September: Ch-ch-ch-chia!

There are two shipments of plants making their way to my house right now.  I don't remember what I ordered and I'm not going to look it up.  It's fun to be surprised!  In the meantime, I'd like you all to meet my birthday present to myself:

Chia Obama!

I knew I had to have it the moment I saw it.  Some people say it's disrespectful, or racist, or just plain silly.  It's none of these things.  It's awesome.

I'd barely pulled it from the box and I was already giggling with happiness.  I chose "Determined" Obama rather than the "Happy" Obama.  "Determined" still looks pretty pleased with himself.

Check out those cornrows!

I added water to the seed to create a seed-laden goo that looked something like frog eggs. (Chia incidentally is the common name of Salvia hispanica.  The oily seeds were a staple food of the Aztecs and are still commonly eaten in Central and South America.  The first Chia pet was a ram.  My first Chia pet was a pig.)  I had a ton of seeds left over and dribbled them into various houseplant pots.  Meanwhile, Mr. President went for a relaxing soak at the spa.

Next time, I will use fewer seeds and less water!  The seedy goo was too wet and I had a terrible time keeping seeds from sliding down his face and neck.  He ended up with seeds in his eyes, ears, and nose, but I carefully wiped them away and fixed his bald patches.  Don't say I never did nothin' for you, Mr. President.

After refilling his head with water, Mr. Obama is ready to grow his snazzy new hair!  Let me tell you, planting seeds on my president's head has definitely made me feel more hopeful.

Chia Mt. Rushmore?  Yes, please!