neighbor-love

Last week, Chicago was hit with a giant blizzard. Depending on who you talk to, we got up to two feet of snow dumped on us. The morning after the storm, we opened our front door, and the snow was up to Marty's waist. It was so stinkin' awesome.

I'm one of those weird people who likes shoveling snow. So while Charlie napped, Marty and I shoveled, and shoveled, and shoveled. {mind you, our driveway isn't that long. we just had these ridiculous snow drifts in front of our house, seriously waist-deep. again, AMAZING! when does it EVER snow like that?!}

Our neighbors were out shoveling, too. We waved, and laughed, and watched their little boys body-slam each other into snow drifts. Charlie woke up, and we brought him outside in his cutsie-baby sled. And then, we all shoveled the driveway of a lady across the street who never talks to anyone. It looked like she was out of town, and who wants to come home to three feet of snow in their driveway? Six shovels made the work go fast. See us pictured, above {minus Marty, the designated photographer}. Later that night, we had an impromptu party, with spicy chili and hot dogs on the menu. I learned that one of our neighbors was a tank operator in the Czech army, another neighbor makes her own yarn, and yet another guy has antique motorcycles in his dining room.

Sweet.

Since the big snow day, I've heard other stories of other people's neighbors being, well, neighborly. Shoveling sidewalks. Pushing out cars. Salting driveways. So, the snow? Love it or hate it: crazy weather makes for good comradery... and yet another opportunity to love your neighbor.

but...

P.S.
we really do have exceptional neighbors.

and...

It's stuff like this that makes buying a cat house totally worth it :)