Can I just tell you about the “funnest” day I’ve had in a long time? (Yes, I know it's not a word. But it fits, so I'm using it!)
On Saturday I was invited to a Kentucky Derby party by one
of my former neighbors. Hats, bow ties and Mint Juleps were de rigueur, and
more guests than not were wearing Derby Day attire. I even saw a seersucker suit
amongst the partygoers.
There was lots of food and drink and some games of chance. You
could buy squares for a few bucks. It meant absolutely nothing to me, but still
I participated. And…somehow…I won ten dollars. Don’t ask me for what. A horse
came in and apparently landed on one of my squares. Neat trick.
Anyway, I had been looking forward to this get-together for
a while, but as the day drew closer, the introvert in me became a little hesitant
about plopping the fuchsia chapeau on my head and heading the seven miles to my
former neighborhood.
On the other hand, I purchased the fuchsia chapeau specifically for this gathering and I just couldn’t see me getting use out of it by wearing it on a random Thursday afternoon Costco run.
I’m not exactly a hat wearer and even in the winter, I’m
more likely to wear earmuffs or a hood covering my cranium.
No, this fuchsia hat is strictly a Kentucky Derby sort of
hat. So, rather than waste the opportunity, I got ready and headed out.
And, boy, am I glad I did.
I saw lots of former neighbors, which was fantastic. And everyone looked fantastic, too. I love when people play along with a theme.
The food was delicious and the bourbon was plentiful. Not
being a bourbon drinker, I alternated between my hot pink drink bottle filled
with water and a couple of glasses of not-too-sweet Rosé. So I was happy.
Everyone took lots of pictures and many of us sat in comfy
chairs on the deck above a creek with towering trees framing either side of the
flowing water. It was, well…picture perfect!
Since I had been to one other Kentucky Derby party many
years ago, I knew that the race itself is sort of anticlimactic. Oh, not for
the horses, the riders and the owners, I’m sure. But for the spectators. Two
minutes and – poof! – it’s all over.
But everyone stood in the living room in front of the TV
cheering on their favorites and it was an exciting two minutes.
Afterwards, the winners in the room were announced, and the women were each given a red rose, which was a nice touch. I also won a door prize, which was a commemorative 150th Kentucky Derby glass.
I left with renewed friendships and plans for future
get-togethers. I mean, sure, I still get together with several people from the
neighborhood on a regular basis. And I’m a member of the monthly book club, so
it’s great to stay in touch that way. But sometimes when you move away from a
neighborhood, those ties eventually unravel and you lose touch.
This neighborhood – my old neighborhood – though, is one in
a million. If Vince hadn’t passed and we hadn’t purchased a four-bedroom,
three-story home with way more rooms than I needed and flowers beds that seemed
to require weeding on the daily, I would have loved to stay there. But it was
just too much. And the memories of being with him in that house were just too difficult.
But I still feel welcomed there, which is pretty special.
Most everyone knows one another and are warm, friendly and
inviting. They help one another out and get together “just because.” There are
annual parties in the cul-de-sac and some neighbors shop together and even
travel together.
I have to admit that the first time the welcoming committee came
to my house shortly after Vince and I moved there, they scared me with all that
information. I had come from a community where I didn’t know any of my
neighbors – and I was completely okay with that. I told Vince that I thought we
had moved into some sort of Stepford Wives neighborhood.
Oh, and by the way, he went and told Pat and Suzy – the welcoming committee neighbors who became good friends! So they have never let me forget my fear that I was going to become a Stepford Wife.
At any rate, it didn’t take long before I was on the steering
committee, hosting meetings, joining the monthly book club and writing the
bimonthly newsletter.
Pat and Suzy told me I’d "joined the Dark Side." Haha. Funny girls.
But, anyway, after I left the party and got to my car, I
instantly removed the fuchsia hat. Frankly, I was surprised that I managed to
keep it on my head the entire day, but I’m guessing I was worried about hat
hair. I drove home with a big smile on my face as I replayed the many interactions
and conversations from the party.
In my new neighborhood, I’ve met quite a few neighbors, and
many are very nice. We don’t seem to have a “dark side” here, although there
are neighbors who socialize and play cards together and such.
Because Maggie Minx has become overly protective of me and
barks at every dog and person we pass on the street, it precludes me from
having extended conversations with anyone and I tend to simply wave hello and
move on as I drag my little “Dobershire” away.
On Saturday when I arrived home from the Derby party, one of my neighbors whom I’d never met was walking by with her Shih Tzu. She knocked on my car window and introduced herself and said she had admired my personalized license plate. She said her name is also Jane and told me quite a bit about herself, so I know she’s originally from North Carolina, is 89 years old and is “living in sin” with her man. (Oh, the things we tell strangers!) We spent the next ten minutes talking and getting to know one another (while Maggie – who was inside and evidently could tell I was home – barked incessantly.
Sigh…).
By the time I got inside and calmed down my ferocious beast
of a dog, I realized I was still smiling at the full circle my day had been. I
had lovely interactions with neighbors – old and new – and it was an all-around
wonderful day.
And, plus, I won ten bucks and a commemorative 150th
Kentucky Derby glass. What more could I ask for?
