![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/hedgeclippersBrite.jpg\" "\\"hedgeclippersBrite\\"")
<\/a>Notice the huge hedge behind the balloons.<\/p><\/div>\n
Alastair\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Easter outfit is well underway and I am loath to stop to write a nice, informative post. But as I was busily working in the sewing room, I recalled a story that I thought you might enjoy.<\/p>\n
In yesterday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s post I mentioned the neighborhood where my daughter and her family live. I described it as being much like where Ward, June, The Beaver and Wally Cleaver lived, on Pine Street, in the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dc50\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s. Few if any yards are off limits and children roam the block, laughing and playing. Rebecca and Harvey have allowed and encouraged the children to run free on or through their corner lot.<\/p>\n
Between the street and their side yard is a huge podocarpus hedge, at least 8\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 deep and 10\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 high, an impenetrable green wall which affords them some privacy. If you are unfamiliar with this very dense shrub, it is shown in the picture above, taken at Alastair\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s birthday party.<\/p>\n
Several weeks ago, the doorbell rang and Rebecca greeted 7 year-old Rachel, who lives across the street. She politely asked Rebecca if she could borrow her hedge clippers.<\/p>\n
When Rebecca asked her why, the little girl responded that Jennifer and Sarah, two other neighborhood girls, had their father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hedge clippers but she didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think that her father had any so could she please use Rebecca’s?<\/p>\n
“Why do you need hedge clippers?” Rebecca inquired.<\/p>\n
“Oh,” she replied with excitement, “we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re\u00c2\u00a0making a hole\u00c2\u00a0in your hedge so we can cut through!” She obviously thought news of this landscape modification would be met with enthusiasm.<\/p>\n
Rebecca firmly refused and scurried out to mitigate the damage to her hedge. Rachel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s live-in grandmother came out\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0about that time and proceeded to give her granddaughter and the other two girls a hot lecture on property rights, followed by some major what-for. Rebecca shooed Jennifer and Sarah off, scolding them properly. Their hedge clippers were left behind.<\/p>\n
Later, their father came\u00c2\u00a0to the door, \u00c2\u00a0professing that kids will be kids and\u00c2\u00a0asking Rebecca to please return his hedge clippers if she ever recovers them from the depths of the podocarpus hedge. Rebecca told him on no uncertain terms that he would never see those clippers\u00c2\u00a0again. And\u00c2\u00a0if he replaces them, which she hoped he would not, she advised that \u00c2\u00a0they be kept out of the reach of children.<\/p>\n
Since then, there have been no lawsuits for property damage, no neighborhood feuds.\u00c2\u00a0 Just as this scene would have played out on Pine Street, the neighbors are all friendly, the children play in the all the yards and the incident has not been mentioned again. But I doubt Jennifer, Sarah and Rachel have forgotten, or will forget for a very long time.\u00c2\u00a0Their father’s hedge needs trimming. Rebecca’s\u00c2\u00a0hedge is healing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00c2\u00a0 Alastair\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Easter outfit is well underway and I am loath to stop to write a nice, informative post. But as I was busily working in the sewing room, I recalled a story that I thought you might enjoy. In … Continue reading