Bloom Where You Are Planted

I look out into the front yard and see something new in bloom almost every day. A different color Asiatic Lily, a new hollyhock, an orange poppy and the little tree I planted several years that is bloom for the first time this year. My flowers bloom where they are planted.

Between the flowers and the work that is going on at my house, it got me thinking. Despite what you might see, read or hear; the East Bluff is a pretty good place to be planted and I am glad to be planted here.

As much as I laughed at "It's Better Here!" and was among the first to say, "Yeah, right", I have to admit that as a long time East Bluffer, it is better here. Parts of the neighborhood are coming back to life. Our Neighborhood Association may not be large, but there is a dedicated core group that really cares about the East Bluff and the City of Peoria. We came together and despite the odds, saved the neighborhood school and kept it in the center of the neighborhood. We watch in delight as the construction goes forward and the drilling for the geothermal heating goes deeper.

Kids are playing in their yards now. This is something we didn't see just a few short years ago. Neighbors are actually talking to each other again. Our yards are mowed and the litter is picked up. I can sit in my yard and hear the concerts in Glen Oak Park Friends are sitting outside the local neighborhood tap having a good time. I even feel more comfortable going to the grocery store after dark. A couple of years ago, I wouldn't do that, at least not here.

Some former duplex houses are being purchased and turned back into single family homes. Neighborhood clean-up days are a big success. We worked together to develop and maintain a little neighborhood park. Some of my neighbors actually walk to work. I am close enough to, but trekking up Wayne Street Hill at the end of the day is not what I consider a casual stroll.

There are some beautiful old homes in the neighborhood. Some real bargains if you are in the market. The East Bluff still has a long way to go, but there are pockets of progress. Sometimes we get so busy complaining that we forget to take a look at the good things that are happening.

Yes, it is better in the East Bluff