Friday, April 19, 2019

The Waiter


Another quiet day at home yesterday. I finished the second Knausgaard book (long!) and caught up on some New Yorkers. Of course Dave and I also did some gardening -- planted our new teasels and heuchera, potted some more seedlings. I'm enjoying our new aquilegia (above)!


The forget-me-nots on the patio remind me of the title of a book we have in the school library, Grace Lin's "Starry River of the Sky." Don't they look like a starry river, flowing across the patio stones?


We had an episode involving the cosmos seedlings and a squirrel, which dug out the pot when we briefly had our backs turned. I replanted the seedlings and covered the soil with gravel, hoping that would deter future excavation. I don't think the larger seedling is damaged. The smaller one has never looked right and I'll be amazed if it survives.


This is a kalanchoe that I found last year in pretty dire condition in a trash can at the cemetery. I brought it home and rehabilitated it -- and it's rewarded us with flowers.

Someone asked what we had for dinner Wednesday at The Ledbury. We had the tasting menu, which is too complicated to explain -- eight small courses plus a few extra tidbits. One of them was a "warm Bantam's egg" with celeriac, dried ham and mushrooms. Well, I started the evening with a martini and then had a glass of wine or two, so by the time it arrived several courses in, I was a bit, shall we say, uninhibited.

"Oh!" I said to the very proper (and possibly French) waiter, as he set down my plate. "Is this the duck egg?"

It may be my imagination, but a brief shadow seemed to sweep over his face before he said coolly, "It is a hen's egg."

When he went away, Dave and I laughed and laughed. I felt like such a rube -- like the guy in that legendary Polaner All-Fruit commercial who says, "Please pass the jelly!"

12 comments:

e said...

More lovely shots of your garden...You are a plant whisperer it seems. I think the clue about the egg should have come from the word "Bantam." Glad you enjoyed the tenth anniversary of your first date.

Frances said...

My veg plot is a mass of forget-me -nots at the moment. They come every year and I don't pull them up until just before the runner beans go in. Thus they self seed for the next season! I love them. There are clumps of them all around the garden. Luckily they are easy to pull up when they are done.

Sharon said...

The squirrels in your area are quite destructive aren't they? The plant you saved made me smile. It's very pretty. You really are the ER Doctor of the plant world.

jenny_o said...

LOL on the hen egg - in other words, you got a plain everyday egg but paid "duck egg price" for it? Three drinks or coming out of anesthesia make my mouth say things I don't mean to say, ha ha

I love forget-me-nots. They have seeded extensively around our property and are a joy in late spring. Your kalanchoe blossoms are indeed beautiful.

Ms. Moon said...

You DO have a starry river in your garden!
That waiter needs a refresher course in how not to be rude.
I love how you are resurrecting these plants you find from the dead. Or "mostly dead" as they said in the Princess Bride.

ellen abbott said...

what an unusual kalanchoe and I love the forget-me-nots in the patio. and I may have to try and find an aquilegia. Marc and I went to dinner at an asian restaurant once, a place we had never been to. we ordered gin and tonics and when the waiter brought our drinks he brought us Tsingtao beer. apparently 'gin and tonic' sounded like 'Tsingtao' to him. we accepted the beer, it was good but we laughed our asses off to the point that the owner of the restaurant came over to our table to make sure everything was OK. we didn't bother to explain the source of our amusement, just assured her everything was fine. it was good beer.

Catalyst said...

Oh you alcoholic, you. Better hie thee to an AA group, stat.

Colette said...

I wish I could grow Columbine. I especially like the wild red version, Aquilegia canadensis. Such a great flower.

The Bug said...

Love the flowers! I might have to see if we can grow aquilegia - I've never heard of it, but it's so pretty!

The Bug said...

Oh it's Columbine! I think I accidentally pulled some Columbine when I was weeding at my old church in Ohio.

Sue said...

Happy Belated 10th Anniversary of your first date! The flowers are beautiful. I think I'll have to plant some forget-me-not's. They're such a sweet little old-fashioned flower.

37paddington said...

LOL!