An in-between phase

Rhyddid2026

Sitting in solidarity with you Pip. May our homes feel safe again soon.

KajiKita

I feel your pain. I had a neighbour like that once. The whole village called her Evil Edna … 😳

Hope the return wasn’t too awful …

Also seconding the possibility / suggestion of some kind of mediation. Living like this will be exhausting for all of you and won’t help your health. Maybe family counselling?

KK

foxgloves

Does Mr PiP have any kind of functional relationship with her? I was thinking about some form of mediation too. That didn't work for us as SiL played the full victim card so our case played out as a full & I imagine permanent split. Mediation probably needs to happen before the behaviour is further entrenched. You are living next to each other & a few 'red lines' from both sides could possibly provide a starting point?

PennysIntoPounds

Thanks luvs. There's not really anything to mediate from our point of view. There's no locking of horns, we just don't want abuse and aggression in our home or lives. Hopefully she was just having a bad day and can reign the unhingedness in from now on

WelshmansDaughter

Camera doorbell so you always know who's there before you answer 😀

PennysIntoPounds

Have considered it @WelshmansDaughter! Might do in future but don't really want to spend money on something we don't actually want.

Have pondered all your comments on mediation and hopefully it won't be necessary but yes we will have to get wider family involved if this continues. Just seems ludicrous and embarrassing to ask other people to adjudicate and waste their and our precious time when the issue seems to be she thinks we're accountable to her and we think we're middle aged adults in a separate household and that our lives are none of her beeswax. What's the compromise we all come to? We do as she says and we don't get abuse and aggression in our home? Not really feeling it as a reasonable outcome tbh!

PennysIntoPounds

But no bad vibes allowed on a Sunday!

Wore a great outfit today, got my Sunday perfume on, now got classy comfies on

Mr PIP has prepped mash for dinner, going to have it cheesy with beans while we watch Antiques Roadshow, proper Sundaying that is

Had a lovely gentle stroll around the manor in the autumn sun

Finally learnt that those big purple daisies are called Asters or Michaelmas Daisies, I always wondered when I saw them in the street

Bothered to make a nice salad for lunch and use some bits up

Nice whatsapp time with mum comparing crossword answers, lots of progress has been made from our original dreadful start 😁

Home is clean and tidy, laundry put away and another load air-drying in garden

Mr PIP is having a nice time with our South London pals, my joints didn't feel up to travelling but I'm having a nice time in our lovely garden with Sunday beer and the MSE diaries

Looking forward to going to Norf for a few days later this week and kipping at mums while she's away then hopefully having an evening with her

Managed to resist buying a jumper I've fallen for, that may not last but at least I didn't buy it without giving myself a cooling off period first

Living room smells of the gorgeous candle our friend bought us as a housewarming gift

Did a vinted listing and thus completed my autumn listings pile

Reversed the postcard on our fridge so we can see the message our last next door neighbour wrote- 'Thank you for being great neighbours, your caring and patience'. It actually makes me well up a little every time I see it, but in a good way ❤️

Got £275 from PB (thank you Ernie, we love you). Shares to usual pots, Aim £500 Got £400

It's all good in the hood 🍻

KajiKita

If you can find a family member who can be calm, measured and objective it is entirely likely that they will reinforce your views on living alongside each other to SiL. It might also give SiL an opportunity to express something that seems utterly trivial to you, but causes real distress for her e.g. the location of the wheelie bins or some other such nonsense. If you can get her to express something specific that she needs / wants, there is the possibility of compromise.

That sounds like a really lovely Sunday 🤩❤️

KK

Blackcats

that sounds like a great Sunday. Do you think Ernie and the Universe are telling you to buy that jumper? I think so.

Slowdown

I’m hoping the return of SiL has been serene, tranquil, calm, easygoing, placid, peaceful …….(wracking brains 🧠 for more similes).