Weeds Mean Work - Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

Dad's dream fence

My parents purchased their farm in the mid-1970s from Mr. Hayden, one of those wiry old farmers who was fully dressed at the crack of dawn, hoeing the garden, gathering eggs, scooping grain into the manger for the cows, and checking the fences.Fences need to be checked regularly to be sure they are intact. Like so many things in life, fencing can be broken, sagging, snapped or otherwise compromised. If you don’t want your animals to escape, you check your fences.Industrious, spry, motivated farmers pull up weeds along those fences as they go. Because you don’t have to be a farmer to know that birds are partial to fences, leaving seeds behind in their droppings Those seeds mean weeds. And weeds mean work. But Mr. Hayden just woke up and did it.He must have plucked weeds along that fence row the moment they sprouted, because apparently, according to my dad, the fence showed no trace of thistles, bushes or twigs that would become saplings. Like the fence rows, Mr. Hayden’s garage workshop was also organized in clean, neat rows. Above the work bench, Mr. Hayden stored bolts, nuts, washers and nails in baby food jars, screwing the lids into the wood underneath shelves. The jars, when attached to their lids, hung from the shelves providing easy access to tidy, see-through storage.I was only eight years old when we moved to the farm, so I didn’t pay attention to details around the property other than the yellow-flowered wallpaper in my bedroom; but I’m guessing Mr. Hayden left the barn with a coat of fresh red paint, the tool and chicken sheds bright white (though I vaguely remember a family story about an odd color ending up on the sheds), the garage swept and clear, the jars dusted, and of course the fence row clean and clear.That’s just the way Dad wanted it.But to keep it that way, somebody needed to have the vision and do the work. We were borrowing Mr. Hayden’s vision, but nobody in our family did enough work. We couldn’t maintain a clean and clear work space, and we sure didn’t keep the weeds away.Today, mulberry bushes, multiflora rose, and a variety of trees line those fence rows.

Overgrown fence row on Dad's farm

And it drives Dad nuts.He craves clean lines, order, simplicity and organization, but at age 81, doesn’t have the energy to make it happen. Maybe he never had the energy to make it happen. In fact, I think he kind of wished his son or daughter would take over that job of clearing the fence row, but neither of us did.A few times he’s hired someone to chop away some of the shrubby stuff, but birds continue to perch and weeds continue to sprout.It probably doesn’t bother anyone as bad as it bothers Dad. It’s possible the neighbors might shake their heads, but other than looking a little shaggy, does it really hurt anything?Still, I understand Dad’s craving for clean lines, order, simplicity and organization.I crave it, too.In a suburban setting, I long for a weed-free privacy fence, but when I glance out my back window, I spot thistles poking up through the slats on both sides. I’d love to have my kitchen shelves orderly and uniform, but the cereal boxes lie on their sides in the only cabinet big enough to store them. They sit next to the mixing bowls and Pyrex pans, which are, of course, unrelated to cereal.

The basement, an explosion of dress-up clothes, videos and books, haunts me. Mislabeled cardboard boxes perch haphazardly on the shelves of my walk-in closet. My desk overflows. And the kids are kind of like birds—they flit around the house and perch for a few minutes, leaving behind a pile of toys, scratch paper and game pieces, like household weeds.It drives me nuts.In a home, as on a farm, somebody has to have the vision and do the work. Like Dad, I want everything clean, clear, orderly and simple, but, like Dad, I don’t necessarily want to do the work myself.But the kids are helping. So is the Belgian Wonder.Together, we’re trying to control the literal and figurative weeds in and around our home.Together, we’re trying to develop systems that help us find things easily, modern versions of Mr. Hayden’s baby food storage jars.Over the years, I’ve researched, taken notes, and attempted to follow systems from Peter Walsh, FlyLady, Don Aslett, Julie Morgenstern and others. Their ideas are helpful and inspiring, but at their roots, the systems and solutions aren’t much different philosophically than checking fences every morning.I wish there were an easier way, but it comes down to something Mr. Hayden did naturally.We have to wake up and pull the weeds.“farm fence” photo by Joseph Patterson of Mind in the Heart. Overgrown fence row and rusty hinge photos taken by Ann Kroeker at Dad’s farm.

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Comments

Ruth says

July 15, 2010 at 3:04 pm

Yes…. as I read this, hubby and son are outside attempting to revive a terrible overgrown garden. Things of ‘personal’ importance often get passed over in order to take on the ‘urgent’… Ah! Choice, choices, choices.

I pray that it never gets to the point where my ‘heart garden’ gets overgrown. Got to keep the line open to the Master Gardener!

God bless you, Ann. 🙂

- annkroeker says
  
  July 15, 2010 at 4:44 pm
  
  You’ve got some good men there to tackle the garden! I’m guilty of sitting here typing my blog post instead of weeding the garden or “weeding” my living room floor.
  
  But you make a good point–I should remain most concerned about weeding my heart.
  
Ruth says

July 15, 2010 at 4:57 pm

In your defense, those blog posts have never failed to inspire me (and others, I’m sure), so it’s all for a good cause. 😉

I, for one, am grateful for that sacrifice on your part. 😉

May God continue to inspire you, as you continue to bless and inspire others.

{{{Hugs}}}

Linda says

July 15, 2010 at 5:50 pm

I love this Ann. I can so easily identify. There are so many dreams I have, but I don’t seem to be willing to do the daily grind of necessary work. I seem to think it will all just magically happen because I want it to.

I have been so convicted about that lately. It is time to roll up my sleeves and just do the work!

Charity Singleton says

July 15, 2010 at 9:10 pm

Wake up and pull the weeds.

You know, that kind of weeding really is daily, and I am just not good at daily stuff, usually.

It’s funny that I do pull my literal weeds much better than my figurative ones, though. Maybe something will rub off between the two!

Christy says

July 15, 2010 at 9:20 pm

Your words are so true. I am easily overwhelmed and if I let things get out of hand I cannot easily bring order back in. I love the line “wake up and pull the weeds!” I think it will be my new motto!

Hemmed In says

July 15, 2010 at 11:23 pm

Good word Ann. The literal and physical weeds, cleaning up, organizing and sorting are difficult to keep up with. We need vision, a heart that’s faithful to said vision and discipline to carry it through. I certainly have a lot to work on!

Marci@OvercomingBusy says

July 17, 2010 at 12:12 pm

I think my dad is Mr. Hayden! He has weed free fence rows, perfect garden, lovely flower beds, knows where every nut and bolt is stored. He’s always moving, but never seems busy. He just does it. Makes me think we are making organizing and cleaning and keeping on top of things too complicated. Maybe we just need to do it!

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