My neighbour wants to mow my grass....

[dolo amber]

And no, that's not some new term for a sexual perversion, so please, no cheeky comments. (ForrestGump, ShortBus, I'm looking at you....;):P)

Anyway, my neighbours, a lovely couple in their late 60's, witnessed me cutting my grass a couple weeks ago. Leave out the fact I'm 5 ft tall and my yard is a tad hilly in parts, I was having a really rough time. My allergies decided to kick into overdrive and my 3 yr. old thought "Yay!! Mommy's distracted! Now's the perfect time to see what all that "Stay out of the street" business is about! Huzzah!". Last Saturday, I came home from running errands and noticed my yard had been mowed, but assuming my landlord had come by or something I thought nothing of it.

This afternoon, however, my neighbour was out doing his yard, and when he finished, started in on mine! I immediately went out and thanked him, but told him it wasn't necessary (the man is nearly 70!) and that I could take care of it myself. Without even stopping or turning off the mower he told me in his grouchy-yet-loveable way to "Git my butt back inside, I didn't need to be worrying about the grass, I needed to be keeping an eye on Ruby and watching my allergies." His wife then promptly came outside and told me to hush, I was gonna hurt his feelings...

So, do I let a nigh on 70 year old man cut my grass, when I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself? I feel really bad, but if it makes him feel needed or something...:shrug:

[mitchtv]

1. bake him a cake

or buy him a little bottle of something- or a flat of annuals.

[Alenne]

2. I wouldn't stop him

but I would probably send him a thank you card.

[Deja Q]

3. Grass is for smokin', not cuttin'...

Besides, cutting one's grass is best left done by one's self. One's self knows how much pressure applied to the razor is sufficient. Somebody else would accidentially scar your fun-time area down there... :-(

[arwalden]

4. How's Your Homeowners Insurance??

Aren't you liable for any accidental injury he may do to himself while working on your property?

-- Allen

P.S. IF ANYONE KNOWS AN ACCURATE ANSWER FOR THIS, please let us know here. My mom is continually hiring neighborhood kids (and adults) to mow her lawn. I'm hoping that she's not subjecting herself to any unnecessary liability risks.

[Nikia]

8. Wow, I suppose that is a risk

When we lived at our old duplex, a neighbor boy who couldn't have been even ten offered to mow our lawn for eight dollars with his own mower. Since it needed mowed and we didn't feel motivated, we let him. Besides, it was cheap. While he mowed, his friends were playing in our yard around the mower. I suppose that if anything happened to those kids, we could have gotten sued.

[ForrestGump]

5. How did she know

what would be the very first thing to enter my mind?

It's the eyes....the eyes know all.... :P

[short bus president]

11. Those are some powerful peepers, right?

You and I have been singled out, my friend. It's an honor, believe me.

Witness my characteristic tact and pure, virginal decency as I avoid any punning, double entendre, or sly sexual euphamism...

The shortbus advice: Send the guy a card to say thanks, have 'em over for a cookout or something sometime, or just be sure to smile and wave when you run across him. A good neighbor is a special thing to have. And I know it can be hard to graciously accept a favor done for ya' - I have a lot of trouble not doing the karma analysis to figure out what's owed in return. Bear in mind that you've probably given the guy a huge happy by letting him feel good about himself for helpin', and surely there will be some time in the future when you'll find the opportunity to do likewise.

Now, if you wanna talk some more about "lawn care" (wink, wink), please do PM me. ;-)

[ForrestGump]

12. That was very swave and deboner of you

I'm suitably unpressed.

[short bus president]

13. way to flex that tool of yours, Forrest

with the flickering silver tongue and all.

Pardon me, though, for not standing here with my mouth agape in awe whilst yer slingin' flaccidry.

[LynneSin]

6. Outside all the insurance/legal crap

HELL YES!!!!!

After my grandfather retired and especially after my grandmother passed away, my grandfather had one joy left in his life - mowing the lawn (and he had a big property.)

My only concern would be the heat, because that was a big struggle between my grandfather and his daugther (my mother). He would go out mowing even when it was 100 degrees/100% humidity days. And the heat can be very harsh on older citizens.

It sounds like he's grumpy like my grandfather but she's pretty reasonable. Talk with the wife and express this concern - you don't mind him mowing the grass, but just have concerns on days that it's too hot.

Then you can return the favor to them. Visit them, bake them some cookies, cook them dinner. It sounds like you have great neighbors!

[ForrestGump]

7. I'd say let the dude cut your grass

He probably enjoys it, and you can perhaps express your thanks with little, thoughtful gestures like offering him food or drink, etc. I have a good (female) friend who has a similar situation regarding an older, retired neighbor who insists on taking her trash and recycling out to the road and bringing the empty cans back the next morning. Once, when he and his wife were away for a while, a similarly-aged man across the street took the task upon himself. Apparently, when the next-door-neighbor came back, the two samaritans almost came to blows over whod take out the trash, and for a few weeks thereafter each would try to beat the other to it. I always pictured it as an outtake from "Grumpy Old Men."

Anyway, the point is that it probably makes him feel good to be doing something useful like that and to help you out - and that's good for him, for sure - and so gratefully accepting his help is a real win-win proposition.

EDIT: forgot my mower picture!

[MuseRider]

9. Community, a wonderful thing

and something becoming hard to find. What a sweetie. I would bake him cookies as suggested above or do something else he would appreciate. It obviously makes him feel good to do it for you and quite possibly it makes him feel useful. People used to do stuff like that all the time, I think it is very nice and you are lucky. Make him feel lucky as well.

[arwalden]

10. When I Lived In A Townhouse With A Postage-Stamp Front Lawn...

... four of my neighbors and I would take turns mowing each other's lawns.

A mini lawn-mowing-co-op of sorts. Each lawn was so tiny that you could mow it in almost LESS time than it took to retrieve your lawn mower from the storage shed and wheel it to the front of the unit.

So... it just made sense that AS LONG AS YOU'RE HERE... might as well mow your neighbor's lawn too.

It was a GREAT arrangement. We had no formal schedule or rotation sequence... but everyone seemed satisfied with the plan. I'd mow my own lawn about once a month and had no complaints.

-- Allen

[SuffragetteSal]

14. i think it is nice gesture

of him and would just let him do it. If you do enjoy working in the yard on the other hand, perhaps plant some pretty flowers or even vegetables and tend to them. He sounds like an angel to me :)

[Solly Mack]

15. He's helping you...it's helping him..allow the kindness

the world has too little kindness as it is.

[rock]

16. You did him a favor

Us guys never get to old to do a favor for a female. And they never get too old to do a favor for. Genes, I guess.

[radwriter0555]

17. I think a nice cake, casserole, slab of meat or something along

those lines is in order.

That would be the neighborly thing to do. No fuss, no muss, just get to doing it.

That's what neighbors do. Take care of each other.

[Cheswick2.0]

18. just thank him and let him be an old fashioned gentleman

bless his soul