Dear Eric: My sister has a 130-pound dog who is friendly. While celebrating Easter in April, I was sitting on the sofa, barefoot, when the dog approached me and stepped on my right foot, and injured it. After five months, I visited the doctor, who said that all the nerves in my foot were damaged. He gave me metatarsal pads to wear and cream to see if they help.
The doctor said if my injury does not improve in a month, I will need injections in my foot.
I do not want to visit my sister at her home anymore. I have and will continue to host the holidays at my house, but I’m sure she will eventually invite me to her house.
My husband thinks that I am being too dramatic and should visit her when invited. His foot wasn’t injured. What do you think?
— On the Wrong Foot
Dear Foot: Have you talked to your sister about what happened? It may be as simple as having her keep her dog in another room when you visit.
An underlying question is, do you want to visit at all? If the dog wasn’t a factor, would you still be reluctant? Maybe you just don’t want to go to your sister’s house.
Start with a conversation. It doesn’t have to involve accusations or even frustration. Think of it this way: you’re telling your sister what you need in order to feel most comfortable in her home.
Dear Eric: I have a comment to add for the person who doesn’t like looking at the decaying sandbox in their neighbor’s yard (“Sight for Sore Eyes”). If the neighbor doesn’t choose to remove the sandbox, the writer might be able to place one or two large deck umbrellas in the corner of their yard to hide the sandbox from their view.
My husband is a dedicated “collector” of useful items, and our side yard had become an unsightly collection of odds and ends. I bought three wide tilting deck umbrellas in cheerful red and positioned them in my yard to screen most of the clutter from the neighbor’s view.
— Neat Neighbor
Dear Neighbor: You’re so accommodating! I’m glad it all worked out. Others wrote in with similar suggestions, like planting a fast-growing bush. Or offering to pay for and arrange the removal of the unsightly sandbox.
(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)
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