Enticement

“You can do yard work!” Now, who would pass up that kind of invitation to visit one’s mother? “Your brother can be here, too!”

DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! When two or more siblings are involved in yard work it translates to “Major Project.” And when the sibling brings his spouse, the proper translation is “Extra Major Project.” The translation was accurate.

My mother has a yard the size of a football field. The spruce tree in the back is bigger than a house. The hydrangea we pruned is as big as my kitchen. It is a monster, absolutely stunning in its size. The heads of the flowers are dinner-plate sized. However, the project only slightly touched on the gargantuan hydrangea and other shrubs that needed pruning, and thankfully neglected the spruce pruning. These were merely “warm-up” tasks.

We ripped out the entire landscaping on the west side of the house. Spading, shoveling, pulling, chopping with the axe, raking vines. The local dump received two large truck beds full of our labors. Our muscles received ibuprofen doses and hot showers. We capped off our work by attending Mass, grateful to have accomplished so much. As we sat in our pew, the announcements were read.

“The high school students will be offering their time on November 1st to do yard work as part of their service projects. Those needing assistance can contact the school.” Sigh.