My mom and I planted flowers when she was here last, two pretty pots on the front stoop. Stoop. That’s a funny word.

They are growing! And not dying yet! I’ve confessed that I don’t have much of a green thumb, but I come from a long line of farmers, so I like to think that it’s somewhere lost in my DNA to grow plants successfully.

We planted marigolds and some other flower that I’ve forgotten the name of:

Hooray! They are growing!

We feel a lot of pressure from the perfect lawns and manicured hedges of our neighbors – I finally understand the term “Keeping Up with the Joneses”, although there’s nobody named Jones living near us. I think they all hire services to take care of their yards, while we feel superior because we are DOING IT OURSELVES. Our little yard is overrun with clover and dandelions.

By next summer, we’ll be a force to be recognized in the neighborhood.