Oh Happy Day! It’s FRIYAY! We’ve made it through another week. My how time flies. And don’t blink because the weekend will be over oh so fast. I hope each of you enjoy it. Today I was outside and realized that one of my bushes is beginning to turn purple. I don’t know the name of the bush, some day I will figure it out, but I know when it begins to barely turn purple that’s my sign it’s going to turn fall soon. This makes me just squeal. I love it!. Isn’t it funny how our eyes turn towards the trees and bushes to let us know that the seasons are changing? I don’t know where you are but here, we have four lovely seasons. It’s evident in our area which season we are in. Trees are something else. I think why Bob Ross ( my absolute favorite ) always adds “happy little trees” to all of his paintings. They are just good things.
Growing up, my sister and I would spend almost every weekend with our grandparents. I have told before about how beautiful their yard was. Filled with dogwood trees. They also had a plum tree and a good ole crab apple tree. That tree was completely full of crab apples. I remember eating one of those apples once. Only once. Don’t ever do it. That was the worst stomachache I believe Ive ever had. It was like instant stomach virus. And it was so sour. It almost tasted like a sour candy. Yes, at 45 years old I still remember the taste of that apple. My papaw tried to warn me not to eat it. I wasn’t going to be satisfied until I did. You live and learn.
Although I have that one bad memory I have so many wonderful memories of that crab apple tree. The tree was right on the fence line of the neighbors which were great friends of my grandparents. It was a time when they knew all of their neighbors and you were friendly. Honestly, I can’t tell you the name of all of my neighbors. I’m friendly just not the way they used to be. Every night these neighbors came and sat on the porch and talked until the sun was almost gone. No phones, no electronics, just talking. They would share a watermelon or a cantaloupe and would share the loot from the garden for the day. It’s just what country folk did. I miss those times when everyone was friendly.
My papaw mowed his yard twice a week. He was obsessed with a perfect lawn. And it was picture perfect. Almost an acre and he pushed it. No riding lawn mower. After he mowed, we would run out into the fresh yard and visit the neighbor at the fence while he sat and “rested”. Here’s the tale of the crab apple tree. There were a zillion apples on the ground always. My sister and I would hunt a twig. Not just any twig but, one that was strong and bendable. It had to be just the right size around and it couldn’t be dry. I can’t tell you how many twigs were thrown right back on the ground because they didn’t make the cut. After selecting the perfect twigs, my sister and I would give them to our papaw to “sharpen the end”. He would take out his old pocketknife and whittle the end until it had a perfect point. Then it was on like donkey kong lol. We would load an apple on that stick and compete to see who could fling it the furthest down the yard. Those apples would fly down that hill. Sometimes we would throw a curve apple and it would hit the garage. We got a good tongue lashing for those (he was pretty particular about his garage too). I think we spent two hours an evening on Fridays and Saturdays flinging apples each summer.
It’s something how those are some of the best times that I remember as a child. A simple twig and crab apples gave us hours of entertainment. Can you imagine what a kid would think of that today. No phones or electronic games or computers. We spent time outside. We ran and rolled around on the ground. We screamed and laughed. We completely wore ourselves out. Our bathtub water would be brown at night lol. And if you don’t know, that’s how you knew you had one fun day, when your bathtub water is brown from the dirt and grime. If I could wish anything for young children today it would be that they could experience that type of childhood. I hope they can pick twigs and fling crab apples. One day, if I am ever lucky enough to have grandchildren, I will make sure that they get that opportunity. I may have to find someone with a crab apple tree to pick a bushel but, they will have that experience.
I hope tonight’s little tale has jogged a good memory for you. Feel free to comment and tell me about your great memory. Have the greatest weekend and happy dreams!
P.S. Those photos are really us. I’m the older one and that’s my little sister. And look on papaws head. You got it! Thats a crab apple on a twig. What a great life. I sure miss that little papaw of mine. He looks so hateful right there blahaha. I don’t think we ever left him alone for 5 minutes.
Always…….Brooke
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