We live on a tight-knit block with only eight houses. The occupants of seven of those houses interact a lot. There are more than a dozen kids, all but one under 7, and we have at least one round robin a year, in addition to cookouts and other parties.

In spring, summer and fall, we're all outside sharing a beer, a laugh and watching the kids play. But when the cold weather rolls in, we shutter up in our houses and rarely see each other. This is so true that when my son saw a photo of two neighbor kids on a Christmas card this morning, he seemed unsure of who they were. And these are kids with whom he's twice spent three months on a daily basis! Kids that he definitely knows.

When the thaw came this weekend, I peeked out the window and the gang was outside! That led to "play dates" -- for lack of a better word two days in a row and a renewed sense of community amid what has seemed like a pretty bleak season.

Even if it was only in the 40s and there was no sun, for a brief shining moment, it felt like summer in Milwaukee this weekend and boy was it refreshing.