I read about Peter Lovenheim's Won't you be my neighbor? experiment and felt grateful for my neighbors. I actually know about half the (~180) people on my block. We have had several over for BBQ and play dates, exchanged outgrown kids' stuff, shared tools and books, joined together in clean up or repair projects, etc.
When I was really sick, and Mark was away on work travel, and Iris was much younger, no fewer than three families on our block took care of Iris so I could get some much needed rest.
I am especially sad about the recent departure of a former coworker and his wife. An astronomer, he used to set up a telescope in his driveway for neighborhood kids. His wife, in addition to selling me Tupperware and tucking in recipes with my orders; enjoyed knitting, crocheting and sewing. And she could read Japanese. I bought a half dozen Japanese pattern books with the expectation that I could walk down the street with them for help.
Sigh. Her ivy-league MBA trumped his PhD in astrophysics (Caltech) in earning power. Plus, she found a great job in her hometown where her kids could spend unlimited time with their doting grandparents.
They sold their house to a family that can read Chinese. Are there interesting Chinese pattern books I should try?
Some of the kanji are the same in Chinese and Japanese. You could ask the new neighbor to give it a whirl (especially if it's a pattern with lots of pictures.)
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