Mr. Grunt Worker

I love this picture of my husband. He is pacing in front of all the wood he cut while working at his money paying job. He is a travelling salesman to lumber and building product stores. He works both on the road and here at home.

My husband does not work in the garden. He doesn’t even know what is in the garden. He knows the usual things that I grow. He sees me working in the garden. He knows the lettuce we ate last night came from the garden. He doesn’t work in the garden because he is too busy. He works all day on the road. Not physically hard work but it takes brain power and personal skills. (One of those I do not possess.) On the weekends he does a lot of physical work around here. I call him my Grunt Worker. If I mention something needing done, poof, it is done. Or at least started or in the plans. He moves huge amounts of soil, compost and brush for me. He builds the raised beds for the garden. He dumps compost where I want it. There isn’t anything he won’t do. For me.

I know how lucky I am. Really I say ‘my’ garden but it is ‘our’ garden. Without my husband there wouldn’t be such nice strong pea fences. There wouldn’t be the quality compost that he takes charge of. It is a nice partnership we have going. He is the Grunt Worker. I am the planner, planter, weeder, and harvester.

I think our marriage and life together is pretty much the same as how we work in the garden. I am the planner. I do a lot here at home. He is very helpful. Will do anything I ask him to do. He won’t have the idea to put in new flooring. I have those ideas. He will do the work though. He doesn’t think about things like how much laundry is piling up downstairs. He does bring it up for me so I can hang it. A partnership.

He really loves me. I’m pretty lucky about that too. Hope you all are enjoying your summer, your gardens, and the ones you love.