Of Daisies and Dandelions…

Daisy

We’ve slipped through the first week already. The aroma has shifted from acrid, eye-watering soccer cleat stench to sunscreen. A trip to Utah is in the final planning stages. And bare feet have become the norm… Finally. Summer.

Of Daisies and Dandelions… [2:24m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

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The word alone is enough to make a kid grin and kick off his shoes. I’m trying to wriggle back into that mode myself. It‘s been terribly busy. Busy enough that it felt like Thursday afternoon on Tuesday morning. And that’s not going to change anytime soon.

But it’s summer!

I love autumn; I survive winter and can give no real opinion on an Ohio spring, which is predictably unpredictable (In Ohio, spring is more of a pleasant thought than an actual season). Summer, on the other hand, is simple.

Canoe on Big Walnut Days stretch to a length that’s more likely to contain all my “stuff”. They’re generally hot, and if it rains, you’re just about ready for something cooler anyway. The summer months are “outdoor” friendly; begging to be filled with bike rides, longer runs, kayaking/canoeing and hiking. And I’m not the only one driving around with my windows down anymore…

The only thing is…

I hesitate to mention it.

The yard work…?

I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I love digging in the dirt and watching green things grow, and I don’t mind mindless activities such as weed pulling when my brain’s ready to roll through a few worthy places. It’s just that I can’t do it all as well as I used to.

Rock soapwort in garage side garden

You can’t kill perennials, so I still have plenty of bouquet material for my kids (and neighbor kids) to pick from, but some of my best “blooms” are growing freely in the lawn this year. These are the “lovelies” that grow fastest and tallest while the kids and I tackle grass cutting as a rag tag relay team. Matt starts with the mower one afternoon; Zach swipes at it the next. A couple of days later Hannah comments on how long the grass has grown, at which point I make a desperation grab for the weed trimmer to get the longer stuff in the back down to where the lawn mower can reach it again.

The other night I played basketball with Matt, steadfastly ignoring the urge to start my engine in favor of the bigger need in my son… Matt called an unexpected time-out. He was winning, so it wasn’t strategic at all. And he walked over to pick me a daisy from the side yard.

And I decided if my son picks it for me it cannot be a weed. It’s a gift.

Just like summer…

June 13, 2008 |

Comments

6 Comments so far

trysh, Crafting June 13, 2008 8:14 am
Oh my, a thoughtful son! He is the real gift here - how wonderful that you have raised him to have that mindset - a gift returned!
Beautiful post!
Ammey June 13, 2008 10:02 am
Beautiful photos Heather! Love the 2nd one.
Half-Past Kissin' Time June 14, 2008 4:32 pm
This is beautifully written; I love your ending. I know it’s summer when every day feels like Saturday. Gotta love it!
heatherd, Photography June 16, 2008 6:20 am
So true, Trysh. Matt brings me so many smiles. Having two older kids, I know that life will shift a little as he grows up. “Now” is a very precious time.
heatherd, Photography June 16, 2008 6:22 am
Ammey,
I love the colors of that beat-up canoe. Reminds me a little of a peeling sycamore tree…
heatherd, Photography June 16, 2008 6:27 am
Half-Past,
That’s it! The “Saturday” feeling of summer. Hard to out-grow that one (and don’t really want to)…