Tuesday, November 15, 2011

A Favorite Place…Against the Wind


     As I contemplated a favorite place this afternoon my mind traveled to many places.  It was hard to decide on one!!  Knowing that I had to decide on a favorite my mind kept traveling back to where I was…in my own yard blowing leaves.


      With a soft breeze fluffing my hair, I armed myself with my leaf blower and attacked the yard.  It was me against the wind as I forced the leaves scattered across the lawn into a neat and orderly pile.  I could smell the faint scent of leaves burning in the distance and reflected that the very leaves I was forcing into orderly piles would soon face a similar fate.


      I wasn’t ready for that yet…to much work to be done with only me to do it.  The neighborhood was quiet, and no one else seemed to be outside except for me.  I focused on my task and allowed my mind to wander to the time years ago when we lived in an area devoid of trees.  There certainly was little maintenance needed to care for that yard.  Mow and go…kind of like wash and wear hair.  I prefer nice and easy, but after having a postage stamp of a yard with no trees at all I welcomed the tender loving labor needed to make my yard as pristine as the other neighbors.




       There is a certain feeling of power that overtakes me when I can use my leaf blower to force the leaves to my will.  With the breeze, I was working against the wind at some points.  If the wind picked up…cleaning up the yard would become more struggle than it was worth.  As it is…the leaves were doing just as I wanted them to, and the yard was quickly spotless except for random  piles of leaves dotting the landscape.  The song…“who you going to call… Ghost buster” kept playing in my head.  


      I took great satisfaction in attacking my flower beds and discovering the flowers hidden beneath.  The geraniums and mums seemed to spring eagerly forth as I forced the intrusive leaves away that previously hid them.  As I thought of all the favorite places I could have described…from the snowy mountain vistas to the sparkling sands of a tropical beach to the soothing sounds of the tides rushing in and out, I came to the conclusion that there was no better place for me to be at this given moment than in my own backyard.


      Sometimes you can search the world over for favorite places and be completely miserable wherever you actually are.  I found contentment in my own backyard beneath the bare branches.  I found solace in the silence, the roar of the leaf blower, and later the laughter of my children that filled the crisp air as they stepped off the school bus and raced to greet me.  After a long afternoon of outdoor work, my taste buds craved the ice cold refreshment of a can of Coca Cola.  Settling into the comfy couch, I breathed a sigh of relief as I popped open the tab, and took that anticipated first swig.  Until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.

16 comments:

  1. I never thought of leaf blowers and power.

    Joyce
    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com/2011/11/wordless-wednesday-boy-genius.html

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  2. There is nothing better than the feeling of contentment in your own space. Love this! Thanks for sharing the great photos too!

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  3. Great job Kathy!!! Home is always the best place for me. I so miss the fall and all the leaves, but I got the beach for a little while longer. Thanks for sharing with us. :)

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  4. Sounds like a peaceful afternoon blowing leaves!

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  5. There's no place like home...

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  6. Jo, thank you for stopping in to read and for the comment. You summed it up well. :D

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  7. Joyce, Ah...but there is power behind all that powerful airflow! LOL Thanks for stopping in to read and comment! :D

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  8. Susan, thank you for stopping in to read and for your kind comments. I am so pleased you enjoyed it. :)

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  9. Mary, lucky you!! I think I would have been happy with the beach too. Nothing quite like the surf rolling in and out over your toes! A person can find beauty anywhere if you truly look. Thanks for stopping in to read and comment!!

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  10. Jenn, it was, and I got a lot done!!! Felt like someone had rammed a broom handle up my a$$ sideways afterwards but it was all good. The stiffness and soreness wore off. LOL Thank you for stopping by to read and for your comments!

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  11. Karen, you are so right!! Home is a blessing in itself that should be appreciated and counted often. Thanks for stopping in to read and comment!!

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  12. Quite often it's the simplest things that make us the happiest, isn't it?

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  13. Paula, you know, I find that to be more the case the older I get. I am really thankful that is the case too. I tend to appreciate the littlest things in life so much more than I used to. Thanks for stopping in to read and comment. It means the world to me! :D

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  14. It sure is refreshing to read about your contentment in working around your own home. Being thankful for getting to use the leaf blower in your yard is a good thing in this Thanksgiving season. Great post, Kathy!

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  15. Betty, I guess I am just thankful I have a roof over my head and a yard to worry about cleaning up. Sure beats being homeless! Thank you for stopping by to read and comment. I am so pleased you enjoyed it!!

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