Worrying about the neighbors
Oct 5th, 2007 by Julie Kirkwood
My Yard Dirt column this week, “Giving the neighbors something to talk about,” has been a real conversation starter around the office.
I honestly thought we were the only ones who worried what the neighbors might think of a husband who lets his wife do outdoor chores (when she’s pregnant, no less) while he’s nowhere to be seen.
Not true!
One friend said sometimes in the winter she comes home from a day of working at a desk and wants nothing more than to pick up a shovel and dig into the snow, just because it feels good. Her husband begs her to please just go sit down inside and let him do it — he’s afraid of what the neighbors will think of him!
Someone else mentioned that there would indeed be something worse than my husband sitting on the stoop watching his pregnant wife mow the lawn, perhaps sipping a beer. It would be worse if he was sitting there with a group of his buddies, all sipping beer, listening to a Red Sox game on the radio and pointing out when I missed a spot. So true. I’m not even going to mention that to him because, knowing his buddies, they’d think it was a great idea.
Anyway, regardless of what the neighbors think, I’m happy to see green returning to the dormant lawn. Here’s a photo from a few days ago of the backyard. Do you see the green creeping in? Maybe just a little?
