Clover Lane

We were lucky to hear a beautiful green house out in the country that sells the best strawberries.  It made me question why I was staying in town and doing all the work of adding on-acres of fields, beautiful big barns, rolling hills (which is rare where we live) and just quiet.  I know the downside is I'd be spending hours in the car driving to this, that and the other.  It doesn't help that when I'm at home there are air compressors going off every day.  I have to remind myself that it's all worth it. One day soon, I'll have my ordinary days back.

Meanwhile:
Everyone keeps telling me how old Janey works.  I only have two more months before I'll have a two year old.  She is so sweet (and hates all the noise of construction also).  She loves her scooter-that's all she wants to do-ride up and down the sidewalk on her scooter.

It was the weekend of graduation parties-we have two more next week also.  This week three little girls (one niece) who used to play at my house, play Polly Pockets, and dress up and American Girl dolls, are leaving for college.  How can that be?  Time moves too quickly.

On another note-
I have met some great "worker guys" with neat stories.  I have studied and made some enlightening (and not surprising) observations.  Here are a few:
-Those over the age of 60 (give or take) have a noticeably different work ethic.  They work harder, and longer, and show up when they are supposed to, and do what they say they are going to do.
-Those who grew up with big families, and out on farms, also have a strong work ethic.  Maybe it's the chipping in, not a lot of money, high expectations at an early age to work.
-I've met two father/son teams and these were my favorite.  When there is a family stake in the business, there is a reputation to uphold-fair and honest and hardworking for sure.

One man was from a big Catholic family, grew up on a farm, grandfather was an immigrant who came to American with literally nothing-when he died he had money hidden everywhere in his house and lived so simply that everyone felt sorry for him (he didn't trust banks-Depression era).  When this man's mother went to the hospital to have her first, her sister was in labor also-they had their babies together, but his mom lost her baby-he was stillborn.  The couples shared a car-she rode home next to her sister-baby in arms-empty-handed.  She told her husband tearfully, "I'm going to have ten more babies."  And she did-in 16 years!

Another (one of seven) was very hard of hearing.  He told me that they didn't find out he had a hearing problem till he graduated high school...somehow he made it through...he always sat at the front of the class. He planned on joining the Marines to put himself through college, but they wouldn't take him and that's the first time he had a hearing test and was told he had some major hearing loss.  He was crushed-and tried every military branch but was rejected each time.  Instead he went into the wood floor business with his Dad and has made a living that way ever since. His dad (almost eighty) came to help him.  He was so sweet-but oh boy, so stooped over.  Both worked two jobs to support their families.

Well, Janey's up from her nap.
Summer thunderstorm in progress, one of my favorite things.  What is it with the smell of rain in summer?  Love it.