Saturday, June 10, 2006

The Crabapple Tree

Once upon a time in my re-memory . . . when I was eight or eleven, I was in the dollhouse town. It was summer. We were in our summertime clothes, doing things that kids did then, outside things−baseball, running, walking down the middle of empty roads. We had all the time in the world until sundown, and all day to spend it.

Gosh, the days were beautiful then. The sky was blue and clouds would drop rain and keep right on going. It always amazed me when they did that. It only stopped us playing for a minute so that we could watch. It never once made us get wet.

I only recall finding that crabapple tree one time. It was like something out of the Wizard of OZ. I think we wandered down some road just to see where it would take us and found ourselves sitting underneath a fine crabapple tree, leaning back against the trunk and talking like we owned the world.

Crabapple trees aren’t very big. They’re apple trees made for kids to sit under, especially if you're a kid of eight or eleven with your boy best friend in a kind of Tom Sawyer storybook town. Kids don’t usually sit anywhere as long as we did that day under that crabapple tree. We had the greatest view−farmland and a farmhouse in the distance and not a car or grownup anywhere−and plenty of crabapples to eat.

I’d never had a crabapple before that day. I really liked how they fit just right inside my hand. The little apples were the perfect green color. They sure are sour. My boy best friend said they always are. I don't know, but I couldn’t quit eating them. I didn’t get sick. I just got a colorful memory. One that stays with me farmland and my back against that old crabapple tree isn't a bad way to spend a day at all.

Once upon time it really did happen to me.

Those crabapples were so good. I haven’t had the heart to eat one since.
−me strauss Letting me be

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful story - and of course so beautifully written! Thank you for sharing!

Hope you have a delightful weekend!

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Thanks, Marti!
So great to see you! I hope your weekend makes you some great memories and some fine blog posts. :)

Anonymous said...

I always enjoy walking through your memories with you.

Take Care
Michael

Anonymous said...

Ahhh a beautiful idyll in time and space ... one to relive and love many, many times, over and over again.

A perfect place for a child. Mine was a willow tree ... in my front yard. Not at all as romantic ... but leaving me with sweet memories.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Michael,
I enjoy having you walk with me. You make a great companion. :)

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Mama!
The world has so many beautiful places and so few of them were actually made by people. :)

Wish we could go sit under the tree by the riverbank in the backyard where I grew up.

Anonymous said...

"The world has so many beautiful places and so few of them were actually made by people"

Love that quote,love it,love it.

May I post it on my blog,pretty
please???

Marie

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Why thank you, Maria!
Of course you can!

Liz