Younger years...

My grandmother had a funny name for the spongy grass that grew in the front yard between the front walk and the sidewalk. Zusha grass she called it, and it was the best for rolling around in, falling into when 'we all fell down,' and sliding across--which never turned out to be a good idea after my mom saw the stains on my pants and shirt. Somehow, the cloths I wore always turned out to be 'one of my good shirts' or 'the pants my mom just bought.'

Around the edges of this thick, dry grass the lawn was spotted with flower beds. Marigolds and tiger lilies grew along the front and left side of the house with small purple violets dotting the spaces in between. Pansies grew in pots on the back patio next to the small flower garden partitioned by morning glories growing into an upright piece of lattice. Deep red roses wound their why into a taller section of lattice on the far corner of the house.

Tomatoes grew juicy and red along the right side of the house. Pop Pop told me it was because it was the warmest part of the yard. That side of the house faced southwest into the mid-day sun.

On the opposite side of the yard wild raspberries grew through a chain link fence from the neighbor's property.

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