In the opening scenes of the 1981 film Mommie Dearest, Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford goes through her morning routine. You see her plunging her face into a bowl of ice water and steaming herself in a hot shower. I thought of this scene yesterday as I was preparing green beans to freeze. With the blanching and the ice bath it felt like I was Joan Crawfording the beans!
“I don’t know,” I said to my friend Joan. “If you ask me, I think hostas are just weeds that we tolerate.”
I uttered those words earlier this spring. I had just dug up and moved what seemed like the one hundredth hosta that’s planted around the house. At that time, the hostas were these small, uninteresting plants that felt more like a burden than a joy.
“Oh, just you wait,” Joan replied. “You’re going to love them.”
Viva summer!
Images: This American House
I tittered at the name splashed across the package. “Pocket Hose. The House That Grows.
For all those folks who said that the battery powered mower wouldn’t work for us, I’m giving you this one chance. Go ahead, say it. I TOLD YOU SO! Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, allow me to explain.
When I bought the Kobalt Cordless Electric mower back in April, I was fully committed to making it work. After my first use, it was clear that I would never be able to mow our entire yard in one session. And I thought I was OK with that. So I’ll split my mowing into two days, i said to myself (and anyone else who would listen).
As the season has progressed and the grass has started growing at a faster rate, using the battery powered mower has required up to three days to get the entire yard done. I could finish most of the front and side yards in one session and then I’d have to recharge the batteries. The next day I could knock out most of the back yard before the batteries would lose their juice and I’d have to stop. By day three, it started to seem totally ridiculous.
I really wanted the rechargeable lawn mower to work for us. The thought of using gas and oil to trim down nature’s bountiful beauty seems completely wasteful. And yet spending three days seems like a waste of time. Until battery technology can catch up with my mowing needs, I’ll have to face the facts. Our yard is just too darn big for green technology.
I had purchased the battery powered lawn mower at Lowe’s because I knew that there was a chance I’d have to return it. But when I checked the return policy on the receipt I saw that I was about seven days past the 30-day window for returning the mower. Curses to procrastination! I called the nearest Lowe’s (1 1/2 hours away from the house!) and explained my situation. It takes three days to mow my yard, I said. I want to exchange the battery powered mower for a gas mower, I explained, but I’m a little past the return/exchange period. Oh, that’s no problem, the Lowe’s manager said. We’ll definitely honor the return, he promised.
I made the long trek to Lowe’s and lo and behold they did indeed accept the returned mower, no questions asked. I chose a Troy-Bilt gas powered mower as the replacement and in the end saved about $150 compared to the price of the battery powered mower.
I used the new Troy-Bilt on Monday and was pleased with the results. It’s louder than the battery powered mower, of course. And instead of a push button start like the Kobalt cordless mower, the new Troy-Bilt mower has a rip cord starter. But, hey, life is all about compromises. What I’ve lost in eco-responsibility and peace and quiet, I’ve gained in time saving convenience.
Sorry, Earth. We tried being kind to you!
Image: This American House
