Go Green, or Go "Doing the Least I Can Do"

As H mentioned, I have a house. It's little but cute, nestled on a nice street with nice families. It takes a lot of work, but it's a labour of love. (Mostly.) My neighbours are good, and I've taken their questions and comments as to why a single woman would want to live on a family-oriented street as genuine interest in me and not nosy prying. Someone even sent the Welcome Wagon to my door, and I was given handfuls of coupons and free mints, even though I really only wanted the basket. (I didn't get it.)

But with such streets comes the "king" of the neighbourhood, the nice guy who can always tell you how to do something just a little bit better than the way you're doing it . He's friendly and sociable. He's given me helpful, if unsolicited tips on everything from mowing my lawn to putting out my recyclables to shovelling my driveway and sidewalks. And in all seriousness, I think he's a good person.

Now that I'm starting my second summer in my little house, he's become a bit of an inside joke between my sister and I, for one reason: his insistence that I spray my lawn to rid it of dandelions and other offensive weeds. He can't understand why I'd prefer to weed my lawn manually and at last count, he's said this to me five times: "You know, there's a spray for that."

At first, I laughed and agreed, but told him I liked the exercise. The second time, I told him I didn't want to keep spraying and watering my lawn. The third time, I told him that it was too much work to get the spray and post the little sign, warning people of pesticide use, that goes with it. The fourth time, I told him I liked my way better, smiling all the time. That was last summer.

Last week, he said it to me again! The same line! I told him I didn't believe in poisoning our environment, reasoning that he can't argue with my love for the earth. (Not exactly true, I just don't care enough about my lawn to bother.) My hope is that he gives up after five, and he moves on to telling me what I can do to fix my retaining wall.

It's all been good for a chuckle, as H makes me do when she says those magic words. For today, I'm happy it's cold and windy, so I can stay inside my house.

This happy, yellow weed reminds M of sunshine.