yardwork

What does a stubborn feminist homeowner do when her husband is out of town and she's never before mowed? 1. Pray for more rain and less sun, so the grass doesn't grow. 2. Realize- ugh, the grass is growing. 3. Pray for some preteen neighbor to knock on my door and offer to mow. 4. Send telepathic messages to guy friends in town, my brother 400 miles away, my husband on the other side of the Atlantic... 5. Rake the front lawn desperately scanning the street for a neighbor to take mercy on me. Somebody? Nobody. Sigh. 6. Put on the rubber clogs and mow that lawn.


We spent a lot of time, energy and money fixing up the inside of the house through the winter. All of that with the help of family, friends and contractors. Snows receded in April, when we were finally able to see the yard. We really didn't know what we bought because we moved in January, in four feet of snow. We knew about the lilac bushes and looked forward to them. Our lilac surprise is that we actually have two shades of lilacs - dark and light purple. I've always loved the heady romance of these blooms. May is glorious.

Our next wonderful surprises are the other perennials that have emerged. We have two lovely types of hostas clamoring for sunshine around the rain barrel. And maybe most exciting, a patch of lilies of the valley sit just under the lilac bush. So many lovely perfumes!

Over the first weekend in May, Mother's Day weekend, we had a full house of visitors. His Holiness the Dalai Lama was invited to visit the University of Minnesota on behalf of my professor Dr. Miriam Cameron, the Center for Spirituality and Healing, and the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota. Our visitors included my mom Mary, our brother and sister-in-law Ben & Kat, my goddaughter Gracie, and some friends of Nick's from high school. Everybody came to see HHDL, but they also helped us around the yard. We are so grateful!

That first weekend in May we planted two serviceberry bushes (similar to blueberries), ever-bearing raspberries, thornless gooseberries, a regent chokeberry bush, a Honeycrisp apple tree, asparagus, and many lily bulbs. The former homeowner's roses have been blooming all summer. Later in May and June I planted cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, parsley, cilantro, basil, carrots, radish, and many marigolds. Not everything 'took' but we have PLENTY. Come over for dinner, friends!