My sister is cheap and continues to buy my…
DEAR ABBY: My sister is cheap. She’s also not good at selecting presents for people. Often, the issues she provides are worse than if she’d completed nothing at all. An instance: She was just right here visiting and introduced my 4-year-old a toy car she’d picked up at a storage sale (advantageous, so far), but one of the wheels was damaged off. She had the wheel in her purse and said one thing about gluing it back on, but never did. Once she left, we tried to glue it, but it turned out the toy wasn’t fixable, and my son was very dissatisfied.
This isn’t the first time this has occurred. There’s a historical past of garments that are too small, ripped or soiled, toys despatched so late the kid has long outgrown that stage, and so on. It’s not a matter of money. She’s the director of a large law college, so she will be able to buy something she likes. It is a matter of consideration.
I’ve spoken to her a number of occasions about not bringing presents anymore, but she glosses over the frustration and says she loves seeing youngsters open the issues she brings. Someday, my youngsters will probably be outdated enough to see her habits as quirky, but for now, I would like it to stop. Am I proper? — GIFT RIFT IN THE WEST
DEAR GIFT RIFT: You should not mistaken. Your sister seems to be “a little off-center.” I agree with you that sooner or later in the not-too-distant future, your kids will probably be discerning enough to discover the “gifts” your sister brings are dirty or damaged and chosen without regard to their pursuits or style.
A means to keep away from the issue can be not to invite her to go to around birthday or vacation time, or intercept her inappropriate presents before the youngsters see them.
DEAR ABBY: Last 12 months, we renovated our home. We now have a south-facing roof that is prepared for the set up of photo voltaic panels. Our utility company has an incentive program to decrease the price of the gear, but it ends in six months.
The only factor holding us back is the next-door neighbors’ outdated, tall tree that shades our roof where the panels would go. The tree is cracked and has been coming down in sections over the last a number of years. Previous homeowners of the home had to restore their entrance home windows and gutter after a large department got here crashing down in a storm.
The current homeowners are a younger couple with a small child. We have had occasional, pleasant driveway conversations but don’t actually know them. Would or not it’s presumptuous to ask if they might be keen to allow us to pay to have their tree eliminated? People may be prickly about their property. But perhaps they wouldn’t thoughts another person protecting what is most likely an inevitable price.
We need to continue having a pleasant relationship, while also transferring ahead with our project. Thoughts? — UPGRADING IN NORTH CAROLINA
DEAR UPGRADING: Because you will have a cordial relationship with these neighbors, it shouldn’t be offensive to level out that their tree presents a drawback. When you do, inform them that a falling department had broken their entrance home windows and gutter, which precipitated an costly restore.
Explain that the cracks in the tree may current a hazard to their infant, then volunteer that you might be more than keen to pay the price of having it eliminated.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also identified as Jeanne Phillips, and was based by her mom, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
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