"Momma Said"

I like working in the yard! I do. I'm even okay with the heat and sweat that accompanies it - the bug bites I could do without but they aren't unbearable - but the results... I LIVE for those.

But this wasn't without a fight. I've teetered between loving yard work and hating it with a passion for some time. My mom will vouch that this most likely stems from years of weeding our family's yard. I certainly don't deny that everything I know, I learned from my parents (thanks, mom & dad!), but I also came dangerously close to hating many of the house chores (okay! all of them!) while being 'taught'. Faithfully, though, they remained confident that it'd work itself out in its own time.

To date, I will readily admit that I dust and clean the leaves of our houseplants (they get so dirty!), daily walk through our yard, picking weeds along the way and talking to our flowers and our vegetable garden, and was happy to windex our windows in a fit of spring cleaning earlier this year. Insert a soundbite from my mom here and it'd sound something like a big, huge "I told you so".

Are these just one of the many ways I can prove I'm "all growed up"? Or another example of how I'm, uh, turning into my mother (which I'm actually okay with - minus the mixed up cliches that she inserts into conversation)?

In honor of the hard-fought battle, as we worked outside today, I took note of the things we were doing because of advice our parents had given us:

Turning over the bed of lettuce so we'll be ready for another crop in late summer/early fall...

The result of thinning out and moving some of our lilies... (told you, I live for the results!)

Our garden 'angel' perfectly positioned to watch over our shrubs... (excuse the weeds - I swear I took care of those post-photo shoot)

Our ginormous lavender bush (which will be cut back thanks to some good advice ) doing its summer-best to attract the 'birds and bees' (or just the bees)...

Checking on another season's (mercifully) prosperous tomato, bell pepper, and bean plants...

AND learning to enjoy your own harvest!

Weeds or not, and hard-work in the yard aside, it's silly moments like these that I am most grateful for what my parents did to influence who I am today - my love of family and friends (and hopefully an eager willingness to help them!), gardening, making things pretty (while staying on budget, of course!), entertaining, and last but not least, all things "in the kitchen".

Speaking of in the kitchen, strawberries are in season and at $1/lb around here, you can bet a note or two of brilliant red berries will welcome you the next time around.