{"id":230,"date":"2025-01-05T08:50:49","date_gmt":"2025-01-05T08:50:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.booksbytesajones.com\/?p=230"},"modified":"2026-01-06T03:14:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T03:14:34","slug":"do-you-feel-as-if-your-neighborhood-is-an-extension-of-your-home-or-merely-land-surrounding-your-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.booksbytesajones.com\/?p=230","title":{"rendered":"Do you feel as if your neighborhood is an extension of your home or merely land surrounding your house?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you feel as if your neighborhood is an extension of your home or merely land surrounding your house?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Today I wish to share a story about my personal surroundings \u2013 as a child and as an adult \u2013 and the impact my neighborhood had\/has on my life’s journey.\u00a0 Perhaps you will be able to relate.\u00a0 If so, please do provide your story.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I grew up in the small, 100-home community called Tauxemont — located a few miles south of Alexandria, Virginia and a dozen miles from Washington, D.C.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0In 1947, when my parents bought their first home in this budding community, it was in the middle of nowhere.\u00a0 Fort Hunt Road was bluestone not asphalt, and the half acre lots were surrounded by a wooded oasis as far as the eye could see.\u00a0 There were no stores within walking distance, and most families owned only ONE car.\u00a0 As a result, the neighbors relied heavily on each other for companionship, transportation and a connection with the outside world.\u00a0 Whether you were an adult or a child, the members of this community depended upon each other.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

I will not bore you with too many personal details of that time in my life; however, I do want to emphasis the memories that flash through my mind of how cohesive Tauxemont people were \u2013 and still are.\u00a0 I distinctly remember how connected my parents were with their neighbors:\u00a0 countless pot luck dinners for couples, Tuesday morning Bridge games for the ladies, neighborhood picnics for the families, spring garden walks to share ideas for grooming yards, and the list of social events goes on . . .\u00a0\u00a0 The children of our parents\u2019 friends became our <\/em>friends.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The kids in the neighborhood built their own community within the neighborhood — it was enjoyed by all and often spotlighted in the local newspaper.<\/p><\/div>\n

In addition, kids ran freely through the woods to each other\u2019s homes knowing that dinner was at a specific time, and they needed to be prompt or miss the meal.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Each child had more than one set of \u201cparents\u201d because all <\/em>of the parents of Tauxemont had watchful eyes, similar rules and the ability\/approval to scold bad behavior.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 The network of friendships was tight and unified.\u00a0 \u00a0It was quite a utopia in which to live \u2013 for both adults and children.<\/p>\n

Flash forward a few decades . . . Tauxemont is no longer an isolated community.\u00a0 \u00a0The rural ambiance has disappeared.\u00a0 The area has mushroomed as acre after acre of surrounding land is mowed down and neighborhood after neighborhood pops up.\u00a0 The peaceful, isolated aura of Tauxemont is gone, replaced by congestion, convenience and an urban \u201cfeel\u201d; however, the cohesiveness of the community remains.<\/p>\n

It was about this time in my<\/em> life that I met and married my husband.\u00a0 We searched for a place to live and decided to buy one of those 100 homes in Tauxemont.\u00a0 It was around the corner and down the hill from my parents\u2019 home.\u00a0\u00a0 Many of our neighbors were people I had known all of my life.\u00a0 We reared our two children in that loving environment.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Left to Right:\u00a0 The house we purchased in 1975 and the same house with upgrades and additions when we sold it 33 years later.<\/p><\/div>\n

Fast forward a couple more decades . . . our children are grown \u2013 they\u2019ve finished college — they are married \u2013 our \u201cnest\u201d is empty.\u00a0 Tauxemont is still a tight-knit, loving community; however, the Washington, D. C. area is extremely over-crowded, hectic and too expensive for our retired salaries and our maturing mentality.<\/p>\n

Even though I did not want to move, I knew we eventually had to do it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

My husband and I began our search for a new home by visiting places in North Carolina.\u00a0 We instantly fell in love with Lake Norman.<\/p>\n

\"\"

First time we visited Lake Norman, we fell in love with the area.<\/p><\/div>\n

However, I was not willing to trade a life on the lake for an isolated existence.\u00a0 I wanted a neighborhood like the one I was leaving.\u00a0 My desire was to find a place where the residents were not just people who lived near or next to me \u2013 but neighbors who were also my friends.\u00a0 <\/strong>I wanted a home with a vibrant, active community much like the one I was leaving behind.<\/p>\n

For two and a half years, my husband and I circled Lake Norman and discovered every road and cove in all four counties.\u00a0 To my surprise, we toured beautiful neighborhoods \u2013 looked at 125 homes \u2013 but rarely did we see any people: \u00a0no residents walking dogs, no children riding bikes, no neighbors congregating on the corner.\u00a0 The streets were well manicured, the landscaping was magnificent, the houses were amazing and the views were spectacular \u2013 but none of the areas called out to me.\u00a0 My greatest fear was to move from an area I had known and loved my entire life \u2013 \u00a0to a place where I had no friends and no way to connect with people.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then \u2013 one day \u2013 we discovered a new community.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The entrance to The Harbour at the Pointe<\/p><\/div>\n

It was a cool, fall day.\u00a0 The house was quaint \u2013 filled with warm sunshine that lit up the rooms \u2013 but more importantly, there were people everywhere in the neighborhood:\u00a0 children playing, ladies walking their dogs, a game of flag football in the common area, people riding bicycles.\u00a0 I heard laughter and chatter.\u00a0 People not only stopped to wave at me, they also smiled — as if they knew me before we were introduced.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The community is alive with activities!<\/p><\/div>\n

Everything about the neighborhood was welcoming \u2013 inviting.\u00a0 We put a contract on the house.\u00a0 It took my husband and me a long time to find this \u201cheaven on earth\u201d in North Carolina; however, we instinctively knew it was a good choice for us.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sixteen years later, I participate on committees with many of my neighbors.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The Social Committee in The Harbour volunteers and creates amazing events for all ages!<\/p><\/div>\n

Together \u2013 men and women of all ages \u2013 teenagers to retirees — the most amazing set of people \u2013 organize, create, plan and host events for children, men, women, couples and occasions.<\/strong>\u00a0 Just like in my beloved Tauxemont, this wonderful community hosts bonding events that bring the residents together . . . pool parties, many children & adult seasonal parties and festivities throughout the year, two massive community yard sales where neighbors clean out their homes and shoppers find extraordinary bargains, Bunco every month, Fishing, Tennis and Pickle Ball tournaments, Community Pool Parties and a fabulous award winning Swim Team, a beautiful Causeway where neighbors gather to watch the sunset, a Book Club that\u00a0 meets once a month, Food Truck Fridays where children and pets romp in the grass while adults listen to music, Painting Parties and Classes too, Halloween is amazing in this neighborhood, Family Bingo, an evening of Luminaries when every street in the neighborhood is lined with candles and families mingle with families over hot cocoa and conversation, Mistletoe & Merlot which offers a wide variety of vendors for early Holiday Shopping, Santa even comes to the Kids Party at Christmas\u00a0 . . . and the list of events goes on and on throughout the calendar year.<\/p>\n

\"\"

A small sample of the numerous activities at The Harbour<\/p><\/div>\n

There is no isolation in this community\u2013 there are only friendly smiles and bonding moments.\u00a0 \u00a0We do not simply drive the streets of our neighborhood to our own personal driveways, walk into our houses and close the door.\u00a0 We interact.\u00a0 We are involved<\/strong>.\u00a0 We donate our time and work together creating a web of support and camaraderie.\u00a0 \u00a0This does not just miraculously \u201chappen\u201d \u2013 it is a conscious choice \u2013 and it is what makes our community strong, beloved and unified. \u00a0\u00a0Our home is not just the building we inhabit \u2013 it\u2019s the people who surround us!<\/p>\n

The dynamics of the community is a major reason why my house feels like a home, and why I have never been sorry I moved to Mooresville.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this transient world we live in . . . do you have a story about being \u201ctransplanted?\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Do you feel as if your neighborhood is an extension of your home or merely land surrounding your house? Today I wish to share a story about my personal surroundings \u2013 as a child and as an adult \u2013 and the impact my neighborhood had\/has on my life’s journey.\u00a0 Perhaps you will be able to relate.\u00a0 If so, please do provide your story. I grew up in the small, 100-home community called Tauxemont — located a few miles south of…..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[9,33,143,45,38,42,12,37,41,40,35,39,144,43,34,36,44],"class_list":["post-230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-choices","tag-community","tag-harbour","tag-home-vs-house","tag-lake-norman","tag-life-changes","tag-memories","tag-moving","tag-neighbor-supporting-neighbor","tag-neighborhood","tag-relocate","tag-tauxemont","tag-the-harbour-at-the-point","tag-transient-world","tag-transition","tag-transplant","tag-volunteer"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t