push it

So, today we passed the point. You know, the point where the height of the grass in the backyard propels my husband out the door to take care of it before the trampoline disappears for good.

Actually, I think he might have made it out sooner if our lawnmower, after several near-death experiences last summer, finally bit the dust for good.

Today, he bought a new mower. And in a surprising move, it was a push mower. You know, the old-fashioned kind. No engine, just blades. I was delighted. Really. I’d been talking about one of these for a long time, after reading about how much environmental damage gas mowers do. Push mowers are quieter, have no impact on the environment, and I wouldn’t worry about the boys using one.  It would be great exercise, too. I really couldn’t believe he came home with it.

So here all the Joneses were, standing out in the yard, taking turns – arguing, actually – over who got to mow next, and I am about to burst with pride.  I had already brought home fresh-from-the-farm food from the CAFM that morning, and now, here were my children and husband telling each other all the great reasons to use a mower with no gas. Next thing you know, we’ll have chickens in the backyard…

Except there was this one little thing.  The really tall weeds weren’t quite understanding they were supposed to be cut.  The mower would be going along fine cutting the grass and then come to a big clump of weeds, which would lay down and then pop back up after the mower had passed. It kind of looked like the first time I tried to give the boys a home haircut.

Yeah.  We don’t do those anymore.

Still, Bryan was being so positive – so I tried not to slide down the ohmygoshwejustspentabunchofmoneyonsomethingthatdoesn’treallywork slope too far.  Get a grip, Sarabeth. Your neighbors all think you are weird already. Keep it together…

About that time my parents pulled up. And I am not lying, they had the biggest, nicest, brand new gas-powered lawnmower – right there in the back of their car. Fresh from Sam’s. For us. Just because they are the nicest two people you are EVER going to meet. And I’m trying not to dwell on just how quickly my environmental convictions went out the window, except to say that the environment immediately surrounding my house has not looked this good in a long time. Also, surely the fact that this nice new mower can suck up the 12 million gumballs that blanket my yard has to be helpful to the ecosystem in some way, right?  I mean, those things are a TERROR.

Thanks, Mom and Edwin, for helping us have a beautiful spring…