My Uncle George had a contentious relationship with his yard, the yard won. I have many fond memories of my uncle; the way he laughed and always seemed like the happiest person in the room, the way he toasted a marshmallow on the kitchen stove with a fork, how he would open a coconut with a pick so he could pour the sweet milk in a glass before smashing the round fruit on the sidewalk, and that he was always mowing the lawn…
Dandelions were the enemy! So with a little bucket and a spade , Uncle George would make his way around the yards in our neighborhood. The front, back, and sides of all four houses occupied by my large family were all his responsibility. I don’t think anyone ever asked him to take over; he just did. My girlfriends: Debbie, Suzie and I picked dandelions in their late stage to make wishes. We would be sitting on the grass in the front of my Mom and Dad’s house, minding our own business, blowing white puffy dandelion wisps into the air while making our little girl wishes and giggling happily when Uncle George would come out of nowhere and say, “stop that, now I’ll never get rid of them!” he would admonish us before disappearing to some remote part of the yard to continue his digging. Now our dreams were dashed, but not for long because Aunt Anna, we used to call her (antenna), would offer us lemonade to get us off the lawn, and it was real! Bright yellow lemons, sugar, and ice water in big glasses with candy stripes around them; this was the lemonade of our childhood.
When my uncle wasn’t fighting with the dandelions or the neighborhood dogs that did their unwanted business on “his” lawn, he was using a mire-ode of tools that seemed only he knew their purpose. There were all kinds of little shovels with wooden handles, rakes with different angled prongs, and a push mower that showed it’s blades; it looked like a paper towel roll with teeth!, but the most unusual tool Uncle George owned was a lawn roller with a long metal handle. This he used religiously to smooth out all the bumps in early spring so little creatures couldn’t invade the yard with tunnels and holes.
Today while I was mowing the lawn I thought of my uncle and felt comforted by the memories of him; as I made my way around our yard I reflected on how therapeutic it is, really. Walking in the warm sun and fresh air gives me a break from the world and even if I’m only mowing dandelions, it’s still “my yard.”
God how I think back to his Thursdays. Thursday was Grandpas day off. He would often pick up me, Matthew and Georgie and take us to McDonald’s for lunch. He was a brave soul. We were never allowed to drink our milkshake until we had finished out 15 cent hamburger.
Then back to his house to mow the yard and cut those damn pricker bushes with scissors of all things. Whose bright idea was that! We would be covered with scratches to which gramps would coat in iodine that would burn like mad.
I also remember him soaking the mowers spark plug in Coke to get the carbon off the spark plug…..why buy a new plug if we soak this in coke it would remove the carbon after a few hours…..What does that stuff do to your teeth???
He taught me lots. How to make change. How to play cards. Took me to my first horse race. Took me to Niagara Falls for the first time (just told my mom we were going for a ride at 9AM……she started to get nervous at 10PM when I wasn’t home).
We had a very special relationship grampa and I. They just don’t make them like that anymore….Actually I take it back….Jonah has that relationship with my pop. He isn’t the same gruff guy that raised me when he is with his grand kids. It is great to see….I hope both Jonah and Carter end up with memories like I have. Memories of one of the greatest men of all time. Irreplaceable. Missed daily. Memories of a man that when you think of them you just smile. You don’t feel sadness anymore…just feel lucky to have had them part of your life for the period of time you had them.
Thanks Cuz. I heard your brother is flying to Florida….I told him he would like it much better this time…Last time he flew back in the 60′s they only had a leather hat and goggles….these days they even have windows and a pressurized cabin.
Honestly I am really excited for him. Bim and his family have been good to him for a lot of years. When we talked he sounded excited but a litel nervous. Can’t wait to hear how his adventure goes.