This was not an intentional ripoff of Little Shop of Horrors

These days I'm excited about growing things. Plants, to be specific*. I think it is really spectacular that you can take some seeds, or a small plant, and give it water and sunlight and it will most likely turn brown and start to smell but sometimes if you're lucky it will stay green and actually get bigger. I put that in the category of Whoa it's a miracle! along with planes lifting off the ground, which I admit I am still amazed at every single time it happens.

I have a small flock of plants at the moment that I am doing my best not to kill. My aloe plant, a hardy fellow, seems to be thriving since I daringly re-potted him a few weeks ago. He's got these funny little strech mark things where he's been growing which I find confusing because, isn't aloe what people are supposed to put on our skin to prevent getting stretch marks? Maybe I should rub some human blood on his stretch marks to see if it's a reciprocal relationship.**

In the category of plants that are not thriving I will mention some mums that are troublingly yellow-brown and brittle and a small succulent which keeps ejecting chunks of himself, up to six inches from the pot. I honestly have no idea how this is happening and have considered that this may be an alien creature. I don't want to throw it away lest I anger it but I'm not really sure what else to do. (No, I'm not entertaining the idea of offering it any human blood.)

What I am really excited about, though, is the idea of growing actual foodstuffs, such as herbs, tomatoes, salad greens and even other vegetables and fruits. I have a fantasy that my roof deck might be a good venue for some agricultural experimentation since during the day it is warm and sunny but unfortunately at night it is about as hospitable to life as the surface of the moon, so I'm not sure how well that's going to work.


*I think this is an unnecessary qualification but I suppose someone could think I was referring to hair or toenails or something, which, incidentally, I am also growing and with significantly more success than my plants.
**I agree. I've gone way too far with this last thought. EWWW!