Springtime brings with it a vivid assortment of beauty. The trees leaf out with many gorgeous shades of green. Flowering dogwoods and redbuds, along with dozens of other colorful trees and shrubs, brighten up the once-barren landscape to a lush wonderland for us to enjoy.

Before long, it’s grass cutting time. Most folks think of this as both a blessing and a curse, I’m afraid. The growing lawn comes with that warm weather we’ve all been longing for, but the extra work is not always looked upon as a welcome addition.

The smell of a newly mowed lawn adds to the many scents drifting through the air. A lot of people take advantage of the pleasant temperatures for grilling out. They dust off their barbeque grills and cook outdoors, adding burgers or barbeque to the marvelous springtime smells.

Several of the ladies in my neighborhood have spent a lot of time planning a potluck before it gets really hot. Signs have been places in prominent places, and many are getting excited about spending a little quality time with their neighbors.

Our neighborhood is very large, and the people in the back part rarely even see the ones who live in a different section. We are all hoping this will be a great opportunity to get to know more of our neighbors and have a little fun too.

The ladies planning the event have been rummaging through their storage rooms and attics to find any lawn games that have been tucked away. What better way to make new friends than to let your hair down and play a game or two? We have quite an assortment already, and I expect more, as we get closer to the date. Now we are praying for a pretty sunny day for our event.

Other than the social aspect I believe knowing who your neighbors are and a little about them improves safety and the sense of community of a place. It’s only natural that if I know a little about the people I live around it will be easier to notice if anything seems amiss on their property.

Unfortunately, it is important to look out for one another because of the criminal element in today’s society, but I guess that’s always been the case. Maybe a neighborhood watch will be a next step in our community. One of the ladies is already talking up an Easter egg hunt for next year so I see good things in our future.

Jan Penton Miller can be reached at lilsisjan@yahoo.com.