A current look at the indoor fairy garden I planted a few months ago.

It took till now, May, to turn the air conditioning on. Up till now it’s been cold and freezing, seems like. What strange weather. The weather man says it will be down in the forties before the week is out.

And guess what? I have neighbor news! I told you the young Navy medic moved in where the weird neighbors lived. He has maybe been here a month.

Right this very minute an older gentleman is moving in on the other side! I’m so excited that instead of loud college kids, it will be single individuals on either side of me. All with dogs.

I wrote down my pertinent information, phone number, email address, and headed right over there. Shook their hands. Said I was right here if they needed anything during the move. He said he has several houses to sell in Ardmore, so will be living here part time for now.

And remember this gorgeous house across the street? A woman moved in there about a year ago. She put up an expensive fence, planted oak trees, landscaped beautifully. I went over and introduced myself. But she kept to herself. Like most everyone else around here. Have to keep telling myself: big city folks.

Now it’s up for sale. I walked over and looked at the front garden beds she tended and mulched. They were so pretty last year. Now they show signs of not having been loved. The remaining flowers are spindly and dried up. How sad.

Here’s my poor front bed, neglected since I broke my ankle. I got out yesterday and sat down and cut back all the dead stalks of the various ornamental grasses I planted last year. Hopefully it will perk up in a few weeks.

Here’s my iris I showed you. The first one about to unfold. This is the status today. I love to watch how flowers bud out and then slowly unfurl.

Here’s the house about three houses down from me. The front yard always looks like this. Like no one loves it. But I manage to find some blooms amidst the tall weeds.

Abi and Charlie are very curious about what’s going on next door. A big moving van and lots of things to watch. I’m telling you they man those two front windows like little sentinels until I close the blinds at night.

If there’s someone walking a dog down the sidewalk, it is of course a huge deal to them. They go yipping and yapping from one room’s window to the other. If the trash truck comes, oh my word they get the high-pitched barking turned up. If it’s a Fed Ex truck, they go into conniptions.

And I have no doubt the mailman hates them. He just went past the window, and they pitched a horrid fit.

Oh, how I’ve yearned for good quiet neighbors that might be friendly. That’s why I miss Tyler so. I’m still in communication with my neighbors there. After talking to them on the phone, I’m on the verge of tears. It was so different there.

I want neighbors that will say hello and know their names. Neighbors that might sit a spell outside with you, watching the birds. Commenting on the weather while drinking tall sweaty glasses of iced tea.

The neighbors here don’t seem interested in being very friendly. Maybe it’s because a lot of the houses are rentals and college kids move in and out.

Yes, I’m lonely.

It’s an odd feeling for me. I don’t remember ever feeling lonely. But being mostly home bound for nearly a year now, I’ve really yearned for people to talk to. I’ve felt closed up in this house for so long. And I’m just now where I can get out in the yard and walk around a bit.

Not quite up to walking around the block, which has been my goal. But I just came in from walking a few doors down either way on both sides of the street. So that’s progress.

So if you have terrific neighbors like I left behind in Texas, cherish them. Spread kindness. Watch out for one another.

As Mother Teresa said: “I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?