A quiet sun-shiny Saturday evening and I’ve been writing a list of things I tend to avoid at all cost until the very last possible moment. I tend not to write lists because, actually, they get way out of hand…like this one, but on the short list of things I avoid at all cost until the very last possible moment are:
1) The gym
2) Letting my mother know anything about:
• My work
• This website
• My finances
• My plans
• My children’s plans
• Anything personal actually
3) Car repair
4) Mowing the lawn
5) Caffeine
Take mowing the lawn for example. I live in this lovely little neighbourhood which looks like something out of The Truman Show and a lawn is…well…expected. I don’t have a problem with lawns, lawns are fine, the only part of the lawn that I don’t really do is the grass part. Here, in the Pacific Northwest, it’s absolutely impossible to have a grassy lawn unless you use all sorts of chemical warfare. I walk past someone’s perfect grassy lawn and cross over to the other side of the road because I’m worried that I’ll breathe in the intense poisons radiating from those perfect 2” green spikes.
I do green though.
The way I see it, if it’s green and gets mowed, it’s lawn!
But the neighbours drop hints of good lawn service people and every week there are companies leaving me pamphlets or knocking on the door to try to get me on their weed and feed schemes.
For example, this afternoon’s convo:
“Hello Mrs Homeowner, did you know you have weeds in your lawn? Look, there’s creeping buttercup and dandelions and plantain.”
“Ms… Yes, actually…and gentian and violets and forget-me-nots. ”
“You need to have our services and get rid of those weeds for a maximum of $45 bi-weekly, (plus tax)”
“I like the weeds and I go out of my way to plant more; I actually planted those violets right there. But thanks for stopping by.”
Problem solved.
Not quite. Mom was here and overheard. Actually, mom was here and ran towards the front door first to make sure she had her share of the conversation.
End result: problem solved but a bit more stress avoiding mom getting up in my business.
This week, before I mowed the lawn, I sat down in it for a while and watched the bees getting drunk on the buttercups in the lawn and I had a little conversation with them and explained that I was very sorry but we are all living in this ‘hood and perhaps they could go visit the rhodos and irises for a while. Then I picked handfuls of buttercups and put them in vases in the house and also on the patio table so the bees could have their flowers for an extra day or two.
Mom thought the buttercup vases were absolutely charming and asked for some of the flowers to take home.
Top on my other list, the list of things I need at all cost, (but that’s for a different post), is “PEACE”. Just one quiet day of solitude would be fine. When was the last time? I’m not sure.
Made this quiet little video to look at and remind myself that I must find more peace. It’s here for you too: round here
Hope you like it. Do you have a list of things you avoid at all cost untill the last possible moment? Tell me.
