Green With Envy

I see the men in my neighborhood look. I do. Their eyes catch mine as I walk up and down my lawn. I sometimes feel like I am on Desperate Housewives. Sometimes they wave. Sometimes they smile. Sometimes I get both. I wave back and say hello. If their wives only knew. I never see the wives. They are never outside and they are never doing what I am doing. Why am I getting so much attention? Is it because I am wearing something sexy? No. Is it because of my legs? No. Do you want to know why I am getting their attention? They can't believe I am mowing the lawn. Most of our neighbors have a lawn service. But for the few that mow their own, I have never seen another woman out there mowing the lawn. I think I would fall over if I did.

I could also be getting so much attention because of the sexy number I wear on my feet:

And if I am feeling really ambitious, I weed wack.

So ladies, if you want to feel like a million bucks in your neighborhood, start pushing the mower. You will certainly get the attention of the menfolk in your suburb. Or at least your one and only will be thrilled that you mowed the lawn.

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Note: Kyle, age 4, was so excited to be allowed to use our new camera to take these shots. Of the shots he took, I was headless more often that not.

Blogging Miracle

It really is a blogging miracle. I swear this happened. Today after lunch, I walked to my mailbox and saw my neighbor across the street with her small child. I decided that today was the day. I was going to put myself out there and just shout hello. I wasn't going to wait for her to pretend not to see me. Just as I started to say hello, she actually looked me right in the eye and said hello. Yes, she even waved. I can't believe that after these past years, she finally waved and said hello.

It got me thinking, if I blog about it will it happen? I wish. But if I could just throw this out into the cosmos, here are my wildest wishes.....(beyond the usual healthy children, family, happy marriage, etc.)

1. My boys will stop fighting at least for one day
2. I will age gracefully
3. My husband and I will go on a fantastic European cruise soon
4. I will finally find a pair of jeans that fit even once I wear them and wash them
5. I will meet Prince
6. I will have clothes that fit me and the occasion
7. I will find my real calling in life once the children are in school
8. My house will be clean at all times without much effort.
9. I will be in the best shape of my life for my twenty year high school reunion in 2010
10. The Democratic Party will finally select their candidate for the fall election

What are your WILDEST wishes?

Shy or snotty?

I have a neighbor that won't say hi to me. It is really ticking me off. When she first moved in, I would wave and try to be friendly. I sent over a basket of chocolates and a welcome note. I didn't hear from her.

Two years ago, this shy neighbor was locked out of her house, wearing her bathrobe while holding her new born in the winter. She came over and we spent about 45 minutes waiting for her husband to come home from work to let her in. We talked and she was really nice.

But today, as I rolled my trash cans to the curb, there she was, doing the same. She was rolling the trash cans to the curb. OK. She can hear my trash cans. I hear hers. She will not look up. I am dying to say hello. Nothing.

Sometimes I feel too shy to say hello. I understand the fear. This has been going on for years. Would you just look up and acknowledge that we are both humans living similar lives?

I know that this is my problem. It isn't really a problem. I just think about it daily when I see her and wondered how others have handled this sort of situation. Should I yell out her name and give her a big wave? Should I just start ignoring her? Should I let my dog loose and hope she ends up in her yard? What to do?