Rozmaryns and Orange Trees

Happy New Year! Being that the ushering in of 2012 was really without any fanfare here, this post is very multi cultural, about oranges, which are a part of Chinese New Years (which, you know, isn't on January 1st at all, but still, a New Year is a New Year).  If we had come upon pomegranate or honey trees last week, it would be related to the Jewish New Year as well, but you know, you work with what you've got.

So last week when we trekked on over to Tel Aviv, on our way from the bus stop to Hudy and Debra's, we passed a block lined with orange trees. I couldn't believe it. It seemed like it didn't belong! In the middle of a big hustle and bustling city are just orange trees? Crazy. So of course, I had to take one (four), right? Free oranges. Thankfully, the trees were low and I just had to do a mini jump to get them. Eitan seemed entertained, and Nina definitely enjoyed the pursuit, and my overall excitement over the oranges. She even got snapping with her iphone. Thankfully for me, she missed all the mid air jumping shots, and only was able to capture my bounty.

The oranges were VERY sour. Like I ate one, happily, but wouldn't give one to Eitan because I was scared of scarring him for life from the fruit.  But still, it's a free, hand picked orange in the middle of the biggest city in this country. So it was an occasion.

When we returned to Jerusalem, I mentioned to Ami about this magical land, where fruit laden trees line the street. To which he countered, oh, what's the big deal, there's an orange tree down our street in front of that menahel building. What? How have I missed that? It is about one and a half blocks from us, and a street I pass often. Obviously, a trip to this Jerusalem orange tree was in order.

So, the next day (or maybe two days later) as we walked on that street Ami pointed it out. And once a fruit tree on the street shows itself, us Rozmaryns have no choice but to partake. But, this tree was a whole bunch taller then the trees in Tel Aviv (maybe because Jerusalem is on a higher altitude, haha, I joke). I suggested that Ami climb the tree to get down an orange, but he disagreed, and in that moment accepted upon himself the challenge that the tree foisted on him.

And here it is:




The sad part is, one running jump later, he actually got one, but our camera died so that image does not live on for posterity. Also, he was wearing shoes, off to the side, but apparently shoes and orange jumping are not compatible. So we brought it home and peeled it excitedly, and you know what, it stunk. Like it was so sour, it was even more sour then a lemon. It was hard core. I actually juiced it and used it in a salad dressing in place of lemon juice that part was cool. But the initial bite into a wedge, that hurt. It got me thinking about my pregnancy with Eitan when I could and loved and needed to down plain lemons like candy. I wonder if these oranges would have been my match.

Anyways, that's last week in Rozmaryns and oranges. And possibly, our first post without a picture of Eitan. Weird...he's still here, FYI.  By the way, this was the first New Year in at least 3 years that I was up at midnight for, and that's thanks to said baby who was awake from 11pm to 2am last night. Kid likes to party I guess. It better not become a 2012 trend though, I'm tired.

Happy New Year!