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Across the Fence:  What's your motivation?  |
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fionalovesshrek
True Blue Farmgirl
186 Posts
Paige
kinston
North Carolina
USA
186 Posts |
 Posted - May 28 2008 : 08:46:33 AM
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I frequently make bread, cupcakes, cookies etc. that I give away to my neighbors. My motivation is to build trust and share yummy and healthy food. I also would like to learn from my neighbors as they are mostly older women(canning, cleaning tips, cooking etc). We are still in the "trust building" stage but I hope that as my veggies and herbs grow and my hens lay eggs, and as I share the bounty, that this neighborhood will experience a level of friendship and loyalty to one another that it's not had to date.
What do you do that is "out of the ordinary" and what are your motivations and expectations?
P~
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2008 : 10:55:14 AM
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I love that idea Fiona! When Doug and I move I am determined to become friendly with our neighbors by sharing good homemade food. Sometimes it is difficult to make that first step, but it's always great to have friends right at hand!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2008 : 6:14:56 PM
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I made friends with my neighbor by sharing my plants with him. I noticed that he liked to stop and admire my potted garden, so I took the opertunity to talk to him. He is an Army Vet going through cancer treatments and spends most of his time alone (his son comes to check on him every couple days). He told me that his wife loved plants just like I do and seeing them always made him happy, so I moved some over onto his side of the porch. If I haven't seen him for a couple days, or notice his plants arn't watered (he usualy gets to them before I do) I go check on him. Really, my only motivation is to know I made somebody's day better. Sometimes that is all it takes to make your own day better.
What we write today slipped into our souls some other day when we were alone and doing nothing.
-Brenda Ueland
http://quilandneedle.blogspot.com/
http://musingandmuttering.blogspot.com |
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fionalovesshrek
True Blue Farmgirl
186 Posts
Paige
kinston
North Carolina
USA
186 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2008 : 7:44:57 PM
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Barefoot, that's super sweet. I had a neighbor lady up until last year who was like that for me. That is to say sharing with her and checking in on her was good for my day. I shared that blessing by enlisting my oldest son to go check on her and they became fast friends. He LOVES to talk and she was a wonderful listener. What a treasure to have a little shy boy befriend an outgoing widow! Sadly she was moved into a nursing care home far away but she'll always be in our hearts.
If she means to be a soldiers wife, she must learn to bear such things. |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2899 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2899 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2008 : 7:47:37 PM
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| Corrine, that is such a great story. Just last night at a church function, one of the gals had a newspaper article about a guy that had died in his sleep & wasn't discovered for 2 yrs.!!! He had all of his bills paid automatically, & had no concerned family, community, or friends..I'm sure your neighbor feels great having you around. YOu are truly a blessing to him!!(& us farmgals too!) |
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Back Home Again
True Blue Farmgirl
584 Posts
Audrey
Albuquerque
New Mexico
USA
584 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2008 : 9:26:30 PM
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I wish a whole bunch of us could live in the same neighborhood/area!!! So many of us have many of the same ideas about wanting a feeling of Community/Neighborhood support with the people that live around us. I do have very nice people who live in my neighborhood.............. It just isn't a real feeling of TRUE friendship. Soooooo come on over and visit with me in New Mexico everyone! Really I would love for anyone coming through to give me a holler!! There doesn't seem to be many from New Mexico on the Forum so I really do want to extend the invite to all the Farmgirls!! Maybe that is why everyone here loves the Farmgirl Connection so much....it really is like having neighbors to connect with, Across the Fence!
Until Later,
Audrey
~ Side by side or miles apart....dear friends are always close to the heart ~ |
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JessieMae
True Blue Farmgirl
702 Posts
Jessie
Raleigh
North Carolina
USA
702 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2008 : 06:57:47 AM
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I had to smile while I read these posts...the first Christmas we lived in St. Johns I made Christmas cookies and boxed them up to take to the neighbors. We had lived there for 5 months and none of our neighbors had even come over to introduce themselves, so I finally took the iniative and tried bribing them with cookies. Of the four houses we went to, three took the cookies, said thank you, and never talked to us again. One literally snatched the box out of my husband's hand and slammed the door in our faces; he didn't even say thanks.
I still make cookies for them every Christmas. And one of the neighbors has started waving back when I wave to her. At least we're moving in the right direction. |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2008 : 07:03:23 AM
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| I miss that feeling of community - I grew up in the suburbs of Seattle so didn't get it there, but I definitely did at church. I think I have been looking for it ever since. I know you have to be a neighbor first, but I am really shy about putting myself out and meeting people. Good for all of you who make the effort - you are making the world a better place!! |
Edited by - graciegreeneyes on May 29 2008 07:04:10 AM |
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Farmtopia
True Blue Farmgirl
1465 Posts
Zan
New York
New York
USA
1465 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2008 : 07:32:24 AM
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Aww, these are great! I love that. When I started growing veggie seedlings for our backyard, I gave a few extras to an elderly couple two doors down. The funny thing is that I never see them on the street out front, but you can clearly see the yards adjacent to each other from the back. They had a huge, high deck and would often say they thought I was crazy to plant veggies in the middle of a tiny city backyard. The wife was saying that she like the tomato plants, so when I mentioned I'd give them the extra seedlings, she was sooo happy. Isn't it great, putting a smile on other people's faces?
~*~Dream all you dreamers~*~
View my work:
www.bigtownfarmer.com
www.pumpkinpatchparlor.etsy.com
And Blogs:
agriculture: www.bigtownfarmer.blogspot.com
art: www.queenofcrows.blogspot.com
animals: www.big-luv.blogspot.com |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2008 : 08:03:43 AM
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My husband and I are the youngest folks in our neighborhood--all the neigbors around us are 65 and up. We just try to help out where we can--cleaning out gutters, mowing the grass of our 89 year old neighbor when we mow ours, sharing plants and extra soup or chili, whatever. A few weeks ago, Jus noticed that our 85 year old neighbor's car lights were on. So, he went to tell her, and unfortunately, they'd been on for 4 hours. So, we gave the car a jump and she was soooo grateful. She took me on a tour of her lovely backyard and wanted to show me her wisteria. She sends over baked goods all the time, now :) My other neighbor who lost her husband just before Christmas and I share a love of cooking, so we're always swapping recipes, or she'll call to have me taste something that isn't "quite right" and she'll bring "extras" for our dogs.
Our neighborhood has always been like that, though. When I went through my divorce and lost a lot of weight, you should have seen how much "extra" food ended up on my porch from concerned ladies around me. "Oh, I just made WAY too much of this pasta salad!!!"
Last week, my immediate neighbor to my left gave me a scarecrow for my garden because I'd "loaned" her our two cats, Jack and Pumpy for a day when she was feeling under the weather. She just loves those boys, so I let them go over and hang out with her on her bed for company.
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
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Farmtopia
True Blue Farmgirl
1465 Posts
Zan
New York
New York
USA
1465 Posts |
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fionalovesshrek
True Blue Farmgirl
186 Posts
Paige
kinston
North Carolina
USA
186 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2008 : 08:50:57 AM
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One of my neighbors is Japanese and she LOVES my bread and sweet rolls. In return she's brought me sushi, pot stickers and seaweed gelling powder (the exact same stuff Mary Jane sells on her site!)as well as dried anchovies for our cats. My boys now LOVE "jellies" that we make from the powder and juice and everytime we go out that she's out, they run over to her "Hey Tamoko, thanks for the tofu and rice!" Again, what neat relationship to have and it's truly cherished. Share and share alike!
P~
living a good neighbor life |
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Across the Fence: What's your motivation? |
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What's your motivation?
