A Kind Neighbor...Doing Neighborly Things

 There are both advantages and disadvantages of working from home. Sure, I work in a small room originally designed for beds and not necessarily desks (kind of a disadvantage...), but it's not a cubicle (definite advantage...). I also have a large window with an incredible views of farmland and mountain ranges...both advantages.

Sometimes, something crosses my field of vision that I find interesting.

Namely, kindly neighbors.

I live in an interesting area. With--relatively, if that's even possible--lower home prices, we're seeing lots of new families move in, but also retirees. It's a clean, safe, and beautiful place to live, if you don't mind wind, that is. One of my neighbors is a retiree with time on his hands and a love of yard work. His yard is amazing, mostly due to the many hours he's spent making it amazing.

Earlier this week, I heard a familiar sound...a power edger. After a while, the sound of the edger increased. I knew what was coming because it's been done before. He had finished edging his grass and was moving on to ours. Our edging-needing area is much smaller than his, and we have an edger--haven't used it yet. Later, another sound came through my open window...this time, a leaf blower. Once he finished his yard, he came over to ours.

Him taking time out of his day to help us out is incredible. It's a very nice thing to do, and I've thanked him each time he's done it--he did the same thing last year, too. Of course, it's easy to wonder why he's doing this. Is our yard too messy? I'm the first one to admit that there's always more I could do to make our yard look better and we do try. But, I seriously doubt he's doing this to shame us or guilt us. No, having gotten to know him, I believe he's helping out because he he's a good neighbor and he likes to spend time outside making a yard (his or ours...) look better.

And that's a good thing.

Anyone Want A Free Entertainment Center? Authentic Swedish Design, Assembled In USA...

If you're looking for a low-profile, Swedish-designed entertainment center, assembled here in the good old U-S-of-A, have we got the entertainment center for you!

Is that a question or a statement?

No matter,. Yes, if you're in need of just such an item (and the rolling castors work, too...!), and you're in the Davis County area, just contact me--it's yours!

And why is this quality item being given away?

Because we bought a huge piece (or pieces...) of furniture today and it's now in our house. Just looking at it makes my muscles hurt. We bought the entertainment center for several reasons, the biggest of which, is the new puppy. Normally, we have stuff all over the front room. It's cleaned up, sure, but not on a regular basis. Now, because the puppy is getting bigger every day. Soon, he'll be able to reach those left out things. He'll even be able to snap up food from off the counter. 

Upward and onward is the puppy's new motto!

I can't talk about the new entertainment center without mentioning the people from which we bought it. We found the item on KSL Classified, a local on-line classified service. Thankfully the sellers live only a couple of miles from our house. Not only did they help us load it into our van, they loaded half of the cargo (it comes in four huge pieces...) in their truck. They then drove it to our house and helped us unload. I'm sure they would have helped us bring it into the house if we had asked.

As far as my family moving everything, I had doubts the six of us could get all the furniture into the house. At one point each of us stood around the heaviest piece and all lifted together. I know it sounds corny, but it was one of those "bringing the family closer" moments.

We now have a huge entertainment in our living room. DVDs, video games, cables connecting everything are now protected from the puppy, and I'm dog-tired. It's been a crazy day.

That Time Chris Created A Book About Me...

Yesterday we had visitors. It was in the early afternoon and two of our friends who live a few streets over dropped by. They brought a shrub for my wife, then Chris, a past co-worker and friend for decades said she had something for me.

Then she pulled out a red (my favorite color...) book with my picture on it.

I was blown away.

Chris went through my blog and my Pic Of The Day photographs and compiled a book. It's over a hundred pages long and there's well over three hundred pictures in it. She even picked a couple of photographs that she knew I would love (she was right, of course...) and added them to the mix.

It is an amazing collection! But what made the biggest impression on me is that this is something she didn't have to do. She didn't have to take the time choosing the pictures, and especially, have a book made. It was overwhelming.

When I first began blogging and posting a daily picture, I thought it would be cool to compile a book, but then after years of posting, a book that's almost 2700 pages (assuming each post gets one page...) is a little too big for a book.

For the past couple of years, I've had a desire to write books that people want to read. I've never had someone create a book for me. It's quite an amazing feeling, and a special one, too. Thanks Chris! I love it!

The Nyes...Thanks For The Party

One of the toughest aspects of life is saying good-bye to good friends. Though we're happy for them for all the new adventures they will have, it still hurts to know you won't see their smiling faces beaming at you each week at church, or to have them return a friendly wave as they drive by.

Such is life. We hurt because of how much they mean to us.

I had a connection to both Jeff and Kathleen. Jeff's brother married a gal from my high school. He's also from Idaho near where my mother and cousins grew up. And Kathleen's related to friends from my LDS mission days. They have an amazing story of how they ended up together. Someone should make a Hallmark movie about it.

The two moved into the neighborhood and quickly became a couple you could count on to help with neighborhood projects, helping people move, or especially, cutting up firewood (Jeff loved to get firewood...). Jeff was our scoutmaster and provided some amazing memories for my sons. He replaced me as scoutmaster, actually. What a blessing that was to those boys.

Kathleen, boy...what can you say about her? She's just an amazing person. Always with a kind word, and just like her husband, always with a smile.

Each year the Nyes put on a block party. We went last fall. The whole neighborhood seemed to be there. I didn't realize it would be our last. I guess that's how things go. We never know. I've tried to take a positive outlook when beloved neighbors move. I think about the new people who haven't met them yet, but who soon will. They will get to know them, and to love them as we have. Why should we get to hog all the fun? We should spread it around.

So, the Nyes have moved on. They're settling into their new place, just as they did here many years ago. Thanks Jeff and Kathleen--you sure know how to throw a party!