Getting together at the foot of Dry Mountain

 -       I’m sorry, I had the night shift. That sounds nice though, I’ll be there!

Magnus lives in the house at the start of my road. I am at the last one. We accidentally woke him up; he is rubbing his eyes at the bright daylight. But yes, he’ll be there.

My neighbor Jenny and I are on a friendly crusade on our road, knocking at every door inviting people to a pretty impromptu potluck at my place. Jenny and Hannes will make their potato salad. Ondina will bring quiche and a green salad. I will make my special semi freddo, an Italian kind of ice cream. So, just bring something to barbeque and show up!

Now, this is something I started planning the first day I met my new neighbors Jenny and Hannes this spring. Such nice people! Such fun people! I remember talking to Trouble 2 in Paris that evening telling him that I wanted to organize a summer party when he got back and he replied “I’m all in!”

And we picked the right day for it too! The Swedish summer is continuing be a very Swedish summer around here: 60°F (16°C), partly cloudy, showers, and a never resting extremely annoying strong wind. Monday had been heavy rain. Tuesday gale. Wednesday came with sun though, 68°F (20°C) and more of a breeze. It was a summer window opening up right when we asked for it!

Considering the two days of notice that Jenny and I had given our neighbors I was amazed about the show up at my front yard that afternoon. We were 16 persons gathering round the barbeques, taking seats under my grandfather’s apple tree at the foot of Dry Mountain!

Now, this would have been a good number if it was an annual summer tradition. But it isn’t. I have lived here for 32 years and this has never happened before. So, what happened?

I would say Ondina, Jenny and Hannes happened. The two middle houses at the road had new owners this winter and they are eager to get to know people and become a part of the village. The rest of us have been here for 20, 30 years, and some all their lives. We are just here… not a big deal.

And now we are all having potato salad and barbeque together at my place in the afternoon sun. Trouble 2 and Audrey were here in before hand and moved around all my garden furniture and rinsed the strawberries. Roger brought his barbeque earlier in the day so there was one more of those. Emil and Gunnar came walking with an extra table for the buffet. Jenny and Hannes transported their goods in the wheelbarrow. And Sören joined when he was done in the barn, in perfect timing for the meet being done on the grill.

I am sitting under my grandpa’s apple tree with Trouble 2, Audrey, Jenny and Hannes. This is the first time they are meeting and they are clicking like that. At another table there is the newcomers Ondina and her around-20 children Emil and Oliva in vivid conversation with Roger, Melker and Sören who have been here all their lives. At the third table Ondina’s partner Gunnar, Trouble 1 and Fay, Magnus and his 4-year old son Loke. Magnus is a couple of years older than my sons and they haven’t seen each other since Trouble & Trouble were in after school care with Magnus’ mom. Loke, a pre school reminder of when they all were that age, is playing with treasure boys toys kept in a big wooden box in the woodshed, waiting, it seems, for this day to come.

I am taking this all in. Alida, 96, didn’t want to come. She wasn’t up for that much people, and we have to respect that. But everyone else. My two sons and their girlfriends. Old neighbors and new ones slowly getting to know each other. And we were lucky with the pots. Coffee, semi freddo and strawberries. Interesting discussions and big laughs. Ondina’s home made cherry brandy. Blankets so the day could last even when the clouds moved in and the mosquitoes joined the party.

Finally raindrops found their way through the greenery of grandpa’s apple tree and we had to call it a day. But what a day. Ever since my family moved out I have been longing for life at my place. Life and people. New life. More life. And here I was. Magic.

Jenny keeps asking me why this hasn’t happened before. There are a lot of explanations to that. But I am a very social creature, so the question is legitimate. Why haven’t I made an effort for something like this to happen?

I am thinking, you need a wingman. You can’t pull something like this off all by my self. But then, one day, all of a sudden, Jenny moves in, and I have a wingman! Or, maybe even more correct, Jenny moves in and I become her wingman! We become each others wingmen (women) and hey, what do you know, 16 neighbors at the foot of Dry Mountain are having food, talks and laughs together under my sunny apple tree until the rain forces us to finally say bye and thanks. For now though. Because I have a feeling this was only the first time of many. This was the start of something new and valuable to all of us. And I am so happy and grateful.