Mayberry meets Seattle

I love my neighborhood. I really do. It's amazing. Okay the first day we discovered this neighborhood there was a jazz concert on the Greenway. There were families and couples, while kids played on the grass. Then we met the area cheerleader who immediately connected us Holly, who led to Karin - our gracious landlady. Holly told stories of "porch parties" that various people in the neighborhood host in the warmer months.

On Sunday the 14th we did the Rehabarama with TGF's 'Rents. Earlier, before we were there, there was live broadcast of a radio program, "Breakfast with the Bealtes" at the gazebo on the Greenway.Totally fun, all the "hosts" at the houses were friendly - most our future neighbors. At one house we ran into Lisa, whom we had met the previous week when Holly was showing us the project houses. She remembered us, asked how our search was going, and hugged TGF when she found out she volunteered to help get a house ready.

Last week I received a phone message from Lisa inviting us to some gathering on November 10th. We have only lived in the neighborhood for about two weeks and we have an invitation already! Finally Lisa and i connect on the phone a day or two later. Apparently "the ladies" have a monthly gathering (maybe dinner? the details are fuzzy right now) and this is a special one in that "we" are being hosted by Brett and Josh. There is nothing for us to bring - there will be martinis and hors d'oeuvres served. She also wanted to let me know that "the ladies" meet over at the Tavern on Fridays, after about 7 or 8pm every week.

Early this evening about 5:45pm I take Wyatt out for a walk on the Greenway before I leave for my stitch and bitch meet up at Panera's on Miller Lane. The wind is blowing, swirling leaves, making that autumn noise of crunchy leaves banging against each other, the trees and asphalt. Off in the distance I hear music and think it's coming from a car. As the sound comes across less polished I think there is a band practicing in a nearby house. The music gets louder still and I realize there is a band playing in the gazebo in this dusky light. There is a small group of folks who form the audience. I want to walk up close but Wyatt is freaked by the drums, the droning voice and the mini tornadoes of leaves every time the wind stirs up hard, so we turn around. Listening the music which really does kind of suck, I figure that all bands start out sounding pretty bad.

I have the biggest smile on my face, watching the leaves twirl in the fading light, listening to the emoting singer behind me, my dog almost running, smiling up at me. This place feels like a home in way that I don't think I've ever really had before.

Life felt so good in that moment.