When Life Gives You Lemons...

Life DID give us lemons, and it's great!

The neighbor across the way had his lemon tree cut down for some inexplicable reason. When I pulled up to my carport I saw the large branches heavy with lemons laying on the ground in front of the chipper, waiting for the executioner.

I went over, looked around to see if anyone would have a problem with me freeing these lemons from their fate. The coast was clear.

I saw that most of the lemons were young and not quite ripe, but knowing Noah has been wanting to make real lemonade lately, I began pulling some of the best and biggest I could find, but they were all a little green.

It was then that one of the workers came out of the yard, saw me, said "Un Momento!" and disappeared. He came back with a monstrous bag, and held it out to me saying "Limóns! Limóns! You take them!"

It was way more than I had bargained for, the best fruit from a whole tree, but I took it and gave my thanks, dropping the green lemons I had pilfered, resigning them to death by chipper.

I spent the next four days giving away plastic grocery bags full to my neighbors and my landlord. And when the weekend rolled around, Noah and I made lemonade.

As we worked our way through the lemons, I kept stacking the rinds on a plate. Eventually, I had enough to make a lemonade wreath! Almost pretty enough to hang on your door.

But, um, not likely.

And when it comes to lemonade? Let me just say Ethan is now an addict. He can drink four glasses in four minutes.

I usually cut him off there.