Whew! Got that done! Well, not all of it. But enough of it.
When you don't rake well in the fall, you have that much more to do in the spring. But that's OK. After another long winter, a little sunshine and the thermometer rising above 60 degrees, or even 50 degrees, gets many of us itching to just be outside. No boots or hats or mittens or scarves! Dare we crack open a window or two, just a smidge? That's one thing about living in Wisconsin. We have well-defined seasons, and I think we appreciate each one, especially as they change from one to another.
Last weekend, I simply had to get outside to do something. I don't ride a bike, jog, hike, or go fishing. So my fresh air and sunshine comes from yard work. The lilies and tulips were poking through, and I just wanted to get rid of anything brown, gray, or dead from the area. (Sometimes you need to clean the brown and gray from your emotional life, too, but that's a post for another time.) I started to rake out the flower boxes and rearrange the solar lights and gazing balls. It's so satisfying for me because I can measure my progress as I go along and see how close I am to the end of the project. As I was raking merrily away, I heard a "hello" behind me. It was the neighbor man from across the street.
Now, I should tell you that he's lived kitty corner from us for about 20 years. I finally introduced myself last fall when I could no longer resist the urge to get a closer look at his Jurassic Park display in the yard. Yes, twinkling lights, mannequins, signs, and large dinosaur models. He said he was just inspired one night and started his collection the next day. I think he genuinely likes to watch little kids enjoy the spectacle, and I know he enjoys talking to the parents and any other passersby. When I walked across the street last year, he proudly gave me the grand tour. There...the neighborly ice had been officially broken. Better late than never.
Back to the present. Since we had finally become acquainted with each other, he apparently felt comfortable enough to come over and ask for my help when he saw me outside. He just needed another set of hands to get some boots on one of his tour-guide mannequins. (Is his display a bit over-the-top? Perhaps. But it makes him happy and doesn't infringe my personal space, so to each his own.) That was an easy enough task for me to assist with, and that's what neighbors are for, right? When we were finished, he offered to lend his leaf blower to me. Wait..."offered" is a bit mild. He truly insisted. I tried to politely decline, but I think he would have been disappointed if I'd flat-out refused. So I brought it back across the street to our house. I wrote down some of my thoughts on neighbors a few years ago. A leaf blower never entered my mind as a part of that sort of relationship. But it certainly fits the "helpful and friendly" aspect of it.
I decided on Saturday that it was time to bring out the big guns and rake the lawn. I've done it all by hand before, but I felt obligated to use the borrowed leaf blower. I didn't want to offend him by never using it. The bushes in our yard have never been cleaned out of leaves so well! It was still a lot of work, but it was still easier than trying to squeeze a rake in between everything. I dusted off the leaf blower and returned it with genuine thanks. I was on a roll and raked the rest of the front yard today. Now, one blister, two sore biceps, and an impressive pile of leaves and such later, the highest priority yard maintenance work is done. Who's going to pour me a celebratory glass of wine?
Did I have a point to sharing this? Why, yes, yes I did. Just a few philosophical thoughts in addition to patting myself on the back for accomplishing a physically tough task on my to-do list.
Spring is a good time for some old-fashioned out with the old, in with the new. Cleaning, raking, wardrobe shuffling, and the like. Nature is refreshing and renewing, and many of us feel an urge to do the same in our lives. And while I'm eagerly anticipating the tulips and lilacs, I think I've already experienced some of this spring's new growth. The man with the dinosaurs is no longer simply "that guy across the street." I think we might be on our way to becoming actual neighbors.
Enjoy whatever springtime means to you. Plant something. Paint something. Walk somewhere. Nurture something. Take a big breath of fresh spring air. You never know when an opportunity to refresh part of your life will present itself.
When you don't rake well in the fall, you have that much more to do in the spring. But that's OK. After another long winter, a little sunshine and the thermometer rising above 60 degrees, or even 50 degrees, gets many of us itching to just be outside. No boots or hats or mittens or scarves! Dare we crack open a window or two, just a smidge? That's one thing about living in Wisconsin. We have well-defined seasons, and I think we appreciate each one, especially as they change from one to another.
Last weekend, I simply had to get outside to do something. I don't ride a bike, jog, hike, or go fishing. So my fresh air and sunshine comes from yard work. The lilies and tulips were poking through, and I just wanted to get rid of anything brown, gray, or dead from the area. (Sometimes you need to clean the brown and gray from your emotional life, too, but that's a post for another time.) I started to rake out the flower boxes and rearrange the solar lights and gazing balls. It's so satisfying for me because I can measure my progress as I go along and see how close I am to the end of the project. As I was raking merrily away, I heard a "hello" behind me. It was the neighbor man from across the street.
Now, I should tell you that he's lived kitty corner from us for about 20 years. I finally introduced myself last fall when I could no longer resist the urge to get a closer look at his Jurassic Park display in the yard. Yes, twinkling lights, mannequins, signs, and large dinosaur models. He said he was just inspired one night and started his collection the next day. I think he genuinely likes to watch little kids enjoy the spectacle, and I know he enjoys talking to the parents and any other passersby. When I walked across the street last year, he proudly gave me the grand tour. There...the neighborly ice had been officially broken. Better late than never.
Back to the present. Since we had finally become acquainted with each other, he apparently felt comfortable enough to come over and ask for my help when he saw me outside. He just needed another set of hands to get some boots on one of his tour-guide mannequins. (Is his display a bit over-the-top? Perhaps. But it makes him happy and doesn't infringe my personal space, so to each his own.) That was an easy enough task for me to assist with, and that's what neighbors are for, right? When we were finished, he offered to lend his leaf blower to me. Wait..."offered" is a bit mild. He truly insisted. I tried to politely decline, but I think he would have been disappointed if I'd flat-out refused. So I brought it back across the street to our house. I wrote down some of my thoughts on neighbors a few years ago. A leaf blower never entered my mind as a part of that sort of relationship. But it certainly fits the "helpful and friendly" aspect of it.
I decided on Saturday that it was time to bring out the big guns and rake the lawn. I've done it all by hand before, but I felt obligated to use the borrowed leaf blower. I didn't want to offend him by never using it. The bushes in our yard have never been cleaned out of leaves so well! It was still a lot of work, but it was still easier than trying to squeeze a rake in between everything. I dusted off the leaf blower and returned it with genuine thanks. I was on a roll and raked the rest of the front yard today. Now, one blister, two sore biceps, and an impressive pile of leaves and such later, the highest priority yard maintenance work is done. Who's going to pour me a celebratory glass of wine?
Did I have a point to sharing this? Why, yes, yes I did. Just a few philosophical thoughts in addition to patting myself on the back for accomplishing a physically tough task on my to-do list.
Spring is a good time for some old-fashioned out with the old, in with the new. Cleaning, raking, wardrobe shuffling, and the like. Nature is refreshing and renewing, and many of us feel an urge to do the same in our lives. And while I'm eagerly anticipating the tulips and lilacs, I think I've already experienced some of this spring's new growth. The man with the dinosaurs is no longer simply "that guy across the street." I think we might be on our way to becoming actual neighbors.
Enjoy whatever springtime means to you. Plant something. Paint something. Walk somewhere. Nurture something. Take a big breath of fresh spring air. You never know when an opportunity to refresh part of your life will present itself.
