Won't You Be My Neighbor? Part 2

Mr. Rogers would be proud of our neighborhood. We even can hear passing trains, especially at night. There are rare Pennsylvania earthquakes, too.

Casey is another esteemed neighborhood resident. She lives in a family where everyone's names begin with a C or a K...and the cul de sac street name also begins with a K. She was the first to welcome us to the neighborhood when we looked at the house. She has beautiful blond hair and goes for walks every day. Yep, Casey is a Yellow Lab. My husband says we don't need a dog because we have Casey. She visits lots, and seems to always greet me when I come home. We played frisbee the other day and had a super time, but the frisbee, unfortunately, didn't survive the afternoon. When Eliot was younger, he would sit in Tony's bedroom window and watch the neighbors grill fish. . . and torment Casey with a swish of his tail.

Jesse is another fun neighbor dog. He lives a few blocks away, but his owner loves to walk. He often stops by for a visit. He's a King Charles Spaniel...and cute as a button. His favorite activity besides walking seems to be choking on mulch and trying to eat grass. I like him because his fur is soooo soft.

We have a span across the generations in our neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. K... are in their 80's and are quite spry. Hey, they are transplanted coal crackers, too! Yesterday, Mr. K....brought us a bunch of bottles of extra orange juice that he came across. They both always think of my kids...When we first moved in, Emma was born two weeks later, and the K...s used to walk Tony and Elena to school every day. After the kids got in school, they went to Daily Mass. It was a great help to me. A few years ago, Mrs. K... had a nasty fall down a set of steps in her home. After she was taken to the hospital, Mr. K... was quite distraught, as you can imagine. Mr. Private Detective sat with him in our den and calmed him down, while I tried to get him to eat something. It's good to have neighbors you can count on counting on you right back.

We are also lucky to have our backyard touching the backyard of Oliver, Elliott, and Elizabeth and their parents. The kids get along so well and play in the yards. They also go to the same pool. Oliver is special because he deals with autism. The kids and I really enjoy his company, especially in the evenings. He is well versed in playing fair and identifying insects. He shares his amazement with bubbles floating through the sky with us. He likes to swing, and his mom says it's good for his development. Swing away, Oliver. He keeps to his own personal schedule too. I can almost set the clock by when he is up, dressed, and in the backyard singing or playing. They are a very special family that I keep close to my heart.

A special family lives on the corner...two moms and their twins. The twins are beautiful and strong and courageous. They'll be two years old soon. I like to watch them take off in two different directions! They also have an old dog...I forget his name. Their other dog, Elvis, was put down last year. I liked Elvis because he always let you know where you stood with him. This family somewhat keeps to themselves, but when they are out and about they are friendly and neighborly.

Our new neighbors I don't know very well other than they put an above ground pool in their backyard and have two large German Shepherds that I have christened Bow and Wow. I'll let you guess why.

Mr. Jack and his wife have a tragic story to tell in that their daughter died three years ago. This young woman had diabetes and then developed a childhood cancer that killed her. Mr. and Mrs. Jack kept their daughter's cat, Milo. Milo must be part human...he listens and seems to understand. When Mr. Jack's daughter was dying, Milo kept watch and did not leave her side, even to eat. They are New England Yankees, and Mr. Jack and Mr. Bagel have a healthy baseball rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees.

If you like good neighbors, come to Whitfield.