DEAR ABBY: We recently moved to a new house. Within one week, we received a letter from one of our next-door neighbors. In her letter she proceeded to tell us about her last neighborhood, where one couple were "pests," the other couple had a pool (which they hated), and a third lady always wore her bikini in her yard. This woman then went on to tell us that no one in our new neighborhood (which is only four houses) wears bathing suits in their yards, but that everyone wears "decent length" shorts, and that "everyone" is opposed to swimming pools.
We are a young couple with three sons, and we plan to put a pool in next spring. I can't believe the nerve of this woman. I will not allow these neighbors' preferences to influence our decisions. Our yard is almost one acre, and she shouldn't be watching us.
That letter was so upsetting to my husband and me, I think we're just going to ignore it, but what would you do? -- STUNNED IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR STUNNED: I would start making friends with the other neighbors, put in my swimming pool as planned -- and install a safety fence and a tall hedge on the side of my property that adjoins that of the nosy and presumptuous letter writer.