What do I know?

I'm older than most of you reading this; I've also done a few "grown-up" things that some haven't (House, marriage - divorce. You get the idea.) I have no illusions that this makes me any smarter than anyone - but one point of this blog is to pass on any "wisdom" I've acquired from which others might benefit.

This week's gem? Home ownership is not all it's cracked up to be.

I love to shop on the weekends, go to movies, hang out with friends, go see my cousins, etc. Some weekends, I can get away with it. Others - not so much. There's stuff that has to be done - deck furniture to put away, leaves to be cleaned up, lawns to be mowed, mulch to be spread, gardens to be pruned.

In short - houses are a lot of work. This is all stuff someone else would take care of if I lived in an apartment. Or even owned a condo.

But nooooo....

It looks so innocent....

So I'm outside for two hours this weekend, dragging huge bags of mulch all over the yard to get them into the garden. I trimmed, I clipped, I weeded - I got a sliver from the stupid barberry bush, which are really pretty, but completely treacherous.

One of those bushes is huge - so I couldn't just trim it with the clippers. I had to get out the electric hedge trimmer (which I highly recommend if you need such things). I actually like using that thing, and was humming along. Until the wire got unruly - and I accidentally cut through the cord with the trimmer.

Sparks flew - towards me, towards the garden; towards the house. Ooops.

My cousin says to me: Why were you using tools?!

Well, the answer to that is simple: I'm single, I live alone, and I can't afford to pay someone to do my yard work. It has to be done - and I'm the one who has to do it. {cue violin} Don't get me wrong, it's satisfying to own something of your own; to look at a well-kept home and know you did it all yourself. It's also an excellent workout.

But it's hard work - and doesn't always leave a lot of room for fun. Which is not something any real estate agent will put on the listing.

Which brings me back to my point - home ownership isn't all it's cracked up to be. Also - the world is a much safer place when I'm in a shoe store.