Boundaries?
So I really do like my neighbors. One of them, at least. Haven't met the other ones, just seen them at a distance. Which, now that I think about it, is a generally good thing. Amendment: I like my neighbors.
The son of the neighbors I DO talk to mows my lawn, and they're active and friendly and I see them all the time because they're always coming and going and our houses are about three feet from each other. But the dad seems to have taken it on as a personal mission to direct me how to tend to the lawn.
Now, he keeps a fine lawn. It's hardly a SPECTACULAR lawn. It's not like the gem of the neighborhood. And my lawn is passable. I just moved in and I'm hoping that next year, I can actually focus a bit on landscaping. But all I really care about THIS year is keeping it mowed and in acceptable shape. Which it is. And the neighbor knows my feelings on this. Yes, my lawn has weeds. That's about the only thing really WRONG with it. I have bushes and flowers and mostly green grass. And also, the weather is about to take a New England turn for the worst, and it won't really matter what the heck my lawn looks like for another six months or so.
Nevertheless, today as I'm getting ready for work, I'm standing in my office groggily scrolling through my work emails when I hear the thump of my trash can under the window. I peer out, and there's my neighbor, walking up the driveway and up my front path, yanking on various weeds. I quickly absconded to the back of the house so he wouldn't see or hear me and try to have a conversation about weeds. When I left for work, I checked the trash can--and sure enough, it's full of weeds he's pulled up.
It's not that I don't appreciate the help. I guess. But does anyone else find it odd that neighbors feel free to traipse across my lawn and "help," completely unsolicited? Maybe mowing the lawn also includes weed tending? I guess I'm just not sure whether I should be grateful or irritated. Maybe both.
The son of the neighbors I DO talk to mows my lawn, and they're active and friendly and I see them all the time because they're always coming and going and our houses are about three feet from each other. But the dad seems to have taken it on as a personal mission to direct me how to tend to the lawn.
Now, he keeps a fine lawn. It's hardly a SPECTACULAR lawn. It's not like the gem of the neighborhood. And my lawn is passable. I just moved in and I'm hoping that next year, I can actually focus a bit on landscaping. But all I really care about THIS year is keeping it mowed and in acceptable shape. Which it is. And the neighbor knows my feelings on this. Yes, my lawn has weeds. That's about the only thing really WRONG with it. I have bushes and flowers and mostly green grass. And also, the weather is about to take a New England turn for the worst, and it won't really matter what the heck my lawn looks like for another six months or so.
Nevertheless, today as I'm getting ready for work, I'm standing in my office groggily scrolling through my work emails when I hear the thump of my trash can under the window. I peer out, and there's my neighbor, walking up the driveway and up my front path, yanking on various weeds. I quickly absconded to the back of the house so he wouldn't see or hear me and try to have a conversation about weeds. When I left for work, I checked the trash can--and sure enough, it's full of weeds he's pulled up.
It's not that I don't appreciate the help. I guess. But does anyone else find it odd that neighbors feel free to traipse across my lawn and "help," completely unsolicited? Maybe mowing the lawn also includes weed tending? I guess I'm just not sure whether I should be grateful or irritated. Maybe both.