A new Mother Earth News arrived in our mailbox today. I've subscribed to this magazine for many years and it's one I rarely throw away.
It always makes country living look so appealing, and easy. The people in the pictures are always wearing clean clothes, straw hats and holding baskets of squash, tomatoes, and cucumbers. The flowers growing on the edges of the garden are always stunning and there are never any weeds in sight.
What's the deal with that? Do they live above the weed line? That mythical place that is altitude-anally blessed which will not allow the growth of weeds and pests? And dirt and dust will not adhere to overalls or boots?
I can tell you this without hesitation -- living in the country is hard work, and anyone who has a garden like the ones in Mother Earth, has spent a great deal of time on their knees pulling weeds and squishing bugs.
If anyone had snapped a picture of me these last few weeks after working all day lugging lumber, sawing 4x6's, falling off of scaffolds, and swinging a hammer, I can promise you the picture would not be on the cover of Mother Earth -- America's Most Wanted maybe, but not on a gentile magazine.
I love living in the country and I love my Mother Earth, but if anyone thinks it's a square dance on Saturday night, they are sadly mistaken.
You may now return to your regularly scheduled blog reading.
It always makes country living look so appealing, and easy. The people in the pictures are always wearing clean clothes, straw hats and holding baskets of squash, tomatoes, and cucumbers. The flowers growing on the edges of the garden are always stunning and there are never any weeds in sight.
What's the deal with that? Do they live above the weed line? That mythical place that is altitude-anally blessed which will not allow the growth of weeds and pests? And dirt and dust will not adhere to overalls or boots?
I can tell you this without hesitation -- living in the country is hard work, and anyone who has a garden like the ones in Mother Earth, has spent a great deal of time on their knees pulling weeds and squishing bugs.
If anyone had snapped a picture of me these last few weeks after working all day lugging lumber, sawing 4x6's, falling off of scaffolds, and swinging a hammer, I can promise you the picture would not be on the cover of Mother Earth -- America's Most Wanted maybe, but not on a gentile magazine.
I love living in the country and I love my Mother Earth, but if anyone thinks it's a square dance on Saturday night, they are sadly mistaken.
You may now return to your regularly scheduled blog reading.
growing flowers is easy. growing food is hard.
ReplyDeleteYou are quite correct you know...the photographs in most all magazines never present life in it's reality. It's of those fantasy/deceptions that human beings seem to thrive on...a farmer knows the reality of farming but still buys the seed catalogs that have the beautiful pictures of what he might get after a lot of sweaty hard labor...a new mother buys the sweet baby magazines, where everything is neat and tidy and clean and washed and put away with no toys in the middle of the floor, she doesn't really want the reality, neither does the farmer they want the illusion, it's what keeps them going! Enjoy your Mother Earth magazine Life 101!
ReplyDelete"living above the weed line" too funny! Wish my little garden had that kind of magic. We can dream I guess :)
ReplyDeleteYou've subscribed to this magazine for many years.. The one line says it all, my friend... :D :D
ReplyDeleteI love perfect images even if the real thing is never ever going to be perfect. We all need the dream to be perfect, don't we? :) :)
Every year I ask my husband how we can go there...above the weed line. And every year....he fails me. I need Mother Earth!!!
ReplyDeleteLOL!! You tell em!! I was wondering if this mag has a letters to the editor section and maybe you ought to send this to them? :-)
ReplyDeleteTake care
x
One word: Stylist.
ReplyDeleteIn magazines is all idyllic. I also know what is working in the garden, and when it looks nice without weeds is that there has been a lot of work and dirt before.
ReplyDeleteSaludos