Part One: This is ongoing story of two families who live side by side. The homes are similar. Both are sprawling frame homes with two large bedrooms, large kitchen, livingroom and bathroom and both have laundry rooms, work rooms and sheds. In fact the layouts are identical because both homes were built by the same construction company. The yards are almost identical as well.

In the first house lives a young couple named Piero and Sprite. They are both self-employed, he as an online day trader and she as a lawyer. Both are just starting out in their careers, but Piero has just received his first promotion. The first thing he did with his salary was buy some new clothes. The house is older and needs some repairs so Sprite was a little annoyed with him for spending so much money on clothes.

In general, they get along very well and have lots in common. They are newlyweds and not ready yet to start a family. They want to spend each day working on their careers. Today the bathroom sink sprung a big leak and Piero had to rush and find a wrench to fix it. He was successful. Another event was a neighbor across the street gave them a hammock that he didn’t need. They have both spent some time relaxing on the hammock.

They often find interesting and valuable things in the yard surrounding their home. Things like old coins and unusual insects and plants. They have started a collection of these and when they find identical items they sell them online. This is an added source of income.

Next door lives a family of six. They are Nugget, his wife Sophella, their four children in order of age: Rosita, Piccalo, Lucky and Zia. Sophella is blonde. Nugget has light brown hair. Three of the children have dark brown hair and Lucky is an odd looking child with a greenish brown hair.

Nugget age 37 is a licensed soap inventor and Sophella works at home as a apprentice book reviewer. She is 35 and has put her career on hold to have children. Four children is the limit and now that Zia is two, Sophella is back to work everyday reviewing books.

Nugget has made many improvements to the house and as soon as money is available he makes any necessary repairs. The house and yard looks better all the time. Today he fixed a very nasty crack on the kitchen floor. The whole family pitches in to keep the house clean and neat.

The children have home lessons and do not go out to school. Parents and children alike gather the old coins, insects, plants and collectibles just like their next door neighbors, storing new and rare items in a special cabinet and selling the extras online.

The children like to play in the dirt and sandbox. They enjoy poking at plants, looking for bugs, trying to catch an annoying gopher and looking at stars. Sometimes the children are naughty when they bang dishes together and draw on the workroom wall. Inside the children enjoy playing in their room with toys, watching TV, playing video games and emulating their parents.

They have a pet cat. He is black and white and looks like he is wearing a mask, thus they named him Bandit.

The two households do not know one another too well even though they live side by side.
Everyone is too busy working and playing. (To be continued)

Part two

Some time has passed and Sprite and Piero have worked extra hard and received two promotions. They can often hear the sounds of the four children playing next door. This makes them think about having a family of their own. After plenty of thought they decide its time to try and have a baby. And not too long after this they have a daughter named Trishania. She has dark hair like her parents.

Meanwhile next door, Zia gets a fit of sneezing which requires an antihistamine.
Someone keeps leaving the shower running which is very mysterious. No one will admit to it.
Sophella gets a community award for having the loveliest lawn.

Lucky and Piccolo love to play cook. The problem with this is that they forget to turn off the stove. It is a good thing that Nugget discovers this and turns it off.
Rosita likes to spend time in Nugget’s workshop watching him work on his inventions while she creates projects of her own.

Looking back a few years, when Rosita was an infant a neighbor who lived behind them asked permission to build a bird house in their yard. They gladly gave permission and were elated until they were given a bill from the same neighbor for over $200. They decided to pay the bill and keep the birdhouse. The neighbor never used the bird house and it became part of their property. Ever since then they have gone out every day to look at birds, call them and feed them. Even the youngest of the children Zia likes to do this.
(To be continued)

Part Three:

Rosita celebrates her sweet 16th birthday. She gets a new dress and a fish tank full of magic fish. She is so grown up now and does her home school study without being reminded. She has several online friends who she likes to chat with.
Piccolo at 14 has also progressed in his home study course and does his work without being reminded. Both teens have taken on adult responsibilities and do laundry and housework. This enables Nugget and Sophella with more time to concentrate on their careers.

Meanwhile next door, Trishania is 6 yrs old. She is a lovely and talented child who has been spotted by a talent scout. He offers her parents a contract that would take Trishania away to Europe to begin a modeling and acting career. But Piero and Sprite tell him quickly to go away and leave them alone. They are not parting with their precious daughter.
(To be continued)

Part Four:

Piccolo turns 16 and gets a radio with MP3 player. The whole family celebrates. Lucky is 14 and has taken on adult responsibilities putting childish things behind him. His greenish- brown hair has turned dark brown and he is quite handsome.
Rosita is 18 and thinking strongly about her future. Zia is 10 and growing up quickly.

Sophella was offered a chance to change careers but she decided to continue being a book reviewer. She doesn’t want to start over again with something new.

Something quite shocking happens one day. Nugget and Sophella have another baby, a son who they name Font. The house is too crowded but still the family celebrates the birth.

Meanwhile next door, Piero and Sprite have been trying for two years to have another baby but they have not been blessed. Trishania is 8 yrs old now and is quite independent.
(To be continued)

Part Five:

Rosita is 20 now and going away to college! While she will be much missed it does cut down on some of the crowding in the house now that Font is 2 yrs old.

Bandit the cat is still following the family around and laying on the beds but he is getting very old.

Zia who was used to being the baby for so many years is 12 now! She helps to care for little brother Font.

Lucky loves to cook and celebrates his 16th birthday by requesting his parents buy a barbeque grill. This is something the whole family uses but Lucky wants to learn how to cook outdoors.

Meanwhile next door Trishania is 10 yrs old and her parents still cannot have another baby even though they tried. They are advancing in their careers though.

(To be continued)

Part Six:

Piero and Sprite have been unsuccessful at having another baby. Trishania is 17 now and in a few years she will be going away to college. They have worked very hard and received promotions. The family has put in a swimming pool. Money isn’t tight as it once was. But when Trishania leaves home they will have an empty nest.

Meanwhile next door, Piccolo, Lucky and Zia have left for college. As with Rosita before them they will be missed. Nugget has just celebrated his 54 th birthday. Sophella is
53 and Font is 10.

Old bandit the cat got sick one week and passed away. The family grieved considerably. After a few months a neighbor gave them a dog which they named Rex. Rex follows Font everywhere and helps to keep him company since he misses his brothers and sisters.

(To be continued)

Part Seven:

Sophella is 55 now and both she and Nugget age 57 are moving slower these days. It is good to have 12 yr old Font around. He has enough energy for both of them.
They have been getting emails from their older children. What do you think….Rosita is engaged to be married! The older boys Piccolo and Lucky are working and finishing up college while Zia is in college full time. Perhaps the holiday season ahead will bring surprise visits.

Next door Trishania has left for college! Sprite and Piero miss her very much. They are suffering from the empty nest syndrome. They keep busy working and making home improvements. But it does not make up for the absence of their dear daughter.
(To be continued)

Part Eight:

Sadly Nugget has passed away. This leaves Sophella 61 and Font 17 alone. At least they have each other.

They both have sore throats which took throat lozenges to heal and both are depressed from Nugget’s death.

Sophella decides to install a swimming pool hoping that this will cheer Font up a bit.

Next door Sprite and Piero have purchased a collection of paintings for their home.
(To be continued)

Part Nine:

A year has passed and Sophella passes away. This leaves Font all alone with Rex the dog. He cannot bear to be alone in the house and decides to go and live with his brother Piccolo who has settled in Florida. Font will go to college there later.

Next door Piero got another promotion. He has advanced to the position of Practiced Day Trader Level 5 while Sprite is a Licensed Lawyer Level 4.
(To be continued)

Part Ten--New Generation:

Rosita married Carlos and lives in Spain. Piccolo settled in Florida and lives there now with Font. Zia is living in another city nearby. This leaves Lucky who has finished the Culinary Arts school and has started a career as a spice mixer. Lucky comes back home to settle in the house where he grew up. He has inherited Rex the dog who is getting older now. During his first week back home he had to fix a leaky kitchen sink and a clogged shower twice. The plumbing is getting too old and may have to be replaced.

Not long after he comes home he meets and marries Frany who works as a beginning watch fixer. He married her for love as they have little in common and little money.
It isn’t long before they have twin daughters Rosetta and Dora. They are beautiful redheads just like their mother.

Next door Piero and Sprite are still working on their careers and looking forward to getting emails from Trishania. It is not time yet for major changes in their lives.
(To be continued)

Part Eleven:

Three years have passed and there is the patter of little feet in the home of Lucky and Frany. It is a happy home and the grief of the past is over with the new generation.
Lucky got a promotion! He is now a novice level 2 spice mixer.
Dora is a bit sick. She got in to some poison plant leaves and is itchy. Some cortisone cream does the trick.
Frany has been asked to join a professional organization which gives her an immediate promotion. She is now a Novice Level 2 watch fixer.
Lucky had to put out an oven fire today. They will have to be more careful about keeping the oven clean.

Next door Sprite received another promotion making her a level 5 practicing lawyer. They celebrate with a special meal and then go shopping for new patio furniture.
(To be continued)

Part Twelve:

Three years pass with Lucky receiving a promotion to Apprentice Level 3 Spice Mixer.
Both he and Frany suffered from bad coughs. They purchased some cough syrup which healed them.
Rex the dog is on his last legs and probably won’t be around too much longer.

Next door nothing new with Piero and Sprite except that they are getting older and moving slower. Trishania comes to visit at holidays but she is very busy with her own life and they do not see much of her.
(To be continued)


Part Thirteen:

Old Rex the dog has died. He will be missed.
One day a grandson of Bandit the former pet cat of the family, comes to stay. The neighbor across the street thought he would a good addition to the family. The 8 yr old twins argue a bit about the name but finally decide to name him Bandit after his grandfather.
Lucky is now Apprentice 3 Spice Mixer.
The best news of all is that there is another new addition to the family. A son named Jimmy.

Next door, Piero and Sprite purchase a barbeque grill. The difference in the taste of the grilled food is delicious! They get an email from Trishania who is on vacation at the seashore. She asks them to come and visit.
(To be continued)

Part Fourteen--Another new generation begins:

A year passes and sadly Sprite has passed away. Piero decides to go and live in Italy near his brother Piatro. He is ready to retire anyway.
This leaves the house to Trishania who soon makes herself at home again, even though she misses her mother and father very much. She is works as a mustard bottler and is just starting out in her career. She has received many marriages proposals but has rejected them all. She is waiting for Mr. Right and he had better make lots of money! After all she has been independent for 26 yrs. She is in no hurry to give that up.

However, after a year she finds the loneliness of the house oppressive. Especially when things start to go wrong such as plumbing leaks and a dryer lint fire. She almost wished she had not turned down all those marriage proposals. She hasn’t received any for quite sometime. Money is really tight and she cannot afford to buy anything new for the house.

Next door little Jimmy is running around and getting in to all sorts of scrapes. His energy is boundless.
The twins will soon be 10 yrs old. They like to dress up in Mommy’s clothes and admire themselves in the mirror.

Lucky is worried about Frany. She has been frequently ill for a year now. Her energy level is low. She barely eats anything, keeps weighing herself and is obsessed with her appearance.
(To be continued)



Part Fifteen:

Frany is slowly getting better after seeing the doctor and taking antibiotics. It turns out she had an infection for a couple of years. The twins are 14 now and putting childish things behind them. Jimmy is 5 and keeps himself busy. Lucky has received several promotions.

Next door 30 yr old Trishania has finally found a husband. She was so tired of living alone and when she met Ivan online she fell in love with his picture at once. He is a mail order butcher just starting out and he has little money. So her dreams of Mr. Right are over. But she is very happy with her new husband. It is so good to have someone to share meals with and talk with. She misses her parents a little bit less.
(To be continued)

Part Sixteen:

Now a look at how things have turned out for the second generation of our neighbors.

Trishania has shortened her name to Trisha. It is what her husband Ivan calls her and she likes it. They have four sons! Their names are Franc, Todd, Jeffrey and Stephen. The family have made many home improvements and Trisha and Ivan have really improved in their careers. They are one happy family!

Next door the twins Rosetta and Dora and Jimmy are away at college. But Lucky and Frany aren’t alone because they have another daughter named Vesta who is 16 and still at home. Frany’s health is still good, but Lucky is 55 and moving slower these days.

And here I bring the story of the neighbors to a close.