Dear Neighbor

As I walk my dog in the neighborhood this letter often comes to mind.  Its a letter I have never written and may not ever write but I think of it often:

Dear Neighbor,
It just occurred to me that we have never been introduced....  I see the look that your husband gives me when I pretend to walk my dog past your house while picking leaves, pods, twigs etc.  
My name is Anise ,  I am a metal clay jewelry artist. 
I know, I know,  you have never heard of it, don't know what it is.   All that you need to know is that I make jewelry using organic elements a lot of which I pick from your garden beside the road.   I promise you,  I mean no harm when I'm foraging by the road in front of your house.  I see you sweating in the heat of summer in your yard, working diligently planting things, while I am inside in my air conditioned studio.   It makes me squeal with delight when I see you planting something new, your hodgepodge of plantings around the yard.  My take on it is, I can't wait to see what it looks like when its neglected and dead in the winter time!  
So dear neighbor, please don't call the police, I promise I am harmless, I am not casing your house or stealing your mail.  One day you may find a little box on your front porch with a beautiful piece of jewelry created by your wonderful and crazy looking yard.


Your neighbor,
Anise