How come nobody told me that?

Slowly but surely, the tomato plant is growing. I water it most days, other days I find it too daunting to climb 4 flights of stairs and just pray that it will survive. Like any good caretaker.

Though I contained it in a "cage," or one of those wire stake-like situations, it's becoming a bit unruly - jaunting out in all directions and growing hair on its leaves. Yes, hair. Or fuzz. Think menopausal tomato plant leaf.

The other night as the hubs was grilling dinner, I spent some time examining the tomato plant. As I looked closely, I noticed some peculiar yellow flowers. At first, I thought they were sort of pretty. Like the dandelions that my dad used to scoop up with the lawn mower because he said they were weeds, even though at the time, I thought they were so beautiful I planned to populate my entire wedding bouquet with them. After considering it further, I decided they were just that. Weeds. Weeds on the stem of hairy leaves. They had to go.

While visiting my parents this weekend, this happened:

Dad: How's your tomato plant coming along?

Me: Oh fantastic. Not to brag, but I seem to be getting the hang of this gardening thing.

Dad: Do you have any tomatoes yet?

Me: No, not yet. But I have been weeding it.

Silence.

Me: You know, those yellow flower weeds. I pull 'em right off every time I see 'em.

Dad: Brilliant. Those are tomatoes.

There's always next summer.