Toby has been bitten by the spring-cleaning bug. The days have been warmer, although you never know when the wind (and there is a lot of wind) will do a switch from the south to the north. It can get cold pretty quick or thunderstorms can spring up – no wonder they call it spring. We did lots of cleaning around the farm and hauled a trailer load of junk to the transfer station. Dealing with the trash people always makes me homesick for NM. We staked out the area for the addition on to our existing house (rather than build a separate house) so that we could get "a feel for it." I really think it will happen soon. We put out a couple of big bales of hay for our horses and hauled the last of the hay to a neighbor. Toby had me help him put the big round bales on the trailer. I never do it jut the way he wanted, but after thirty years of marriage, he knows better than to complain. Of course, if I could just get "the mind reading" down, I would know exactly what he wanted. After he set the two bales on the trailer, he just drove off in the tractor and left me standing there by the hay wondering "what the hay!" Do I follow him? Is he expecting me to pick him up in the truck? Okay, now he is walking towards me. Maybe I should drive the truck to him – and so I do. So why is he waving his arms and pointing behind me? Oops, the last bale rolled off the trailer. For some reason that made me laugh, which made him laugh - after thirty years things are funnier.
When the weather starts warming up and the days are longer, Toby goes into "outdoor work-mode." I mentioned that I would like a few tomato plants this year and maybe a squash plant or two. Being a male, his brain went into over-drive and he started listing off all the plants we should have in the garden.
Me: No, a few tomato plants are all I want!
Him: I’ll get the tractor and the plow.
Me: For a few tomato plants?!
Him: You stand out there and show me where you want the garden.
We go through a big to-do to change the hayfork to the plow. I walk back to the house and find just the right spot. He drives over in the tractor.
Me: Right here.
Him: Well, I was thinking about over there (pointing further out in the pasture).
Me: Just a little square garden right here.
Him: (He takes twenty giant steps out into the pasture) How about from there to here?
Me: Why did you ask me if you were going to do it your way anyway?
Him: I’ll buy some new soaker hose.
Me: (Yeah right, why do I feel like I’m the one being soaked?) Okay, but only two rows!
He plowed up enough ground to plant at least four rows before he moved on to work on the driveway. None of this was new or surprising – it is just a spring ritual.
By the way, I switched out the winter clothes for the summer clothes - expect a big cold front any day.
When the weather starts warming up and the days are longer, Toby goes into "outdoor work-mode." I mentioned that I would like a few tomato plants this year and maybe a squash plant or two. Being a male, his brain went into over-drive and he started listing off all the plants we should have in the garden.
Me: No, a few tomato plants are all I want!
Him: I’ll get the tractor and the plow.
Me: For a few tomato plants?!
Him: You stand out there and show me where you want the garden.
We go through a big to-do to change the hayfork to the plow. I walk back to the house and find just the right spot. He drives over in the tractor.
Me: Right here.
Him: Well, I was thinking about over there (pointing further out in the pasture).
Me: Just a little square garden right here.
Him: (He takes twenty giant steps out into the pasture) How about from there to here?
Me: Why did you ask me if you were going to do it your way anyway?
Him: I’ll buy some new soaker hose.
Me: (Yeah right, why do I feel like I’m the one being soaked?) Okay, but only two rows!
He plowed up enough ground to plant at least four rows before he moved on to work on the driveway. None of this was new or surprising – it is just a spring ritual.
By the way, I switched out the winter clothes for the summer clothes - expect a big cold front any day.
Thunder heads to the East.
14 comments:
Of course, if I could just get "the mind reading" down, I would know exactly what he wanted.
Well, now. Here's a "first!" Usually it's the MEN that have this complaint. I've never heard a woman voice this before... seriously. ;-)
re: tomato plants. The first year I put in a garden I put about a dozen tomato plants in the ground... about six different varieties. By the end of the season the vines had all grown together forming a tomato jungle of sorts. And I had enough freakin' tomatoes to feed all of Bangladesh for a year, too. The following year? Four plants.
lol!!! Okay, I am deciding it must be a man thing to do everything BIG!
I'm constantly finding myself in your shoes on this one Lou, Thanks for helping me to remember to laugh about it (I'll think of you the next time Shaun asks me what I want)
and Buck, feeding Bangladesh! that really made me laugh.
Buck, are you serious? Women will tell you what they want - we talk all of the time. But when men are working do you ever hear one say, "Okay, Bub, you pick up your end of the couch and then I'll make you walk backwards until it is time and then we will spin it around on the count of three and lift it up into the truck and shove for all we're worth." No, men just do it and expect everyone to know that that was the plan - like it is always done that way. We women would discuss it at length, make sure everyone had their parts down, and then execute.
Me: Why did you ask me if you were going to do it your way anyway?
I have said this to Randy countless times. LOL Funnier when you tell it. I am so in agreement with your response to Buck. That is exactly how I feel. Too funny
Buck: I can't believe you have never heard a woman say that. Have you ever planted those cherry tomatoes, they produce truck loads, then come back from seed the next year. Like a bad weed.
Buck, I gotta jump on the bandwagon here. I can't believe you've never heard that. I know I say it all the time--first it was to the ex, now to my son. "I'm not a mind reader! You have to tell me what you want!" That, and "I don't speak grunt. Use real words."
Lou, loved the story. A similar thing happened here a few years ago. Cody wanted to grow a few tomatoes and squash and before we knew it, J had plowed up half the yard!
You ladies crack me up. Buck, I hope you get away without any bruises. :)
Oh, ho. This made me laugh. Guys are so predictable. :) The cloud photo is a wow. Reminds me of Lubbock skies, I loved to watch the rain storms coming with the lightening for over an hour and then go by and not come to our house. I was always afraid, but liked to watch. Something like a fire bug I think. Hmmm.
Lou, my mom and dad had the best form of communication I have ever seen. They barely spoke a word, but after nearly 50 years together, they just sorta knew what the other was thinking. A series of grunts, harrumpfs, shoulder shrugs, eye rolls... they were fussing with each other! A quick smooochie noise, a touch on the arm, a wink... well... you get the idea! I on the other hand have had to rely on my crystal ball, ouija board and magic eight ball to determine the course of action required by the men in my life. (Brother,Uncle,Cat). Dang cat just looks at me and expects me to know what he wants!
Fire Fox, I love that about your parents. Toby and I are closer to that point than we were years ago, but there are times when I totally mis-read him.
Jo, when we first moved to OK, and had the weatherman report a tornado in our area and then scream "take cover now," we all went out into the yard like good Okies and took a look for our selves.
As to the Men vs. Women issue - my son came over and said, "That garden does not look so big - you made it sound like it was huge." My daughter said, "Why the heck did Dad put the garden way out there?"
Buck, are you serious? Women will tell you what they want - we talk all of the time.
Yep, I'm just as serious as the proverbial heart attack. I'll stand by my original statement, and add the fact that all y'all certainly DO talk all the time, which might be part of the problem... i.e., separating the wheat from the chaff. Another aspect is that "internal dialog" all women seem to have with themselves. By that I mean you (women) assume that since you thought something/anything, we (men) actually heard your thoughts. Not true... which is where that mind-reading thing comes in...
I'll give you points for your "loading the couch" analogy, to a point. Us guys assume relatively simple tasks are understood through repetition (i.e., "we've all done this before, many times"), and only take time to explain or clarify exceptions to "standard procedure." More complex tasks require planning, and both women and men vary in their abilities to plan effectively. No gender differences there...some are good at it, some ain't!
Ooops! Forgot JD's cherry tomato thing! I've only planted them in tubs, never in the garden...
Well, Buck, kind of like "moving the couch" there are some things a man should just know about his woman, and if she has to tell you, well, you must not be paying attention. Of course, I'm grinning here and hoping that set you off:)
Toby's reaction to my "not reading his mind" would be "well, I always do it that way." That is why after 30 years I almost have it down. It is that occasional switcheroo that throws me. You have to admit that men do not share their feelings and thoughts as well as women. But then they only think about one thing, okay two things.
You have to admit that men do not share their feelings and thoughts as well as women. But then they only think about one thing, okay two things.
I'll give you that (the feelings thing) and submit that all y'all are generally GLAD we don't, given the backlash I've seen and heard from women on the subject of "sensitive" men.
As for the "two things," I'm semi-stumped. There's mo'sickles and hockey, to be sure, but not all men ride or are hockey fans... ;-)
Buck, you make me lol.
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