Woop woop! We hit the neighborhood JACKPOT, or better stated ‘clangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclang.’

So we put a lot of thought into our house purchase. It’s a fixer, it’s that worst house on the block that has the flexibility to be improved A LOT without over-remodeling out of the neighborhood. I specifically noted that all of the houses on our block seemed to be really well kept and to put in a way that really means something to me.. They all seemed loved, they all seemed like homes. So in the original drive by, I honestly bought the neighborhood, before we bought the house.

While we were doing the fixing up to purchase the house we got to meet one of our neighbors, one of their trees was touching our house and we got permission to trim it back. Last night we rented a truck from Home Depot and brought home a large dresser and changing table that we purchased via craigslist a bit back. We thought that it was basically light Ikea-esque construction.. Oh no.. This thing is sturdy, and weighs a TON. I think we could weather storms in it’s shadow. Bryan and I on each end did the ‘lift’ and I just had to immediately admit defeat. After exhausting some other resources and needing to get it out of the yard and out of the rain finally in desperation we went next door to see if our manly accommodating neighbor was home (my words, not Bryan’s 😉 )and if they could help us. He was not, but another tenant of the house was there with his strapping teen son. The came straight over, made admonishing noises when I spoke of attempting to help earlier and carried that darn thing straight on in.

THEN sat and chatted with us about the neighborhood, about the strength of the neighborhood association, how that if we ever needed anything just to ‘stop on over!’ You get to see this rarely as a renter and in all honesty I have blown off situations as a renter where I could have established it. But owning? Living here for the long haul? I want to know my neighbors, I want them to watch out for me, and my child.. and I them. I am invested. Not just in the house but my community. Now knowing at the very least one of our neighbors seems to feel the same, it makes my day.