The grass is always greener on the dark side

After almost a year and a half of trying to do the right thing, we've gone back over to the dark side.  We've historically had a fantasy relationship with our lawn, which meant I fantasized that DH would patrol the lawn with a weed fork like my dad used to (minus the black socks, dress shoes, and plaid shorts), and DH fantasized that the lawn took care of itself.

We have in the past, after learning just how incompetent we both are at maintaining the outside of our home, hired lawn guys.  Our first lawn guy had maintained our first purchased home for years for the previous owner, and we canceled upon moving in.  Weeks of unmowed lawn and rangy looking hedges, finally culminating in automatic sprinklers which did not work due to someone (not me) snipping the wiring with hedgetrimmers.  That and a horizontal flood in our garage (long story) convinced us to pay for help.

We've moved twice since, and inherited lawn guys again, continuing the service utilized by the previous owner.  When work and income slowed down last year, we cut several expenses, the lawn service among them.  I passed a neighbor using an old-fashioned push mower, and asked him where he got it.

No more loud obnoxious leaf-blowers, no more grumpy lawn guy complaining about the fence to the backyard falling apart, no more gas-guzzling polluting mower.  Our boys are 8 and 11 now, and can help with the mowing and raking.  We can DO this!

Funny how I never noticed before that the %$#%$@# magnolia tree drops huge Jurassic Park style leaves ALL year long.  And the push mower works best when the lawn is mowed regularly.  When the grass is so high that it lies down, the push mower just kind of flattens it more.

Well, DH's hours have picked up again, so I guess we can swing the $50 per month for the mow & blow lawn guy and his crew to start grooming the grass again. It sure looks a heck of a lot better after they are done.  I imagine our neighbors are relieved.