Hello, neighbors

My day was off to a great start right off the bat. During the morning walk with Russell and Marley we met more of our neighbors. Ruth asked if our dogs could meet. She has a black Scottish Terrier and all three of the dogs got along great. Ruth and I chatted for a few minutes about this and that, and she invited Tyler and I to the annual block party in August. Maybe we'll actually go this year.

The first year in the house was rather hectic, so it's nice to finally be feeling more at ease, meeting more of the neighbors and becoming part of the community. One of the elderly sisters next door got to pet Marley and Russell for the first time this morning, too. I wasn't sure if they were ok with dogs -- they have cats -- but she warmed up to them no problem. I was proud that the boys behaved.

Days like these make buying this old house a year ago feel worth it. I wish I had more of them and less of the "why did I ever buy this house" days.

Knock, knock

It's been a year since we moved in and I didn't document any of it. I have photos from before we even moved in and that's it. I guess it doesn't matter, because it's not like I've built an addition or painted or even replaced the shabby front doors. But behold! The new porch door arrives later this week and I'll finally be able to see my money making a difference.

I understood the connection that people have with their homes when the Flood of 97 ruined my family's house in East Grand Forks -- the house that my grandpa built and my parents raised BJ, myself and Megan in. The city bought it from my parents at a steal of a price, then tore it down. Now sits a campsite and the loan tree in our yard, where a raccoon lived for the longest time. BJ and I used to stay up late to watch him from our bedroom window.

Now that I have my own house I truly understand. You develop a relationship. You trust that if you treat it well, the favor will be returned. You quickly realize that it lets you down ... lots, and you don't know what you did to deserve it. You dress it up so it looks really good and can't wait to show it off. You think about the future together ... ok, maybe I'm getting carried away, but for the most part the analogy is true.

Stay tuned ...