Help me combat a gardening terrorist.

I have considered moving them, but then I couldn't enjoy them.

The old lady must have always been pretty wild. She told an unintelligable story of her divorce, from which I gleaned that he took custody of the children and had her jailed.
I see her walk to the library all the time. She reads as much as she gardens.

Offer to accompany her to the library to carry her books home.

My sister came home to find an elderly neighbor enthroned in her apartment kitchen, complaining loudly about inadequate maids and uncaring family.

The management had saved money on the kitchen locks any key worked in any lock.

Obviously the apartment belonged to the elderly woman because her key worked.....

Edgar - people often assume such stuff in old people is dementia or some other pretty untreatable thing.

However - she MIGHT be suffering from something like a psychotic illness, or a very severe depression (which can sometimes lead to psychotic symptoms - though she sounds more hypermanic than depressed!) - or something physical which might respond to treatment - like reduced oxygen flow to her brain.

Are you in a position to suggest a proper psychiatric/geriatrician assessment? To family - or via apartment manager?

Molasses on some of the plants?

Can't you just shoot her, Edgar?

You do own a shotgun don't you?

Hell, you won't even have to lead her.

I have no influence with her family. I know they found what appears to be chest or breast cancer in her. They haven't given her chemo, so I wonder if they decided it wouldn't be worth it in her case.
She went through one particularly bad episode last year because she quit taking her meds. Reason given: The doc admitted to being Muslim. They got her a new doc and she resumed treatment.
Last week she told me how she could be sitting in her easy chair and lightning would come from behind her head and spread across the wall before her. She said that occurred shortly before her eye hemorrhaged.
When I last saw her today, she had a broom and clorox on the walk in front of a neighbor's door, scrubbing away.
Oh, Gus! We have an ordinance against discharging firearms in the Tomball city limits.

All I can come up with is this. Get your tools and ass over to her sons garage and get that room done. What the hells takin em so long. Hell, have you got any friends that look like Tony Soprano, or Big Pussy? Maybe you could "influence her son to speed this construction process along , lest there be some work related accidents"
Sounds like dealing with her will be of limited success. Unless you employ gus's suggestion, which, I fear, will not gain favor with the Rangers. ,

I only wish.

The old lady cooked something a bit overly done today. She had smoke pouring out the front door. By the time I learned of it the crisis was over. I plan to speak with the manager on Monday. I think they should use the Texas law that allows one to retake possession of an apartment sooner than later.

Damn funny Gus..

edgar--

The family may have all sorts of good intentions, but granny has herself on a different timetable. This is where Agency for Aging can help. I don't know what changes her son is making to his garage, but if she's a fire hazard, assisted living is necessary.

sounds like her fan aint wired right

They have to get on her constantly to quit flooding the sidewalks with bleach and scrubbing them down while others need to get by.

Edgar--

So she's a woman with many hobbies?

She told me she once wanted to be a history professor.

Instead she is creating history.

Yesterday I told the old gal that I was going to dig up the plants in question and replant them elsewhere.
"Where are you going to put them?"
"Far in the back somewhere."
"What will you plant in their place?"
"Nothing. Just put in a pile of mulch."
"You're not going to put in some gorgeous flowers?"
"No; nothing."
"I don't see why you can't leave these where they are."
"They will never bloom again right here, beacuse you always pull their tops off."
"I promise to leave them alone if you don't move them."
"Well, all right, then."
Her promise will last two weeks at the most, guaranteed.

How long until blooming season?

you both need some preventive maintenance. Youre just teasin the old wombat, and youre getting off on it.

I usually charge big bucks for this kind of wisdom

You don't know the situation if you think I am teasing her. That portion of the complex looks like it went through a blender. I am trying in the face of losing odds to reclaim some of what's left. It's already turning into spring here. The trees have new leaves, even the bananas. The perrenials are stirring. But those poor bedraggled plants I personally planted look like a billy goat has been grazing. Management ignores her as much as they can, because business is in a slow period and they don't want to lose any more people. I have asked only this one thing of her in the past year. Aside from this titanic struggle that we're having, I often set her heater/air conditioner for her and she sometimes offers me little things, like the Billy tea from Australia a relative brought her. Mostly, I refuse anything for reasons of cleanliness, but I did accept the tea. Last Thanksgiving she put out a great pumpkin on the porch. After it stayed there a few weeks, she made a pie or two from it. She was generous offering it around, but I don't know anybody who actually ate it.

Elderly gentlewomen who have fallen upon hard times are the devil to deal with. She's not being wilfully wicked--but she's causing as much damage as if the devil were personally goosing her with a gardening fork.