Honeysuckle Flashback
Growing up there was an enormous honeysuckle bush that grew on the fence between our house and our neighbor's, and went all the way down the driveway. And all summer long (or so it seemed to my child-mind) we would pluck the buds, slowly draw the stamen out, and drink the teeny drop of nectar that came out. You had to be really careful or you'd cut too deep, or you'd lose the drop, or sometimes it would just be a dud and there wasn't any nectar. But most of the time you'd end up with this delicious heady drop of YUM on your tongue. And all my life the smell of honeysuckle immediately takes me back to being 7 years old, standing in the front yard with my friends on a warm summer day without a care in the world.
Recently I found a cleaning spray that is honeysuckle scented, and had to try it. You can imagine my delight when I tried it and it really did smell a lot like the real thing. Even better? Colin loves the smell.
So.... this weekend I was on a walk with the boys and noticed that the honeysuckle plants are in bloom. I couldn't resist, so I plucked a flower, told Ryan (my brave one) to stick out his tongue. I told him it was nectar, like the bees drink, and he was all in. The second the drop touched his tongue his eyes lit up and he had a huge smile. I nearly exploded I was so happy... HE LIKES IT!
Ryan was so enthusiastic that Colin wanted to try, and we spent the next 5-10 minutes decimating the flowers on a bush by the side of the road. (Yes, I only picked flowers that were high enough up that the couldn't have been... *ahem* ... watered by a passing dog.)
Someday when I'm a grownup (HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!) and I have a house with my own garden, I'm going to have to steal some wild honeysuckle from somewhere and I'm going to plant it in my yard so I can enjoy that intoxicating smell every year. I imagine myself, a little old lady sitting in my back yard in my twilight years. And while my hair will be white, and my skin will be wrinkled, my mind will be 7 years old again, surrounded by friends without a care in the world.
Recently I found a cleaning spray that is honeysuckle scented, and had to try it. You can imagine my delight when I tried it and it really did smell a lot like the real thing. Even better? Colin loves the smell.
So.... this weekend I was on a walk with the boys and noticed that the honeysuckle plants are in bloom. I couldn't resist, so I plucked a flower, told Ryan (my brave one) to stick out his tongue. I told him it was nectar, like the bees drink, and he was all in. The second the drop touched his tongue his eyes lit up and he had a huge smile. I nearly exploded I was so happy... HE LIKES IT!
Ryan was so enthusiastic that Colin wanted to try, and we spent the next 5-10 minutes decimating the flowers on a bush by the side of the road. (Yes, I only picked flowers that were high enough up that the couldn't have been... *ahem* ... watered by a passing dog.)
Someday when I'm a grownup (HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!) and I have a house with my own garden, I'm going to have to steal some wild honeysuckle from somewhere and I'm going to plant it in my yard so I can enjoy that intoxicating smell every year. I imagine myself, a little old lady sitting in my back yard in my twilight years. And while my hair will be white, and my skin will be wrinkled, my mind will be 7 years old again, surrounded by friends without a care in the world.
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