Excuse Me! What are you doing?
By DianneN
@DianneN (248166)
United States
February 6, 2026 8:46am CST
I was about to go upstairs to get dressed one morning around September when I spotted the mother of my across the street neighbor standing in front of my lawn taking photos. She’s here on a 10 year visa and barely speaks a word of English.
When I asked her what she was doing, she waved, so I waved back.
I asked her again what she was doing, and she told me my grass looked beautiful. I must have embarrassed her, because she turned around, ran across the street, up her driveway, and into the house.
However, I know she wasn’t taking photos of my lawn, because I watched her enlarge her camera for closeups of my flowers.
My point is that I better not see my flowers growing in their yard. They copy everything I wear, got a new roof right after we had ours put in, put in, an island somewhat like ours, painted their house the same color as ours, uses our turf company, decorated trees with fairy lights shortly after I’ve put ours up, etc…. A neighbor told us that their yard is becoming a mirror image of ours and not in a good way.
Thanks for letting me vent. Do you think I am being irrational?
Photo is mine. Once I got dressed, I went to the spot where she took photos just to see what she saw.
10 people like this
11 responses
@FourWalls (82690)
• United States
3h
Can you go rent a $700,000 RV to park in your driveway for a couple of days, just to see if she’ll buy one? 

2 people like this
@snowy22315 (202510)
• United States
5h
How strange..I guess she admires your style, but nobody likes a copycat
1 person likes this
@DianneN (248166)
• United States
5h
Exactly! I even let them dig up all my day lilies, gave them books and toys for their kids, etc. Now I wish I hadn’t.
Her husband snuck down our driveway to ask the workers what we were doing when we had our old sidewalk removed and a new one put in. One of the workers told me. I could go on and on……
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (112109)
• United States
26m
I think they just admire your design style. They may not be sure how to make changes to their own place, and all they know is that they like what you do. Now, that being said, I wouldn’t want everything I did to be copied either. I just don’t know how you ask them to stop without being rude. It would be annoying.
@LovingMyBabies (85606)
• Valdosta, Georgia
1h
I would take it as a compliment. =) Maybe give her some new ideas and tell her what would look great for their yard and space.
@rebelann (115835)
• El Paso, Texas
1h
I wouldn't like that at all but I doubt anyone would try to copy my mess.
@moffittjc (127264)
• Gainesville, Florida
2h
To borrow a popular literary phrase, "plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery." She is copying you because of how great your house and yard are!
But it does seem strange that she literally does everything you do. I love Four Walls' suggestion about the RV though!
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (88523)
• United States
4h
Nope that would annoy the heck out of me. I can't believe that they're copying you and have no vision of their own. In a crazy way it's a compliment to you but still a bit weird.
@misunderstood_zombie (8211)
• United States
2h
You made it! You're the one that everyone wants to be and to have their things look like your things. Congrats!













