Something is terribly wrong with our society. This great universal truth came to me while I mowed the lawn this past weekend. Usually the loving husband mows because is a strong and powerful male. I am the picture of delicate femininity who cannot handle anything with a spark plug. The loving husband was gone over the weekend so lawn mowing fell into my fragile hands. Society requires that grass levels be kept at a minimum. We spend a great deal of energy (and money) on fertilizing, watering, and weed elimination to encourage the grass to grow. Then we spend an equal amount of energy and money cutting it down. Why is crab grass so bad? Its green, isn’t it? And I like dandelions. They’re attractive little punctuations of yellow amidst a boring sea of green. Human beings are always interfering with the natural flow of the universe. Another thing … In the old days a person just mowed the lawn and that was that. Now you must have a pattern in your mowing ... diagonals, spiraled circles, whatever. I tried to make a "B" for Bremer in the yard and it turned out nice. Unfortunately, the grass inside the "B" was still long and the actual "B" grass was short. So I had to mow inside the "B" which totally eliminated the "B". After that I just went with the diagonals. I get sidetracked when I mow, looking at the flowers and shrubs and the birds as I follow behind the mower. This leads to the disturbing "jagged diagonal." I could see people driving by and saying to themselves, "Oh-oh! It looks like the loving husband is gone and Glenda had to mow this weekend." Next time, I’ll do it right before dark so the lawn has time to recover by daylight. It might be a good idea to hire a lawn care person, thus freeing up your time for the most important activity of summer ... reading. … Here is a perfect summer book for lounging in the lawn chair: "The Reluctant Suitor," by Kathleen Woodiwiss. Lady Adriana Sutton has adored Colton Wyndham, to whom she has been promised since childhood. As a young girl, she was wounded by Colton's stubborn refusal to comply with his father's wishes. He was too proud and too stubborn to accept a future not of his own choosing. Rather than submit, he fled from his ancestral home for a life of adventure and danger as an officer in the British Army. The years have been kind to Lady Adriana. No longer the plain, thin tomboy Colton had spurned, she has blossomed into an uncommon beauty desired by nearly every eligible bachelor in the land. Yet the only man she desires is the decorated hero who has finally come home to claim his rightful title. Arrogant as ever, he remains averse to the idea of their betrothal in spite of his growing desire for her. To demonstrate his belief that love cannot be forced, Colton agrees to court Lady Adriana for 90 days, after which time he will be allowed to keep his precious freedom if he wishes. Forced into a courtship with this stunning, spirited woman, the heroic heart that was once closed to Adriana is moved by her charm and grace, and begins to yield. But a secret from Colton's past may doom their burgeoning love ... even as the treacherous schemes of a sinister rival threaten to steal the remarkable lady from his arms forever.
