The other day, our neighbor brought us a couple of slices of cake. It was fresh from the oven and tasted better than any cake I'd ever had, second only to the cookies she brought to us a few weeks ago.
This was not Funeral Cake, or Welcome to the Neighborhood Cake, or Get Well Cake. It was, instead, It's Tuesday and I Just Baked This Cake (my favorite).
Has your neighbor ever brought you cake⢠Have you baked a cake and walked it next door⢠Do you even know your neighbor's name?
The cake came on the heels of a bag full of cucumbers and tomatoes that came from our garden. Several bags of our home-growns have made their way around this neighborhood this summer. It was a good year for tomatoes.
I don't know whether it's because there are fewer of us out here, but the connection between houses is much stronger here than anywhere I have lived. Neighbors share more, talk more and take a genuine interest in the well-being of those around them.
I've now given you a few minutes. What's that neighbor's name again?
My wife shattered her wrist a few years ago, unsuccessfully attempting to rein in our giant black dog. He went right. She went left. Her wrist tried to do both, and was rewarded with four fresh pins.
Wearing a giant red cast that gained her the nickname "Hellboy" for a few months, she immediately was set upon by a gaggle of women from the neighborhood that saw to her every need, including our friend the hairstylist who lives up the road. She shampooed and styled my wife's hair for weeks, never once asking (and certainly, not expecting) to be paid for her efforts.
Go next door right now. Look at their mailbox. What's that name again?
We were crushed by a mid-winter storm two years ago that took down almost every power line in Washington County. For some people, the cold and dark lasted for more than a week. We were more fortunate than some, and after two days, our lights came back on.
Our guest bedroom soon was occupied. We offered it to the neighbors down the road, who soon were enjoying luxurious amenities like water that came right out of the tap, heat that came right out of the ductwork and unspoiled food that came right out of the refrigerator.
It was a sleepover.
I will admit that some adult beverages might have been consumed.
We had to keep warm.
When it came time for cleanup from that storm, every man with a tractor fell into formation. The overworked township roads department did not have to worry about our neck of the woods. Having been snowed in for days, we were happy to get outside and do something useful.
By now, you've thought of your neighbor's name (hopefully), and it's time to take the next step.
Tuesday's coming.
Box cake from a mix is easy.
Everybody likes chocolate.
