Cabbages in the Lawn

My neighbor grows cabbages in her front yard. I don't mean close to her house. She grows 'em right smack dab in the middle of the lawn, complete with a fence to discourage those wascally wabbits. Not only cabbages, but also various asundry other vegetables.

My neighborhood certainly isn't the most luxe in my area, but it can hold its own. It is an older neighborhood with big wooded lots and towering old growth trees. It borders the country club, but the newer houses on the other side of the golf course are larger and much more expensive. Yet visually it is certainly among the most attractive areas in the county. So I suppose I should be angry with the constant gardener.

But I'm not. Alice is one of the many people in my community who enrich my life. She is a sweet elderly lady, a widow. When we moved here, she was the first to welcome us. She is always there to greet you with a smile and a big hello. She still works part time selling ladies cosmetics. She plays bridge with her friends and has Sunday breakfast at the club with her daughter. She always tells me to please stop over so she can show me her garden and offers to share its bounty. She is so proud of it.

She is the type of person who "knows" things, and makes it her business to know your business. I suppose some might call her a busy body. But when someone is in trouble, she is the first to call those who can help. When another elderly neighbor's house burned to the ground last year, I called Alice to find out what needed to be done to help. When someone dies, Alice can give you any information you need to know in order to offer the right kind of assistance. When my mother went into the hospital, Alice found out and was first to call, as well advise the bridge partners as to my mother's progress. Frankly, I don't think the neighborhood could function without her.

In many of today's real estate developments, Alice would be subject to Neighborhood Association rules and restrictions. Everything looks the same. No individualism. No diversity. No character. In many of these developments, one has to get permission to plant a bush, put up a Christmas decoration, plant a flower or fly the American flag. How sad for those who live in such places to miss the opportunity to live by someone who grows cabbages in the front yard.

So when I drive by Alice's house in the summer, I don't see a fenced in vegetable garden in the middle of a lawn. I see someone that is stalwart member of our neighborhood, a true friend and a true neighbor. I am thankful for those cabbages and for a wonderful lady who adds texture to my life. I hope Alice and her cabbages are there for many years to come.