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Life & Style

Karen Ryan

by Toluca Lake Magazine | May 28, 2020

Robin Leabman and Karen Ryan with their dog, Sozi. Photo by Daniel Deitch.

 
 We bought our home here (our first one!) in August 2015. Toluca Lake has pretty much everything we could possibly want and we rarely leave it (except to go to work!). We love the camaraderie and the small-town feeling with the convenience of everything the big city has around us. There is a general sense of community and that your neighbors are your friends. Also, I don’t know that I’ve ever known a more dog-friendly neighborhood! We have met and made friends with many people simply through introducing our dogs — that is such a beautiful element of Toluca Lake.

This time has been a challenge for sure. We have a Peloton bike and some home weights that are getting way more use than ever before! We have made lists of small projects we want to complete, both personal and for the home, that will keep us occupied. Every cupboard in the house will be blitzed and cleaned by the time this ends! Robin is a private jet pilot and isn’t flying right now, and my work as a casting director has come to a temporary standstill. But we have both been using Zoom quite a lot to keep active with classes, meetings and discussions within our respective work environments. We have also been enjoying video calls with friends and family from all over the world (I am from Ireland, Robin is from Montana), and this has been a lovely side effect of this dreadful time — a chance to reconnect and actually talk to our friends and family without having to rush out the door! We are checking in with the older neighbors so they don’t feel alone, and have made sure they have everything they need by doing pickups and drop-offs.

This community has such a sense of unity, which is why we fell in love with it five years ago when we first moved here. That unity has become even more evident this past month. We see everyone supporting local business, promoting them and making sure to tell their neighbors. For example, some of our awesome local restaurants aren’t just doing takeout, but have also made themselves into small general stores with groceries and toilet paper for sale! People feel protective of their neighbors, their local shops and restaurants, and are keen to make sure they stay afloat during this time.

My message to my neighbors is to stay healthy and stay distanced as much as possible! If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask someone. There is help and people are very keen to help, so please do ask! Check on your older neighbors and those with limited mobility. Make sure they have everything they need and that they are not lonely. Check on your single friends and neighbors who spend days and weeks by themselves.

Photo by Daniel Deitch

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