Poison Ivy

A couple of weeks ago, I mowed Mrs. White's back yard. I've been doing this now for three or four years and keep my lawn mower at her house since I live in a condo now. Mrs. White is one of our Meals On Wheels Atlanta clients.

Mrs. White always wanted a big family, but ended up with only one daughter. Her daughter is busy with her own career and travels frequently. She's only able to stop by and see Mrs. White a couple of times each week at the most. Mrs. White no longer drives, so she is pretty confined to her house.

When I first met Mrs. White, she said, "Welcome to the White House!" At that point, her back yard was almost three feet high with grass and weeds. (That was back when it still rained in Atlanta.) She has someone that cuts the front yard, but he can't get his riding mower through the gate into the back yard. Ever since then, I've made sure that her back yard gets trimmed every two or three weeks, so that when she looks out her window, she's not seeing a jungle.

I think Mrs. White enjoys my visits more than having her back yard mowed. She definitely looks forward to the drivers who bring her meals to her. She moves slowly, so volunteers have to be prepared to wait a while at the front door until she gets there.

The last time I was at her house mowing, I got a bad case of poison ivy. It was only one spot on my arm, but every time it itched I thought of Mrs. White. I need to call her and see if it's time for me to cut her yard again.

-- Steve Hargrove