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Monday, May 19, 2014

Summer-almost!

Time for Tuesday's Slice of Life Sharing at Two Writing Teachers
                     Come join us!  Tweet at #SOL14
            Thanks to Stacey, Tara, Beth, Dana, Betsy and Anna for hosting such a marvelous community!

      I'm not sure if this is a slice or a book review. I began today thinking I would write about gardening and this time that meant mowing my lawn and doing a bit of weeding. Because it snowed last week, then rained, and I was away on the weekend, every green and growing thing GREW! The snow and cold didn't appear to hurt even a bud, so flowers are opening and my small bit of lawn is growing. Here are two pictures of the first iris and columbine. 



      I am in love with my little lawnmower. I do not have much grass to mow; it takes about ten or fifteen minutes, but what I love is the sound! And today, a glorious eighty degree 'hint of what's to come' day, I also thought of one of my favorite books, Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. It begins: It was a quiet morning, the town covered over with darkness and at ease in bed. Summer gathered in the weather, the wind had the proper touch, the breathing of the world was long and warm and slow. You had only to rise, lean from your window, and know that this indeed was the first real time of freedom and living, this was the first morning of summer. I have read the book more than once, with friends, with students, and alone, savoring the sweet way Bradbury is nostalgic. My copy is a bit dog-eared, given to me by a student who is now grown and writing for a living. 
      So when I mowed today, I thought of Ray Bradbury and the pleasure his words have given, but also thought of my grandfather, so long ago, pushing a mower with a little girl standing under him, thinking she was helping mow, too. Bradbury's words later in the book: Grandfather smiled in his sleep. Feeling the smile and wondering why it was there, he awoke. He lay quietly listening, and the smile was explained./For he heard a sound which was far more important than birds or the rustle of new leaves. Once each year he woke this way and lay waiting for the sound which meant that summer had officially begun. ------- a clatter of rotating metal through the sweet summer grass.
      You'll have to find the book and read the rest, readying yourself for summer!  
 I have generous green space outside my fence, here in the back and 
also in the front. I am not responsible for mowing that part.
This is the only part I actually mow, a tiny piece of lawn.               
And this is my little 'clattering' and 'whirring' mower. How sweet it is!
Happy Summer-almost!



21 comments:

  1. Oh, what wonderful quotes! I love the way he writes and I love the connections you shared!

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  2. I love the way you showed how your mind wandered from the beautiful buds, to your little green mower, to summer, to Bradbury, your grandfather and back again to Bradbury and your little green mower and to almost summer. Beautiful Linda.

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  3. What a wonderful post full of beautiful words, delicious!! You shared so much, your memories, your current life and a favourite author. Thank you for your slice/book review, I will be searching for that book to read.

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  4. Ah, Linda - perfect to read this this morning and journey with you back in time and through the way one memory connects to the other. How lovely to see green grass and the first hints of summer ... to be in the moment as Bradbury was at the start of his book. Very soon, my friend, summer days will be here...for us to glory in!

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  5. How beautiful that this warm morning made you think of your Grandfather. The quotes from Bradbury, and they way you entwined them with you thoughts make me want to run out and buy the book.

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  6. So happy to be up and reading your slice, friend :) Love that green lawnmower and the fact that you are taking me back to Dandelion Wine, a book I loved to teach. Bradbury was a sci-fi writer I could relate to.
    Loved your Spring images as well.
    Is your winter over yet?

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  7. Oh, how masterfully crafted this slice is. I am ready for the summer and I wish to read the book you quoted.

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  8. It is amazing how plants accept and adapt to changing temperatures. Give them a little moisture and sunshine and off they go. Beautiful yard and what a fun mower!

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  9. Love your mower. As a kid that is the kind I used to mow my grandparents' yard. Now I have a third of an acre and use a self-propelled gas mower. Our lilacs and lily-of-the-valley are just about finished, but oh, we sure enjoyed their fragrances in the house.

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  10. I haven't seen or heard one of those mowers since our early married days in a townhouse. Now our yard requires 3 hours of pushing by my husband and every year he says he is going to get a riding mower.
    I love your train of thought here, and how you invite us to follow you into a beautiful book and a sweet memory. Happy almost summer!

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  11. Love your combination of small moment and highlighting of a book. Welcome summer. I love your sweet mower! Enjoy the lazy days!

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  12. This is lovely, Linda. Bradbury's writing is magical. I usually hate nostalgia, but Bradbury is the exception. Have you read his ZEN AND THE ART OF WRITING? It's time for a re-read for me. Love that book!

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  13. A delightful slice. It's so amazing how the plants and trees seem to adapt to what nature has in store. Love the lawn mower - I remember that from my growing up days on the farm. Happy mowing this summer!

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  14. My Columbine is blooming right now too! It does give my landscape some beauty in amongst the weeds - I have not had time to work in it yet. But it is coming. My husband would love your mower, but we have too much yard. Happy Summer - almost! By the way, my trust issue is professional and not personal. I don't want anyone to think it has to do with my husband! :)

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  15. Amazing to go directly from snow to columbines and irises! What a rapid transition! (Though I know I continue to look at my spring blooms and wonder if it is possible for the snow to return - our rough winter is not yet a distant memory ;-) Thank you for the Ray Bradbury quotes/book suggestion - very beautiful words. Happy Spring!!

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  16. Love your sweet little lawn mover. Guess I will have to find a copy of Bradbury's book. Thanks.

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  17. Good for you. I used one of those mowers as a kid and hated it because everyone else had a power mower; however, my father said it was great exercise and my mother assured us it would help develop our arms....and other body parts! I was in better shape back then so perhaps they were right!

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  18. I love the feeling of having an author's words echo your own feelings so perfectly. I've never read Dandelion Wine (I think I may have read a short excerpt)... adding it to the list!

    When I was little, I always helped my dad in the garden and on house projects... loved the line "thinking she was helping too". So sweet!

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  19. I've never read Dandelion Wine - I need to put it on my list! I loved peeking at your yard - so green and lush! It's amazing the snow didn't seem to affect the segue into summer. :-)

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  20. Dandelion Wine is a dear friend's favorite book. Her endorsement and your words "...savoring the sweet way Bradbury is nostalgic" are ensuring that it will make it into my summer stack. Glad summer is almost here for you!

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  21. Linda,
    I loved the connections you made in this blog. The visuals were an added bonus. Thank you for sharing the Bradbury book that I never read. The line, "Summer gathered in the weather, the wind had the proper touch, the breathing of the world was long and warm and slow," is a perfect description. Thank you for sharing your memories and your flowing words.

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