Mother Nature Wins

OK. Normally I am not a quitter; I don't like quitters. Normally I try and try and try again until I get exactly what I want. But I am tired of the whole garden thing.

This is what I've accomplished after three days of working by myself with a shovel. The next two pictures show what's left to do.

That pile of weeds will fill up a kitchen trash bag. I've already filled four of those.

My back hurts, my legs hurt and my feet hurt from using all my weight to jump on the shovel in my every-day sneakers. My hands itch with hives, even though I've been using gloves. (Fortunately they are not long-lasting hives.)

Now I'm not normally a wimp physically either (remember, ballet training, eight babies . . . ) In fact it really annoys me when I get tired out or even injured; often those things just motivate me to push harder and accomplish what I want anyway.

But I look at this garden-business and here's what I see: It took me three days (yes, only during the cooler hours) to clear about 1/5 of the entire garden. So in another twelve days I could have the rest done. Well that's kind of stinky considering that we should have already planted by now, and when you consider that during those twelve days the weeds will start popping back up in the space I've already cleared. And then, assuming the garden ever gets planted, who do you think will get to do all the weeding, etc?

No, I just won't do it; I quit!

Instead I'll try out my own girly nature. I am talking about using my wicked, womanly wiles on Bruce to get him to do the work. (And, in turn, he can get the boys to help him.) But I wonder, can I actually produce tears over this? I don't think so. I'll have to come up with something else.