| Every summer, my grandmother and I would go on | | | | I ever tried mowing with a push mower again, but to |
| our pilgrimage to across the state, paying a visit to | | | | this day, I recall the work-out I got. |
| every relative in the line. Among the rolling green hills | | | | This brings me to three months ago, when I had an |
| of California's central valley my uncle and his family | | | | incredible epiphany. I'm always saying I need to get |
| had made their home, which is where we would | | | | more exercise. I spend most of my time sitting in |
| spend most of the summer. My uncle Chris and his | | | | traffic, sitting in my cubicle, or sitting on the couch in |
| wife were master gardeners. Their expansive back | | | | front of the TV. All my single-girl clothes have made |
| yard was the first place I ever saw a real compost | | | | their way to good will and I've decided that it's time |
| bin, and their raised garden beds, with their thick, | | | | to act. We needed to budget, and our gardener just |
| dark soil hid countless wriggling red worms for my | | | | happened to be moving to Texas. What a perfect |
| amusement. I also remember the single most | | | | coincidence. Remembering the push mower, I talked |
| fascinating gardening accessory I had ever seen. | | | | to my husband, and we decided to invest in a reel |
| Uncle Chris' old push mower was nothing but an | | | | mower. All the electric mowers were easily three |
| outdated nuisance to his sons, whose chore it was to | | | | times the cost. |
| cut the lawn, but to me it was an engineering marvel. | | | | For the last three months, I've mowed the front |
| It's rotating blades whirred across the grass, sending | | | | yard and back yard once a week and I've been |
| clippings and the scent of fresh grass flying across | | | | feeling great. I used to have back pain that I blamed |
| the yard. I always got to rake the clippings and | | | | on my office chair, but I noticed the other day that |
| deposit them in the composter, but what I really | | | | it has been gone for the last two months at least. All |
| wanted to do was cut the lawn. | | | | through college and my busy working life, I was |
| As early disciples of the Xeriscape movement, we | | | | constantly sick. I thought that I was just a sick |
| had no lawn at out house, and I longed to reach the | | | | person, but I've been in good health this whole time. |
| age when I would be considered large enough to | | | | At first, it was hard to do one whole lawn, much less |
| operate the push mower. Finally, that summer arrived. | | | | front and back, but I split it up through the week, |
| I only stood about six inches taller than the mower | | | | and now I'm a mowing machine! My husband is so |
| itself, but I was determined. I got nearly half the | | | | impressed with my newfound vigor that he's |
| lawn mowed before I gave up and conceded the | | | | threatening to take up mowing as well. We may |
| mower to my cousin. To be honest, I have no idea if | | | | have to start our own gardening service. |