Meeting the Neighbors

It may not feel like it here in Houston, but it is now officially FALL! Now I know it’s not cool enough to  bust out the plaid flannel shirts or pumpkin spice lattes but it is time for one of my favorite fall foods – pears. We don’t have a pear tree at our current home so we pick up pears at the local market, but each time we do, I am reminded of one of my favorite memories.  

Many years ago, I moved into a new home in the Fall and noticed that my new neighbors had a large pear tree that was drooping with ripe pears. Some of the branches were hanging over into my yard and ripe pears were falling onto the ground. It can be a daunting task to meet new neighbors and even trickier to have to discuss issues like trees crossing a property line, dogs barking, loud noises and so on. I know that having good neighbors starts with being a good neighbor so I decided that instead of complaining about the falling pears I would make lemonade from lemons….er….pears.  

I gathered up an armful of pears and headed into my new kitchen to fire up my new oven and made one of my favorite crumble recipes. Soon the scent of warm pear, cinnamon and maple was wafting from my oven which made my new kitchen smell like a Yankee Candle. I pulled the crisp from the oven to cool and then wrapped it carefully and ventured next door to knock on my new neighbors’ door.  I wasn’t sure what to expect and truthfully I was a bit nervous about who I would meet. To my delight, my new neighbors were lovely and even invited me in for a freshly brewed cup of coffee. We talked for an hour over coffee and pear crisp and they even treated me to a surprise concerto on their grand piano as I learned they are a talented pianist.  

I was so glad I had decided to take a chance and meet my neighbors and surprise them with a treat made from their own pear tree. We actually became quite close friends and helped each other out with yard work, pet sitting and shared many more afternoon coffees.  

“Good fences make good neighbors” says the old adage, but in most cases I find that it’s actually “Good neighbors make Good neighbors”. So if you are new to the neighborhood, or have a new neighbor, I suggest you make the first move and take a home baked treat over to make an introduction.  

If you live in West Houston / Memorial / Energy Corridor here are some of our favorite local sources: 

Verbena Coffee 14029 Memorial Dr. - Independent coffee shop. High-quality craft local coffee. Great atmosphere. Amazing baristas.

Common Bond Café On-the-Go (Energy Corridor) 1127 Eldridge Parkway - where the community gathers to dine and bond over good food, extraordinary pastries, and custom cakes.

Treehouse Craft Coffee & Frozen Yogurt 14008 Memorial Dr. Ste B, - a unique specialty coffee shop with a self-serve frozen yogurt bar.

Memorial Villages Farmers Market 10840 Beinhorn Rd - a wide range of farmers, food artisans, and more.