Edy's Ice Cream

I just won a 36-pound chopping block, which I can’t wait to put in my brand new kitchen in my brand new house, which might be located in a neighborhood that came to us via cosmic intervention. Last night we drove to our favorite Chinese restaurant. Just around the corner from it was a gorgeous renovated four-story house with gables. The third floor is up for grabs with a den and two bedrooms. The parking is gated and secure. If we lived there we could order in Chinese every night. As if that wasn’t enough to convince us, my fortune cookie advised me to “Remember three months from this date! Your lucky star is shining.” Three months? That’s about the time it would take to make an offer, get an inspection and move in. If that’s not a sign, what is?

Of course, on the way back to the car two young toughs started following us. And okay, there was a homeless man in a doorway right outside our parking meter. And yes, the neighborhood newsletter had a full page article about local gang activity—but what the hell. To invest you have to take risks, and if that means going the extra mile to convince the neighborhood that we’re cool, then I’ve got just the plan…

DREYER'S/EDY'S "SLOW CHURNED NEIGHBORHOOD SALUTE"

The Rules: Write a short paragraph (using no more than 350 words) explaining why your neighborhood deserves a Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute.

The Prize: One thousand five hundred (1,500) Grand Prize winners each will receive: Door-step Delivery of Twelve (12) cartons of Edy's Slow Churned® Light ice cream ($200.00 AVR); One (1) “Party In A Box” (napkins, ice cream scoops, spoons, name tags, disposable camera, etc.) ($150.00 AVR)

The Entry: During the winter months, my Chicago neighborhood drowns in snow. No one lingers outside. No one leans off front porches to chat. Still, the neighborhood spirit persists. To keep life colorful, the house down the street sets up inflatable 10-foot balloons for each holiday—a giant pumpkin for Halloween, a turkey for Thanksgiving, Santa for Christmas and the Easter Bunny for spring. Every morning I walk by these festive front yard displays. Sometimes the night has been so cold that the balloons have deflated. But in the evening, when I come home from work, the air has been re-pumped and the Easter bunny’s ears are perky and defiant once again. Nothing gets my neighborhood down, least of all 6 months of winter. When the weather warms, the balloons vanish and the neighborhood bursts with activity. Kids chalk the sidewalks into hopscotch courts. Backyards and front stoops fill with the smell of grilled onions and roasting meat. All that’s missing from the festivities is an ice cream social to bring us all together.