?`s and ANNEswers

Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

Birthday Gift

When I told a friend what I wanted for my birthday, she laughed.

“Why didn’t you ask for a cruise or jewelry or some special restaurant?”

Because we’ve done all those things. At eighty years of age, I’m staying closer to home,  reducing possessions, and enjoying my own cooking. Earl seems okay with it too.

I garden almost compulsively during the Michigan season from mid-May through October. There’s weeding and  tilling and planting and mulching and weeding again. In all the years I’ve done this routine, I’ve never had a good shovel. A trowel, yes; but not a shovel.

Recently I borrowed a friend’s shovel and was taken with what a great garden tool it is. It did the work of my small trowel in one scoop instead of several. It was easy to use too.

So I asked for a shovel, one that would be inscribed to honor my birthday but also one that would be utilitarian, because I intend to use it.

Yesterday, we picked it up from an engraver. The only place the engraver could do his job was on the wooden handle. But that’s fine with me. The inscription reads, “ AB – Digging it for 80 years.”

I can’t wait to get it dirty.

See more 10 Minutes in category , | Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *