I was thrilled late in the spring when a little squash followed a flower on one of the stems of the plant that had started as a seed in the palm of my hand. I watched it grow and imagined the butternut squash soup I’d make in the fall-one of my most favorite meals. Except that after a bit, it quit growing. Since this was my first go-round with this kind of squash I tried patience. Today, I noticed the stem it was on had totally dried and shriveled, so I picked it. A teeny tiny butternut squash, suffering from failure to thrive. My glasses provided a sense of the size of my squash. It’s cute. It’s the right color. It’s just not enough for a demi-tasse of soup.

I have some more research to do (I welcome any and all suggestions). Next spring, I try again.