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This is My Spirit House

I won it in the raffle at our annual block party. Our neighbors, Rick and Tom, had a huge stash of things that had been abandoned in the wake of the International Housewares Show. So they raffled all of the things off to the neighbors. It was wonderful.

Grace really digs the spirit house. It seems to call to her, "Put Fisher Price people into meeee! Grace!!!"

And I really dig our neighborhood. After five years, I like it more, not less. Everyone is so different here, so interesting and nice. When I sprinted home from our morning activities to get ready for the party, I passed our neighbors on the south side of our house. They are originally from Mexico and they had the most amazing marinated beef, tortillas, rice and beans on the grill that they begged me to try. After I stuffed myself, I began to drag out all of the toys, games and prizes that the moms had coordinated for the kids.

Everyone shared, everyone laughed, everyone had fun. The Orthodox Jewish kids on the corner came shyly down to jump in the big moonwalk thingy that the Mayor provides. My daughter tagged along after the two sets of twins (big kids!) from down the block as they rode around on their big kid bikes. There were easily more than twenty kids. Dogs ran around barking, we had long sheets of paper lining the sidewalks for painting, and there was chalk, and bubbles. The old people, the young people. Even the notoriously shy, smiley Mr. Yee showed up for a little while. It was one of the biggest turnouts that I can remember.

We set up cocktails at 5 p.m. and took a stroll around the backyard gardens for the Garden Walk until 6 p.m.. We grilled and ate and talked and laughed. The kids gathered near the steps so one of our neighborhood teachers could tell a bedtime story. The little kids were carried home and then the music started.

We have four professional musicians living on our tiny block (two guitarists, a Cuban band leader/drummer and a jazz drummer). They set up a jam session stage with microphones and speakers. Someone passed out drums. Neighbors took turns at the mic in a spontaneous karaoke celebration.

And some of us stayed up until the wee hours.

I was not one of these people as my daughter awakes (like clockwork!) at 6 a.m. each day. But the glow hadn't worn off as Grace and I skipped down the paint splotched sidewalk the next morning.

You would like our neighborhood, I think.

Posted by jeanne on September 4, 2008 at 8:54 PM (4)

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