toothpick from his mouth and gestured to the street. “I saw that moving van yesterday picking up empty boxes, so I knew you were making progress.”
Mabel crossed the driveway and ran a critical eye over the hedge, but didn’t say anything when she joined us. “They’re almost unpacked,” Ed told her with triumph in his voice. “Knew it, seeing that truck.”
Mabel nodded. “You had the blue carpet removed.” Her voice was flat and I couldn’t tell if she approved or disapproved.
“Yes, we did.” I was glad Mitch had hung those miniblinds. Were these people watching us instead of television for entertainment? “We didn’t like the color,” I said. It was an awful shade of turquoise and full of dirt.
“Hideous.” Mabel said. She wore a white shirt, khaki pants, and a blue-and-yellow plaid vest. Did she always wear plaid? I saw her gardening a few days ago wearing orange and yellow plaid shorts.
Mabel nodded her head in the direction of the Vincents’ house. “How’s he taking his wife’s death?”
“You knew the Vincents?”
“Of course. They’re part of the neighborhood. We make it a point to meet everyone and keep an eye on things.”
I’m sure you do. Mitch and I exchanged a glance and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. He hid a smile and I said, “He’s still in shock, I think.”
“Not surprising,” Mabel agreed. She squinted down the street at the plain white house next to the Vincents'. “I wonder if she ever met her neighbor—the one in the white house.”
“I don’t know.”
Mabel leaned toward me and said confidentially, “Cassandra spent hours gardening in her yard, but I think she worked outside so she could watch that house.”
“Now, Mabel, you don’t know that,” Ed cautioned.
“Well, she watched it and she asked me if I knew anything about the people who lived there.”
Ed harrumphed and drew Mitch over to examine a patch of lawn that wasn’t as verdantly green as the rest of his grass.
Mabel said, “I think Cassandra suspected it was a drug house.”
“What?”
“Strange comings and goings at night. Lots of activity after dark. I’m watching it.”
“Oh. Well. That’s good.” I think. At least it might keep her gaze off our house.
Mabel changed the subject. “How do you like your new house?”
I smiled. “We love it. Now if it will just cool off we can really start enjoying it. It’s like an oven in there right now.”
“You don’t have a window cooler?” Mabel asked, glancing at Livvy in the stroller.
“No. We didn’t know we needed one.” How could they miss knowing that? They seemed to know everything else.
“Ed, find that window unit we got at the garage sale last year and help them put it in.” Mabel started back to the house. She tossed over her shoulder, “Got a good deal on it. Use it until it cools off.”
I stood for a few seconds with my mouth open before I shut it. Abrupt, generous, and nosy. What a combination for our next-door neighbors. I glanced back atJoe’s house. I hoped he was doing something else besides staring at the TV with the sound turned down. But bluish light flickered in his front windows.
An Everything in Its Place Tip for an M
Organized Move
You don’t have to move everything. In fact, don’t move everything!
Sift through your belongings and lighten the load. If you’ve had something stashed in your closet for years, think about why you hang on to it.
Purge old records from your files.
Eliminate items you won’t need in your new location. For instance, if you won’t have much of a yard pare down lawn equipment. No fireplace? Give away fireplace tools.
Chapter
Five
Simplicity, clarity, singleness: these are the
attributes that give our lives power and vividness
and joy.
—Richard Halloway
W ith Livvy’s cries ricocheting off the windows, I adjusted the angle of the mirrors and shoved a jumble of paper cups, tissues, and a Snickers wrapper aside with my foot to make room for my
Mabel crossed the driveway and ran a critical eye over the hedge, but didn’t say anything when she joined us. “They’re almost unpacked,” Ed told her with triumph in his voice. “Knew it, seeing that truck.”
Mabel nodded. “You had the blue carpet removed.” Her voice was flat and I couldn’t tell if she approved or disapproved.
“Yes, we did.” I was glad Mitch had hung those miniblinds. Were these people watching us instead of television for entertainment? “We didn’t like the color,” I said. It was an awful shade of turquoise and full of dirt.
“Hideous.” Mabel said. She wore a white shirt, khaki pants, and a blue-and-yellow plaid vest. Did she always wear plaid? I saw her gardening a few days ago wearing orange and yellow plaid shorts.
Mabel nodded her head in the direction of the Vincents’ house. “How’s he taking his wife’s death?”
“You knew the Vincents?”
“Of course. They’re part of the neighborhood. We make it a point to meet everyone and keep an eye on things.”
I’m sure you do. Mitch and I exchanged a glance and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. He hid a smile and I said, “He’s still in shock, I think.”
“Not surprising,” Mabel agreed. She squinted down the street at the plain white house next to the Vincents'. “I wonder if she ever met her neighbor—the one in the white house.”
“I don’t know.”
Mabel leaned toward me and said confidentially, “Cassandra spent hours gardening in her yard, but I think she worked outside so she could watch that house.”
“Now, Mabel, you don’t know that,” Ed cautioned.
“Well, she watched it and she asked me if I knew anything about the people who lived there.”
Ed harrumphed and drew Mitch over to examine a patch of lawn that wasn’t as verdantly green as the rest of his grass.
Mabel said, “I think Cassandra suspected it was a drug house.”
“What?”
“Strange comings and goings at night. Lots of activity after dark. I’m watching it.”
“Oh. Well. That’s good.” I think. At least it might keep her gaze off our house.
Mabel changed the subject. “How do you like your new house?”
I smiled. “We love it. Now if it will just cool off we can really start enjoying it. It’s like an oven in there right now.”
“You don’t have a window cooler?” Mabel asked, glancing at Livvy in the stroller.
“No. We didn’t know we needed one.” How could they miss knowing that? They seemed to know everything else.
“Ed, find that window unit we got at the garage sale last year and help them put it in.” Mabel started back to the house. She tossed over her shoulder, “Got a good deal on it. Use it until it cools off.”
I stood for a few seconds with my mouth open before I shut it. Abrupt, generous, and nosy. What a combination for our next-door neighbors. I glanced back atJoe’s house. I hoped he was doing something else besides staring at the TV with the sound turned down. But bluish light flickered in his front windows.
An Everything in Its Place Tip for an M
Organized Move
You don’t have to move everything. In fact, don’t move everything!
Sift through your belongings and lighten the load. If you’ve had something stashed in your closet for years, think about why you hang on to it.
Purge old records from your files.
Eliminate items you won’t need in your new location. For instance, if you won’t have much of a yard pare down lawn equipment. No fireplace? Give away fireplace tools.
Chapter
Five
Simplicity, clarity, singleness: these are the
attributes that give our lives power and vividness
and joy.
—Richard Halloway
W ith Livvy’s cries ricocheting off the windows, I adjusted the angle of the mirrors and shoved a jumble of paper cups, tissues, and a Snickers wrapper aside with my foot to make room for my
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