Mum's the Word, Country Girl

Jon bought me some Mums today. There's just something about Mums. They make me happy. I don't know if it's because they are a "fall" flower? Or maybe because of the colors they come in. I have to confess, I hate the lavender ones. Loathe them. They seem unnatural to me. Lavender is emphatically not a fall color. I'm not real crazy about the cream ones either. They have to be russet or gold or terra cotta. Something warm and cozy. There is nothing prettier than Ohio evening sun on Mums. They glow.

The mums weren't quite the complete package on their own though. So, I pestered poor Kenneth to let me have some of his corn stalks before he cuts them down. As it turned out, I was Kenneth's evening entertainment. He told me, "Sure you can have some, take what you want." I told him I really appreciated it and I'd be right back with my clippers. He scoffed and informed me I'd need his "corncutter" to get them. He promptly went to the barn and brought me a small machete. Liam thought the "corn cutter" was very cool. He wanted to use it and I quickly said " NO WAY". Then Jon and Liam and Kenneth stood behind me holding their guffaws in and watched me use the small machete to cut down roughly two dozen corn stalks. About half way though I was gettin' some clean cuts and I do believe that thing was a whole lot sharper than it looked through all the rust. When it was all done, Kenneth informed me that he'd make a farmer out of me yet. Part of me thinks that is funny and fairly impossible. And part of me raises her eyebrow and thinks about how much I've changed since I moved out here.

I mean I canned tomatoes this year. That's not the sort of thing I grew up doing. I was always a city girl. Once, many moons ago, the mall at Polaris would have been a mecca to me. Now, if I have to go to "town" I prefer Mansfield because there's less traffic and the drive is prettier. On this lovely fall evening, I'm thinking I am getting less and less like a city girl every year. One of these days, Jon will let me get some chickens and the conversion will be complete. Well, not quite, I don't know if I'll ever be able to raise an animal with the intent of eating it. I can eat animals just fine. I just can't pretend to be their friend for a year first. That skill is beyond my capabilites. Any animal of mine is family. I would eat their babies though. If he let me get the chickens that is! Eggs don't count. ;)