In an age that has become increasingly dependent on electronic communications, a small group of neighbors in Rossmoor has kept their personal connection with an old fashioned social networking device – face-to-face conversation. Their occasional gatherings over the years have developed into what has become known as Yard Wine.
Yard Wine is simple enough. Get a bottle of wine, go outside to the front yard, or porch if you have one, and just sit and talk with neighbors who want to stop by and visit. Through trial and error, Yard Wine became a casual gathering that has given the neighbors endless tales of sharing and connecting and has led to a book on those experiences.
Cathy Larson and neighbor Nancy Roddy are the authors of the book, “Yard Wine: It’s a Neighborly Thing.” Larson was inspired by Nancy and her husband Dan Roddy, who are the primary founders of the concept, and the voices of many of the past experiences of Yard Wine. But it wasn’t until someone suggested, almost flippantly, that those experiences would make a good book, when the idea took hold. Larson didn’t need much more prompting.
“Cathy picked it up and ran with it, she gets all the credit,” Nancy said.
The idea is simple, gather together in front of someone’s home and enjoy a glass of wine together. The simplicity was found to be a key aspect. Yard Wine is not a party, it’s a gathering; it can’t be planned, it simply has to evolve. For the Rossmoor group it has become a frequent event, but there are no party trays. No special tables set up or seven layer dips.
If food arrives, it is basic, on paper plates, and is whatever was on hand in the refrigerator of the person who brought it. If dip arrives, it is most likely in the plastic container that it was in when it arrived at the market. It’s not about the food, or even the wine, it’s about the connecting. A personal connection that Nancy says seems to slipping away from people. The book, they hope, will lead a grass roots effort to get people back in contact with each other.
“It’s not the next great American novel, but it can change America,” Cathy said.
While the Yard Wine concept starts out as simply a place to gather and connect, the connection can develop into more than casual friendships. In 16 years of Yard Wines in Rossmoor, Nancy has developed strong bonds with some of the other people who have been a part of the group. In particular, during the growing pains of raising teenagers, Nancy said she found a welcomed place to seek advice, or simply bend an understanding ear.
The gatherings have brought out some honesty and emotions, Nancy said. Having a close-knit group of neighbors has helped smooth out the rough edges of life. Nancy gets a little choked up when talking about the friendships she has developed and leaned on over the years.
“It’s about the conversation and the community,” Nancy said.
The idea seems to be that Yard Wine, or any variation of it, can be whatever the group makes of it. After 16 years, the Rossmoor group has had gatherings of all kinds, jocular, emotional, happy and even controversial. Dan is the primary instigator of things less friendly. Dan has never been shy about stirring the kettle by injecting topics such as religion or politics.
And being a democrat, Dan said he is already a rare breed in Rossmoor. Still, he doesn’t mind being outnumbered because the discussions are more important than the opinions. When you find out what a person thinks, that’s when you find out who that person is, Dan said. During Rossmoor’s ballot initiative for city-hood, Dan put two signs on his lawn, one for and one against the initiative, just to stir things up.
“When people get excited, that’s when they have fun,” Dan said.
While Yard Wine seems like an easy concept in a bedroom community like Rossmoor, the three friends say that it can work in any community.
It’s not about the yard, or the wine, it’s about making an effort to be together.
It’s about finding some common ground to sit and discover the common ground in each other’s lives. The key ingredient in getting started is simply letting others know that you are available, they said.
Nancy and Dan have a daughter who now lives in London. Nancy said that after reading the book, her daughter said her friends wanted to start holding Yard Wine gatherings at their flats. A native of Wisconsin, Nancy said that while growing up, the kind of neighbor interaction they now have in Rossmoor, was simply a way of life.
In Yard Wine, It’s a Neighborly Thing, the authors offer the history of their yard wine, some tips on how to create your own version and the anecdotes of their lives. Whether its wine, coffee, tea or some other mutually shared items, Cathy said that many people are already on the track to getting back in touch. This book can help them take the next step.
“It’s universal, everybody does some version of what we do,” Cathy said.
