I am surrounded by remarkable friendships. I write about this on the regular because I not only love my girls..but know I am very fortunate. We moved away from Connecticut 16 years ago to Massachusetts, and with four kids under seven years old, it wasn't an easy move for me. I left behind family, amazing friends, and an incredible neighborhood. I wanted to make sure my next house and neighborhood would have all the qualities and attributes that my current ones had. Moving is a huge deal..life changing. #Yankeesforever #NoButs #sayinggoodbye
Me and a few of the girls in my hood enjoying a dock night
In addition to a quality education, my stipulations for our new home/neighborhood were: the houses wouldn't be too far apart, neighbors would be within sight (if I needed an egg, I wasn't running an acre to get it), and there needed to be an abundance of children. I wanted to make sure my kids would have friends close by..built in playdates..but I also needed those bonds. We were completely new to the area..I didn't know a soul. Not finding a solid neighborhood was a dealbreaker for me, and I really got lucky. Though our neighborhood has seen turnover throughout the years, there has been a consistency of (mostly) good families moving in and quite a few fabulous women that have become lifetime friends. #changes #lifechange #movingon
When my kids were younger, we vacationed with a few of the families in our hood to Cape Cod in the summer and New Hampshire and Vermont in the winter. There were always a lot of kids and loads of good times and memories. The summer in my hood included days at a neighbor's pool, movie nights for all to attend on the lawn w/a giant man-made screen, neighborhood barbeques, and many nights just chilling out in front of a fire pit. Halloween was an absolute blast with kids-galore and a neighbor having an annual party. Parents walked around with their drink, while the kids trick or treated..a win-win for both. During the school year, we walked our kids to the busy stop in our pajamas, holding our cups of coffee, while catching up on local town news and neighborhood gossip. Those were the days...good times. #Desperatehousewives #Womeninthehood #familyvacations #morningcoffee #smalltownvibes
The kids are older now, and although I do reminisce about the 'old days,' I am pretty fulfilled with where I am now in my life. I didn't have the time to read and just enjoy down time when my kids were younger, and now I do. Writing a blog..for fun..would NEVER have happened. I'm now involved in a neighborhood book club, and we meet every month or so to discuss our newest read. My neighbors and I have had the opportunity to engage in community service, that quite honestly, I definitely didn't have the energy for when the kids were younger. And, I am finally enjoying the neighborhood dock I love so much on my street..walking down and getting end-of-day sun that I NEVER indulged in when the kids were younger. My friends and I delight in wine nights at the dock, taking in the view, while savoring in adult conversation. Despite the Covid, I have found peace and happiness in my hood, and the company is what makes it all worthwhile. #goodtimes
#girltime #momslife #winenight #docklife #bookclub #amreading #AnonymousGirl #DaisyJonesandtheSix #WheretheCrawdadsSing #LuckiestGirlAlive