Neighbors

10 Sept 08
I swear this is the text of my first encounter with my next door neighbor. Picture a woman in her 60s with an absolutely gorgeous garden, wearing Wellies, a skirt, and a thick sweater.

Her waiving in my kitchen window from her driveway.
I go out.
Her, 'I took in a parcel for you.' She hands me the parcel.
Me, accepting the parcel, 'Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. I'm Cori by the way. It's nice to meet you.'
Her, 'You're American.'
Me, 'Yep. Oh, here are my boys. This is Bridger and this is Kincaid.'
Her, 'So you're going to live HERE are you?' gesturing to the house.
Me, 'Yep. We've been admiring your garden. It's just gorgeous.'
Her, with a tiny, wierded-out sort of smile, 'Well.'

Then she went back in the house.
Bizarre.

Thankfully the frigidity of this encounter (not to mention the crazy-makingness--did I do somethinig wrong? Am I too friendly? GOD what was I THINKING?!?! Introducing myself of all things!!??!) was juxtaposed with cake. Not just any cake either. Adorable pastel decorated pink and yellow cupcakes with butterflies on top. Not too mention that in the card that accompanied them the local mom who left them called them 'cakey things.' I was instantly won over. Ellie will relate--I instantly wanted to be best friends.

She came by last week with an invite to the local Mother's Union 'Jumble Sale.' If that isn't just the most polite title for 'junk sale' I've ever heard. Leave it to the English. I was bummed I couldn't go.

The Mother's Union sounds 'brilliant' to use a new favorite British phrase. Moms, hanging out, drinking wine, and occasionally raising money for literacy or clean water for African villages. Sign me up!

Anyway, I played phone tag with her today. I'm excited to 'pop over for coffee sometime' soon and it helps to think I am making friends.

Her out of context and extremely helpful comment to me last week just as she was leaving the house was, 'You might find people a bit...stand offish. Give it some time. You'll find the English can actually be quite warm.'

Phew.