No, No, No ... Yes!

Hello, Mrs. Paul from Alabama here again.  I  hope the summer is finding all of you well and happy and like Paul, anticipating perfect garden weather so that you can get out and enjoy that which you love. 

I know you have all heard the expression of someone being a ‘yes man’ and sure that you all know what that means.  Well, my dear husband, Paul from Alabama is a  ‘no, no, no, yes man’ and I don’t mind telling you ... sometimes it drives me nuts! 

So, you are probably wondering how  I’ve addressed this little bump in our otherwise smooth and happy relationship.   I’ll tell you.  I did what all the marriage counselors, all the self help books tell you and I simply said to Paul.  “Darling, I know you probably don’t realize this, but something is bothering me.”  With a look of concern, he brings us both to sit on the sofa and listens as I pour out my heart to him.  He listens as I tell him that when I come to him with an idea or am excited about a new project, it hurts my feelings that his first reaction is always  no, no, no ... and finally yes.  I explain that I would like that he just listen to all I have to say and then if the answer is still no,  then that’s fine.  I then ask if he understands what I’m saying and he said ... “Well, no, because eventually I always say yes!”   :-) 

So on we go ... I continue to have all these great ideas about the garden and he continues to say no, no, no and then usually a yes. 

Sometimes it bothers me, sometimes it doesn’t, but always it makes me smile. 

This all brings me to the real reason for today’s story... :-)

Yesterday, Paul and I were in the garden.  He doing some trimming and I tending the vegetables which you know from previous blogs are planted in front of his glorious rose swag.   At some point during the morning I went to the kitchen side of the house for some reason and then it hit me .... Oh MY GOSH!  Why did I not think of this before.  My mind was crazy with ideas, the plan immediately clear and I couldn’t wait to tell Paul of my new idea.   

I ran, literally, to the back yard, calling for him to come and let me show him what I was planning to do!   I was so happy and then I saw his face.   

He had his no, no, no face on ... but did that stop me? NO!  I grabbed his hand and half pulled him through the arbor not even stopping for breath as I began to spill my thoughts. 

I told him I wanted to move the vegetable garden to the kitchen side of the house ... raised beds here, raised beds there,  a bit of black fencing to the street side of the house to shield the view of the working garden from the street but which would compliment the fencing going into his garden ... and an herb garden right by the kitchen door with nastutium and marigolds  .... and ... and ... and ... breathlessly explaining the vision I had in my mind.  

Paul stood there, quietly as I continued.  Then you will have the area where the vegetables are now for larkspur and foxgloves and all the gorgeous flowers you’ve wanted to showcase your roses ... to show off the swag the way it should be shown.  

 Paul still stood there, quietly.   I finally stopped and looked up at him .... waiting for the expected reaction.  I asked, “what do you think?”

A slow grin came to his face and he said, “YES!” 

Mrs. Paul from Alabama