I cannot count the number of magazine articles, books and online lists that I’ve seen about how to tell if a man likes you by his actions. 

Anewmode.com offers 11 undeniable signs he’s in love with you that include the way he looks at you, he wants to give to you, he treats you like a priority, he wants to immerse himself in your life, he really sees you, your happiness is as important to him as his own, he misses you when you’re apart, he keeps you in the loop, he’s there for you even when it’s inconvenient, and he doesn’t give up, you don’t worry how he feels – you just know.

Underneath that, was how to tell if he really loves you, 15 undeniable signs he loves you, 10 ways to know if a man truly loves you, 12 ways to know he loves you even if he doesn’t, and if your boyfriend does these eight things, he’s in love with you. There’s even one that offers 32 signs he loves you without saying it. 

All of this is slightly overwhelming, but here’s one more that I’m adding to my list: 

Bob reconditioned his used riding lawnmower and gave it to me. The overhaul included new tires, new battery and a complete motor tune-up. And, he cleaned it. 

I saw before and after pictures. This thing looked brand new and ran like it. By gave it to me, I mean he loaded it onto a trailer (despite the fact that it would fit into my truck) and hauled it to my house. Round trip for him is about an hour and 30 minutes.

Despite the size of my yard, I’ve always pushed mowed it. Along with considering that part of my exercise routine, a push mower is just cheaper. Push mowers are $200. My buyer’s hesitation kicks in at $1,000 or more. At most, I’ll kick in a little extra money and buy a self-propelled. I’ve owned two self-propelled, but the others have been basic push mowers. 

Regardless of what I use, regular or self-propelled, the amount of time it takes me to mow my yard is between 2 and 2.5 hours, depending on how fast I walk. A leisurely stroll takes 2.5 hours. 

Bob, without prompting, gave me a riding mowing so I could get done faster and with a lot less exertion. How sweet of him. Add that to a list of how to tell if a man truly cares about you. 

Just between us, I’m not accustomed to a riding lawn mower. That thing jarred me to death the first time I used it. My neck hurt, my back hurt, and it took me an hour to stop shaking. 

Not a good initial experience that was followed with, "I’m not doing that again."  I’ve used it three times now, and I’m getting the hang of it. Having a riding lawn mower is awesome. I’m officially spoiled.

If a man cares about you, he’ll give you a riding lawnmower.

Standard reporter Lisa Hobbs can be reached at 473-2191.