. We are blessed with a great neigborhood, but we have worked to meet and connect with everyone. We've had open houses, bbq's and all those. They've been great ice-breakers.

The remarkable thing about where we live is that there is so many kids who truly like each other and watch out for each other. Just last night one of the neighbor girls fell and got hurt pretty badly. Four kids ran to her house to get her parents and my husband ran to her to help her up. As he was doing this 10 other kids gathered around her to help and encourage her. It brought tears to my eyes to see how we all take care of each other.

But this post was also a great reminder to reach out to those I haven't seen in a while. I'll be bringing some muffins around this afternoon. Thanks for the nudge!

By: Sandy

Sandy — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:37:00 +0000

I work almost full-time myself, so I absolutely know what the anonymous commenter means! Life is crazy busy with three kids in sports and very active with school. I’m thankful Polly shared her story with me, and I think it probably resonated with many readers. It’s not even about taking a meal, pie or cookies to a neighbor. It’s about being friendly, available, feeling like you can go and borrow an egg if you need to. I’ve learned that you definitely have to make time to go out of your way to say hi or be friendly. It only takes a few minutes .

BTW, thank you everyone for sharing your heartfelt experiences!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:07:00 +0000

I have to admit I had a hard time with this post. My husband and I just moved to a new neighborhood and we just haven’t been home. I am one of those people that leaves at 7:40 and gets back at 6. And many other folks in our neighborhood do the same thing. But I refuse to believe that our neighborhood is cold because of it. Not everyone has the luxury of being home all day. I want to meet my neighbors but to be honest its really hard to find the time. Weeknights are bad because I’m bound to hit dinner time. And weekends are bad because after a long week and working on the yard and running errands I’m tired out. So speaking from a working person don’t think that if we don’t come over bearing a pie to introduce ourselves its because we don’t want to. We’re just trying to find the time!
I’d say if it really bothers you come on over. A few of our neighbors have done that and we’re more than happy to talk with them and get to know them!

By: duchess

duchess — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:38:00 +0000

What a great post.
We've recently moved as well but our story is a little better….we went from a neighborhood with few kids to one where the neighborhood boys came over the first night to grab my son. They've been inseperable (when out of school) ever since.
Neighbors do make a difference.
Keep it up & maybe you'll get through…what about a block party?

By: The Tin House

The Tin House — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:01:00 +0000

Sandy, that's a very powerful story and I'm so glad to have read it.

Can I please ask for your help?

My dear sister in law had a horrible accident and is hospitalised in a city far away from me, separated from her three children by a roadtrip of a few hours. My brother is with her, and Mum is caring for the kids in their home.

Flowers, while beautiful, are a bit pointless and often not allowed in high dependency wards. She is very nauseous and has facial injuries, so perhaps chocolates are out too.

I would dearly love to be able to turn up on their doorstep with a dinner but they are over 1000km away.

Can you stretch your wonderful and caring mind around my problem and help with an idea for something practical I can do to let her know we are thinking of her and are so glad she is going to be ok.

I'm grateful in anticipation.

Lisa x

By: Tammy

Tammy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:24:00 +0000

I'm so glad you shared this story with us...such a good reminder to reach out to neighbors even if they don't reach out to us!

We do know some of our neighbors-
but it has taken us awhile. We're shy by nature, too...but I do so believe in being neighborly and last Christmas time we did go over as a family to about 7 or 8 houses with small plates of cookies...

Barb's story in her reply was sad...it use to be the norm to take goodies to someone who just moved in...but that neighbor's response was like that fear of strangers on a subway.

Thanks for always inspiring us, Sandy!

By: Jerri Lynn @ Southern Sassyness

Jerri Lynn @ Southern Sassyness — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:13:00 +0000

What a great post! This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. We just moved a state away – to OK – and are desperately trying to reach out in our neighborhood. Some have been welcoming,some not so much. What people fail to realize is that we need each other! We all live busy, imperfect lives and we need to uplift and encourage and help our neighbors – whether they are young, old or in-between!

By: Susie

Susie — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:27:00 +0000

Great post Sandy. Sadly, I haven't met many of the neighbors, and as Polly said above it is hard when the neighborhood is full of those working. We are also only renting for a short while, but I know that is no excuse.

It was so much easier in my last neighborhood because it was a new subdivision and each time a new person moved in, we would make acquaintance with them.

This post really challenges me.

By: BC

BC — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Hi Sandy! Thanks so much for dropping a note at my blog! What a fabulous blog you have!

Love the story about the “cold” neighborhood. I remember first moving into our subdivision and feeling like everyone knew each other and we had to find our place. I am thankful we now truly KNOW a few of our neighbors and are getting to know the others as at least more than acquaintances. Great reminder to be more friendly in this often isolated world we live in!

By: Connie

Connie — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:59:00 +0000

I do know most of my neighbors since we all moved in about the same time 7 years ago. We had block parties in the early years. Now we do talk to each other when we are out and most do wave at us…we live on the corner. Since reading your blog…I have been challenged to have the ladies over for lunch. Still planning it all in my mind and now should set the date and just do it! I have a new neighbor behind us and am waiting for them to move in…they have been painting the inside..to take them a little something and welcome them to the neighborhood. Thanks for your great examples of friendship and kindness. Connie

By: GiBee

GiBee — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:26:00 +0000

Your garden was beautiful, and bountiful!!! Our garden did NOT do so well this year. I was so disappointed.

As for our neighbors, we have great, gregarious, and fun neighbors of all ages, shapes, sizes, ethnicity, etc. We often get together on a weekend evening around a fire pit on someone's driveway, or bring some snacks out and chit chat the night away while the kids play amongst themselves. When one person is sick or injured, another neighbor jumps in to bring a meal.

It is a lovely community, and we are so blessed!

By: Lis Garrett

Lis Garrett — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:38:00 +0000

The pictures of the food from your garden are beautiful! I have a bit of rainbow Swiss chard left, but it’s about the only thing of color in my garden now. It’s such a sad feeling . . .

I should really learn more about what grows well here as the temps turn colder so I can enjoy gardening more into the fall and winter.

By: mrsjones6

mrsjones6 — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:31:00 +0000

We really don't have neighbors where we live unless you count the cows and goats. I miss the coziness of living in a subdivision. Before we moved here over the summer we were fairly knowledgable our neighbors in our Atlanta suburb. Our home was a revolving door for the children who had parents working all of the time. I went out of the way to meet the parent of each child who visited our house so that they knew (whether they wanted to or not) where their child was hanging out! I do wish people were not so afraid of each other. Sometimes it seems as if people can't interact outside the office. Wouldn't our world be a better place if they could?!

Your harvest is just beautiful. Summer's end is often so sad, but then I love to start over in the spring!

Have a beautiful week,
Jen

By: Maryann

Maryann — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:54:00 +0000

Sandy, What a nice blog you have here! Your smile lights up the site!
Thank you for stopping by FindingLaDolceVita! It’s very nice to “meet” you

By: Dee Light

Dee Light — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:14:00 +0000

We moved several months ago, and even though many of my neighbors are busy getting to and from work, they are very friendly. I don't know them all well, but I have gotten to know a couple of them pretty well. One neighbor brought a goodie basket filled with fruit and other kid friendly goodies. That really did help to break the ice!

What a wonderful ministry your cousin has. I can think of few things as wonderful as offering a home to children in need.

Love your photos.

By: Buzzings of a Queen Bee!

Buzzings of a Queen Bee! — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:02:00 +0000

Wow, that makes me sad for her. It definitely seems like there are more and more of those neighborhoods lately. Good for her for reaching out anyway. I hope it pays off and she gets at least a few conversations! Maybe there are others in the same situation in the neighborhood, wishing someone else would take the initiative!
Carrie