I hate lawnmowers

The Husband said he was going to leave work early today so that he could mow our yard and Nanny's yard 'fore it rains.  Sure enough, when I got home, his truck was down at Nanny's, and he was already finished with her front yard and was starting on the back yard by the time I got down there. 

I waved at him and walked out to the garden to check the progress.  Things are sprouting, but not vigorously.  A little rain to soften the dirt wouldn't hurt.  There was grass coming up amongst the tomatoes, so I grabbed a hoe, sharpened it on the bench grinder, and did some chopping.  I was just putting away my hoe when I heard the riding lawnmower screech and go

WHOOOOOMMMMMPPP.

Uh-oh.

I listened.  The motor was running, but the blades weren't turning.

We bought this lawnmower, a Cub Cadet, 10 days ago.  The day we brought it home, the blade bent before we finished the first yard.  The store gave us a new blade, which seemed a little sturdier than the factory blade.  That new blade bent today.

Now, I was against buying another Cub Cadet.  We have a zero-turn model that we bought several years ago, and it has consistently been the most persnickety lawnmower we have ever owned.  The belt will come off it you look at it side-ways, and it did come off, almost every single time I tried to mow.  When we took it out for the first time this year, something went beserk, and it wouldn't turn or stop moving - he had to turn off the key to keep from running into the shed.  It's motor is in the back and has no hole for a hitch, so we can't pull the lawn sweeper with it.  I do not have one good thing to say about this lawnmower, and I was not gung-ho about buying another one of the same brand.

So, when I heard the new lawnmower roll into the shop and saw that part of the yard had not been mowed, I followed the mower into the shop and gave The Husband a look that asked, "Is this lawnmower screwed up again?"  And he was climbing off, disparaging the lawnmower's parentage through gritted teeth.

I thought it best not to comment.  I came on back to the house to prep supper.  ;)

The dish I made for supper calls for fresh tarragon, and as I was stripping the leaves off of the stems, I remembered seeing a stem-stripping tool for sale in a cookware catalog yesterday.  I didn't look it over very closely to see how it works because I thought, "Really?  We need a DEVICE to pick thyme leaves off the stem?" 



How lazy have we gotten?  It seems to me to be a whole lot more trouble to (1) find the leaf-picker-offer in the tool drawer, (2) use it, (3) wash it, (4) dry it, and (5) put it back in the drawer than to run my fingers down the thyme stem and be done with it.

Besides, I like to lay hands on my food.  Sometimes, that's the only way to tell when things are right.  My high-school home ec teacher almost had a come-apart when she caught me with my hand in the biscuit dough.  How else was I supposed tell if it needed more milk???  I only used that confounded pastry cutter she handed me until she turned her back. 

The Husband must have worked on the mower, for I hear it circling our yard, blades running.

Time to get cooking!