Posted in This Land I Love

I had a delightful time last week. I thoroughly recommend doing this if you want to get to know who you are living next to.

Our little neighbourhood is brand spanking new - it's an old sheep farm divided up into lots of 10 acre blocks with all new houses, new families and new gardens and new roads. Nobody has been here for longer than a year. We have been here for 6 months, and I want to get to know the neighbours I haven't met yet. I already have some good friends from our new neighbours....

* the family down the end of the street in the eco-efficient house who moved here from England. Our kids love to play together.

* The kiwi girl and her Irish husband in the beautiful two storied house who invites me to card parties and calls up to check I'm ok and if I need anything from town.

* The young married couple next door who I just love. She and I have each other's phone numbers on our speed dial in case we get scared at night when we're alone.

* The English family across the road who have baby boy twins and who are such hard workers they even are out there on their land planting trees and putting up fences in the rain.

* And the school teachers down the road who come and play Settlers of Catan with us, and who our kids adore and who we see at least once a week, and he is going to teach me how to shoot a gun.

One Corner of the Neighbourhood

But there are so many others that I haven't met yet and want to - so I dreamed up the idea of having a mid-winter bonfire at our place for all the neighbours to get together and meet each other. So last week, being school holidays here, I took the kids and a couple of their friends who happened to be playing at our house, and we walked around the entire neighbourhood to invite them to our bonfire on August 1. One of the other neighbours is going to bring his BBQ down so we can do sausages on bread, and everyone gets to bring marshmallows and fireworks (if they have them), and we're going to have a nice social  time around around a bonfire.

I had a blast.

* I met the man in the big ugly house up the back. He was so friendly and has lots of fireworks to contribute. A blended family of 7 on their second-time-round.

* I met the teachers up in the corner block and their girls and their very friendly dog.

* In the gray house is a young married couple expecting their first baby the same time as our baby is due - and is having a terrible time with the morning sickness too, so we were able to commiserate with each other.

* The retired couple who breed beautiful race horses. I met the horse family. Incidentally, I love the smell of horses.

* Then I called in on another English immigrant family down the back and heard about their trials with chickens. He offered me a beer (ahem), and I told him I couldn't have it, patting my stomach as I did - and he said, "oh that doesn't matter - you can still have one"     !!!!!!!!

I grew up in a teetotal home, and where it was considered unladylike for a woman to have a beer, especially when it is straight from the bottle. But I politely declined and settled for water, which he thought was hillarious!  I tell you - people are interesting!

* And on the way back  I met a gorgeous couple who have just moved here from Sweden and are renting the vacant house next door. I love their accent - and they told my horse-loving-prays-every-night-for-a-horse-daughter their horses love carrots and she can come up any time.

In between times I called in for a cup of tea and a chat at some old familiars.

I have two more houses to get to and hope to visit today after I go into town to see my obstetrician for a check up.

I just love my neighbourhood and I love the people in it. They are all different but all so interesting, and I'm so glad we're going to be getting together soon. Everyone is really enthusiastic about it and so glad that someone took the initiative to do something.

I can't wait for next Friday night!