"Snowwww, snowwww, snowww, snowwww!"

When Room mate #1 and I moved into this house three years ago it took us awhile to get to know some of our neighbors. The older couple in the house connected to ours came over the day we were moving in to introduce themselves, but otherwise it took awhile to meed the folks on the block. It's not that people around here aren't friendly, it's just that they tend to keep to themselves.

We finally met our neighbor on the other side, Bev, when we received some of her mail by mistake about a month after move in day. I walked it over as soon as I saw it to return it and was greeted with a shocked look and a smile. As it turns out, Bev was a friend of my Dad's mother, Grandma Betty (she's been gone for about four years now). They were in some group or lodge together for many years and had been traveling buddies when they got it into their heads to take off for parts unknown every now and then (see, the wandering is genetic). Since I resemble my Grandma Betty a lot she had quite a start when she found me standing at her front door. Bev invited me in, we traded stories and talked about the neighborhood. By the time I left I could see how Bev and Grandma Betty became such good friends. Bev is a funny sweet giving person.

Since that first introduction we have exchanged keys for "just in case" and keep an eye on each other's homes when either one of us is gone for a few days. We also make sure Bev is o.k. since she's on her own in the house and her kids all live pretty much far away.

One of the things I like to do is shovel off her walkway when it snows. Since we live within the confines of the city there is an ordinance in place that requires us to have our sidewalks "passable" within a certain period of time after it stops snowing. Well, for Bev that's not so easy considering her age and all.

Today we had our first snowfall of the season, at least a good 1-3". When I got home from meeting TBD and JP out for dinner I started working on our sidewalks. As I was working on Bev's she poked her head out.

"You don't have to do that! My grandson can take care of that tomorrow."

I looked up and smiled "Sure I do! It's not that much and I'm almost done."

"Well at least let me pay you this time..."

"Bev, now how many times in the last three years have I let you pay me for doing this. Really, it's no big deal!"

"O.k., o.k. but I'll bring over some cookies later anyway."

I shook my head and agreed. Bev makes the best cookies on the block.