Two Sides

Mrs. Funkiller has a blog. So let me just start by setting one thing straight. I am no funkiller. I cannot even begin to compete with my husband's amazingly intellectual and poetic writing. My blog is mainly a way to keep in touch with the many people we've left 1,000 miles behind. Ok, so I'll occasionally use it to comment and vent. But I start with making clear the fact that I am no funkiller. At best, I am the yin to his yang. Everything has two sides and I am my own unique side of us.

Why the title "Dandelion Wine"? If you are familiar with Bradbury, you may know the novel. For me, it's more about the title itself. Making wine, an honorable drink, from dandelions, an often debated plant. Like couples, there are two sides to any good debate. You either think dandelions are a weed; the scourge of your lawn and the bane of your yard-keeping existence. Or, you think they are a flower; beautiful things of sunny yellow or gossamar white. Personally, I have always considered dandelions to be a lovely addition to any landscape. At the peak of their flower, they can be shoved in a button hole, made into a stunning necklace or even a crown for a nature-loving princess. Ask any mother and she'll probably tell you she's been handed a dandelion by the smallest of hands, as proud as can be of their precious and beautiful gift. And, of course, a dandelion gone to seed is a special treat. They have a rather intricate design if you take the time to notice and can be stared at enjoyably for quite some time. Certainly, no one can discount the pure joy of sending these feather light wands on a glorious dance in the breeze.

So, I guess, it's all how you look at it. If your expectation in life is a perfect swatch of manicured green, a badge of your gardening prowess, a sign of your dominance over weed and gopher and mole, then I suppose a dandelion is a problem. It upsets the predictability of your plot. It dosen't flow with the pattern from your mowing. They certainly don't blend in. Personally, I love dandelions. They remind me that no matter how hard we work to control things, all it takes is a child in one lazy moment, picking up a big white puff of dandelion and.......blow.