Above - my doggy bro Jud.
We've had some good neighbors through the years. As busy as people are today, I think we've kinda forgotten how important it is to be a good neighbor. And how nice it is to HAVE good neighbors.
I've written before about our neighbors in Atlantic, the Reinertsons. It was excellent to grow up with another fam with kids of similar ages right near by! The rest of our part of the block was made up of older folks - the Millers were across the street along with the Baxters (Harley and Mildred). Their city block was a wide one with enough room for a small corn field out back - Harley planted potatoes and sweet corn. He also mowed our yard (Dad traveled and had allergies, 2 decent excuses), and took care of our doggy, Jud (it's a family name, I didn't really name my kid after my dog) when we traveled.
Laurie Reinertson and I spent many hours messing around behind the Millers house trying to catch a bunny rabbit for a pet. Yes, I desired to have a dirty 'ol rabbit of my very own. A family always lived under Millers shed behind their house. We tried the cartoon method of tying a carrot on a stick that was propping up a box. Never worked though - rascally rabbits! (wascally wabbits).
In Ames, I met my beloved Pool Boy at my very first apartment at 230 Campus Avenue. We lived in the 400 units and he in the 200's right next to some of our girlfriends. So we ended up playing softball together. The rest is....well you know. True love and bff.
Skip through several apartments where there didn't seem to be a great deal of friend material only fighting and loving through thin walls. Ick. When we lived in Osage, our only rental home - duplex made out of an older house, the deafish lady lived in the other part kept us listening to make sure she wasn't dead. Wow did she play her TV loudly. But some other neighbors, the Walls were nice and gave us a gift when Amy was born. Later when we moved to Creston, we met their son who lived here. Small world!
When we moved to Creston, we looked at several homes to buy, but we settled upon one as our only true option - 201 E. Prairie. It was in a strange neighborhood - a school kitty corner, FmHA homes to the side and nobody right next to us. So neighbors were hard to meet. But once Amy grew up a little and we were outside more, we became friends with the Tyners.
Don and Betty Tyner were around my parents' age. They lived in a nice yellow house across the backyard from our house. Jud must have been around 3 when Tyners built a screened in porch out back. Since our picture windows faced that way, we watched progress through the summer. We began to wander over to check out progress. Of course Moki the wonder dog would come along. Jud was quite interested in the builder and building process and became chummy with Paul the builder man.
Don and Betty were always so kind to the children, who began to think that Tyner's house was like ours and they could just walk in the screened in porch and the house whenever they wanted to! Betty would make a big deal out of their visits and offer some refreshment. When Amy began to play piano, there would be a mini recital on Betty's piano. Don had a red Ford truck that he offered for us to borrow when we needed to haul stuff. We also borrowed their camcorder for important events.
It was sad to move away from Don and Betty - our surrogate grandparents when we moved to our present home. You try not to lose touch, but of course you do. We like our neighbors here on Port Road - lots of good families. I especially enjoy watching the kids grow up - it makes me nostalgic for those times with our children. (but only briefly...)
Don Tyner passed away a couple weeks ago. I saw his obit in the paper. It had been a while since I'd seen the two of them - Jud, in his little boy language always ran the two names together - Dom Betty. They were rarely apart. I know Betty will be lost without him. Peace on ya Don.
I've written before about our neighbors in Atlantic, the Reinertsons. It was excellent to grow up with another fam with kids of similar ages right near by! The rest of our part of the block was made up of older folks - the Millers were across the street along with the Baxters (Harley and Mildred). Their city block was a wide one with enough room for a small corn field out back - Harley planted potatoes and sweet corn. He also mowed our yard (Dad traveled and had allergies, 2 decent excuses), and took care of our doggy, Jud (it's a family name, I didn't really name my kid after my dog) when we traveled.
Laurie Reinertson and I spent many hours messing around behind the Millers house trying to catch a bunny rabbit for a pet. Yes, I desired to have a dirty 'ol rabbit of my very own. A family always lived under Millers shed behind their house. We tried the cartoon method of tying a carrot on a stick that was propping up a box. Never worked though - rascally rabbits! (wascally wabbits).
In Ames, I met my beloved Pool Boy at my very first apartment at 230 Campus Avenue. We lived in the 400 units and he in the 200's right next to some of our girlfriends. So we ended up playing softball together. The rest is....well you know. True love and bff.
Skip through several apartments where there didn't seem to be a great deal of friend material only fighting and loving through thin walls. Ick. When we lived in Osage, our only rental home - duplex made out of an older house, the deafish lady lived in the other part kept us listening to make sure she wasn't dead. Wow did she play her TV loudly. But some other neighbors, the Walls were nice and gave us a gift when Amy was born. Later when we moved to Creston, we met their son who lived here. Small world!
When we moved to Creston, we looked at several homes to buy, but we settled upon one as our only true option - 201 E. Prairie. It was in a strange neighborhood - a school kitty corner, FmHA homes to the side and nobody right next to us. So neighbors were hard to meet. But once Amy grew up a little and we were outside more, we became friends with the Tyners.
Don and Betty Tyner were around my parents' age. They lived in a nice yellow house across the backyard from our house. Jud must have been around 3 when Tyners built a screened in porch out back. Since our picture windows faced that way, we watched progress through the summer. We began to wander over to check out progress. Of course Moki the wonder dog would come along. Jud was quite interested in the builder and building process and became chummy with Paul the builder man.
Don and Betty were always so kind to the children, who began to think that Tyner's house was like ours and they could just walk in the screened in porch and the house whenever they wanted to! Betty would make a big deal out of their visits and offer some refreshment. When Amy began to play piano, there would be a mini recital on Betty's piano. Don had a red Ford truck that he offered for us to borrow when we needed to haul stuff. We also borrowed their camcorder for important events.
It was sad to move away from Don and Betty - our surrogate grandparents when we moved to our present home. You try not to lose touch, but of course you do. We like our neighbors here on Port Road - lots of good families. I especially enjoy watching the kids grow up - it makes me nostalgic for those times with our children. (but only briefly...)
Don Tyner passed away a couple weeks ago. I saw his obit in the paper. It had been a while since I'd seen the two of them - Jud, in his little boy language always ran the two names together - Dom Betty. They were rarely apart. I know Betty will be lost without him. Peace on ya Don.
Yep neighbors are important people in real life. Don't take them for granted.
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