I Mowed The Lawn Today!

Why, you may be wondering, is mowing the lawn worthy of a blog post? Especially after such a long hiatus, you'd think I'd have content that was better than a bad FaceBook post.

You have a very valid point.

But here are some reasons why mowing the lawn makes the cut:

(Did you catch the pun there? You're welcome.)

1) I love mowing the lawn.

2) I haven't mowed the lawn in a few years. Between the ban on inhaling extra bits of nature while having chemo and being fatigued from treatment, Mike took over this chore. And for awhile we spoiled ourselves by hiring someone to mow for us. That was like magic: three guys swept in with their big mower, edger, and muscles, and the yard was done in minutes.

3) We live in the Pacific Northwest. That means it usually rains until late June. Sure, it's lush and green here, but by the time it's dry enough to mow, the grass is brushing our big dogs' bellies. This is another reason why paying someone else to mow was magic: their professional mower could handle our grass, no matter how wet. That still amazes me.

4) Last fall we finally spent the money to put in better drainage. Today: proof it works! Our formerly swampy corner was as dry as the rest of the lawn! Yippee!

5) Our mower worked! This is not a minor thing. We bought it in 1998. By the grace of God and a generous friend who took it for a long overdue tune-up (I was in the hospital after a surgery and he volunteered to mow for us - he was so appalled by the state of our mower, he took it in - on his dime), it still works. But not usually well. There have been summers when I fantasized about parking the mower in the middle of the road and taking few high speed runs at it with our big truck. But today, it sprang to life - On The First Pull! And I cut the whole yard without having to stop and empty the bag. That is no small victory, I tell you!

6) The rocks and the poop our dogs leave all over the yard? I found all but one before I mowed, and I saw the pile of poop I missed before I stepped in it. Always a bonus. This mowing gig is risky business.

7) Finally, perhaps most importantly, I did it. I wasn't in top physical shape (no where near, honestly) BEFORE cancer treatment, and I haven't made a big effort post-treatment to restore what I lost, so I was a little worried about whether my fitness deficits would severely humble me today. But, no! I showed that mower who's boss without a huff or a puff.

So, thank you, Lord, for sunshine when there should have been rain. I'm so happy to be back behind the mower - I think it's going to be a great summer.