My favorite Autumn ritual harkens back to my
childhood, when the family would load ourselves into our enormous van and drive
from our home in New Jersey to the luscious Apple Country in upstate New
York. I remember rolling hills covered
with Apple Trees.
They were perfectly formed apple trees that invited children to climb and laugh and play amongst them.
Sometimes we would go with other families, sometimes we would go with only our family. Everyone participated. All six children, both parents. Any time I spent with my entire family was absolutely magical.
I remember looking for apple picking locations near my home when Katherine was little. We found a bunch of orchards in Tehachapi, in mountain country only about forty five minutes from Bakersfield. We usually leave the task for October, when dear Autumn finally makes her descent here.
Apple picking now is more controlled then it was
when I was a child: we don’t climb the trees, for example, and there isn’t
grass between the generous nearly sentient fruit bearers. Here, in the desert,
there is only gravel – and the paths are all straight and carefully engineered.
I dare not complain to my children, though, because I want them to remember the magic of collecting apples and then baking, cooking, smelling, chopping, sharing Apples with friends, neighbors and especially loving all that family time together building something special.
Emma got a postcard inviting us to make our annual Apple Picking expedition. I’m marking my calendar and making sure my camera battery is fired up and ready.
Wow. I just found this snippet of a Pablo Neruda poem to share with you about the feminine relationship to Apples:
“Carnal apple,
Woman filled, burning moon,
dark smell of seaweed, crush of mud and light,
what secret knowledge is clasped between your pillars?”
Yes. We will have a unique and connected-through-generations experience this Autumn as we pick apples. Thanks to Pablo, I will carry a special smile on my face as we fill our bushels.
This post was borne from the Day 3 Prompt from The Sits Girls Blogging Event. There is still time to participate... and I loved writing this one. Reminded me it is that time of year again!
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Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield.
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