I am looking in your window!

Adam and I moved to Fondren just before Morgan was born. We knew we wanted this house since the beginning of the year and though it didn't seem as it would work out, we ended up with it anyway (sound familiar Maggie?). Adam needed a little convincing to look at it again this summer and I know he is glad that he did! I think we put it to rest in our minds once our original contract fell through. We have ended up with wonderful neighbors that are very involved in the community. So we get weekly updates on the local happenings, as we see each other in our yards. That is how it is around here. Everyone walks or runs and they work in their yard. You won't drive down the street without seeing someone out in the evening pulling a weed or sitting outside with their puppy. One thing that Adam and I have noticed is that you can see inside people's homes as you drive by. This satisfies a secret love of mine - seeing how other people live. I am not trying to sound like Oprah, I promise. I think that there is something inviting about a house that has its shades open. It looks like someone lives there and they are welcoming guests! This area seems to have a lot of that and I think that newer homes are forgetting about that. The houses are closed up tight so you can't even tell if someone is home. We didn't know any of our neighbors in our old neighborhood and now we have hopes of actually socializing with them. This inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and try to meet some new people in the area. I went to the Fondren Ladies Auxiliary meeting, which is a purely social event. I say that to show that I was not there to help plan anything (though they hold several events throughout the year), I was just there to introduce myself to people. It was so different from church events, which is where I usually would meet someone, if not through someone else. People aren't "church friendly", though they were friendly. Some people didn't introduce themselves at all. I had to make up little ways to remember all the names and I had to approach some and get a conversation going. What a great exercise for someone who stays home all day with kids. I forget how to socialize in the real world sometimes. It is easy with my friends, because we can always talk about something or nothing at all. I am glad I did it. They did have short update on neighborhood security, which made me feel better. I see the private security company that the area has hired drive down my street throughout the day, but I didn't know all the services that they offer. They will actually meet you at your house and walk you to your door if you call them and say you are coming home and they will even inspect the perimeter or inside of your home for you. And they can be at your house within minutes if there is an emergency. Not bad at all.

Last night, we went to Fondren Unwrapped. All the local businesses stay open and have food and wine. Unbelievable amounts of food and wine. I didn't get to eat as much as I would have liked because we decided to make it a family event and take the kids. Our hopes of staying together with our large group diminished within the first few minutes. Our friend, Will, ended up roaming the street alone for half the night and he still had a great time. That shows you how fun it is. People are all so friendly (it may be all the wine). Morgan even got a little kiss from one store owner and an offer for a trade from another. The weather was great. Not too cold. We went in a few of the stores that I normally wouldn't go in (like some of the interior design studios) because I hate to pop in look for two seconds and then leave during a normal day. There was no shame in doing it last night though! Most had music and tents outside. One place that I will forever remember as the "chocolate palace" had truffles and I am ashamed to say that I ate several in a row without hesitation. The eye glasses place had crab cakes (the best I have ever had) and my next door neighbor had tomato basil soup (which I think was from Basil's and is my fav.) among other things at his interior design place. Several of our friends had booths with their art and it was neat to see them out. Adam parents came with us and helped with the kids. You know how it is, you bring the stroller but it ends up just carrying the bags. This is just one example of some of the cool things that Fondren does. I am going to put a link to the website so you can find something fun to do in this area too.