we live on a beautiful lake front street. The folks at the other end assume themselves to have so much money that most rules dont apply to them. One neighbor has a bad habit of inserting herself into EVERYTHING! She believes herself to know fancy people that in real life they wouldnt know her is she spit on them. She assumes to be so well educated, and well bred that hers is the end all be all of information and guidance. She treats DH and I as if we are her help or staff. They winter in SC and while away she thinks nothing of phoning me to say "could you run down and check on the thermostat. we got a low reading on our computer and want to be sure all is well." or "could you wrap our japanese maple the 2nd week of November before the heavy snow?" or thinks we are going to check on her place twice a week the whole winter...HAHAHAAH anyway.

While they are here in the summer my phone never stops! I have her # set to a special ring so I know its her before I look at the caller ID. She called yesterday while I was nursing a headache and screamed into the phone "its raining! my outside cushions are getting wet! run down and take them in, we will be home in 30 mins or so." I FLUNG the phone at DH who DEMANDS that we make nice with these folks and said "its HER! again, she wants someone to run out in the rain to put away OUTSIDE cushions before the rain gets them. YOU TAKE IT"

There is ALWAYS something going on. I was snotty on the phone, so I wrote a quick, "didnt mean to bite your head off, but I was in bed with a h/a and didnt care about any outside cushions getting wet, not even my own, so im sorry but its hard to simply drop what I am doing every time you call." Her response is always to blame her husband (who is a demanding litle man and to plead with me to understand what a bad spot he puts her in, and that "I didnt notice if you did snap at me, but need you to let the dogs out on the 14th. we are going away at 8am, and wont be back till well past 6 so they will need you to feed them supper." THat is how she responds to my letter!

My husband desperatly wants peace. HE said its easier to just shut up, play nice, and soon we will find another house in our dream city, and we will wave so long to them. If folks are scouting our house, they dont want to see a street full of folks that dont talk to each other. They want a street full of friendly folks that are always inviting you down to their dock to fish, boat, or whatever. To be part of the rich life at the end of the street will help sell this house. Make it a war zone and folks will stay away. UGH! I know he is right, but there are days I want to strike this woman and say DONT YOU KNOW I HAVE MS?! NO I dont want to feed your dogs, let your dogs out, watch your house, wrap your tree, sign for your packages, or anything else!

She is constantly telling us about the lobster festival dinners and fireworks dinners and boat parades they are having with the even richer neighbors, and sort of rubs your nose in it, while not realizing we were invited but turned it down! we dont want to soicalize with thieves, or dishonest folks who think themselves above the law because of their last names.

HELP ME! How can I make peace, and not blow my top? I really need to find a way to be nice to this woman, and I am so close to snapping her head off. What say you? Please dont say dont answer the phone, if she sees my car here, she will drive down here, so a phone call is the lesser of two evils. I can get her off the phone, once she arrives at my door I have to chew my arm off to get her out of my house.