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Saturday, March 20, 2010

The Priscilla and Benji Show

More than halfway up Rosemary Lane there’s a giant tree that we’d always wondered about. The fruit on it looked like kiwi, but when Jon picked one and stomped on it, it wasn’t. Then the other day on our way up the hill we saw an old local woman was using a rake to collect the fruit, so we stopped to ask her about it. It’s called sapodilla, and she was tickled pink that we were interested in it. She instructed us to come back in a few days and she would give us a couple to try – the fruit won’t ripen on the tree, and she wanted to make sure it was ready to eat right at the moment she handed it over. Ohhh myyy gossshhh. It was so good. Yet so weird. It had the consistency of a baked sweet potato mixed with a pear. And it tasted sort of like a sweet potato, too… we stood eating, juice running down our arms, trying to figure out how to describe the taste, and we never succeeded. We just agreed that it was the most unusual food we’d ever eaten, and that it was delicious, and that when we ate it it went into our stomachs, so it was overall a great experience.

The woman that gave them to us is named Priscilla, and she shares the house adjacent to the tree with her sister. They’re both super friendly and have always grinned and waved at us each time we pass their home. I love nice people!



This is Benji, their tortoise. He’s 60 years old – Priscilla’s had him for 40 of those. He follows her around like a dog. The other day when we stopped by, she was trying to weed the yard and Benji kept getting underfoot. She chuckled to herself and said his name with so much affection that my little heart melted into a puddle. When I asked her what Benji eats, she responded, “Fruit…porridge…anything, really”. Porridge! For a tortoise! Named Benji! I can’t be the only person who thinks that’s hilarious.

4 comments:

  1. That really is hilarious! I don't know if I'd like that fruit...I don't deal well with sweet potatoes. I have never tried them, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like them. But I'd be willing to try that fruit I guess. Okay. I would.When I come visit. Which is... probably never. Dang. Just enjoy another for me!

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  2. A sweet potato/pear combo? Sign me up.

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  3. Me too. Sounds delish. And a tortoise named Benji? What can I even add to that??

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  4. I love reading what you write!!! This is going to look like a creepy, random comment that will make you want to privatize your blog - but don't! I grew up with Kelsey & when I was 10, Jon felt bad that he made fun of my big feet & promised to take me on a date when I was 16. He never did. And I'm pretty sure my dad knew your dad from the army. This was discovered when my parents went thru the line at your wedding reception in Raymond. So I guess that makes me.......still creepy and random......but I laugh out loud all the time when I'm reading, and I love to hear about all your adventures!! So after all that, you'll probably still want to go private....

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