As we get older, we have to face it, we can't do certain things we use to do. Sometimes that's good. For instance, a job we don't like or want to do any more. However, there is work or chores we enjoy doing and age has even made that beyond our reach. Nothing new here, right?

Since the 60s, when we finally move from apartments to renting our first house, we've always had a yard. Yards have to be mowed, and I had a new job. I do remember having to cut grass as a teen, and that was with a push mower. The engine was me and I learned quickly the less time in between mowings the easier it was. When we bought our first house I also bought a power mower and learned you couldn't leave them out in the rain and the next power mower had a new home, the back porch.

The next house we bought had a half acre lot, and a pool. The little 14" power mower just wouldn't, "cut it". So, I bought 19" mower, with more power, but as the years went by, the task became more than I wanted to do. Strange enough, I was beginning to enjoy cutting grass. At the time I was singing with a quartet and I would practice my part while cutting the grass, making the time go faster. Another strange thing happened, I was enjoying starting a task and being able to finish it without interruption. Instant satisfaction!

Finally I got tired of pushing a power mower, especially on a half acre lot, and bought a small riding mower. I lover that little mower. It was bright yellow, looked like a bug rolling across the grass, and the whole top open like a car hood so you could get to the engine, which was under the seat. I even had a Redskins helmet logo sticker on the back.

Well, retirement came and we moved to Arizona. Sadly I couldn't take my little yellow bug with us. Not enough grass at the new house, and no place to store a mower of that size. I did have a small electric mower I used to cut the pool area because the riding mower wouldn't go through the gate of the fence around the pool. That was the one we brought with us.

We have a very small front yard with grass, about 20' X 20", and a slightly larger piece of grass in the back. We took up that grass in the front several years ago and replaced it with granite stone. Now it took longer to get the mower out of the shed and hook it up, than it did to cut what grass was left in back, but I still enjoyed cutting the grass and the way it looked after I mowed it. We just took up the grass out back and I gave my mower and trimmer to a guy I occasionally hire to "deep clean" the property. As I took it out of the shed for the last time, I felt sad. For the first time since the 60s, I would be without a lawn mower. At 75, I don't think it will take too long to forget about mowing grass, but it might take longer to forget about a big chore that became a little pleasure.