Gardening Angel (Flag)

How can hanging a simple little Welcome flag be so difficult? "I think we should go to Hobby Lobby," I told my husband as we set out to find a flag holder. Oh, there were plenty of flag kits--for the American flag, especially since it's almost the 4th of July! Other than that, Hobby Lobby had nice, tall poles, but they all had a shepherd's hook at the top.

The picture that came with the flag showed a round, wooden rod with a finial at each end, kind of like a curtain rod. After we had given up at Hobby Lobby, I suggested we go back there and look in the craft section. But Howard had forgotten something at Walmart, and he wanted to look in their hardware department.

"I just need to find a male employee," he said, "Somebody who knows what perpendicular means!" (He was a little put out because all the flag mountings were set at an upward angle.) He told me to go look in hardware while he took care of his errand, but the young lady was no help in hardware, and steered us back to the patriotic flag displays.

We were getting tired and hungry, so we grabbed a bite to eat before we headed to Lowe's, where he was sure he would find the right components to mount my flag he had gotten me for my birthday. Everyone kept pointing us to the red, white and blue kits of Old Glory, with poles included. I decided to look in curtain rods, while he trailed off after a knowledgeable-looking, white-haired sales associate.

I looked at the varied items he laid on the counter. Evidently, the salesman fixed him up. There was a dowel rod, a floor flange, pole tips, and a sheath of pipe to hold the dowel rod. "$12.65?" He exclaimed when the total was rung up. The flag was only $5.99, on sale! Well, at least we could quit shopping, I thought.

I lay down on the sofa to rest when I noticed my husband heading determinedly out the door with the flag and rod in his hand. I had dozed off when something woke me up and I saw him standing there. "Did you get it put up?" I asked. He told me to come see.

I loved it! He did a great job! "Now I'm taking this stuff back and getting my money back," he said. I think all he used was the dowel rod and other stuff he had in the garage! I think we are both ready to raise the white flag of peace around here!