It's The Little Things

Other than no power, we are all okay. I ventured as far as Nick's Place for coffee, a roadside farm stand to purchase pumpkins and Stop & Shop for Halloween treats.

We had guests appearing at our house at 4.00 pm. Small guests. Energetic, enthusiastic and effusive guests! Our little kids on our street...and their parents.. Our family is now the old family on the block, our kids are big, the outdoor games, running, climbing and jumping have been replaced with rolling cars down the driveway and jumping for joy at the sight of a new text or tweet.

Our house is on the corner, it's home of the bus stop. The previous homeowners noted that we are the keepers of "the school bus rock". We have the distinct honor of attending to the rock by informing the up and coming kids who follow in our kids footsteps, We see to it that the school bus rock rocks on.

That rock is an official rock of passage. It's a quiet meeting place to gear up before school with moms, dads and coffee cups and kid backpacks. After school, it's a playground staple...so is our yard,...and our path...good for winding down and letting go.

Halloween hunting on our path has evolved...outside or inside...pumpkins or cookies and Halloween fun. The neighborhood little ones love my crooked path with my crooked chunky rocks and stones....Sprinkling marbles or little glass "magic stones" the kids call them and seasonal silly things like Easter eggs filled with bubbles and trinkets.

Our kids are in high school. Our family has graduated, we're the old people on the street, we have a whole new crop of kiddies on Copperstone Lane. Our kids' partners in crime on Copperstone have relocated to other places.

Yes, we still have gingerbread house decoratng parties at Christmas with bunches of howling high school girls and guys. I love that the tradition has carried on...for the kids too. We all laugh because we all look forward to something we started so many years ago...who knew it would have such staying power. Some traditions morph over the years into events.  My husband says, with our family, if we do something once, it's a tradition.

Though our kids have grown, I can still enjoy the excitement of the seasons and keep our small town fun spirit alive and well on our street. Our kids enjoy it too. We all benefit by connecting.with both kids and adults of all ages.. I like whimsy and silly traditions. They're important in our family. They bond us. Memories matter.

Our children and your children and other children matter. We're all looking out for each other. Life is filled with lots of small circles. Children need safe circles. Our kids are blessed to have that with neighbors and friends here in Madison.

I grew up in a wonderful town with small circles of childhood friends and neighbors that have multiplied and stayed connected. My husband too. We had good people in our lives who added plain old fashioned fun to our childhood...

Mr.& Mrs.Mc Dermott down the street...they always gave us "Chuckles" candy and sang silly old songs to us.  

"Uncle Tom", a retired uncle of one of the neighborhood kids. He was like the Pied Piper of pick up baseball games. Boys and girls of all ages were included and encouraged to join in the games at our field at Pollywog Pond.

Since we've lived in Madison, our great neighbors have cider and donuts for our neighborhood trick or treaters...today, our teenagers still look forward to it.

We can each make a difference by little the little things, simple things, small gestures... Not everything has to be done in grand Martha Stewart style. Don't we always remember the random people who were good to us as kids or made us feel special?

It's good for folks of all ages and we all learn about life by mixing the generations. It's exposure to different people that teaches us to respect each other and learn from each other. We can each make a difference in small gestures. It's the traditions we remember...and the little things.