Yesterday, we had a party. My neighbor has a birthday (today), and since mine is also this week, we decided to get together at their house next door to celebrate with a barbecue. I made potato salad, we supplied cups, paper plates, flatware and napkins, and they supplied the meat and beans, and we split the cost of a cake. It really was a wonderful day, and the weather couldn't have been any better. Today, they cooked hamburgers and hot dogs, and we got together here for lunch.

I also got our taxes filed for 2007 today. I like to file electronically, since it is quicker and there is not as much chance of errors. I will be notified of any problems in a few days; if all goes well, the return will be accepted.

One of the best things about our new community is the neighbors. We met two of our next door neighbors the day we closed on the house. They were arriving to close on their house as we were leaving with keys in hand. He bounded over to our car, smiled and put out his hand, and introduced himself, then we went to his car to meet his wife. We've been friendly ever since. We had them over for dinner shortly after we moved in, and we've had dinner at their house. He helped us avoid a problem early on, when he told us that our satellite dish needed to be on the back of the house instead of on the front where the installer had put it.

He told us he is "just a country boy who has had to learn to do a lot of things for himself." He has been so helpful to us that it really is a joy to live next door to him and his wife. He is going to build ramps for the front door and for the inside garage door, so I have easier and safer ways to get out of the house. He's agreed to help us build a deck for the back yard later on, and we're already planning summer barbecues.

This past weekend, he discovered that his house had no insulation, so he contacted the sales office of the subdivision, and got the name of the company that is responsible for the insulation. They came out and put the insulation in at no cost, under the warranty. When he told us about this, I asked him to check our attic to see how much insulation it had. It also did not have adequate insulation. Yesterday, the crew was out to finish the insulation in his house, and he asked them to come over here and put more insulation in our attic also. We had already contacted the company ourselves, so it was approved by the owner or foreman of the company. The end result is, both houses now have plenty of insulation. This will cut down on our heating and cooling costs. Having good neighbors (and being good neighbors) is worth a lot, especially since we will be here for years, God willing.

His wife is also a gem...we can get laughing very quickly, and I feel very comfortable with both of them. Even his beagle puppy has adopted us! I couldn't have chosen any neighbors nicer than these.