Monday, February 06, 2006

Amazing discoveries

Today while the kids were at school, I attacked. Their bedroom. My kindergartener was home most of last week with a virus, so I hadn't had my chance to nefariously cut through their insane collection of toys and books and winnow it down to stuff they really play with in anticipation of this move. (Doing this while they are present is not possible--see blog entry below).

I had noticed recently that there was an oddish smell coming from their room--not bad really. Not an I-peed- in -my -clothes- and -have -hidden- them -in- shame kind of smell. Not an I-left-an-open-container-of yogurt- under- my- bed-two-weeks-ago smell. Those smells I would have been able to readily identify. This was sort of a sweet, nutty kind of smell. As if a house gnome were drinking Frangelica in the walls somewhere.

I was halfway to the bottom of the dress-up box when I came across a white plastic garbage bag. It was full of something heavy and the smell had grown especially strong. Dreading what I might find, I pulled the bag open. . . . . and discovered at least two hundred moldering buckeyes. The kids had collected these last fall when the buckeye trees in the park up the street were dropping their autumn load. I had allowed them to play with them for a week or so and then told them it was time to throw them away. They protested. I insisted. They agreed to pick them all up and put them in the trash. I saw them pick them up, but I did not actually watch them put the bag in the trash. My mistake.

Can you make liqueure out of fermented buckeyes??

13 comments:

reverendmother said...

The gnome drinking Frangelica made me LOL.

At first I thought you meant the chocolate/peanut butter candy called buckeyes...

In which case, a bunch of spoiled buckeyes would be a grave tragedy.

Unknown said...

Ew. Ew. Ew.
Isn't it sad that we have to move in order to find such things? My house would be no different.

Anonymous said...

laughing

Jules said...

Oh that's just nasty!

Anonymous said...

Yes, but can you explain what a buckeye is?
Confused of London

Karen Sapio said...

Mary(and other British readers)--Buckeyes are Conkers

Jody Harrington said...

Conkers? That doesn't help. Can someone translate it into Texan?

I thought a buckeye was a flower...

Anonymous said...

I'm with reverendmother...the gnome drinking Frangelica was a riot! My oldest daughter can't throw anything away, so I can definitely see that happening at my house. Good luck with the packing...it is hard work!

Anonymous said...

Oh and buckeyes are nuts, right?

Karen Sapio said...

buckeyes/conkers/horsechesnuts are related to chesnuts but are inedible, at least to humans. Squirrels and birds like them very much.

see-through faith said...

forgot to say

I first read this as:
"Today while the kids were at school, I was attacked.!"

and I had my heart in my mouth as I read on.

Glad you weren't. Be blessed!

Anonymous said...

ew.

LutheranChik said...

The scary thing is...I suspect I might find "amazing discoveries" in my bedroom if I actually gave it a thorough once-over. Especially the closet -- a dark and scary place.