an anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.

The sun is shinning and good neighbour John is cutting the grass.

And bad neighbour Rebel thinks, bloody marvellous! The sun is out, and good neighbour John has come out to cut all the grass on both gardens either side of my house. Blow that good neighbour John if I haven't got to get out there and start cutting my grass!


Good neighbour John, usually talks to bad neighbour Rebel, with something like disdain.
Bad neighbour Rebel, is used to reacting to negativity with a negative response, and usually somewhat upping the ante in the process.

But bad neighbour Rebel has been learning a new lesson, about it is okay if people are mean to her, it's okay if some people don't like her, and it has made her just a little bit braver so she's says to herself, "this bad mood, is a bad habit.."
And goes out into the sun.

"Hello there." Says bad neighbour Rebel to good neighbour John, who is preoccupied with his cuttings and jumps out of his skin.
"Oh I'm ever so sorry" says bad neighbour Rebel, "I didn't mean to make you jump! I was just saying to myself flamin' good neighbour John's out cutting his grass...so I suppose I'd best get mine cut, do you think I should?"
Good neighbour John rubs his chin, "I think your grass is a different sort of grass. Meadow grass, perhaps? I think your grass is longer and wetter...You could borrow a sheep..?"
"Or a goat? Perhaps I will just do this bit, that is in the sun..." Says bad neighbour Rebel.
"You've got to keep on top of it...you know."
"Yes, nice to see the sun, though."
"Isn't it beautiful," says good neighbour John.
"Yes it is." Beams bad neighbour Rebel, who is very pleased with how their first conversation of the year has gone, "Yes it is indeed, well thank you good neighbour John."


Bad neighbour Rebel felt very good after the sunny side of her lawn was mowed...even though the mower conked out...and the grass was too wet and too long, and too different...
Perhaps someone will know how to fix mowers, or someone will have a sheep or a goat she laughed as she and little bad neighbour Rebel had a wet grass cuttings fight!