Human beings are not designed for peace and quiet, however much we think we desire it. We are organisms fueled by stress. If we aren't being pummeled by real crises our irritability level simply falls until we can worry about whatever happens to be going on.

Consider, for example, the tree that didn't fall on either the house or the car a couple weeks ago. Now that was rough.

The neighbor's pine tree sat on a small hill within thirty feet of our door and where I park. It was a big pine -- maybe a hundred years old --which split off into twin trunks not far from the ground. A gust of wind snapped off one of the trunks. It fell away from our house, into the neighbor's garden where it did no harm except for bruising a few daffodils.

But Mary and I kept looking at that huge length of tree lying there and shuddering over what would have happened had it gone the other way. We might as well have been fretting over it falling, even though it was safely on the ground.

Then a couple days ago our Internet connection vanished. So did the dial-tone on the office phone. Loose connection, I figured, and began testing connections. We are still on dial-up and our computers are hooked into a phone line that runs to an inconvenient jack in another room. Trying to sort through all the connectors and tangled wires to locate the problem was like hacking my way through the Amazon rain forest. At least there were no poisonous snakes.

Nothing seemed to be amiss! Panic!! When it comes to electronic repair my skills are at the make-sure-it-is-plugged-in level.

Finally we decided the phone jack must have gone bad. I tackled the replacement job with trepidation but found, to my vast relief, that all it required was attaching four wires, which even I can handle. Our Internet service was instantly restored, but needless to say we are still worrying every time we try to dial in.

Today I was less shaky. Nothing was happening, which is the way I like it. No breakdowns, no disturbing emails, no trees falling. Then I made the mistake of glancing out the back window.

Oh no! The grass is growing!

I just mowed and the moment my back is turned that &%##&&!!**$$## grass is out to get me again. If only I could have a little peace and quiet.