Is this asking too much?

[Anonymous]

Ask her! You can always give her an out if you're worried she won't know how to say no. Something like, "Alice, we are going to be away from the August 1st to the 5th. Would you be able to water our flowers on those days? If you can't do it, I will recruit one of the kids' friends to do it."

[Anonymous]

I’m 60 and would be happy to help. Ask your neighbor and bring her a treat back or take her to lunch.

[Anonymous]

I'm 62 and nah, I don't feel like watering your plants.

[Anonymous]

TOTALLY FINE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TOTALLY FINE

NOT TOTALLY FINE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m 60 and would be happy to help. Ask your neighbor and bring her a treat back or take her to lunch.

Take them out to lunch? Torture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 62 and nah, I don't feel like watering your plants.

I’m 42 and nah, I’m not helping you when you fall in your yard.

[Anonymous]

If she waters her own, ask. If she doesn’t find someone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 60 and would be happy to help. Ask your neighbor and bring her a treat back or take her to lunch.

Take them out to lunch? Torture.

Tell us why.

[Anonymous]

News flash - those of us in our 60s don’t feel “elderly,” and, if you’re lucky, you won’t feel that way either in your 60s.

I run around the neighborhood feeding cats and watering plants for vacationing neighbors all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It should be fine, but only you know the relationship with her.

All of this kind of stuff used to be normal to ask of neighbors. Now, we are so isolated and scared to ask even friends of anything. No more rides to the airport - hire an uber. No watering of plants - hire someone. Etc etc. I’m also guilty of not wanting to put people out but I think it does weaken our community bonds more broadly.

+1 We no longer have a society. It is broken on every level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be fine, but only you know the relationship with her.

All of this kind of stuff used to be normal to ask of neighbors. Now, we are so isolated and scared to ask even friends of anything. No more rides to the airport - hire an uber. No watering of plants - hire someone. Etc etc. I’m also guilty of not wanting to put people out but I think it does weaken our community bonds more broadly.

+1 We no longer have a society. It is broken on every level.

This. I am so glad we have neighbors who do this for us, and for whom we do the same, without a second thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 60 and would be happy to help. Ask your neighbor and bring her a treat back or take her to lunch.

Take them out to lunch? Torture.

Tell us why.

I’m 48 and busy with work and kids. I’d happily water your plants if I had time and definitely would if I was in my 60s. Now would be a little trickier since we are frequently gone all evening.

I agree lunch would be torture. Huge introvert and I’m not that social with the neighbors. I like keeping neighborly interactions to a hello. Please no lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We hire that kind of stuff out. I would not be comfortable having an elderly woman working on our outdoor property anyway. One fall and she can sue you.

Granted I’m late 50’s so not quite 60’s, but when you’re describing an elderly woman falling while watering flowers I’m picturing my mother, not me. Barring health issues a woman in her 60’s should be quite capable of watering plants.

If the neighbor is a gardener in general and it’s literally next door I would consider asking her first. If she’s says she can’t do it then I would look at hiring someone else.

My neighbors and I, younger and older, do that kind of stuff for each other all the time.

Ha! I’m 55 and do cross-fit, Pilates, yoga, etc.

My 82-year old mother weeds for the people that physically can’t in the 65+ community. She was mowing her own lawn at 80 until she sold the family home—-which she did all by herself—painting, staging, etc.

I also am good friends with 35-year old neighbors- get invited to dinner, workout together, go to their weddings, etc.

[Anonymous]

^ oh and Op some neighbors also ask if my teen sons will do stuff like that. Both my sons have mowed neighbors’ lawns, watered plants, etc.

Do you have older elementary - junior high, HS kids around?