{ A mowing we will go.... }

As a military wife, I learned to do a lot of things on my own.  I had to, I was left with two young children while my husband deployed or went away for training, and I really didn't like to have to ask anyone for anything so I quickly became independent, doing it all, holding down the fort etc.

One of the things I always had to do while he was away, was mow the yards.  It's just one of the hundreds of things that I'm ever so grateful for learning in our many years as an active duty family.

Living in Texas now, as most of you know, we have a country house with 3 acres, which means lots of mowing come spring and summer time.  It wouldn't be a problem if our riding mower worked, unfortunately it doesn't.  Guess it's one of the issues when buying anything from Craigslist right?

So that leaves a huge yard to mow and a push mower to push around.

It takes us a few days to get it all done, and so what I usually do is get started early morning when the sun is not yet scorching hot, and there is a cool breeze blowing through.

It gets me outside in the fresh air, it gives me some exercise and hey, I can even work on my tan.

Yesterday was mowing day.  I wish I could describe or even begin to explain here on the blog, just how much I enjoy being out there.  Everything looks magical, and there are certain corners of the yard that make me feel like I could easily step through a doorway into the Secret Garden.

It looks magical, it feels magical.  When I first took this picture above, it almost felt like I could be a tiny little fairy, weeding my way through the tall grass.  Can almost picture a beautiful little house in between those.

I think it's part of the Spring magic, it makes everything soft and pretty, I'm pretty sure it is meant to bring insane amounts of joy into a person's life.  Or maybe it just does that for me, who knows.

I mowed for an hour, got the whole right side of the house done and smiled through it.  Is it hard work?  Of course, a riding mower would have been a lot easier and faster, but the birds were chirping around me, the sun was shining down, the breeze was blowing through my hair and there was no busyness around me, no cars, no people back and forth, no sounds other than nature.

Pretty blissful to be honest.

Curt mowed most of the back of the house when he got home from work, and this morning I do need to get started on the front left side.  My lower back is hurting though and I'm waiting a little in hopes that the pain subsides and doesn't interfere with what I need done.  Not that it matters, if I can't do it today, I'll get on with it tomorrow.

Right now my tummy is rumbling, so I am heading into the kitchen for another cup of coffee and breakfast of some kind. 

You have yourselves a wonderful Thursday :)

Spring

By Gerard Manley Hopkins

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –

When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;

Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush

Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring

The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;

The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush

The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush

With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.

What is all this juice and all this joy?

A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning

In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,

Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,

Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,

Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning.