Since we've moved in, we've been getting to know the neighbours. But not in the way we might have planned.

First, the washing machine broke in the move, so we had to do three lots of washing in other people's houses (including a bucket of dirty nappies.)

Then we left one set of keys in Sydney when we returned home after an hour's drive at 8.30pm on Christmas night to find that the other set, which we had not checked, was not complete and we couldn't get into the house. Hmmm. Knocked on the neighbours door (church folk, and no, we hadn't met them) to get them to help. He used his power tools to grind off the hinges of one of the doors to break into the house at 10pm.

Then, we arrived home a bit exhausted from our fourth Sydney Christmas party, got ourselves amidst much kerfuffle into the house, turned around and said, "Where's the dog?" He had snuck under the gate (our next job to fix) and run away. A phone call to the local ranger turned him up at a lovely couple's place down the street. And if we thought we wanted to keep it quiet, it turns out that she's a parishioner as well.

They do say that being vulnerable is a good way to make friends with the neighbours...