Law and order

I've been sleeping at the kids' because the bed is still not up. Sophie has given me her bed and is sharing space with her daddy while mommy is in a distant state making friends with Gloria Putnam Smith. (See Jenn's blog.)

I'm checking out my new neighborhood. I do the grandmother thing today and take the girls to a local playground which is just a few short blocks from my house. "My house". It's starting to settle in. Sophie swings on the monkey-bars and Hannah learns how to climb a net. I watch an older gent pushing his two grandsons on a tire swing. Hmm ... I smile and make small talk. Not bad. Babci's checking out the neighbors too. I figure it's safer in a playground than a parking lot.

The girls and I walk back to "my house" and I take them on to the porch and feed them chips and ice water and you would think I've given them a happy meal from McDonald's. They watch me open the most gorgeous sunflowers sent by a cyberspace buddy. Mucho thanks, Geogirl! The flowers now grace my living room. Hannah strokes my mom's large, multi-colored afghan and exclaims: "These colors are very pretty. I like this blanket." I am beaming. My mother, wherever she may be, is beaming too. I'm sure of it.

Grandparents are plentiful this week. David's parents are in town making their annual pilgrimage from Calgary. The girls are getting smothered with attention. I'm glad to share as I have lots to do in "my house". I take the girls downstairs and we wait for Bubba and Grandpop George to pull up; it's now their special time for lunch with the munchkins.

Just as their car arrives in the common driveway, another guy pulls up in back. He wanders into the duplex next to mine and comes out as I'm waving goodbye to the girls. I look at him and smile and he smiles and announces that he's a local sheriff. Was he serving a warrant to my next-door neighbors?! I ask him if the neighborhood is, like, user friendly? He assures me that it's really a good place and that I should just phone him up if I have any concerns. Phone him. Anytime. He then hands me a business card and in one breath lets me know that he's a) a bachelor b) 67 years old c) works in law and order d) goes out a lot but has an answering machine. He pulls out. I wave. I look at the business card: deputy sheriff, notary public, and auctioneer.

I'm in town less than a week and I've already met a guy who's good with handcuffs and respects antiques.

Things are looking up.