My Dishwasher Has a Green Thumb

Perhaps, I should be too mortified to share this with you, but how can I not celebrate the triumph of life over adversity.

Violet alerted me to a visitor in the kitchen this morning.

 

  

I know how photosynthesis works, having just learned about it at our preschool co-op, so I am not entirely surprised that this happened.  I live in an old house.  This dishwasher was installed by a handyman not well versed in the old house arts.  I am also not terribly consistent about cleaning the dishwasher (or the floor, or the baseboards...).  It was only a matter of time before the earth started to reclaim our house.  Mr. Green Jeans here is clearly better qualified to dispose of our garbage than we are.  

So, what stray vegetable seed led to this little fighter?  My bets are on a tomato or a red pepper.  My curiosity bids me to let it grow, but the tiny, screaming, oft-ignored housekeeper in the deep recesses of my brain is begging me to remove it and pretend it never happened. Who will win?  

I'll leave it until the husband gets home and see if he gags or not. 

*On a side note, this serendipitous growth made for a fantastic homeschool lesson on decomposition and plant growth and whatnot.  Violet supposes that a mouse carried the seed under the dishwasher. 

Vermin and decomposing food?  Who wants to come over for dinner?