...Of Valentine's Day and Lemon Trees...
Valentine's day is just around the corner. A perfect occasion for a romantic marriage proposal, or perhaps the right time to profess ones' secret or budding love? Otherwise, I consider this bogus holiday as just another highly commercialized Hallmark ploy. Some may call me "thick-skinned" ("kabalan") for dissing this day, but I did ask P. to scrap Feb. 14 off his mental list as a "Special Day" where he is obliged to give me presents. (I'm low maintenance - JUST FEED ME!). Seriously, I think he already has more than enough "Gift-Giving Days" to think of every single year, as it is. Christmas, Wedding Anniversary, Easter (yes - for some reason he's a stickler for this one), Mother's Day, my Birthday... I really don't need to be "surprised" (being a lousy actress that I am) on Valentines Day too. Besides, I'm not your typical "Chocolates/TeddyBear/Roses" girl, anyway. First of all, chocolates are way down on my list of favorite desserts. Half of a box's contents are more likely to languish in the fridge (until way past its expiration date) rather than being eaten. Teddy Bears? Oh pulleeze - don't get me started with these mite-haven dust-magnets. If I had my way, I'd send half of S.'s animals to Stuffed Toy Heaven while she's fast asleep. (Relax, its just wishful thinking).
Flowers? Yes, they're lovely. Especially a two-dozen bouquet of long-stemmed South American Tuxedo roses, or a large vase of burgundy Vanda orchids. But there's something a bit depressing about looking at something so pretty wither away in just a matter of a few days. I'm not looking forward to cleaning a vase filled with stinky, sewer-like water either.
If I have to get something - let it be a live plant. A puny plant that I can nurture and enjoy as it grows. A plant who'll give me lasting joy and a just reward in the end - a sweet smelling flower (like Jasmine), a fruit (like a dwarf pomegranate tree), or perhaps a baby?! (just another sapling, silly =D). It's with this fondness for plants that made me & S. challenge my friend, Ava to a "Lemon Tree-Growing Contest". I bought 2 identical lemon saplings last September, which we re-planted in identical flower pots. We were to compare them against each other every 4 months. Whichever gets to bear fruits first - gets the bragging rights. And the "honor" to bake everyone a Key Lemon Pie! (so no one really loses). P. and I have a 3-bedroom corner apartment so I smugly thought that since I had the "sunshine factor" advantage, winning was going to be a piece of cake. A walk in the park. That was until - I saw Ava's plant. NGEK! Hers was lush, and had branched out. Mine...? Er... It was straight as a rod. And skinny. With sparse leaves. As soon as S. and I got home, I immediately chopped the whole top off. Spread out, Baby. Spread!! And then... ...I liberally showered it with Miracle Grow. So there - I said it.
Ava's ^----------------------------------------^ Mine & S.
Flowers? Yes, they're lovely. Especially a two-dozen bouquet of long-stemmed South American Tuxedo roses, or a large vase of burgundy Vanda orchids. But there's something a bit depressing about looking at something so pretty wither away in just a matter of a few days. I'm not looking forward to cleaning a vase filled with stinky, sewer-like water either.
If I have to get something - let it be a live plant. A puny plant that I can nurture and enjoy as it grows. A plant who'll give me lasting joy and a just reward in the end - a sweet smelling flower (like Jasmine), a fruit (like a dwarf pomegranate tree), or perhaps a baby?! (just another sapling, silly =D). It's with this fondness for plants that made me & S. challenge my friend, Ava to a "Lemon Tree-Growing Contest". I bought 2 identical lemon saplings last September, which we re-planted in identical flower pots. We were to compare them against each other every 4 months. Whichever gets to bear fruits first - gets the bragging rights. And the "honor" to bake everyone a Key Lemon Pie! (so no one really loses). P. and I have a 3-bedroom corner apartment so I smugly thought that since I had the "sunshine factor" advantage, winning was going to be a piece of cake. A walk in the park. That was until - I saw Ava's plant. NGEK! Hers was lush, and had branched out. Mine...? Er... It was straight as a rod. And skinny. With sparse leaves. As soon as S. and I got home, I immediately chopped the whole top off. Spread out, Baby. Spread!! And then... ...I liberally showered it with Miracle Grow. So there - I said it.
Ava's ^----------------------------------------^ Mine & S.
The results was almost immediate. A bud (looking suspiciously like a branch, yipee!) sprouted near the top in just a matter of days. Nagging question: Is that considered cheating? Was this like the plant-equivalent of some athletes who slyly take steroids on the side? Should I be... DISQUALIFIED?
posted by Angel | 1:05:00 PM
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