Yesterday it was gloomy and wet outside for a good part of the day and then it dried out, with rain predicted again for the night and the next day and maybe the day after that. Although a young man had mowed the grass last week, it had spouted up and I knew there were some areas that were vulnerable to having hostas and myrtle mowed because of their closeness to grass.

So, when late afternoon came and the area was dry, I got out the electric mower and a couple of cords and had at it. At first, there was a sense of Here we go again, another year of mowing that had started when I was twelve. Then it started to feel not bad, and progressed to good as my hair became wet with perspiration and my Netflixed muscles got a wake-up call.

Exercise in a gym may be good psychological boost to morale, but exercise from doing work outside can be really uplifting. You are getting something done, and you feel less guilty enjoying 21st century America when you know your ancestors got here by fighting seasickness on sailing ships and then got to the Midwest by walking out behind oxen.

We have so much and we take it for granted. It’s good to be reminded how refreshing a plain glass of water can be.