I have a similar story. We moved out to the country and one of the neighbors we met was an elderly man who we later found out actually grew up in our home. He has told us so many great stories and it has made me appreciate the house even more.
Hi Kelli, I love how the Lord is moving in your lives. Sweet video. May I respectfully share our experience? My husband never met a stranger and we have lived in our little neighborhood for 33 years. It is sort of like a fishbowl. We talked with everyone all the time. We began doing things for people as a kind gesture, such as mow a lawn, walk a dog etc. When I retired at 50 to finally fulfil my dream of homemaker it seems some neighbors took notice and were asking for more and more "help". Long story short it became a real problem and was extremely hard to finally put up boundaries. We learned a hard lesson. I was so surprised to find this scripture later on: Proverbs 25:17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house, lest he be weary of thee and so hate thee. I know you are very aware of keeping up good boundaries. The old saying of a good fence makes good neighbors is so true! May you continue to be blessed in your balanced neighborliness. :)
Totally agree! We spent our twenties learning hard lessons around boundaries, but I praise God for them because it's helped us now with these types of people!
I am I Australia. This is what I would do. In your front garden have a little table and chairs. Ask people who call by if they would like a tea or coffee... go inside, make a tray of tea, coffee, sugar and something to go with it and take the tray out to the table and just chat. No meal to prepare. But people love it.
I love this! My husbands grandparents are always asking anyone and everyone to come in and have tea and it’s really inspired me. I also get nervous/stressed when hosting and making meals for people but one piece of advice I was recently given is to have some frozen cookie dough balls and a simple homemade soup frozen in the freezer. So if someone comes over and stays longer than just for tea I can at least easily pull either cookie dough out and pop them on a pan into the oven or if I need a dinner in a pinch I can also put the soup in a pot with a lid on low on the stove. Served with some crackers and cheese and we’d have a simple homemade meal. I’m trying to get better at being neighborly too, I think it’s definitely another thing that has been lost in our generation. I seen an elderly lady in town the other day that my family and I were neighbors with in my early childhood years. We had a pretty friendly tight knit neighborhood back then. She was telling me that so many different families have moved in and out of that house since my family has lived there and that she misses the good old days when she had our family as good neighbors. She said she doesn’t even know the people who live there anymore, no one is willing to come over or introduce themselves anymore.
LOVE the "tea and coffee cultures!" Every time I read about it in my Janette Oke books, I smile and say, how delightful that would be! You've encouraged me to give this a try now too! And I LOVED your garden story - praise God for His ways!
I find your discussions so thoughtful and helpful. It is like having a conversation about things that matter with a friend. Getting to know a neighbor in a neighborhood is challenging. But where you live, it is even more so. It is encouraging to hear how God has been answering your prayers!
Bringing produce to my neighbors is a fantastic way to introduce yourself! I live rural as well, and bringing cookies,bread, jam, etc is also a good way to reach out!
I loved this! If you lived in my neighborhood,we could have tea parties together! 😊 I can be a real introvert at times. We live in an " old" family neighborhood. The Mom and Dad of the bunch live behind us. They do things for us, such as working the garden or giving produce ,etc. I make them meals or baked things in return. You do have to have healthy boundaries,as someone else mentioned. As for company, I had to learn how. Here's the secret. If you're more concerned about making your guests feel welcome and cared for, more than how you're feeling,it goes so much better! Find a couple menus that you really like and are easy to make and just use those until you're more comfortable. I have a suspicion that you already do a super job!
This is hard for me too. One way God has helped me to be more neighborly is to offer our neighbors some eggs from our chickens. We've met most all of our 11 neighbors this way. Now we either give or sell our extra eggs to them! 😊
I can relate to being nervous hosting, but I've learned that it's just in your head. People do appreciate your effort. Serving food can be a challenge, especially with possible dietary restrictions. Maybe embrace the tea/coffee culture, and ask people if they've tried or would like to try rooibos tea. My parents used to meet neighbors for coffee, so maybe the USA had that kind of culture at one time, but it's been displaced by smart phones? Another great video. 👍
Asking people for a cup of coffee/tea is much easier than making a meal for them. I think we should try to make this home coffee culture more common these days (and it is Scotts heritage you can ”import”, if people are not that used to that in the US anymore.) My grandma and grandpa used to had always quests, almost every evening someone came (unnoticed at that time) and she offered them coffee and something sweet to eat. it was time before television, I think people back then seek entertainment from each other . Now we go to media, because it is so easy, but isolating.
I think it just depends on WHERE you live in the USA. In rural America, this is still going on. We have people in & out of our house for coffee all week long. We also go to several of our neighbors for coffee, quick chats, look at gardens, borrow things. the coffee thing is big where I live. My house or My MIL's house up the street - those are the hot spots. Sometimes there are more folks than chairs, so we both keep folding chairs handy. Sometimes its in shifts; one group is leaving while another is coming in. I can't even explain it to you - it can get bonkers! I guess we are interesting people or something. My house on the weekend is like a Tractor Supply, complete with customers.🤣
Thank you for another great video, Kelli! I am an introvert, but I know being friendly and neighborly is super important. I’m so thankful for my husband who is a nice-people magnet, lol. He somehow manages to get involved in everything.
Very encouraging, as always ! What an interesting thing to pray about. I love seeing how the Lord provides in those sorts of prayers! Thank you for the inspiration!
It looks like many of us struggle with being more neighborly - myself included! I'm an introvert who loves the routine of my homemaking day. I find it hard to break my routine to work on getting to know people. Two resources I've found helpful: The Tourquoise Table by Kristen Schell and Jill Winger of the Old Fashioned on Purpose podcast. Jill Winger has a couple of podcasts about making friends and building community (I think she interviewed Kristen Schell at one point).
This was so encouraging. I’ve always felt less capable or simply uncomfortable with hosting others or with approaching neighbors. I have so many friends who it comes so easily to. It was a comfort to hear you open up about your struggles and your commitment to ask God for the opportunities to grow and be neighborly. I’m going to start praying for this as well. Thank you for this lovely message,
Hi Kelli! We have a neighbor with a standing weekly invitation to dinner, and it has been so life giving! Have you heard of the small company called little cottonwood? They have beautiful natural fiber clothes that seem close to your style!
Hi Kelli I’ve been watching your videos for a bit and just wanted to let you know that they’ve made me feel less alone. I’m also married, a homemaker, and a Christian (converted after going to a more liberal college). We also want children but haven’t been blessed with them yet. It’s cool to see someone else doing this who I can sort of relate to so thanks for doing it
During covid, i gave out toilet paper. I went to a shopping center and put a few rolls in the carts that were outside. I wrote on the bag "Love your neighbor...Jesus" I sat in my car secretly watching people find them! Great reactions and some people took pictures of the bags on their phone. ❤
Its interesting that you spoke on this topic. I have a massive flower garden. flowers everywhere. I can get lost working in the yard. Listening to Gods creatures sing to me. pulling weeds. all the garden things. Its where I feel close to the Lord. I used to be outgoing. life changed me that way. Its hard for me to just stop and be in the moment with someone who stopped by. It used to bug me that people would stop me. when I had so much to do. God showed me that this garden is not mine but his and to be obedient and gracious to guests stopping by to visit my garden. Long story and I could message you the wonderful blessings that God gave me during this learning process. I have been told that my garden has healed a tumultuous father daughter relationship. they would bond over trying to plant what I plant in my garden.. so many blessings and surprizes I could tell you about.
Our garden is close to our dirt road and it's how we've met all our neighbors! I feel very uncomfortable cooking in front of people ha. So I plan a meal I feel confident in and can easily make ahead and keep warm in the oven. 😊
What a great video! My husband and I found it much easier to be neighborly when we lived in the suburbs but now that we live in the mountains, it’s much harder. Most properties are large and fenced in with large (sometimes scary), dogs. So unless a neighbor ventures out to the road or fence, it’s really really hard to make contact; very hard to get to know people. I also am afraid to go onto properties with dogs - otherwise I’d bring cookies! I need to pray about what I can do, where I live :).
Kelli! You just walk up the drive and "Hello The House" Its an old colonial tradition that our region still carries on. We walk up the drive & give a lusty, hearty "HELLO". We have tons of new neighbors. We just show up, holler 'Hello", whether they like it or not. LOL YOU have to make the effort, not wait for others. We have made some of the best, new friends this way. People we have come to totally depend on, & they depend on us. Nothing is private where we live - we are all plunked in the middle of pastures, no fences, no 'backyards', still have front porches, and we all walk back & forth into each others' backyards by going 'cross lots'. We don't take the road most of the time. I am realizing that it is a pretty unusual culture, after our discussion at our women's group. Where I live, rural CNY, the tea & coffee thing is VERY popular. I am up & down the road all week long - people popping in to my house for coffee (everyone claims we make the BEST coffee & we keep a pot on all the time) or me popping in to their homes to have coffee/drop things off/borrow things etc... I have the opposite problem with neighborliness. I sometimes have TOO MUCH of it going on & it is very hard to get work done. We are also in the unique position of being related to almost every household on the road; both my husband's side & mine as we grew up 5 houses away from each other! We definitely look out for each other. Our power was out for 3 days recently. I have a generator & could live like usual. I had my next door neighbor's food at my house, she cooked her dinner in my kitchen, my BIL was responsible for keeping my generator running while I cooked their family dinner, among other help. It was like a super highway; food, coolers, buckets of water & diesel running up and down our street for 3 days! LOL We worry about our 'street' before worrying about anyone else, town, state, out of state friends, charities, etc...We are hyper focused on our actual neighbors. Our women's group has been discussing neighborliness & our Christian responsibility to others. There was very thought provoking discussion. Proverbs 3:28 "Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you"- when you already have it with you." this is what my husband & I have been working on. This WILL definitely inconvenience you! In order to follow Christ we MUST be/deal with the inconvenience. It is not about the 'good times' hanging out, having coffee with neighbors. It is about fulfilling others' needs thru your own sacrifices. It teaches you to 'die to self'. Take the Good Samaritan story for instance. totally inconvenienced, but did what was needed for his fellow man anyway.
I would love to invite people over but hosting and figuring out what to make for people liking is what gets to me and cooking for more then 4 people which is what I usually cook for.
A simple idea for dinners could be casseroles and a side. Like a spaghetti casserole with salad, or chicken enchilada casserole with chips and guacamole. Meat and sautéed/roasted vegetables are another great, simple and filling meal. I would just get comfortable with a few menus and keep those on rotation. 🥩 🥔 🥘
this is so funny this has been a conviction of mine!! I’ve brought it up to my husband a couple times. if anyone reads this if you don’t mind, praying for me and my specific neighborly problem/sin I have lived in this house before back when I was single. My father owns it and my now husband and I rent it so when I lived here before I was actually, not a born again Christian and practiced tarot and all sorts of witchy things however I was lot less modest and less quiet as in I was always outside with my cats and walking around doing very whimsical things, I would talk to the neighbors if they approached me and was really nice so they kept approaching me specifically this one 90 year old gentleman who I loved and treated like a grandpa and would make food for and give him food and he would help mow the lawn and all that well he ended up being a little too much and I started avoiding him sometimes and then one day he texted me out of the blue and said this really disturbing thing to me and it creeped me out and then he wanted to give me money and stuff because I was struggling financially because I was single at the time. I just saw the writing on the wall and felt like he wanted me to be his sugar baby and I just felt like I had no privacy and kind of scared because his daughter did live next to me, but then she moved away and got mad at her dad which was him and I never knew why but she wouldn’t talk to him anymore and he was 90! I guess that freaked me out because I wondered if he was a sexual predator or something I don’t know. so I just moved home back with my parents. However, I’m back now and he’s still alive and it’s so awkward. I haven’t said anything to him as basic basically been hiding in my house other neighbor that was really nice to me hasn’t said a word to me for whatever reason I’m not the best at initiating conversations or walking up to peoples homes or anything like that although my husband is pretty good at talking with people he’s not a fan of the old neighbor because of what I mentioned but we do understand forgiveness and all of that and that we should love our neighbors and that he might die soon so maybe I should reach out to him? But prayers for the situation with my two neighbors I feel like they’re upset with me and I don’t know. I just feel really weird about it, also with the baby all day by myself and I get sketched out easily. we live in the wooded country rural areas of Indiana so I really want to feel safe. I feel like being on good terms with my neighbors makes me feel safer but also at the same time like my privacy is invaded. I just feel like I’m sinning and I need to love my neighbors. I’ve been living here for almost a full year now and haven’t talked to them since I left in December 2020
I make basically the same meal for everyone who comes to our house. Enchiladas. I live in Germany and most people here don't know what enchiladas are supposed to taste like. I also like that I can make it in advance and it's in the oven and not something I have to deal with when the guests have arrived. Chips, salsa and guacamole on the table as an appetizer. Enchiladas with a pre-made salad 🥗. Bam. Done. Maybe you should make your signature dish something from your husbands home country that you like and almost no one will have a taste to compare it to and that can take the pressure off of you I think. Anything you can prep ahead is very helpful. Also Ina Garten I think once said never apologize for your food and once she messed up a meal horribly and they ordered delivery pizza. Or you have frozen pizza in the freezer as a back up.
I have a similar story. We moved out to the country and one of the neighbors we met was an elderly man who we later found out actually grew up in our home. He has told us so many great stories and it has made me appreciate the house even more.
You have such a sweet voice, I could listen to you talk all day. God bless you.
Thank you!
Me too!
Hi Kelli, I love how the Lord is moving in your lives. Sweet video. May I respectfully share our experience? My husband never met a stranger and we have lived in our little neighborhood for 33 years. It is sort of like a fishbowl. We talked with everyone all the time. We began doing things for people as a kind gesture, such as mow a lawn, walk a dog etc. When I retired at 50 to finally fulfil my dream of homemaker it seems some neighbors took notice and were asking for more and more "help". Long story short it became a real problem and was extremely hard to finally put up boundaries. We learned a hard lesson. I was so surprised to find this scripture later on: Proverbs 25:17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house, lest he be weary of thee and so hate thee. I know you are very aware of keeping up good boundaries. The old saying of a good fence makes good neighbors is so true! May you continue to be blessed in your balanced neighborliness. :)
Agree 100% on this one.
Totally agree! We spent our twenties learning hard lessons around boundaries, but I praise God for them because it's helped us now with these types of people!
I am I Australia. This is what I would do. In your front garden have a little table and chairs. Ask people who call by if they would like a tea or coffee... go inside, make a tray of tea, coffee, sugar and something to go with it and take the tray out to the table and just chat. No meal to prepare. But people love it.
I love this! My husbands grandparents are always asking anyone and everyone to come in and have tea and it’s really inspired me. I also get nervous/stressed when hosting and making meals for people but one piece of advice I was recently given is to have some frozen cookie dough balls and a simple homemade soup frozen in the freezer. So if someone comes over and stays longer than just for tea I can at least easily pull either cookie dough out and pop them on a pan into the oven or if I need a dinner in a pinch I can also put the soup in a pot with a lid on low on the stove. Served with some crackers and cheese and we’d have a simple homemade meal.
I’m trying to get better at being neighborly too, I think it’s definitely another thing that has been lost in our generation. I seen an elderly lady in town the other day that my family and I were neighbors with in my early childhood years. We had a pretty friendly tight knit neighborhood back then. She was telling me that so many different families have moved in and out of that house since my family has lived there and that she misses the good old days when she had our family as good neighbors. She said she doesn’t even know the people who live there anymore, no one is willing to come over or introduce themselves anymore.
This is such a great tip!! Thank you for sharing it!
LOVE the "tea and coffee cultures!" Every time I read about it in my Janette Oke books, I smile and say, how delightful that would be! You've encouraged me to give this a try now too!
And I LOVED your garden story - praise God for His ways!
I find your discussions so thoughtful and helpful. It is like having a conversation about things that matter with a friend. Getting to know a neighbor in a neighborhood is challenging. But where you live, it is even more so. It is encouraging to hear how God has been answering your prayers!
Bringing produce to my neighbors is a fantastic way to introduce yourself! I live rural as well, and bringing cookies,bread, jam, etc is also a good way to reach out!
I loved this! If you lived in my neighborhood,we could have tea parties together! 😊 I can be a real introvert at times. We live in an " old" family neighborhood. The Mom and Dad of the bunch live behind us. They do things for us, such as working the garden or giving produce ,etc. I make them meals or baked things in return. You do have to have healthy boundaries,as someone else mentioned. As for company, I had to learn how. Here's the secret. If you're more concerned about making your guests feel welcome and cared for, more than how you're feeling,it goes so much better! Find a couple menus that you really like and are easy to make and just use those until you're more comfortable. I have a suspicion that you already do a super job!
Such a great testimony and advice, thank you!!
This is hard for me too. One way God has helped me to be more neighborly is to offer our neighbors some eggs from our chickens. We've met most all of our 11 neighbors this way. Now we either give or sell our extra eggs to them! 😊
I can relate to being nervous hosting, but I've learned that it's just in your head. People do appreciate your effort. Serving food can be a challenge, especially with possible dietary restrictions. Maybe embrace the tea/coffee culture, and ask people if they've tried or would like to try rooibos tea. My parents used to meet neighbors for coffee, so maybe the USA had that kind of culture at one time, but it's been displaced by smart phones? Another great video. 👍
Asking people for a cup of coffee/tea is much easier than making a meal for them. I think we should try to make this home coffee culture more common these days (and it is Scotts heritage you can ”import”, if people are not that used to that in the US anymore.)
My grandma and grandpa used to had always quests, almost every evening someone came (unnoticed at that time) and she offered them coffee and something sweet to eat. it was time before television, I think people back then seek entertainment from each other . Now we go to media, because it is so easy, but isolating.
I think it just depends on WHERE you live in the USA. In rural America, this is still going on. We have people in & out of our house for coffee all week long. We also go to several of our neighbors for coffee, quick chats, look at gardens, borrow things. the coffee thing is big where I live. My house or My MIL's house up the street - those are the hot spots. Sometimes there are more folks than chairs, so we both keep folding chairs handy. Sometimes its in shifts; one group is leaving while another is coming in. I can't even explain it to you - it can get bonkers! I guess we are interesting people or something. My house on the weekend is like a Tractor Supply, complete with customers.🤣
Thank you for another great video, Kelli! I am an introvert, but I know being friendly and neighborly is super important. I’m so thankful for my husband who is a nice-people magnet, lol. He somehow manages to get involved in everything.
I love the simplicity of this topic. Su h a good reminder.
Very encouraging, as always ! What an interesting thing to pray about. I love seeing how the Lord provides in those sorts of prayers! Thank you for the inspiration!
Amen!
It is so beautiful to hear your heart and your willingness to grow in so many areas in your life. 💕
Wonderful topic ❤
Such a sweet video, Kelli ☺️🍅
It looks like many of us struggle with being more neighborly - myself included! I'm an introvert who loves the routine of my homemaking day. I find it hard to break my routine to work on getting to know people. Two resources I've found helpful: The Tourquoise Table by Kristen Schell and Jill Winger of the Old Fashioned on Purpose podcast. Jill Winger has a couple of podcasts about making friends and building community (I think she interviewed Kristen Schell at one point).
Another great book is The Gospel Comes with a House key. It is encouraging but I would have to have a bit more boundaries than Roseria Butterfield 😊
This was so encouraging. I’ve always felt less capable or simply uncomfortable with hosting others or with approaching neighbors. I have so many friends who it comes so easily to. It was a comfort to hear you open up about your struggles and your commitment to ask God for the opportunities to grow and be neighborly. I’m going to start praying for this as well. Thank you for this lovely message,
This is beautiful. We have a 1/4 mile long drive way and have struggled to get out of our comfort zone to meet our neighbors!
Hi Kelli! We have a neighbor with a standing weekly invitation to dinner, and it has been so life giving!
Have you heard of the small company called little cottonwood? They have beautiful natural fiber clothes that seem close to your style!
Hi Kelli I’ve been watching your videos for a bit and just wanted to let you know that they’ve made me feel less alone. I’m also married, a homemaker, and a Christian (converted after going to a more liberal college). We also want children but haven’t been blessed with them yet. It’s cool to see someone else doing this who I can sort of relate to so thanks for doing it
YES, a much needed quality these days!
Thank you for sharing this! Always an inspiring topic. ⭐☀️
Very encouraging 😊
During covid, i gave out toilet paper. I went to a shopping center and put a few rolls in the carts that were outside. I wrote on the bag "Love your neighbor...Jesus"
I sat in my car secretly watching people find them! Great reactions and some people took pictures of the bags on their phone. ❤
Its interesting that you spoke on this topic. I have a massive flower garden. flowers everywhere. I can get lost working in the yard. Listening to Gods creatures sing to me. pulling weeds. all the garden things. Its where I feel close to the Lord. I used to be outgoing. life changed me that way. Its hard for me to just stop and be in the moment with someone who stopped by. It used to bug me that people would stop me. when I had so much to do. God showed me that this garden is not mine but his and to be obedient and gracious to guests stopping by to visit my garden. Long story and I could message you the wonderful blessings that God gave me during this learning process. I have been told that my garden has healed a tumultuous father daughter relationship. they would bond over trying to plant what I plant in my garden.. so many blessings and surprizes I could tell you about.
This is such a great testimony, praise God!!
Our garden is close to our dirt road and it's how we've met all our neighbors!
I feel very uncomfortable cooking in front of people ha. So I plan a meal I feel confident in and can easily make ahead and keep warm in the oven. 😊
What a great video! My husband and I found it much easier to be neighborly when we lived in the suburbs but now that we live in the mountains, it’s much harder. Most properties are large and fenced in with large (sometimes scary), dogs. So unless a neighbor ventures out to the road or fence, it’s really really hard to make contact; very hard to get to know people. I also am afraid to go onto properties with dogs - otherwise I’d bring cookies! I need to pray about what I can do, where I live :).
Kelli! You just walk up the drive and "Hello The House" Its an old colonial tradition that our region still carries on. We walk up the drive & give a lusty, hearty "HELLO". We have tons of new neighbors. We just show up, holler 'Hello", whether they like it or not. LOL YOU have to make the effort, not wait for others. We have made some of the best, new friends this way. People we have come to totally depend on, & they depend on us. Nothing is private where we live - we are all plunked in the middle of pastures, no fences, no 'backyards', still have front porches, and we all walk back & forth into each others' backyards by going 'cross lots'. We don't take the road most of the time. I am realizing that it is a pretty unusual culture, after our discussion at our women's group.
Where I live, rural CNY, the tea & coffee thing is VERY popular. I am up & down the road all week long - people popping in to my house for coffee (everyone claims we make the BEST coffee & we keep a pot on all the time) or me popping in to their homes to have coffee/drop things off/borrow things etc... I have the opposite problem with neighborliness. I sometimes have TOO MUCH of it going on & it is very hard to get work done. We are also in the unique position of being related to almost every household on the road; both my husband's side & mine as we grew up 5 houses away from each other! We definitely look out for each other. Our power was out for 3 days recently. I have a generator & could live like usual. I had my next door neighbor's food at my house, she cooked her dinner in my kitchen, my BIL was responsible for keeping my generator running while I cooked their family dinner, among other help. It was like a super highway; food, coolers, buckets of water & diesel running up and down our street for 3 days! LOL We worry about our 'street' before worrying about anyone else, town, state, out of state friends, charities, etc...We are hyper focused on our actual neighbors. Our women's group has been discussing neighborliness & our Christian responsibility to others. There was very thought provoking discussion.
Proverbs 3:28 "Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you"- when you already have it with you." this is what my husband & I have been working on. This WILL definitely inconvenience you! In order to follow Christ we MUST be/deal with the inconvenience. It is not about the 'good times' hanging out, having coffee with neighbors. It is about fulfilling others' needs thru your own sacrifices. It teaches you to 'die to self'. Take the Good Samaritan story for instance. totally inconvenienced, but did what was needed for his fellow man anyway.
I would love to invite people over but hosting and figuring out what to make for people liking is what gets to me and cooking for more then 4 people which is what I usually cook for.
A simple idea for dinners could be casseroles and a side. Like a spaghetti casserole with salad, or chicken enchilada casserole with chips and guacamole. Meat and sautéed/roasted vegetables are another great, simple and filling meal. I would just get comfortable with a few menus and keep those on rotation. 🥩 🥔 🥘
this is so funny this has been a conviction of mine!! I’ve brought it up to my husband a couple times. if anyone reads this if you don’t mind, praying for me and my specific neighborly problem/sin I have lived in this house before back when I was single. My father owns it and my now husband and I rent it so when I lived here before I was actually, not a born again Christian and practiced tarot and all sorts of witchy things however I was lot less modest and less quiet as in I was always outside with my cats and walking around doing very whimsical things, I would talk to the neighbors if they approached me and was really nice so they kept approaching me specifically this one 90 year old gentleman who I loved and treated like a grandpa and would make food for and give him food and he would help mow the lawn and all that well he ended up being a little too much and I started avoiding him sometimes and then one day he texted me out of the blue and said this really disturbing thing to me and it creeped me out and then he wanted to give me money and stuff because I was struggling financially because I was single at the time. I just saw the writing on the wall and felt like he wanted me to be his sugar baby and I just felt like I had no privacy and kind of scared because his daughter did live next to me, but then she moved away and got mad at her dad which was him and I never knew why but she wouldn’t talk to him anymore and he was 90! I guess that freaked me out because I wondered if he was a sexual predator or something I don’t know. so I just moved home back with my parents. However, I’m back now and he’s still alive and it’s so awkward. I haven’t said anything to him as basic basically been hiding in my house other neighbor that was really nice to me hasn’t said a word to me for whatever reason I’m not the best at initiating conversations or walking up to peoples homes or anything like that although my husband is pretty good at talking with people he’s not a fan of the old neighbor because of what I mentioned but we do understand forgiveness and all of that and that we should love our neighbors and that he might die soon so maybe I should reach out to him? But prayers for the situation with my two neighbors I feel like they’re upset with me and I don’t know. I just feel really weird about it, also with the baby all day by myself and I get sketched out easily. we live in the wooded country rural areas of Indiana so I really want to feel safe. I feel like being on good terms with my neighbors makes me feel safer but also at the same time like my privacy is invaded. I just feel like I’m sinning and I need to love my neighbors. I’ve been living here for almost a full year now and haven’t talked to them since I left in December 2020
I make basically the same meal for everyone who comes to our house. Enchiladas. I live in Germany and most people here don't know what enchiladas are supposed to taste like. I also like that I can make it in advance and it's in the oven and not something I have to deal with when the guests have arrived. Chips, salsa and guacamole on the table as an appetizer. Enchiladas with a pre-made salad 🥗. Bam. Done. Maybe you should make your signature dish something from your husbands home country that you like and almost no one will have a taste to compare it to and that can take the pressure off of you I think. Anything you can prep ahead is very helpful. Also Ina Garten I think once said never apologize for your food and once she messed up a meal horribly and they ordered delivery pizza. Or you have frozen pizza in the freezer as a back up.
❤