Not Exactly a Lawn

Andy has sprinkled some grass seed around, and some of it is coming up after the recent rains.
 
8-15-13-Grass-1
Grass will be struggling for a few years because the fire burned all the organic matter in what little soil we had. But eventually the new plants will build up enough humus to help.
 
8-15-13-Grass-2
Pretty pathetic? We prefer to say, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be lovable.” Are you more apt to love something because it’s perfect or because it isn’t?

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15 Responses to Not Exactly a Lawn

  1. bikehikebabe says:

    First picture I see the fling of the wrist spreading the seed. Next pic. VOILA! Nothing I like better than to see PROGRESS. Especially plants growing. (I have 2 recent mint patches I’m cultivating & watch grow.)

    • Jean says:

      Somehow I find this sparse grass touching, like trees growing out of rock — just hanging in there in spite of adversity. On one of our first visits after the fire I took pictures of the few plants that were trying to come back. There are a lot more of them now.

    • Jean says:

      That reminds me of when Kaitlin was little and she and Andy were planting radishes. She was trying to plant them one at a time with proper spacing, but she accidentally dropped the packet. Trying to pick the seeds up didn’t work, so she covered them all with dirt — no one would be the wiser. When they came up Andy just said, “I wonder why all of these came up in the same spot?”

    • Kaitlin says:

      Ha! You would remember those darn radish. That is one of my favorite stories at work to illustrate the importance of fessing up when you make a mistake. Someone will always find out eventually!

    • Jean says:

      It’s such a sweet story. And it brings back some wonderful memories.

  2. tammyj says:

    i love imperfection. i just always have. odd.
    i have no clue why.
    same reason i ALWAYS root for the underdog i guess! is root right? LOL.
    it looks funny. i suppose i could look it up. but i like its possible imperfection. oh. LOLOL!!! xoxo
    that was pathetic tammy. lol.

  3. Jean says:

    I always root for the underdog too. And, yes, root it the right word. I root for a lot of other things too. One of my favorite words. 🙂

    I asked the question because I’m like you — I’m more apt to love the imperfect. Does anyone else feel the same way?

  4. bikehikebabe says:

    “like trees growing out of rock — just hanging in there in spite of adversity”

    There’s a spot on a hike where a tree is actually hanging over the edge of a 600/800? ft. cliff. I call it the runners/bikers/hiker’s Drop-Off. It’s a foot from the trail. (I mentioned it before but is scary enough to repeat.) Maybe that hanging-out tree will save a life one day. 🙂

  5. Jean says:

    You won’t catch me going on that trail! A good part of wisdom is knowing one’s limits.

  6. Evan says:

    Ah, the classical (purity and absence of fault) and the romantic (where the individual is prized).

    I can be in awe of the perfect but I can’t love it. (For any Christians reading this, this can lead to a good deal of theological reflection.)

    • Jean says:

      I confess — you’re thinking on a much more profound level than I am. I was thinking more about things like cars. The new ones are exciting, and I try to keep them from getting scratched too soon, but it’s the old ones I love the most. And our apartment is far from perfect, but I love it dearly.

  7. Cathy in NZ says:

    I love making stuff that is perfect and I love knowing it is perfect

    AT LEAST TO ME

    Because most things I create, whether it is breakfast – art – photograph – getting dressed are solely put together by a lady with a very bad shake!

    If somehow I do NOT FOLLOW DIRECTIONS recipe – rules – setting – colour/type; it is because I love to do that.

    Yesterday, I went to this event and beyond one of the stands was someone I know in the art work and she commented on my attire – I had to have a quick look myself because I never really know what the colour combination is. Once it is on, straightened and not revealing to much skin I’m done…

    When others show me things they have created (art/fibre/etc) they nearly always point out that it’s not exact or something – but I see it only for the beauty that they created it with their hands and not in a factory setting…it’s gorgeous, the colour is right, the shape is adorable – so who cares!

    • Jean says:

      Andy always wears white short-sleeved shirts and navy pants, and I don’t have much more variety. Dull? Maybe, but it saves a lot of thinking. And if you like something, why mess with it? We still laugh at the fellow who recognized Andy a few years ago. He recognized the clothes first, then he looked up and recognized the face.

      Your attitude towards other people’s creations is like Renoir’s. He judged articles by how much of themselves the people put into them. I agree. I’m an amateur at heart, and that means doing things for the love of it. Critics will take all of the joy out of creating, if we’re foolish enough to let them.

      It warms my heart you’re doing such creative things.

  8. Rummuser says:

    That looks like a Zen garden. In time the grass will spread and it will be spectacular.

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