Meet Your Neighbor: Christine Dove
In our series of interviews for neighbors to get to know and appreciate one another, we meet Christine Dove. We visited at her breakfast table on a sunny spring morning. Interviewed by Bruce McDonald
Bruce: I’m so glad we could finally get together. I know it’s a busy time of year so I appreciate the opportunity. Let’s start with an easy question – how long have you lived here in Southern Gables? Christine: We’ve been here since 2010.
And did you grow up here in Colorado? No, I’m from Southern California. It wasn’t a huge change though, since I grew up in the Lake Arrowhead area. Oh, the Southern California mountains! So you came here already used to snow and having different seasons… Yes, I love having the mountains, the snow and the wonderful healthy atmosphere here. Coming to Colorado was a move with an aim of being in a healthy place to raise our family. Marvin and I met in the hospitality industry in California and when we started thinking about that goal, it fell into place since my mom had a friend who lived in Lakewood.
What are some things you like about the Southern Gables neighborhood? Well, when our daughter was younger I loved being able to walk her to school. Now the kids still walk, going together in groups, and it’s great that they have that safe and friendly level of freedom. I love that the neighbors are friendly and helpful to each other. People watch out for your house when you’re gone, pick up mail, things like that. It’s great too that we are seeing more young families in the neighborhood. I love hearing the sounds of kids laughing and playing with each other.
Do you have a favorite memory with your Southern Gables neighbors? Yes, that would be the Community Garden. I was involved with getting it started – working with Denver Urban Gardens, Sustainable Southern Gables, and the Neighborhood Association. It was great having people come together to clearing the space for the garden plots with timbers and mulch, gravel for the pathways, and all that. And then with produce coming in, I helped organize and run the Youth Farmstand with the Green Gables kids. With the plots set aside for the school, they cared for their plants and learned patience and the skills needed to harvest vegetables. We set up tables and the kids were so proud to be able to deal with adult customers and sell what they had grown.
How about a “neighborly” experience? We have the best neighbors! Whenever it snows, all the snow blowers and shovels come out and it’s like a big work party. Gary, Dan, Stephanie, Roger… everybody works together to do the whole block.
And your work, hobbies – how do you spend your time? I am a server – you can say waitress – at Homestead and Fox Hollow. I always enjoy seeing neighbors there. For leisure I like reading, hiking, gardening. Family time! That’s what I value the most. We have a place in the mountains and it’s the very best thing to be there with my family, just enjoying nature.
Do you have a favorite quote or saying that you can leave with us? The first thing that comes to mind is a saying, I don’t know where it comes from, “You can’t feed your family from an empty bowl.” What it means to me is that to provide our family we have to be in good health, strong, and resourceful. I can relate that and my love of nature to a line by John Muir, “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” Being together with my family, in the mountains for example, is good for me and it strengthens us all.
In closing, what have I missed? Is there anything else you want us to know about you? I guess it’s along the lines of that same thought, but just that I am really looking forward this exciting time of life with my daughter, a world of new experiences as she is maturing. We explore music together – Oingo Boingo to the Swing era, symphonies, Broadway show music. And travel! We are so looking forward to traveling together. I love New York and I want to show it to her, Broadway and all. We talked about travel and she said she wanted to go and see the cherry blossoms. Isn’t that sweet? The cherry blossoms! I thought, “Great, we can swing a trip to DC!” She meant the cherry blossoms in Japan. This project might be more involved than I thought. Still though, it’s going to be great!
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