A New Experience

Yesterday I embarked on an adventure that I had never done before: to mow our lawn.

Now hear me out. I have mowed grass before while living at home with my parents, not too often, but I did do it on [slim] occasion. Then obviously while living on campus, lawn care wasn't a part of my duties so there was 5 years of not needing to think about that. We've been in our house for a year now [which seems crazy in and of itself] and when it has come to pretty much anything everything outdoors, that's been "Chris' Job"! You see, I've *thought* about mowing, but it has never been more than a thought. Especially after Chris' first mow job and his comment about how much of a workout it is!

But welcome yesterday. Chris started a new additional job this week, and so while we are getting used to his new work schedules, for the next couple of weeks while I am still in school, the time we are both home during the week is a bit slim. So I want to make sure that it's quality time! Well on Sunday/Monday, Chris commented that one day this week he wanted to trim the edging and another day he wanted to mow this week. Since I got home about 4:30 after getting a new tire for my annoying lovely car, I decided that if I mowed before he got home, then that would be an extra hour that we'd get to spend together once he got off at 6pm. [Secretly I was hoping it'd take me long enough that Chris would get home while I was still working on it, and then he could finish it up!]

And so I embarked on my latest adventure. Now we don't have a large yard, but we do have to make this more of an adventure is a reel mower. Notice I didn't say real but rather a reel mower.

Our real reel mower!

I began in the backyard because I figured that way, if I did an awful job, not too many people would see it. I also started in a little corner of the yard to "practice" a bit. I later learned after Chris got home that I started in what he refers to as the most difficult part of the yard thanks to unevenness due to tree removal before we moved in! Lovely!]

As I pushed this thing back and forth multiple times through the yard, I am just being honest when I admit that I thought about paying a neighbor to use their real non-reel mower so that I could finish in half the time! But I thought Chris may not like that idea since the whole reason we have the mower we do is to be more environmentally conscience. I also had a lot several other not so positive thoughts that went through my brain as I trudged along.

"Fake it 'til you feel it!"

Each time that I had those thoughts, and even became a bit bitter [which makes no sense since there was no one to be bitter against, since I was doing it on my own free will!] I reminded myself why I was mowing in the first place: more quality time with mister! That helped keep things in perspective. That's a lesson that I have to be taught many times--because I obviously haven't learned it yet--simply by doing an attitude check, I can make life, and that tasks in it, much more enjoyable!

I finished up the backyard, and the front yard, put everything away and then waited inside for Chris to get home. As I sat inside and drank even more water, sweat began to pour out of me. I even had a mental debate with myself--which is more of a work out: spin class, a 5k, or mowing?! A little after 6 when Chris returned, he was appreciative that I mowed simply because that meant he didn't have to, although my mow-manship wasn't quite to par.

Topped with cheese of course!

After relaxing just a few minutes, we headed back out to do some trimming. Thankfully about 3/4 of the way through trimming, it began to rain so we headed inside and decided it was supper time. Chris fired up the grill and we had some delicious, ginormous turkey burgers complete with the fixins and I tried my hand at steaming a whole head of cauliflower.

So big we even had to open up two hot dog buns per turkey burger!

Both were oh so yummy, and oh so fulfilling that it made it difficult to bend over and finish up the trimming when the rain let up. I could blame it on a real baby, while Chris' only excuse was the food baby he was growing!

Overall I got a little stinky, a lotta sweaty, a little grass-rashy/itchy, and a lotta time with Mister. So I guess I could say my first and likely last mowing job at our house was a success, and a workout!! :)