Peppe’s ‘Hoe’
No woman should ever be party to the following conversation with her true love…
Her: “Happy Six Month anniversary, sweetie…What did you do this morning?”
Him: “I am so tired. I spent all morning with my hoe!”
Her: “WHAT?!!?”
Him: “Yea, I am just worn out!”
—-
This was us 48 months ago. Forty-eight months and that hoe is still in the picture! At least she was this week.
Thursday morning, Peppe decided, was the perfect day for working in the giardino. To me, a garden is a cute little nest of fruit and veggies or a bed of colorful flowers…Yea, not so much the case! We have a B-I-G yard, full of orange, mandarin, and lemon trees, cherry trees, grape vines, a few quasi-dead blooms, and lots of TALL weeds! In a word? Tragico!
I met Peppe downstairs and was immediately handed “the little hoe.” I was, it seems, too much woman for her, since after two or three smacks in the dirt, she broke. “Never fear,” I am told, “Nino (mio suocero) is great at working with broken hoes. He’ll have her working again in a minute!”
And, he did.
A few hours pass…yes, you read that right…a few HOURS pass, and we are still in the “garden.” I’m hacking away at some random weeds when Peppe puts his hoe down and says
“Cherrye, sometimes it’s better without your hoe - you gotta use your hands!”
He says this, you see, without even CRACKING a smile, as I am standing there all nasty-minded in the blinding Calabrese sun. I smile to myself, but continue to beat the ground with my hoe. I don’t want to get my hands dirty!
We finally finish and I spend much of Thursday afternoon in a pain-filled stupor. I express my anguish to my mother later that evening, only for her to say
“Well, Cherrye, you just aren’t used to ‘hoe’ing’ around. I, for one, am glad to hear it!”
And, boy is she right! Two days later I am still stiff! (No pun intended…really!) I am pretty sure I have bruised my palms, I can’t turn my neck all the way to the right, and Peppe hurt me tonight, when he HUGGED me! He, on the other hand, isn’t sore at all. Should I be concerned about his ‘hoe’ing’ habits?
9 responses to “Peppe’s ‘Hoe’”
April 28th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Funny post! You and Peppe really used those hoes, huh? HahHa
April 29th, 2007 at 3:34 am
wow - i have learned a whole other dimension to you today. hehehe funny! doesnt it suck that you can think youre in good shape, going to the gym, etc and then you do some yardwork and you feel like your 70! lol
get to hoe-ing! you know what they say - practice makes perfect =)
April 29th, 2007 at 9:36 am
Garden gloves– two important words.
OTH, while boning veal, no one would dare to challenge you to all that backbending work.
April 29th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Oh, all this talk of hoes and boning…what happened to the innocent blog I’ve come to know and love?!
I went through the same initiation last Spring, and believe me, I haven’t gotten used to it. Gardening I can handle, but when you need a sickle, it’s a bit much for me (at least my muscles say so the next day); perhaps you missed my recent post in which P now basically cleans the “giardino” while I read and take photos? I’m just sayin’….
April 29th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Yea, well, I was actually a little worried about offending, but the conversations REALLY did go like that. Especially the first time so many years ago. I think maybe all the times the other day, Peppe was being silly!
JDoe - We got after it! I am finally feeling a little better today!
Stacy - lol!! I was thinking the same thing about going to the gym. I mean - WHY do I do that if it doesn’t make me in better shape??
Judith - Maybe I should take up cooking! It can’t be as physical!
Michelle - Nice idea! I’ll tell Peppe you suggested it!
April 29th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Funny. Peppe and his hoe
There are so many language laughs to be had.
April 29th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Toooo funny!
What a good laugh!
April 29th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Oh the things that get said and how funny they are I am a hoe’er too and trust me I still get sore:)
April 29th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Glad ya’ll can appreciate the humor!
Whatcha thinking?