OLIVE BRANCH

Dear Neighbors,

First let me apologize for my anger on the telephone yesterday.  It was inappropriate, and unhelpful in resolving our disagreement.  

Next, Ellie and I are anxious to restore friendly relations with our neighbors.  We are uncomfortable with the tensions that have grown between us as the (perhaps inevitable) result of your construction project; we know from our own past experience with remodels that they are the most trying of situations for all concerned.  

That said, it is more important to us to re-establish good relations than to fuss over small amounts of money, and person-to-person is always better than email.  We would appreciate the opportunity to invite you over, so that we can listen to your side of the story--if you need to tell it--without having to go back over our own.  Would a mid-morning cup of coffee at ten-ish be a possibility?

Finally, our handyman will be coming by today, and we would appreciate having your check in the amount you mentioned in order to help reimburse him for the restoration of our Buddha garden to its former beauty and tranquillity.  

We hope that our olive branch will prove agreeable to you, and send friendly greetings,

Peter & Ellie