Just before Christmas, I was having a conversation with a guy who flitted in—then out—of my life like a strange and beautiful moth. “I am done with roommates,” I said. “Never again.”
“Absolutely,” he said. “The only roommate I’ll ever have again will be the one that’s sharing my bed.”
It was in the same vein of a statement that my mother made once to my Foreign Service Officer father. “I will move anywhere in the world, but I’ll never move to Nigeria,” she told him. This was weeks before he came home and dropped upon us the news that we were moving to the land of oil, black mambas and perpetual equatorial humidity.
In other words, never say never, because just weeks after I made that unequivocal statement, an opportunity arose. Like all things in this world, it was born of complicated circumstances, but in my experience, those are the kinds of circumstances that birth all things interesting and great.
It was very shortly after that my friend Fatemeh, whom I have mentioned here before, brought up the possibility of moving in as her roommate in a new apartment not far from where I live now. There were many up-sides to this option, and among them? The 250-square-foot patio, which included some out-of-the-way space perfect for setting up a container garden.
A patio. Outdoor space that will be our very own. An opportunity to really try urban gardening, since my plan to get a community plot never materialized.
When I settled into my apartment in downtown Oakland, I thought I might never leave. The newer-than-new kitchen, the space, the quiet—all of it was perfect for healing my heart and learning the ins and outs of my new town. It had everything I’d been looking for, except for outdoor space in which to plant something.
Truth be told? I didn’t have time to plant a damn thing. Not in 2009, anyway. But 2010 is already a very different year, and the thought of, once again, being able to run outside in my bare feet and clip a few basil leaves for an omelette, or to harvest two handfuls of baby lettuce for salad makes me incredibly happy.
I’ve loved where I landed after I moved here, and I’m sure I’ll grumble all the way through packing and unpacking, but this is a new year, and a new season for growing. I’ll happily eat my December words, with a side of…oh, yes…homegrown tomatoes.
So…welcome to the next phase of this inadvertent adventure. Starting in March, it’ll be time to plant again.
on Feb 5th, 2010 at 9:15 am
OH, that’s so cool! Congrats to you both, and I hope to come help you inaugurate the new place!
on Feb 5th, 2010 at 10:50 am
Al_Pal, we will definitely have to get you over to this side of the Bay for some toasting of the new place!
on Feb 5th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Yay! Welcome back to the garden.
on Feb 5th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Susan, thanks! I’m very excited. :-)
on Feb 5th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
How exciting! I can’t wait to see photos of the new apartment. My unsolicited advice — invest in attractive large containers for the patio garden. Atrractive because I’m guessing you’ll be spending a lot of time looking at them on your patio while entertaining. Large because you’re going to want the planting space — if you find one you love at a decent price buy a ton of them because you’ll be sorry later when you can’t find more of them.
on Feb 5th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
wow – now you guys are going to be even more inseparable :) — and, hello, you get puppeh cuddles, too?
congrats on your new patch of outdoors!
on Feb 5th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Heather, a story on that is coming up next week…hold tight! ;-)
Anita, am so excited about the puppehs I cannot stand it. If I can’t be a dog parent right now, I am quite thrilled to be a dog auntie. :-)
on Feb 5th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
What a wonderful surprise! So glad to know you will be gardening again this summer.
on Feb 5th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
The inveterate editor thinks you meant ‘whom’ I have mentioned here before. We look forward to future photos of those new plantings! XO
on Feb 6th, 2010 at 10:15 am
That’s great news!! I’m so excited for you, and it seems like you two will be great roommates.
(And chuckling at the Inadvertent Editor. Could she adopt me too?)
on Feb 7th, 2010 at 5:30 am
Great news! I didn’t get much of a garden in last year, either – herbs in an old cow trough…. but this year the books are out and I’ve been visiting the garden stores, dreaming…. If only the weather will cooperate!
on Feb 9th, 2010 at 7:25 am
Lydia, I’m looking forward to it!
Mom, oh, hi, and thanks for editing me aloud on my blog. ;-) Photos ahoy!
Kalyn, glad SOMEONE is chuckling. ;-) And thanks — it’s going to be fun.
Katie, well, you guys were super-busy last year, eh? Hopefully you’ll have more time — can’t wait to see what you plant!
on Apr 4th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
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