Sacrificial Hospitality Challenge: Week 1

I have a very kind neighbor. I shall call him Farmer Joe. He's always ready with a wave and does sweet things like plow our whole driveway without our ever having to ask. I wave back and let his big, goofy black dog romp through my yard. We don't "hang out" together; he's probably 30 years older than me. But we have a good relationship.

Recently, as I pondered just how gung ho I wanted to get over my garden this year- what-with being due to have a baby in June and all- there was a knock on my kitchen door. (To many people, this would be the "back door", but here in the country-- well, that's the door EVERYONE comes to!) It was Farmer Joe. He wanted to let me know that he was planning to plant a half-acre fruit and veggie garden on the land between our homes. He wanted to make sure we felt welcome to take and use whatever we wanted from that garden since it would be far more than he and his wife would need. I was so incredibly touched. And, well, relieved that I needn't plan a huge garden of my own to tend!

And so, for this week's hospitality project, I want to reach out to Farmer Joe. He has some early mornings. I often see him heading out to his tractor with the very first light. My goal this week is to meet him out there one morning with a thermos of vanilla coffee and some fresh apple muffins. It's still darn chilly around here in those early mornings (and often throughout the day too) and I think something warm might brighten his early day just a touch.

How about you? Do you have a neighbor who could use a lift? Is there something you could deliver that might make his or her day just a tad brighter? Feel free to join me! I'll tell you all about how it goes next Thursday. For more information on why I'm doing this, please see this post.