newbies really need help,how to fit in new neighbourhood?

[lubby]

Originally Posted by Mumbly Joe

This is true- some people (like myself) just like to be private; I value neighbors who respect my privacy. One can be respectful and treat neighbors as they'd like to be treated....but one really should respect the privacy of others- especially in densely-populated places where houses are so close together.

I was worried about this very issue when moving to the very rural area where I now live. I had visions of people showing up at my door with food, and making pests of themselves. Luckily, it turned out that people here really are respectful of other's privacy.

Only had one person come to the house and introduce herself, from around the corner (Which, here, equals a mile and a half away!) and of course she turned out to be a PITA and a gossip- but she wasn't a local- but rather a transplant from another place.

When we were kids and a new person moved in especially if we became friends with their kids my mom would send over a cake or homemade bread. Now this was back in the late 70's early 80's. One neighbor thought it was odd but the others were gracious. Did they come banging on our door all the time wanting to borrow this and that? No! Only one neighbor came over to greet us when we moved here in 2003 and I am still friends with them. My husband is the type of guy that likes his privacy, does not want people knowing his business, what tools he has etc.... and he has that right. We had one neighbor that was like Alice Kravitz from Bewitched when I lived at home. Very nosy and a gossip monger. My mom would never give her the time of day. We played with her kids but were told not to give their mother any personal information. She invited my mom over for coffee once so she could bad mouth the other neighbors to my mom. My mom politely declined the offer. It's different when you have kids and they play together or are in the same class or same team because you get to know the parents and become friendly. We don't have kids so we don't interact much with our neighbors. My husband is more the type to wave Hi and that's it.

[Mumbly Joe]

Originally Posted by lubby

When we were kids and a new person moved in especially if we became friends with their kids my mom would send over a cake or homemade bread. Now this was back in the late 70's early 80's. One neighbor thought it was odd but the others were gracious. Did they come banging on our door all the time wanting to borrow this and that? No! Only one neighbor came over to greet us when we moved here in 2003 and I am still friends with them. My husband is the type of guy that likes his privacy, does not want people knowing his business, what tools he has etc.... and he has that right. We had one neighbor that was like Alice Kravitz from Bewitched when I lived at home. Very nosy and a gossip monger. My mom would never give her the time of day. We played with her kids but were told not to give their mother any personal information. She invited my mom over for coffee once so she could bad mouth the other neighbors to my mom. My mom politely declined the offer. It's different when you have kids and they play together or are in the same class or same team because you get to know the parents and become friendly. We don't have kids so we don't interact much with our neighbors. My husband is more the type to wave Hi and that's it.

You guys sound like my kind of people! See, if I still lived there, we could be friends...

One just has to keep a nice balance. I had complete strangers offer to lend me their tractors/farm equipment when I first moved here; and I've had a few ask favors of me...which is nice- but thank goodness, they aren't the type to come to the door continually. When I see a neighbor, it's usually because we're out working on a mutual fence, or calling one another because we found a dog or cow , and are asking around to figure out whose it might be.