Zucchini

The last three weeks we've received a variety of zucchini in our Canvas Ranch farm bag that have taken up long term residency in the bottom of the fridge. I rearrange them with each new addition; curly bunches of lettuce, pink radishes. I move them from one drawer to the other, stacking them one time, making a floor of them the next for red carrots, cilantro, bite sized brussell sprouts, a gift of jalapenos. I threw a bruised one away and secretly felt relief.

Not that I don't like zucchini; I do. But I like new zucchini, picked with the flower still on. And these zucchini are too big. Get over it, I tell myself; but I'm not. I'm stalling.

I took this weeks subscription of squash to work. I heard a squeach across the office, "Who brought these in?"

I walked to my office door. A co-worker held up a bocce ball sized zucchini as if it were Bond's latest home run. She was moving fast to the center of the office. "Who brought this in?"

I raised my hand.

"Can I have it?" She squeached again.

I shook my head.

"I've never seen anything like it. This is so cool," she continued still holding it high, looking up. The Olympics came to mind. The other person in the office peered above a cubicle wall. I saw her sit down again, quietly.

"Enjoy it," I said.

The next morning she told me her son loved it too. "We set it on the tv as an ornament. He said, we can never eat it."

Smart kid, I thought.

I rearranged the zucchini again today looking for ornaments. There weren't any. I'm back to stalling.



Post script - Rearranging the vegetable drawers again today I found the heart tattoed zucchini above. I will never eat it! In fact I'm going to take it to work to show it off. Thank you, Canvas Ranch.