The Stick Prediction

My husband came into the room I was in two days ago and said, "your prediction came true, now  have a stick.  The evidence is in my hand."   I had no idea what he was talking about.  None.   We were both laughing as I tried to guess what it was.   He told me I had been bemoaning this very thing only a few days before, saying the phrase, "I'm going to be stuck with a stick" and being very unhappy about it.    We kept laughing.  I still didn't know.

When he opened his hand a few minutes later, there was an orchid flower inside.   Ohhhhh...  How could I have forgotten—the orchid had lost its last flower.   This particular plant was given to me some months ago with five flowers.   I am not good with plants, and by that I mean I am not overly fond of them inside my house, where I have the responsibility to take care of them, because there is a good chance I won't take care of them well.   And if that were to happen, I would feel terribly guilty for the plant and I would talk to it and tell it I was sorry and, well, it is just best that plants and I keep a wide berth.

This plant was a thank you plant for doing something easy and quick.   The person who I did the favor for gave me a plant to remember the...colonoscopy by.   There, I said it.   This was a thank you plant for driving someone to their colonoscopy.    It was a dear friend and even though I am not a plant fan, I did my best to water the plant just as the little plastic stake said it should be done.

All was well until one day two of the flowers looked droopy.   But it was two days before the designated watering time.   What should I do?   I broke protocol and watered it in the hopes it would perk the blossoms up but the next day two of the five had dropped off.    Ack.  

I told my friend and she told me that the flowers would fall off and that was okay.  After a period of months more flowers would come back.   Oh.  Ah.  Okay.

I came back home and told my husband in a rather shrill voice, "they're all going to fall off and when they do it's just going to sit there for months, just being a stick.   I'm going to be stuck with a stick!   For a colonoscopy I didn't even get to have myself!"  (Have you caught on to how much I truly and deeply love plants at this point?)

So as of a few days ago, I have a stick that needs watering that can't even hold itself up on its own.   It has to have another stick tied to it to keep it upright.   And it's going to continue to be a stick for months to come.

I love my friend, but next time I'm going to say no thank you to thank you plants.

The Big Boy Update:   It was cold and windy this afternoon when we left soccer class.  My son was in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.   He told me, "I want to be in your belly again like I was when I was a baby, because it's cold outside."

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  This was a conversation between my husband and my daughter this afternoon.  My daughter, "Daddy could you go to the potty with me?"  My husband, "Why can't you go by yourself??  My daughter, "because it's a big deal."

Fitness Update:  Our trainer is going to focus on strength for us for the next several months while we train for the two marathons.   We also signed up for a Ninja Run, which is one of those 5K runs that has you do various other fitness-type things throughout the course.    I will most likely fall flat on my face running over some logs on the water or not be able to do a single pull-up.  We shall see.