Why it Works

It works because he doesn’t mind doing this …

Mike shelling peas

…and I don’t mind doing this.

Paulette bush-hogging

We totally share everything.

My husband is my best friend. People say that. But he really is my best friend.

If he weren’t, I don’t know how it would work. We work in the same building just down the hall from one another. We end up in meetings together, or just stopping in to say hi during the day. We ride to and from work together most days. And most days go to the gym together afterwards.

That’s the weekdays. On a typical Saturday morning when we aren’t going up to the property to work, we wake up early, have a leisurely cup of coffee while we visit with our dogs, then head out…together. Yes, together. A typical Saturday morning starts about 6:30 a.m. at the Farmer’s Market, breakfast at little Rosie’s Mexican Tequria (wonderful breakfast tacos and the best coffee) then the grocery store, the dry cleaners and any other errands.

We always finish at Fresh Market, where we wander around with their coffee-of-the-day and pick out the little treats that we allow ourselves each week. For him, the little chocolate balls with toffee nut crunch inside, the blueberry chocolates, the chocolate covered almonds and the gourmet mix…which consists of raisins, cranberries, pistachios, cashews and pecan halves.  He can do this without guilt, as he spends several hours a week in the fitness center in yoga class, working upper body, running on the elliptical trainer, and teaching Spin class twice a week.  Me, all I can allow myself is the dark chocolate covered espresso beans and the sun-dried tomato-artichoke heart salad (ok, now and then I can’t talk myself out of sushi, they are standing right there making it before my very eyes!). I do try to spend time in the gym each week, I’m just not as disciplined as he is.

Then we run any other errands, come home, and do our Saturday chores. For him, that is yard work, which he loves, and anything else he can find outside to do. For me, it’s preparing something special for dinner, preparing food for freezing, baking, menu planning…a lot of food related things. Then I’ll usually make it outside before he finishes to weed my little garden or deadhead my roses.

We love these afternoons at home. Of course then there usually comes a nap time, when we stretch out in the recliners with very tired dogs at our feet (they’ve worked very hard helping Mike outside) and chill for a bit.

This is some Saturday’s, not all. There are a couple a month that we spend all day at our property, bush-hogging, trimming underbrush, and mentally planting our garden and building our sheds. Just the two of us.

Someone said to us a couple of weeks ago, ‘you two are just so in tune with one another, I’ve never seen anything like it. I can’t imagine you not being together forever’.

Like, I know, right?? I’m the luckiest girl ever.