Of all the Christmas trees I’ve decorated, I only remember one. The most beautiful one. I was single, and working at my first newspaper job. I lived alone in a darling apartment, the upper floor of a former carriage house behind a very grand house on Mahoning Avenue. Depression hovered. I was learning to take care … read more The invisible tree
Tag: tree
What the drought hath wrought
The first summer after I transplanted a black cohosh to the hillside above the cabin, I was so worried about its need for shade that I suspended a baby blanket over it with bungee cords. Then halfway through the summer I realized that I was also keeping some of the rain from reaching the plant, … read more What the drought hath wrought
The 11th day of the rice and sugar cult
Every day I go to a tree, any tree. Around the base, I scatter a mix of sugar and rice. There is no incantation, no prayer, no special method of scattering the rice and sugar. I have done this for 11 days in a row. The ritual is to break my chain of bad luck. … read more The 11th day of the rice and sugar cult
Just another morning
[Thursday Aug. 11] Today, Dad would have been 96 years old. I begged him to help me get through the day. It’s been a week since the tree fell on our house, and six days since Tom got out of rehab. The days are too long, and not long enough. I usually wake up at … read more Just another morning
The oak, falling – Part 2
I could hear the chainsaws across the valley a little after 8 a.m., and I knew it was at my house. I sat on Sara’s deck, looking out into the obliterating mist, and cried. She came out and sat with me. We talked and drank coffee. Finally, I got dressed and drove to my house, where a 10-ton oak … read more The oak, falling – Part 2
Fallen oak
Angela hesitated before she told me why she was calling. “Ma’am… I’m sorry to tell you this… but…. “A huge tree fell on your house.” Oh my GOD. I started to cry. I knew right away which tree it was, and I knew that the damage would be enormous. “My husband had a stroke and … read more Fallen oak
MimOHsa!
I had a bunch of mimosas while driving today. Not the kind with champagne. I mean those trees with the pretty pink fringed puffballs that serve as blossoms. June is the time when you see them everywhere in Georgia. Not just in front of homes, but in vacant lots, anywhere that’s been left alone. This tree … read more MimOHsa!
The old sourwood
I heard the BOOM and went upstairs, but I didn’t hurry. I knew what it was. A tree that falls on a road or hard ground makes a particular kind of BOOM. Once you hear it, your memory hangs onto it. There was a sourwood at my house that was leaning over the road. It had a … read more The old sourwood
The red buckeyes: In the forest
October 20, 2013 I had finally figured out that the red buckeyes would never flourish in our dry, clay patch yard at home. So I carefully dug up the first one and put it into a pot to take to Booger Hollow. Its root had a funny kink, presumably from where I’d broken it as a seedling. I … read more The red buckeyes: In the forest
The red buckeyes: Cruel hands
April 8, 2009 I’ve been reading a book called “Growing Trees from Seed,” by Henry Kock, which is filled with practical advice for growing native species of trees in North America. It’s a bit scary, too, because the author makes you aware of the various hazards to the health of a seed: chipmunks, slugs, soil … read more The red buckeyes: Cruel hands