Doing Someone A Favor

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another."

-- Charles Dickens

Sidewalk chalk self portrait 10-24-14

"Wherever you turn, you can find someone who needs you.

Even if it is a little thing, do something for which there is

no pay but the privilege of doing it.

Remember, you don't live in a world all of your own."

-- Albert Schweitzer

In the summer, my son Sam cuts our grass, and our neighbor Vera's.

When Sam's not available, my husband cuts it.

Occasionally, Leo chips in.

But Sam's away at college right now, and Leo's days are full of high school and football and homework. My husband has been under an extra-busy workload lately, and by the time he gets home in the evenings it's been too dark to mow because the sun keeps setting earlier and earlier.

That's where I come in.

Well, it's where I came in yesterday, anyway.

The grass was long. The day was beautiful. There was a need to meet, so I put on my old jeans, laced up my work boots and fired up the mower.

I cut our grass, and Vera's too. The front wheel drive "EZ Walk" mechanism on our big, heavy Craftsman push mower is fucked up, so it took me a good three and a half hours to get the work done, but I got it done.

The sun felt good on my face and arms.

The physical exertion felt good in my lungs and legs.

The mingled aromas of fresh-cut grass and autumn leaves and mower exhaust smelled good in the air.

The sense of accomplishment at a job well done felt satisfying as I looked over the straight, ordered, repetitive wheel-marks patterning the yards.

Mostly, it felt good to do a favor for someone I love a lot.

My husband spends a ton of time and energy making my life easier. I'm not a demanding wife, he's just a really great guy, as unselfish and generous as they come. He does nice things for me all the time.

So I was glad to be able to lighten his load a little. Pretty much all he had to do when he came home was eat a big warm bowl of homemade beef and noodles, watch Thursday Night Football in his recliner, and enjoy a glass of Scotch.

Tapping My Inner Domestic Diva

"My second favorite household chore is ironing.

My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint."

-- Erma Bombeck

Self portrait 5-1-14

"The only time I ever enjoyed ironing was the day

I accidentally got gin in the steam iron."

-- Phyllis Diller

As wife-ing and domestic duty-ing go, I've never really seen myself as much of a housekeeper, let alone a "domestic diva" or even "the little woman."

It's no secret.

I pretty much suck at housework.

But every once in a while I get a bee in my domestic bonnet. It happened yesterday when I finally tackled the mountain of my husband's un-ironed dress shirts.

"The Laundress," Edgar Degas, c. 1869

"The Laundress," Toulouse-Lautrec, c. 189

He wears a dress shirt and tie to work every day. He has 75 dress shirts. I know, I counted. With that many shirts, I can go quite a while without ironing them before he runs out. But there eventually comes a time when I have to roll up my sleeves and just do the job.

Some of my favorite paintings have always been Edgar Degas' and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec's studies of laundresses. I think I like them because these girls look like they feel about as bored and uninterested in the drudgery of their mundane chore as I do. They all look as if they'd rather be anyplace else but stuck behind the ironing bored --er --board.

"The Laundress," Edgar Degas, c.1873

I was inspired by these women for today's self portrait. So if you pressed me for the truth, I'd have to admit that ironing the shirts wasn't just about ironing the shirts.

I had art in mind and a new camera lens to try out. And the light coming in the window was pretty great.

So while it may look as though I was fulfilling one of my domestic duties, in actuality I was hard at work making an homage to some of my favorite painters.

I mean, the ironing still got done. I did it. I still get the wife points, right? I just had to have an ulterior motive to give me the push to finally get around to actually doing it.

Whatever it takes, boys and girls.

Whatever it takes.

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