Gift not appreciated by all

I have been banned from ever sending leaves to my grandchildren again. I thought it was a great idea at the time. After all, they live in an area populated by evergreens and don’t get to enjoy the annual display of color that we take for granted here in a much colder state. I had dried some maple leaves and included them in the Halloween cards I sent to the children.
Apparently it was a hit with the kids but not so much with the parents. I also sent a card to the parents with the punch line of “chicken butt!” The grandchildren thought this was extremely funny and “chicken butt” has become 3-year-old Jacob’s new tagline, much to his parent’s dismay.
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that even one-year-old Nicholas has added “chicken butt” to his limited vocabulary of, “I want that. Mine, and My bop.” Bop is what he calls his pacifier. After all, what more do you need to say when you are the youngest? But, so far, I haven’t heard that Nicholas has picked up on the phrase.
Since I have been banned from sending leaves, I will have to think of what else I can do with the excess foliage that blankets the lawn. I refuse to rake as it causes blisters. I usually resort to letting the tree debris return to the earth from whence it came. This process will be helped along when my husband mows the grass for the final time.
I don’t mow. This is by mutual agreement. First, I despise the noise and vibration of the mower. Second, the last two times I mowed I broke the lawn mower. Thus, many years ago, it became my husband’s job, much to my gratitude.
Since it was such a beautiful weekend we used the time to do some lingering outdoor chores. We removed the last of the Sid bushes. Technically they are barberries but we named them Sid bushes in honor of Sid Vicious as they were indeed vicious. They lived up to their names to the very end. The many stickers tried their best to protect the shrubs from destruction. Despite a multitude of tiny stab wounds inflicted upon us, the last Sid bush is finally history.
This will be the end of the outdoor work for the year. Any future beautiful days will be a bonus as will any outdoor chores. The forecast is calling for chilly and dreary. We aren’t blanketed with snow yet and I have been told that this winter is supposed to be a mild one. That remains to be seen. With all our knowledge and scientific gadgets, long-range weather prediction still seems to be a flat-out guess. I tend to predict weather the old-fashioned way. If I look outside and the sun is shining then it is a good day. If not, then it will change soon enough.
I wish the grandchildren lived close enough to enjoy what may well be the last of the warm weather. They could kick through the crinkly leaves and enjoy the best autumn has to offer. Most of the annual color has turned to brown but there are still a few trees with yellow or red foliage.
Every area of the country has its own unique appeal. They live where the weather is much warmer than it is here. This is not a bad thing as their heating bills are a fraction of ours. Then again, our air conditioning bills are a fraction of theirs so I guess that part evens out.
It is still warm enough where the grandchildren live for them to go outside in shorts and T-shirts and catch frogs that don’t have sense enough to find a new hiding place. I have already unearthed my winter coat and have begun shopping for a new winter coat for my mom for Christmas. As much as I want to share the best of what the north has to offer, I will resist sending leaves to the grandchildren. Instead, I will enjoy the last of the warm weather and get as many outdoor chores done as possible before the weather turns really cold.
Now I have to think of what I can send them next time that will inspire a command of, “never again.”[[In-content Ad]]