Plumeria

We're budding -- the plumeria and me. I've always loved plumeria. To me they are more a symbol of Hawai'i than the hibiscus despite the fact that they are, like me, transplants. (Apparently, they were not native to these islands. They are actually native to Mexico and were first brought to 
Hawai'i in 1860.) They are very beautiful, but they are also very strong and have flourished in Hawai'i.  I feel a bond with them because I, too, hope to flourish on this beautiful island. Well, a few days after arriving in Maui, I noticed one of my neighbors trimming the plumeria around his house. I asked him what he planned to do with the cuttings, and he said I could have them if I wanted. He explained that I should let them dry for a while and then stick them in dirt and they would start to bud.  So I took home a dozen flowerless, leafless, foot-long sticks.  To tell you the truth, I didn't really believe that they could be grown so easily, but I tried it. I dried them in the sun for about a week and then I stuck them in the dirt. I mean I really just stuck them in the dirt. I watered them every day, morning and night. And today, they are putting out buds. It's really kind of amazing. And it's very exciting for me, because in a way, it's symbolic. I've just been given a job. Not a big job, and not especially important, but it's a start -- a bud. I can't wait to see the flowers -- of the plumeria, of course.