A Swinging Time

When our daughters Sarah and Crystallynn were eleven and thirteen years old respectively, they called home from WalMart one day requesting that I bring a truck when coming to pick them up. With much enthusiasm in their sweet voices they emphasized and exclaimed that they had a “BIG Surprise” for me!

That was the day we got our wonderful green and cream stripped patio swing. It cost them over a $100 in child labor money; going door to door selling chocolates they had bought at Grocery Outlet then marked up to earn a small profit was more difficult then anticipated and other days they spent in the almost unbearable Idaho cold shoveling snow before soliciting yet another ten houses for another job. I realized the price they had paid; the planning, the sales, the work, the savings...I knew that this was truly a gift I would always cherish.

Once home with the giant brown box we noticed that it looked almost miniature when compared to that massive empty pick-up bed. Could such a thin box really contain that wonderful giant two seater display swing with hidden compartment between and drink holders they had enjoyed swinging on in the store? They swung to their hearts content while trying it out; til the two back legs would lift up in unison with the end of the momentum and thrust of the swing going as far as it could forward before gravity would abruptly win the fight and momentarily pull it back in the other direction. The usually nice, but temporarily grouchy, lady on staff had asked them, in a strict adult voice, to stop swinging and was probably greatly surprised when, only moments later, they lined up at her register to pay for and purchase the abused item. How was she to know? Usually the children and young folks just abuse the items with a sort of distant stare in their eyes as though they may be remotely interested. And sometimes they even resort to asking childlike questions, in a nice hard to be impatient with way, while never really presenting anyway to make that interest into reality because of their lack of funds. But that day Crystallynn and Sarah had funds.

Hello It's Me, I've Thought About This for a Long Long Time

(That almost sounds like a song!) After weeks of deliberation, I decided to do this BLOG because I think it may benefit me in some way...since it is so uniquely difficult for me to write online it seems like it couldn't help but be therapeutic. And remember - there may be something very important written, and almost hidden, in all of this hectic typing...kind of like life ~ sometimes we find something so simply beautiful sitting amongst all the chaos.

This morning my husband and I prepared to go on a walk. We didn't even make it down the driveway before we were sidetracked by our melodramatic early spring yard that almost seemed to be crying and screaming out for help. Paul felt that it might be a good time to teach me how to mow the lawn. It wasn't that I am lazy or anything like that but having a home with an athletic husband, four able bodied sons and two daughters (who also loved to spend their time basking in the warmth of the early morning Idaho rays while "exercising") just left me little opportunity to extend my life into attempting such task.

After an excellent personal lesson, from a man who has been a teacher by trade, I felt I was proficient in starting (and stopping) the mower. I was most surprised to find myself desiring, in a sort of childlike way, that I could accept and meet his challenge by really getting those rows perfectly straight while giving that poor half live green rug a British style diagonal cut.

As I mowed I got thinking about the possibility of a blog. I soon stopped the mower for a minute...well it actually spewed then stopped itself when it ran out of gas as I neared the completion of our lovely green thing. It must have been providence that it ran out just 5 feet from our old stone wall. Paul was obliged to leave with gas tank in hand and while he was gone I decided I would just get brave and take a few photos and start this BLOG today.

For unknown reasons, writing this blog is difficult for me. I guess that I secretly fear rejection or some sort of unspoken criticism...you know the kind of criticism that you never hear so it's never confirmed to be as bad as you may have imagined it to be. Or perhaps it is just imagined. I can adequately sum things up by stating that I am definitely out of my comfort zone...I'm not sure why this is hard but I would like to accept this personal challenge and get over it...you know, conquer and move on with life.

Paul was so sweet to mow by the old stone wall for me...

after he returned with the gas; one would probably be correct if they attempted

 to draw their own conclusions as to why I have never mowed before today;)

Paul took this little picture of me finishing the very last small corner of lawn;

(Warning! don't ever purchase a RED Nikki workout suit

even if the price seems too good to pass by)

After guzzling down the new gas, our trusty mower, assisted by me, soon finished the ominous task at hand. I took a few photos (with the new camera my daughter and highly rated son-in-law gave me for Christmas) and now I am actually writing this blog. Who's to say it isn't a day of miracles!

Our wonderful apple blossom tree presents it's first signs of spring.

We can hardly wait for the gorgeous blossoms!