*Almost* proud of my home

I have almost been a proud homeowner for almost a year now. We've owned the house for 8 years. Actually, we probably own about 2 rooms and half the garage, the bank owns the rest.

I say "almost" because despite our home itself, the people in it, and the area of town, I can't ever by happy with it being in a photograph. It is said: LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION. And my location is directly between two retired couples who love to care for their yards.

They are nice people. The one couple keep a simple, yet elegant yard. He mows his yard about twice as often as I do. Without the defining influence of a fence there is always the line drawn to divide the nice yard from my yard. It would be easier to take if he didn't nicely mow part of my lawn as well. And if the season is right you can tell my yard by it being the one yellow with dandelions.

My neighbor on the other side is a renaissance man. And amongst some of his unbelievable talents, he has the nicest yard in the neighborhood. He has a pond in the backyard WITH a bridge AND goldfish. He makes his own wine from his own grapes that he grows. And he also is nice enough to mow his lawn on any even numbered day on the summer, and mow just a little of mine too.

Now I try not to be lazy, but it comes pretty natural. With a crazy busy schedule and pressing needs of family, Church, Work, other Work, friends, blogging and gaming I get to my yard about once a fortnight. I like to say my yard has the "Savannah" look, although now I can just say I'm saving energy and therefore I'm the guy Al Gore would choose to be friends with.

I can't help but feel guilty for brining the average home value in the neighborhood down. I don't like wishing for a drug house to set up across the street so my yard will start to look good by comparison. I hate loosing soccer balls and basketballs in the foliage in my yard.

Today I was compelled to keep a good yard. I have lots of family coming in, and we are having a backyard BBQ.

I trimmed the front hedge to have the appearance of a snake with a hernia.

I weeded the roses, lilies and nondescript plants for the first time this year.

I weeded the garden, which due to my botanical ineptitude has become the battleground between the Rhubarb and the Strawberries. I kill both off every year, and they return in a vengeance. I've stopped worrying about the dandelions in my yard in comparison.

I'm finally a bit proud of my yard tonight after 4 hours of gardening. I can safely entertain family in my yard and only have a small inferiority complex and low chance of loosing articles in the lawn later to be launched when the lawnmower finds them in August.