my completly childish neighbour

[cazzybabs]

We used to get on really well and I think we are quite good neighbours. We don't play loud music and my dh has been round to fix things for her (she about 40-45 and lives on her own) etc etc. Anyway all this changed when we got our cats. We told her we were getting them and offered to help pay for things to keep them out of her garden. Anway suddenly one day (I posted about this about a year ago) she changed and she would stand out in our garden and say "I f*inbg hate living here. It used to be such a nice neighbourhood and its all gone down hill" and if ever we were out in the garden she would go out and start saying really quite horrible things. Anyway it kind of died down a little but then one of our dear cats caught a bird. I have to lock my bike to out joinning fence so 5cm of my handles overaps her bit - it is really not a problem but she always kicks my bike and yesterday she throw my bike down (well as much as she could because it was locked up) and the force of it broke both brake chains. Anway then this morning I saw her and "Oh good morning" as cheerfully as I could because what else do I do. She very grumply replied but then we left out house at the same time - me on my bike and her in her car and she drove so near the curb I couldn't overtake her . I know she had seem me becaus she looked in her mirror and saw me.

I am so upset - I hate bad feeling and I am so also very angry. I want to sratch her car or knock off her wing mirrors (I won't mind you!). But how do you deal with childish neighbours??

Sounds like she has a phobia of cats. That is really the only explanation I can see for her sudden change of attitude.

Why don't you call her on it?

Not condoning that sort of behaviour but was it definitely her and not high winds that knocked your bike over? My mum's whole fence blew away in the wind the other night. Also, perhaps she drove near the curb so you could overtake her on the other side?
She might have stuff going on in her life unconnected to you, but that is making her behave like this.
Just a thought.

How about plucking up the courage to go and see her one day and say something along the lines of "Look, I feel things have been a little difficult/strained etc between us recently but I would like it for us to get on. Lets start again shall we?".

Or, alternatively you could go and see her and confront her with "Whats your problem?"

God luck

Nip it in the bud before it turns any more serious. Go round and be completely neutral, but just say something along the lines of her not seeming very happy with you and if there's anything you're doing to cause her a problem then she should let you know so that you can try and resolve it amicably and that you feel awful if you are doing something that might be upsettign her. If you are really lovely to her the chances are that embarrassment and conscience will get the better of her and she too will want to sort it out. Good luck - things with neighbours can be really hard can't they. Remember that if she's on her own she may not have anyone to use as a sounding board and so could be dealing with the problem in a way that she may have thought otherwise of had she had the chance to sit down and talk it through with someone.