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phillip44

Just a story

Phillip44
10 years ago

I was sitting in the living room when I heard a "thud" and my wife say " Oh NO !" . I get up and walk in and find one of my AVs' on the floor , with most of the potting mix spilled all over . While dusting , she knocked it off it's shelf . She picked it up and let out a sigh of relief , everything is how it should be (other than it is out of it's pot that is ) . And how it fell from the top shelf to the floor without breaking a leaf amazes me .

She looks at me and says " it's not broken" . My AVs' set on tiered shelves , so I checked the others and find that on it's way to the floor it struck one of my favorites , my "Blue Eyed Russian" and broke all the leaves off one side of it .

Out of the several "Blue Eyed Russian" babies I propagated , I chose to keep that one because it was perfect . And now .... well..... not so perfect . But the flowers are beautiful , so theres' that at least .

I picked the it up off it's shelf with one hand , and in the other I held it's leaves . The wife looked like a deer caught in the head lights of an on-coming car . I was angry at first not because she damaged my AV but how it was damaged because she rushes through her house cleaning like a bull in a china shop so I waited a beat to calm down and calmly said "I will dust , sweep and clean this section of the dining room" .

Now to the funny part of the story , she told her co-workers what happened and said " I broke one of my husbands AVs' and I was scared to death because for a big old former US Marine , he babies those little plants ! " .

I realize this is not the "usual fare" here on this forum , but I thought it was funny , and a little levity never hurts .

Comments (9)

  • aegis1000
    10 years ago

    AV's are tough ...

    I've only lost ONE through a fall (where the entire top growth of the plant broke off ... and there wasn't enough attached neck to restart it).

    I occasionally find broken leaves and plants on the floor. My dog likes to scavenge water from their saucers at times, even though she has a water dish upstairs and downstairs.

  • bttrflii
    10 years ago

    @phillip

    you shared a story, so i'll share two. :)

    first, semper fi. i grew up a military brat, marine side. my younger sister and i were very good together in a lot of ways, and one marine picnic day, the officials put on a three-legged race. my sister and i (i would have been about 13, her 11) joined as a pair, and we kicked everyone's butt by a mile. it's one of my best memories of her.

    secondly, when the man i've been dating told his mother that i was starting african violets, he got told firmly that he was *not* to let me give any to her. that was months ago and we still don't know why. :p i'll be asking her in person next time i make the trip down to see them.

  • PRO
    Whitelacey
    10 years ago

    It sounds like mother knows how violet addiction starts...

  • Phillip44
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    @ Whitelacey

    They are addictive , I am constantly finding more AVs' I want . I am constantly trying to figure ways to fit more into my dining room because It has the big window and receives the best light for my violets .

  • Phillip44
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    @ Whitelacey

    They are addictive , I am constantly finding more AVs' I want . I am constantly trying to figure ways to fit more into my dining room because It has the big window and receives the best light for my violets .

  • PRO
    Whitelacey
    10 years ago

    Phillip,

    It's only going to get worse.... ;)

    Linda

  • fortyseven_gw
    10 years ago

    I no longer have cats. They have passed on. One was
    very jealous of my AVs. I would find them covered with
    cat hair. If I was watering them, or looking at them,
    she would rub up against
    them, trying to knock them over. She did not like
    sharing window space with them. She would try to
    curl up around them, hogging the light.
    She would occasionally chomp them. Fortunately,
    she decided they were not good to eat. I did not realize
    that AVs were addictive ... until a relative "did an
    intervention" with me. I found myself "hiding" the
    plantlets I rooted
    when a certain relative came to visit and told
    other relatives how many I have (she exaggerated).
    Well, who counts the outdoor plants or trees? Not too many people. Though I wish I had a small greenhouse. I never
    had more than two cats or one dog at a time. I was not addictive about pets. Well, I don't think I am ready for
    "hoarders" yet as I give away the surplus as soon as
    it accumulates. I keep only one or two of each variety.
    But most on the forum would probably consider me
    to be a "casual" or "dabbler!"

  • Phillip44
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Linda ,

    Don't tell my wife that , she says I have enough already and if it were up to me I would move her hutch and dining room table to the basement to make room for more .

    I told her I wouldn't move her table , I would remove her chandelier though and put in some florescent lighting and I would have a great growing table .

  • PRO
    Whitelacey
    10 years ago

    Phillip,

    You have a basement??? And it's not filled with shelves, grow lights and massive amounts of plants??? What did they teach you in the Marines???

    Linda

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