together Tuesdays

We actually left our neighborhood last weekend.

cool sculpture and outdoor chandelier

Around here, the snow turns quickly to ice, and creates danger zones on roads, so I prefer to stay home rather than join 100-car pile-ups.
that said, last weekend brought a thaw, and we three got in the car and drove to our favorite place to walk... Washington Park in Denver.

Milo and Daddy walking around

160 acres of pretty, plus a neighborhood of stunning homes all around it. Peace and interesting sites, quiet and families playing, dogs and children and old buildings, water, croquet courts, basketball and volleyball and small lakes.

when did you ever see a dog cart???

two encounters made an impression on me
1. a 70 year old woman came out her front door as we were looking at her house's architecture. I asked if it was built in the 20's as the surrounding homes looked like that time period more than the 1910's we left a block away. She said, "it's old"

that started a roller coaster of conversation, and led to a short tour of her front rooms inside. I learned:

her mom loved old houses and garage sales long before they were trendy. Her mom gave her Dad an ultimatum, buy me an old house or get a divorce. I don't know if she was joking or not but soon after the purchase they divorced anyway.
This older woman inheireted the old house (which couldn't have been too old when they moved in, possibly starting the divorce proceedings)  with her brother when their mother died. It had one owner before them, and it was now in a dismal state of disrepair.

She was told by an agent she could likely sell it for $900,000. People were buying in her area and tearing homes down.
NO!!!!!
so she basically grew up in this house, and was doing no repairs. She said she was sad to think of someone changing it, but she'd be gone so that was fine. As only someone who is in the winter of life who has survived two strokes can be, she was resigned and almost cheerful to it.
She insisted I come in and see the front room. Heavenly for me! Just standing on the curved porch and looking out allowed me to imagine how it once looked and how it would feel to belong in this nice neighborhood of gracious homes.
It so reminded me of the home I grew up in, built a decade before this one was. Ahhhh I stood and looked past the piles of boxes and dusty stuff, a hoarder's home, to the chandelier, the elaborate woodwork, the built in window seats and layout.
Suddenly she became quiet and whispered that we should not let her brother know she brought someone else in.... so we crept out the old wooden door with the glass in the top, to the delapidated wood porch and looked out across the tree lined street.
yes I could imagine living here.
She was a right chatterbox and jumped from topic to topic, and I was gleefully along for the ride!
What a window into someone's life after walking up and down the streets looking at homes from the sidewalk.
She abruptly had to go, as her neighbor drove up with a little boy this older woman just HAD to talk to.

2. walking into the park, we saw the lovely space filled with happy people biking, walking dogs, playing ball, chasing their kids, or sitting quietly. We joined them for a walk around the perimeter and Milo got to interact with several dogs.

A woman approached with what I mistook for a Viszla and I asked. No it's a mix, but our two dogs began to do the dog meeting ritual, the dance end to end with noses twitching and shy glances toward each other. Then as one, they broke apart and visited each other's persons (us).
As happens in the doggie world, the people began to chat.
This young woman is a transplant from Texas, living with her sister renting here in the neighborhood I love.
As only young people can, she knew everything and had every answer. She hasn't lived long enough to realize there is a need for compromise, adjustment in expectation, and accomodation of others.
It was fun for me to talk to her, and hear a point of view so different from mine.

She shared her strong opinions, as if they were truths. She does not like people who are quirky or living lives other than hers. She longs to leave the "weirdness" of Denver, the really weirdness of  Boulder and Ft Collins (all places I'm drawn to as I like people being themselves and a bit different) and move to WY.

Go on, I say! Find your place where everyone is just like you! Wherever that is!
We found common ground in dog love. She told me all about dogs she grew up with. She told me about this dog that wakes her in the night, jumping into her bed to spoon.
"he likes to be the big spoon against my back, wrapping his legs over me. But he stinks"
He sure did, and just after this comment, he tried to, ahem, "hug" Milo who said, knock that off!

Before we parted ways she said something I kind of related to, that being middle class was so hard as the poorest might have support and the richest have their money, but it's hard to be in the middle. I suggested since she is young, she find some answers for all, as we are only as safe and happy as our weakest citizens.

She looked a bit perplexed but smiled and said goodbye

Linking to

cheesy photos at ched curtain