We just met the new neighbors two doors down.

[Skidmore]

They bought the bed & breakfast that has been on the market for a while and they stopped by an introduced themselves while we were working in the front yard this morning. We had heard there were new owners but there has been too much going on and cold weather tends to keep me in these days. They seemed to be nice enough. My husband is a naturalized citizen from the Caribbean and he helped integrate this little German village. There was a little culture shock for the villagers at first but we have many good friends now.

Well this new guy is one of those people who has done well and is happy to brag about how much he has...and he and his wife are heavily into missionary work and Christian financial planning. He tried to sell us a retirement plan already. We were having a nice little chat about retirement packages and I mention to him that my plan has been well vested for some time. Then somewhere a long the line he said something about regulation and "well now they have Obama." Then you could see him recall that he might have ventured into a conversation with someone who may very well be a supporter and he trailed off and changed the subject.

I've had time to look them up now and they advertise Christian retreats and wellness seminars and they are happy to provide for your insurance needs too. I do know now that these are very conservative people and perhaps not the type willing to live and let live.

It's springtime in Iowa.

[enough]

1. Christian financial planning. You mean like "it is easier for a camel

to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God?"

[Skidmore]

12. Don't think so. He spent a few minutes describing the

$100k addition he made to his house in the country and 2 new outbuildings and 3 ponds.

[mzteris]

33. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,

where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal . . . Matthew 6:19

some "christian"

[northoftheborder]

2. what did he mean by "well now they have Obama"????

Was he inferring that pesky regulation was now being instituted by Obama, where before it had not been?

[AlabamaLibrul]

32. Seems to me the meme should be "Well now they have Obama and the stock market has doubled"

he's very pro-corporation and the DJIA, S&P 500 and so on reflect that.

[MineralMan]

3. You could invite him to your naked backyard bacchanalia, which

will, coincidentally, be held on the date of some retreat he's throwing at the B&B. I don't know...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

9. damn. beat me to it. See below.

[Donnachaidh]

4. he sounds like a snake

Did you shower after that conversation?

[MineralMan]

5. Err...is it this place?

[Skidmore]

11. Nope.

[MineralMan]

17. OK. It was a recently-sold B&B in Iowa, formerly used as a

Christian retreat destination. It sold cheap, too. Less than my house in Saint Paul, which is much smaller.

Just poking around.

[gateley]

6. That settles it. When I embark on my DU US tour,

I'm staying with you, NOT at the B&B. On second thought ... :evilgrin:

[Skidmore]

15. You are welcome anytime.

[snooper2]

7. Don't say anything about politics with them

Until it's time to put the yard signs out


Then see there reactions :P

They'll be inside chatting over dinner, "I thought they were a good x-tian couple all this time, the devil is fooling us!"

:rofl:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. Here's my suggestion:

Go to an art supply store, and grab a large container of water colors. Mix up a large batch, then paint a huge pentagram on your front lawn. Leave mailers in their mailbox, inviting them to come join the Party celebrating Kanaloa, the god of Darkness, Water and Squid. Make sure to include calamari on the menu. (include many pentagrams on the invite). Call it the 12th Annual Pagan Parade, or something similar. (check up on Kanaloa before you say anything to them. The Hawaiians combined their gods with the first teachings of those pesky christian missionaries and pederasts.)


Next time you see them, remind them of your upcoming fete, and ask if you can expect them, because the (wink here) "Secret Special, Post Dinner, Attraction!". Tell them how all the other pagan parties have been roaring successes, and even say, last time it was so popular, we needed to hire off duty police for crowd control.

Then sit and wait. And smile.

[Kolesar]

10. Don't push them away. Pull them into your circle with your gentleness and charm...eom

[dana_b]

13. enjoy the weather

and ignore their crap. It is lovely outside!

[KurtNYC]

14. My downstairs neighbors are phony nice and always selling

in a way that is kind of pushy, very self-centered and they never apologize for anything. Insecure people are hard to deal with.

Hope yours aren't as much trouble as mine.

[brooklynite]

16. Not much point in getting to know them...

...what with them leaving with the Rapture in two weeks. But maybe they could leave you the inn?

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. Keep an eye open.

Neighbors who opened their house for bible sessions are turning out to be some incredible flim-flam artists. They don't hardly stand out, however, in this community where flim-flamming has become an art form.

[Quantess]

19. "Christian financial planning"?

Does that mean it's tax exempt, or what? Whatever it entails, it sounds very suspect.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

20. Yeah, mixing in the "Xtian" with the "$" sounds like a good way to take advantage of someone's

religious beliefs for some good old fashioned scammery.

[spooky3]

25. agreed

[Liberal_in_LA]

21. keep your hand over your wallet.

[aj_cd]

22. ooops

I live for "that look". First, I am southern, family southern forever, can't find one northerner back to 1700's. Anyway when I meet people, I wait and listen and go through the "where and who were your people" etc.
Then politics or something comes up. I let them talk, then, in my sweetest southern voice I say, "I worked for Obama's election, I am one of those left wing, liberal, Democrats, matter of fact I am left of Obama and I have never voted Republican in my life?" (am nearing 57) And sometimes I add, "I had rather be called Socialist than Republican". I watch as "that look" transforms to horror. lol, I know, but I have to get my kicks somewhere and needless to say I don't make many new friends. Which is the point, I don't want them for friends. I am related to enough of them.

[Skidmore]

23. I want a big Obama sign to put in the window this election season.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

27. Welcome to DU ! n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

30. Welcome to DU, cuz.

:hi:

Living in the buckle of the Bible Belt can be very interesting, can't it?

[aj_cd]

31. Thank you

Thanks guys for the welcomes. I am still learning the reply, how to find things, etc. Sorry so slow in thank you for the welcomes. I have been having too much fun reading. Yes, the buckle is interesting, but I try to have fun with it.

[spooky3]

24. Let me guess- their "missionary" work focuses on trying to convert people rather than

getting resources to impoverished people, improving their mathematics education, etc.

Glad you have no need of their retirement plans, either.

[Lex]

26. Jim and Tammy Faye Baker?

:shrug:

[seabeyond]

28. my parents are from iowa. i visited mom family. best thing i can say

is it sure seemed there were a lot of laid back, mellow, accepting people in iowa. that is how i see the state

[Skidmore]

29. We do have a lot of accepting people and then

we have some here and there who just don't see things that way. I love my state.

It took a lot of work to turn this county blue the last election and it was solidly red before.