Good morning my little duck confits, how’s every little thing?
Today I am greatly grieved to hear of the death of Lena Horne, who was capital F fierce. She was one of the greats, my friends and I think it’s only fitting to revive the Friday Fierceness in her honor later this week.
Last week’s Lazy Poll opened up a deeply fragrant debate on whether it’s okay to snip someone’s lilacs without asking when Orora voiced her temptation. I am firmly on the side of If It’s Not Yours, Don’t Take It, while Suseo and Mrs. Hendricks weighed in for the “snip some” side.
Kai Jones added:
I have to come down on the “don’t steal other people’s lilacs” side. I’ve put a lot of work and money into my garden–and in the last 10 years I’ve lost 8 plants to people digging them up right out of the ground and stealing them. Every spring over half my daffodils are cut and taken by people walking by. People break branches off my rosemary shrub and ruin its shape, last year it died from the abuse and I have purchased and planted a new one–and already this spring somebody has broken off branches. Some days I’m so frustrated, I’m tempted to replace my entire front yard with poison ivy and just garden in the fenced back yard.
Why not ask? Every year when the hydrangeas are in bloom, some people from a local church drop by and ask if they can take some to decorate the altar–I always say yes.
Kai brings up an interesting logical point. Most logic will tell you if it’s okay for one person to do, it must be okay for everyone to do it, and if everyone snipped…well, that’d be one stumpy, dead lilac.
For those of you tempted to snip some wildflowers be careful: in some places it is illegal to pick wildflowers on state or county-owned land and SOMEONE WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE ME, got a ticket her first spring in Texas for happily plucking bluebonnets from the side of a road.
We also chatted a bit about Glee and how disappointing its Very Special Fat Girl Episode was. I’ll have to say it redeemed itself this week when Bambi McTwitchyeyes finally grew a pair.
Melissa sang a familiar song of woe for girls –myself included– blessed with an Amish abundance of facial hair (although I maintain I have it worse than my Sicilian sisters because I’ve got black black hair on white white skin) and was asking for hair removal advice. I am a waxer and have taken a foray into laser hair removal. What about you gals?
So what else is going on this week? I’m just about full unto busting with springtime festivities which will include my very first silly string fight! What about you?
>I was sort of under the impression that we were talking about lilacs growing over the sidewalk/fence/driveway rather than something lovingly nurtured in a private garden.
Dude, that sidewalk/fence/driveway is someone’s yard, too! Perhaps because my yard is so much larger than the surrounding ones, people treat it like a public park, but it’s NOT. Just because my hydrangeas are tumbling over my split-rail fence near the road doesn’t mean it’s OK to take them! They’re still mine! Maybe I like the artistic effect.
Comment by Harri P. — May 11, 2010 @ 4:38 pm
So in a strange way, I’m comforted by the fact that I’m not the only one who’s had plants and flowers stolen. At my last apartment, I had a tiny fenced-in front yard, and had some containers with plants. 2 of my 3 irises were stolen, a spruce sapling was stolen, my tulips were dug up and replanted in the next door yard, a couple of the pots were stolen (and these were 20″ ceramics full of dirt)…
I was, to put it mildly, irritated.
I still have a container garden, but now it’s on my second-floor porch and so far nothing’s disappeared.
Seriously people. If the plant is not yours, don’t touch it. (In general, if the object isn’t yours, don’t touch it; why so many seem to have an issue with this, I’ll never know.)
Comment by Wench — May 11, 2010 @ 10:52 pm
Well, if it helps settle the question, the law where I live says that in support of the public safety, branches sticking out into lanes or over sidewalks within human height range may be removed if they are not removed by the homeowner. And if they are not removed by the homeowner or freelance lilac fanciers, the city may send someone and bill the homeowner for the cost.
My neighbor had a twelve-foot lilac tree in a Chinese pot stolen from her front porch, and they somehow got it over an eight-foot steel gate. I figure if Captain Kirk wants to beam it up, he can have it, but she was quite peeved.
Plummy: my rack and I thank you.
Comment by raincoaster — May 13, 2010 @ 8:17 am
@Plumcake–thanks! For both the book rec and the congratulations! I’m definitely glad to be done.
Comment by Genevieve — May 13, 2010 @ 8:53 am