I’m yet living. All the usual suspects here are doing well, despite the horrible heat and humidity.
\nWe have reached the point this summer where I’ll have my ten and fifteen year old nephews each Wednesday. I can’t begin to tell you how much help they are.<\/p>\n
\nThis morning, the youngest one watered the ferns at the northwest corner of the house that were starting to die off from lack of water. Then he trimmed the lemon balm for me, pruned the flowers off the sage, watered the herb garden, and filled the bird bath.
\nHis older brother hefted three heavy bags of bird seed for me, filling the seed bin. He brought a wheel barrow full of compost to the herb garden, and we built up the area around a cherry tomato plant that is visiting the herb garden this year. Then he collected the cuttings and pulled weeds and took them to the pile in the back 40. He helped me empty two containers that held tulips, separated the dirt from the tulips, and then we replanted the containers with chocolate mint and spearmint. I gave him the chore of cutting out a honeysuckle that was trying to grow in the corner of the herb bed where the purple coneflowers reign. One day we’ll have to dig that root out, but today wasn’t the day. And, before we quit, he swept out the side of the garage where I had been trimming iris.
\nSee, what I mean? I had the chance to get plants into the herb bed, and weed while they worked. It would have taken me all day to get their work done!
\nI took the boys with me to a birthday breakfast for our exercise group, then we came home and raked up downed branches, mowed the lawn, and washed the car. They are going to give their uncle a hand while I work on dinner.
\nWe pay the boys for their help, and I should probably pay them more. I know they aren’t thrilled with having to get up at 6:30 to get here, but they’ve already discovered the benefits of getting the work done while it’s a bit cooler. And, when the work is done, they come in to play electronic games.
\nIt seems like a win-win situation. I’ve enjoyed their company, and I have to think about what needs to be done, so we can do it in the most productive order. I’ll miss them when it’s time for them to go back to school. Some jobs just don’t seem so bad when you have company.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I’m yet living. All the usual suspects here are doing well, despite the horrible heat and humidity. We have reached the point this summer where I’ll have my ten and fifteen year old nephews each Wednesday. I can’t begin to … Continue reading