Luci’s Inferno

A couple of weekends ago, Michelle, Jim, Jeremy and Justin came to visit and brought enough gardening and landscaping supplies to last me all summer (maybe).  Of course the guys had to unload everything and carry it around back.  My plan was for Michelle and me to assemble a garden box while the guys went to a tractor pull.  That didn't work out so well.  Since muscular assistance was going to be required, she suggested that we go ahead and purchase the supplies for all the planned boxes while the family discount was available.  That way the guys could do them all while they were there.  We headed off to purchase lumber.  It took all afternoon and several trips but we hauled all the 16 foot strips of lumber in my car and carried them around back.  Hauling lumber in the Buick was so reminiscent of my youth when we hauled hog food in the old Cadillac. (But that's another story. I'll save it for later.)

Anyone who has seen my backyard knows that it is still a work in progress, even after 5 years.  There are lot of river rocks and a pallet of bricks that were left over from building the house.  (You never know when you might want to build a fire pit or a barbecue.)  I have developed a custom of bringing home rocks from every place I visit.  Every time I decide to add something of course it has to go precisely where the bricks and/or rocks were stacked the last time.  The guys have helped me move them more times than I can count.  To avoid hearing all the moaning and groaning, I spent all week moving bricks and digging up the grass I have watered, fertilized and weeded for five years.

Then I called Chris and Shawn and invited them over for pizza.  I think they are starting to catch on, but they came anyway.  Of course a change of plans and another trip to Lowe's was involved but Chris put together all five garden boxes in just over an hour.  I was thrilled and started shoveling top soil into them.  Shawn said, “If I had known, I would have brought my shovel."

I said, "No problem, I have another one."  Shawn helped me shovel top soil with Chris spelling us.  While we were shoveling he said that the next time he saw my number on his caller ID he was going to jump in his car and head for Florida.  I said, "That's nice. Jeff could probably use some help too."

To which he replied, "Forget that, just tell me where to dig next?”

As we were finishing up, Shawn asked, "Doesn't Dante's Inferno include a level of hell where the people are moving rocks back and forth for eternity."  I looked it up and sure enough Level 4 in Dante's Inferno is where "wasters and hoarders are condemned to roll weights back and forth against one another for eternity."  Looks like I have a name for my garden.  I just have to have the plaque made.

Thanks Jim, Michelle, Jeremy, Justin, Chris and Shawn for all the help. I don't think Dante envisioned all the laughing we did while we were working. Not everyone has a family who is willing to help them and certainly not everyone can laugh about it the way we do. Where I am concerned "Level IV" is a little bit of heaven here on earth.

Story from Luci