I can't say I know my neighbors too well, but those I have met are nice and other than the quirky lady next door who leaves her fiberoptic Christmas tree up all year in the front "above the front porch" room, things are pretty much normal in my neighborhood. There are no busybodies on my street who just pop in unexpectantly, unless it was Mrs. Alzheimer (bless her heart), she tried furiously to open my door and walk on in, and me and a few other neighbors have found her walking about in the cold with little on, to which we promptly directed her back home, but I haven't seen her in a while. That was sad.

I used to live in a housing complex, and believe me, it was all the buzz. Talk about a Peyton Place. I'm sure you guys have had neighbors you would love to forget! You know the types I'm talking about, come to borrow sugar and stay for hours? drag their bratty kids in too? Smoke up your house? Got a story I'd love to hear one.

While you're thinking about your long lost unforgettable neighbor, enjoy this neighbor woman boldly goes where no neighbor should go story!

DEAR ABBY: When our real estate agent was showing us our house three years ago, the woman who lives next door walked into the back yard where we were standing to introduce herself. After we moved in, she knocked on our door one night carrying dinner for the two of us. It seemed like a neighborly gesture. We responded with a thank-you note.

Over the next few days, food would be laid at our door, always with a Post-It note saying, "From Bea." Soon she asked us to take care of her cats and plants while she went out of town for a week. We asked if she would reciprocate when we were away -- she agreed.

After we returned from our trip, a woman I hardly knew came up to me at the market and said, "I LOVE your home! I can't believe you even have contrasting piping on the lining of your drawers!" Apparently, Bea had taken her on a tour of our house in our absence. When I told Bea I didn't appreciate it, she got angry with the woman for telling me!

Over the summer, I noticed Bea going quickly from place to place in the neighborhood with a smirk on her face. Without asking, she would take her lawn mower and mow people's yards when she felt the grass was too high. Once she tried to encourage me to help her cut back the branches of another neighbor's tree that she felt was overgrown. Her husband says she never feels guilty, only sad at getting caught.

Her most recent escapade involves a shrub in our yard. In winter it loses its leaves. I came home one day to find it "replaced." I have also discovered that she "befriends" elderly single ladies down the street, convinces them to sell at below-market prices, and turns their homes into rental properties.

What kind of person am I dealing with, and how can we handle this? Is she crazy? -- DAVID IN PHOENIX

DEAR DAVID: The person you have described is highly manipulative, does not respect boundaries and appears to have no conscience. She has no right to enter someone else's property without permission and cut their grass or trim their trees, and doing so could be considered trespassing. As for replacing your shrub, if you could prove she took it, you could take her to court and she would have to replace the one she took with one like it.

I hope you realize that by convincing the neighbors to sell their homes at below-market rates, she is adversely affecting the price of your property because a buyer would compare your asking price with that of other homes that have sold in your neighborhood.

This woman is crazy like a fox. If she's manipulating elderly people who don't know any better, then in my opinion, she's guilty of elder abuse -- and that's against the law.

Have a great day bloggers!

I so love this class! They teach you the basic steps before each song, which is of a Latin variety, and basically you just start dancing! Doesn't matter if you're not perfect at it, as long as you keep moving, and eventually you'll catch on! better yet, you burn away those calories and inches! If you've never heard of Zumba, here's a video about it. Enjoy!

Recently, while I was doing my Saturday night thingy here and my daughter was playing a video game in the front room, our doorbell rang at about a quarter after 11. This was totally unexpected and we were both startled as we certainly were not expecting visitors. My first instinct was of course to tell her, "don't answer it." She came in the dining room where I was. I went to the door crack and said, "Who is it?" He was mumbling something, and then said cold and flatly, "let me in."

At that point, I became a little alarmed as the deep voice was unrecognizable and almost threatening; I told my daughter to go upstairs, look out the window, see if a car had broken down out front, or just to get a glimpse of who this might be because I had no idea at that point, and either he was drunk and lost, or we were going to have a problem, and call 9-1-1 to bring the police, which are not that far away since I live right in the city downtown. There had been break-ins around the area, and I was not taking any chances, however he had left by the time police arrived. I at that point realized how flimsy a security system I had, and that anybody could break into my house without much effort.

After a thorough search of the property, the policeman did not located him, but reminded me of a neighborhood watch trick, and here it is. I had forgotten about it, but will use it from now on, as my car sits on the street right in front of my house.

They told me to use my car keys panic/horn button and to keep my car keys beside my bed at night, and if I heard a noise outside or someone trying to get into my house, just press the panic button for my car. The alarm would be set off, and the horn will continue to sound, until I decided to turn it off, or until police arrive.

So bloggers, the next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this:

It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or a rapist won't stick around ... after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there...

Have a great day.

Whenever my birth month rolls around I always get a mammogram. Don't you love these little comfort pads designed to fool us women into believing that somehow this is going to make this procedure feel better?

Let's get real!! ~ No matter how much padding they put on the bucky, it still does not take away from the fact that this procedure is a little uncomfortable! I still have bite marks from the compression, as they try to get as much breast tissue and underlying muscle as they can. I did not mind necessarily, having been an x-ray tech myself, I know it is important to compress as much breast tissue as possible in order to fully evaluate the tissue for any changes. One just has to bear it, frankly. At one point, I felt like she was going to separate my breast from its body! for goodness sakes! and not to mention her hands on my breasts were cold as ice!



If you are past due for mammogram, take care of it and have it down. All women should do self-breast examinations, and be aware of any changes, and seek attention for such. Men? You are no exception, and can get breast cancer too. Acc. to ABC News, "Doctors are encouraging a new group of people to consider getting tested for genes that raise the risk of breast cancer: Men. Male relatives of women with such genes often do not realize that they, too, may carry them, and face greater odds of developing male breast cancer, as well as prostate, pancreatic and skin cancer, new research suggests." To read this entire article, click here.

According to the American Cancer Society, if you are a woman over 40, they recommend you have a mammogram once a year. It could indeed save your life. The benefits long outweigh the risk of discomfort you might experience while having the actual mammogram procedure done. At least they do let go of it! and perhaps somebody could kiss your boo-boo for you? I wished!

Have a great day, bloggers!

You're invited to a St. Patrick's Day Party Saturday Night right here on Blogstream! Time for all you old bloggers who have been missing in action to come back and join in the fun!

So all you Lads and Lassies don your party green! Decorate your blogs in celebration, put on your Bonnie dress and dancing shoes, and wear your Leprechaun hats, too! Party starts at 8 and goes till late!

Come along in the spirit of blogship and fun, and toast a blessing with your blog friends and neighbors! Join in the live chat in the blogstream chatroom!



There will be plenty of green beer on tap and authentic Irish coffee!

(here are some traditional toasts, practice up!)

May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

Here's to me, and here's to you, And here's to love and laughter- I'll be true as long as you, And not one moment after.

Here's a toast to your enemies' enemies!

Here's to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one.
A pretty girl and an honest one.
A cold beer - and another one!

Here's to our wives and girlfriends: May they never meet!

May the grass grow long on the road to hell for want of use.

May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent.



See you there!

If you don't have a chatroom pass, get one! The place is empty anymore and I think it's time as a community of bloggers, we have a good time and chat with one another in one of the chatrooms Saturday Night! I'll let you know which one as the day gets closer!