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The winds were seriously kicking up during the last couple of days, and a couple of our lattices were knocked down. Knowing how badly the strips of lawn running along the fence need a good trimming, and knowing how sensitive Father has lately been about this issue, I suggested this might be a good time to have James take care of that. He readily agreed, and instead of putting those fallen lattices back up, I removed the rest of them.
Later, after apparently taking a good look at the situation, Father then surprised me by asking, “Do you think it looks better with the lattices or without them?”
I almost choked. I spotted this as a golden opportunity to be done with the chore of having to tie the lattices back whenever they get blown down. Never adverse to being free of a chore, it is something I have wished and sighed for, but I never expected it to happen, and I didn’t even think it was worth mentioning to Father, and now he is the one raising the possibility!
I actually answered honestly, muttering that it does look a little better with the lattices, but I doubted it was worth the hassle. Thankfully, I didn’t blow it. After all, it’s not like Father had to deal with any of the hassle. He was probably moved by his irritation over how the grass snakes up the fence, growing tall and bushy, as the lattices prevent one from edging the fence neatly.
Although this is a very superficial change, it is a striking change, as those white lattices circling our front yard really stood out, and in a good way, I thought. I count this as the passing of an era. I am certain the lattices were Mother’s idea, when she had the fence put up, not long before she died, along with buying the house and the home improvements that went with it, almost exactly ten years ago.
My main regret is that Father was not moved to do this sooner when we still had Bo with us. I am sure Bo would have loved having this clear view of the neighborhood around us, instead of having to peek between the lattices like a prisoner behind bars.
Later, after apparently taking a good look at the situation, Father then surprised me by asking, “Do you think it looks better with the lattices or without them?”
I almost choked. I spotted this as a golden opportunity to be done with the chore of having to tie the lattices back whenever they get blown down. Never adverse to being free of a chore, it is something I have wished and sighed for, but I never expected it to happen, and I didn’t even think it was worth mentioning to Father, and now he is the one raising the possibility!
I actually answered honestly, muttering that it does look a little better with the lattices, but I doubted it was worth the hassle. Thankfully, I didn’t blow it. After all, it’s not like Father had to deal with any of the hassle. He was probably moved by his irritation over how the grass snakes up the fence, growing tall and bushy, as the lattices prevent one from edging the fence neatly.
Although this is a very superficial change, it is a striking change, as those white lattices circling our front yard really stood out, and in a good way, I thought. I count this as the passing of an era. I am certain the lattices were Mother’s idea, when she had the fence put up, not long before she died, along with buying the house and the home improvements that went with it, almost exactly ten years ago.
My main regret is that Father was not moved to do this sooner when we still had Bo with us. I am sure Bo would have loved having this clear view of the neighborhood around us, instead of having to peek between the lattices like a prisoner behind bars.
