I transplanted Rex and Maude to bigger pots today. Rex is a 4 foot staggering Dieffenbachia. Maude is a short, stout Prayer plant. Rex has grown against all odds. He nearly died when I inherited him and so I rooted him in a big vase of water. He just shot up as long as I kept Maude nearby. Maude has never really grown. She maintains her own, sometimes nearly dying if I forget to give her water. She is picky, sort of old looking. Not real colorful, sort of dull.
The "Real Rex and Maude" were patients of mine. I met Rex initially in a internal medicine office I worked at. I soon developed a liking to him and began to make house calls nearly weekly to see his reclusive, obstinate, practically deaf wife. Maude had horrible never a smoker COPD in addition to Rheumatoid Arthritis, severe Osteoarthritis with a dowagers hump,anxiety, depression and agoraphobia. Maude was the love of Rex's life. He was tall, regal, handsome even in his 80s, smart and frugal. He would stock up the house with Ben Gay cream when it was on sale because Maude was addicted to it. He had metastatic prostate cancer himself but no chronic diseases like Maude. As the cancer spread into his spine he grew weaker and had to hire home health aids to care for the two of them. Rex's biggest worry was that Maude would be taken care of if he went first.
Rex died first and Maude hung on for another year. She did OK without Rex but you could tell she was hurting. Andre', an only child, would make frequent 5 hour journeys to see her, handling her affairs, making her the exact same dinners Maude herself used to prepare for the family. Andre' still deep in grief over the loss of his beloved of over 30 years.
Andre' gave me the plants ---- cleaning out his parents home - filled to the brim with loving memories and plain old crap. Both plants still alive but hurting, just enduring three deaths in one year.
And today, on this beautiful September afternoon, I promoted the two of them to bigger pots.
The "Real Rex and Maude" were patients of mine. I met Rex initially in a internal medicine office I worked at. I soon developed a liking to him and began to make house calls nearly weekly to see his reclusive, obstinate, practically deaf wife. Maude had horrible never a smoker COPD in addition to Rheumatoid Arthritis, severe Osteoarthritis with a dowagers hump,anxiety, depression and agoraphobia. Maude was the love of Rex's life. He was tall, regal, handsome even in his 80s, smart and frugal. He would stock up the house with Ben Gay cream when it was on sale because Maude was addicted to it. He had metastatic prostate cancer himself but no chronic diseases like Maude. As the cancer spread into his spine he grew weaker and had to hire home health aids to care for the two of them. Rex's biggest worry was that Maude would be taken care of if he went first.
Rex died first and Maude hung on for another year. She did OK without Rex but you could tell she was hurting. Andre', an only child, would make frequent 5 hour journeys to see her, handling her affairs, making her the exact same dinners Maude herself used to prepare for the family. Andre' still deep in grief over the loss of his beloved of over 30 years.
Andre' gave me the plants ---- cleaning out his parents home - filled to the brim with loving memories and plain old crap. Both plants still alive but hurting, just enduring three deaths in one year.
And today, on this beautiful September afternoon, I promoted the two of them to bigger pots.
Rock on Rex and Maude, rock on!
4 comments:
Nice post. Sounds like these two had some love for each other. Keep those plants alive!
love that deck.
i love rex and maude....can i have em?
You would kill them unfortunately. Rex and Maude need the care of a licensed medical professional.
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