A Tree is Nice

By Janice May Udry

Pictures by Marc Simont

Copyright 1956

In A Tree is Nice, Janice May Udry lists many benefits of trees.

 

They shelter and protect, provide fruit to eat, and a place to play.  They are beautiful.

I believe most adults are lucky enough to have a personal connection to at least one tree.  Three come to mind for me.  

In front of the little ranch house where I grew up is a tall, tall evergreen.  I know that it was planted over sixty years ago because there is a picture of my oldest brother standing in front of it on the morning of his First Communion.  In the photo, Chris and the tree are about the same size.  A tradition was born that day, so every subsequent child also had their picture taken in front of that tree on their First Communion day.  When it was time for my picture to be taken, the photographer had to stand across the street to get the whole tree in since by then it towered over the house.  

In my backyard is an ash tree that was planted by my husband when he was a little boy.  It gives shade to our yard and it gave ample leaves for jumping in during the fall.  For many years, that tree held a swing that my daughters loved to play on.  Unfortunately, the emerald ash borer has enjoyed the tree too, so this summer it will have to come down.  It will be a sad day, but I’m looking forward to saving some of the wood.  I think my husband will enjoy building something from the wood of the tree he planted so long ago.

In my front yard is a tree that was planted when my daughter was a little girl.  I’ve written about this tree before.  When first planted, it was a tiny little sapling, less than a foot tall.  Now, it reaches above our two story house.  This tree is strangely tall and thin with sparse branches – not at all like your typical maple.  It makes me smile to see its uniqueness and it reminds me that we should not aim for normal, but we should instead aim to be our unique selves.  

Trees are indeed nice, and so are the memories they bring.

Anne of Avonlea

The Anne of Green Gables Novels #2

L. M. Montgomery

First published in 1909

Yesterday evening, I started another reread of Anne of Avonlea.  This book begins when Anne is 16 ½ and is just getting ready to teach school for the first time.  Anne has just gotten into hot water because her Jersey Cow, once again, pillaged Mr. Harrison’s oats.  Mr. Harrison is new to Avonlea and is considered quite the crank – mean, dirty, and crude. 

Anne often compounds her troubles with her impulsiveness and this time is no exception.  Soon after this incident, she comes upon the jersey cow once again causing trouble and makes the rash decision to sell it.  Only later does she realize it was Mr. Harrison’s own cow she sold instead of her own!

Dreading a visit to cranky Mr. Harrison to explain her terrible mistake, she packs a lovely cake, hoping to ease the bad news.  Surprisingly, the visit turns into tea and lively conversation with the gruff old man that Anne herself had considered “the ugliest person she had ever seen”.  Over time, Anne and Mr. Harrison become friends and kindred spirits. 

Anne has learned a valuable lesson.  Look past a person’s gruff, ugly exterior and you just might find a hidden treasure – a truly kindred spirit.

And it never hurts to bring cake when delivering bad news!

Goodnight Moon

By Margaret Wise Brown

Pictures by Clement Hurd

Copyright 1947

Countless children have this book as part of their bedtime ritual.  The words have a gentle, lulling effect on an overtired, restless spirit.  In Goodnight Moon, a little bunny is getting ready to go to sleep.  He looks at everything around him and as the dark closes in, he says goodnight to each object in turn.

 

It can be difficult for a child (or anyone, for that matter) to let go of the events of the day and relax enough to fall asleep.  What helps this bunny calm down is the assurance that he is safe, his room is as it should be, and when he says goodnight, he knows that everything will still be there when he wakes.    

Another calming influence is that gentle, quiet old lady whispering hush. 

Goodnight Moon is a beautiful, poetic book and needs no lesson.  But if you search for one, what you can see is that our demeanor can have a substantial effect on those around us.  Likewise, the mood of those around us can cause our tempers to change.  Like that quiet old lady whispering hush, we too can help soothe the restlessness of people around us.

Simplicity Sewing Book

1958 

Sewing clothing is one skill I never picked up.  I’ve looked through the pattern books at fabric stores and thought about how accomplished I would feel piecing together an outfit from scraps of material, yet I never had the patience to give it a try.  

The model on the cover of this Simplicity book sure appears to love sewing her own clothes.  Just look at how she gently caresses her cheek with the pattern.  If I wanted to, I too could learn 28 kinds of seams and 16 kinds of hems.  Detailed instructions for 6 different garments are included in this book.  Pictured below is just one lovely item that I could make.  

At least I know that the pink blouse is the right color for me.  The Simplicity Sewing book has taught me that color is one of the best of beauty aids.  By looking at the handy chart, I see that someone with brown hair and blue eyes should wear light blue, pink, light brown, orange, or green.  At least I think that’s orange.  The colors may have become a little distorted over the last 58 years since the book was published.

While I think I’ll stick to browsing the racks at resale and consignment shops for my clothing, I really do admire those with the skill to make their own.  I also feel quite thankful that I live in a time when I don’t have to sew my own clothes.  After all, if I had that chore to do, when would I find the time to read?