The dryer’s hum reminds me of the mounds of dirty clothes piled high in the laundry room. How in the world did so much dust accumulate while Mike and I were away? It’s been a couple of months when I think of it, so I suppose I should be glad it isn’t worse!

We rushed in from Tennessee just a couple of days before our neighborhood potluck. One of the hostesses had a family emergency and wasn’t able to do her part, so Mike and I added to our list of details to take care of.

“Mike, I know you’re tired, but it would be great if we could go ahead and move the tables and chairs to the kitchen and lock them up so we don’t have so much to do the day of the potluck. What do you think?”

“Sure. Let me know what we need to do,” Mike replied.

After a couple of phone calls, Sandy and her husband, Mark, agreed to meet and get this little chore taken care of. They live only a few houses away, but we’ve never really gotten to know one another. They arrived right on time. It didn’t take long to haul chairs down from the attic and load the truck with their help.

We all sat down in the sunroom for a little breather before heading to the pavilion to unload. Soon, we were all laughing and sharing stories. Mike was a competitive water skier in his youth and loved jumping particularly. Mark attended high school with a champion skier that Mike had met at Cyprus Gardens. It really is funny how connected we all are, if we take the time to get to know one another.

After a little while, we headed out to finish our task.

“Mike, I really like Sandy and Mark. I think we could be good friends. We seem to have a lot in common, really.”

“Jan, I was thinking the same thing. Maybe we’ll invite them over next time I have a few days off.”

When Sandy and Mark exited their vehicle at the pavilion I told Sandy about our conversation. She threw her head back and laughed aloud. “That’s too funny! Mark and I were having the same conversation about you guys.”

The next day, the predicted rain held off and a nice cool breeze greeted the social committee as we worked together to set up for our potluck. The breeze certainly felt good, but hampered our efforts to put plastic tablecloths out. Finally, everything was in place, and we all hoped our efforts would be rewarded with a nice turnout.

Cars began pulling up, and soon all the food tables were filled with a great variety of food. I don’t think it could have turned out any better if we had catered the event.

One of the ladies mentioned a neighbor who was ill. She and her friend fixed plates and took to their home since they couldn’t attend. Before the day was over, three more ladies joined our committee, and we had our next event on the calendar. A couple on our street suggested a progressive dinner around Christmastime, and we all agreed it was a great idea. The potluck took a little planning and work, but something beautiful happened in our neighborhood as a result.

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