Sophie (cat who rules) entered summer with a collar to tail full shave. She is SO cool now. John, my neighbor put in my air conditioner for me (Now I am cooler than I've been in over a week - no more moving from sofa to floor to bed all night). John is someone who talks hard, but has the biggest heart and acts on it, taking new clothes to the neighbor boys; cuts people's grass, and I'll bet they have no idea who is doing it! He's weeded unkempt gardens of busy neighbors, mended when needed; and housesat for others. I love that I sometimes find brick-a-brack or unique books on my porch - I know they are from John.
That's so much unlike a neighbor who is pleasant to the face, but has done things like taking two of the shepherd staffs and flowers I put out last year, and this year appears to have swiped my beautiful geranium in front of my house. A neighbor saw the swipe and described the man. There are people in this neighborhood who have so little, and share so much - then there are those who have more than enough and are literally thieves in the night - or in the noon of the day! Of course it is irritating, but one has to feel pity on such a person that he already must feel so small and lacking in self respect.
Two neighbor boys stopped by with their little dog this evening. It's a joy to chat and listen to the kids here. Another neighbor dropped off a chess set . I am collecting board games for game nights to go with our movie nights on the porch. One of the house residents downstairs plays chess and I thought perhaps he and the kids could connect for some games. Young Adrian went through and figured out what chess figures I would need to replace/fill.
Last Saturday, while doing my errands, I came across a garage sale where there were three pairs of inline skates in great condition. What a deal! Only one dollar a pair! I gave them to our kids down the street and they will have mastered the fundamentals by the end of the week. It is fantastic to see how well they are doing.
After work today, and a brake job on my car (Roy's Service is a blessing to our neighborhood), I took D. to look at an apartment. I certainly pray that she gets it. She may know by tomorrow. When we got back, I joined the garden walk around Bates and Fifth/Fourth. Every year the flowers seem more abundant. Last year was my first year for a flower garden. I dug up a small two by three foot, thinking 'I don't understand what enjoyment people get from this'. Then, my garden grew to both sides of my walk, and kept expanding. I found myself almost a plant addict. I ached - O, how my thighs ached!! But the pride in flowers blooming! And then, people from down Bates, saying how they enjoy walking past and seeing the flowers...I get a certain amount of satisfaction in the doing, but the greatest is in knowing others enjoy them. And to be able to give a flower to a passerby - so warming to see someone so tough looking, smile!
In the last couple of weeks the Trib and the Press had articles about rehabbing houses in Dayton's Bluff. Interesting, were the comments to the online versions. So many were derogatory about people and appearance. There is a beauty, a joy, a preciousness, a uniqueness about the East Side - about my neighborhood in 'lower' Dayton's Bluff that not everyone sees or experiences. It's as if my most immediate neighborhood has a radiating soul within a rough exterior. Others don't know the love, the caring, the sharing, the great warmth of those around me. My friends and neighbors here run the gamut of education, income, life experiences and backgrounds, social class, ethnicity....I enjoy a richness that I've never experienced in the more than 42 moves I've made in my life.
When I think of my sons, my heart wants to burst with joy. I feel the same way about Dayton's Bluff. I was not born and raised here - I moved to Minnesota over 10 years ago. I've lived for almost eight years on this block and it's more home than anywhere else has ever been. For the one or two miserly people here, the others magnificently outshine them. I can't explain what it is about the Bluff area...it's a challenge, but there is peace; it can be rough, but there is an innate gentleness in the roughest of characters; boarded up houses, yes, but they are among the jewels, small and large. The most precious of all, are the people. They are my people...and I am blessed.
I've invited various elected officials to 'porch sit' at any time. Watching the world from the porch can be both a heartwarming experience and a jaw-dropping one. Last year, the detective who brought a photo line up for me to view, stood on the porch and said he could be there for an afternoon and see 'everybody' go by. 'Everybody' is right. We get name drug dealers, stolen cars abandoned; and the activities: hair pulling, screaming hair fights in the intersection; broad daylight drug deals at parked cars or under streetlights; the one am scene of a car coming up the street with a mattress on top (not fastened) with a man lying on top of it; eight cars in an hour, making u-turns on specific days, times (and I'm laughed at, told that it's nothing); a woman thrown out of a car mid-afternoon; two kids stealing a skateboard from a neighbor's porch; too many drivers to mention, not even stopping for the four way stop, day or night. Then there is the glorious picture of nine young kids riding anything with wheels down Fourth Street. Or four kids learning to inline skate. Or the many dogs being walked, a lone man stopping to literally smell a flower; s small child sharing a treat with a friend; the older sister stopping to tenderly readjust a sib's hat and make sure he keeps his gloves on; a neighbor at my door asking if we can exchange cupboard food; a new renter across the street who spent from mid-morning till dusk, tilling and planting flowers on her front terrace; outside a local bakery, in the early evening with J and K, waiting for the fresh rosemary bread to be done...and then John's mom sending over fresh basil pesto...mmmmmmm!
If police officers, council people, any person who is appointed or elected to serve our community wants to sit on my porch and see the real Dayton's Bluff, a chair and refreshments await. Who knows which neighbors will soon be with you to chat, play Trivial Pursuit, or just enjoy the quiet.
Sometimes the street life is very stressful, and we get the point of taking it for granted, though it takes a toll, healthwise. But the pleasures are great.
