The Summer of 2015 has come to a
close, and it’s time we say farewell to another season in life.
~ We are officially in the autumn – the “ber” months. ~
The pumpkins and spaghetti squash vines are
drying up, the last of the tomatoes are ruby red, and our eggplant are nearly
full size as we are preparing to pluck the last of our vegetables and fruits
out of the garden for the season.
READ ON.....
Ron and I are patiently waiting for
the weather to make its full change for the season, mostly because we really
enjoy the warm weather of summer so much and feel a little sad to see another
season come to a close!
Summers always represent fond memories
of freedom from responsibility in our youth, and it’s the best time to get outdoors
and do the most fun & exciting things!
As a girl, I remember late night games of Hide & Seek with all the kids
in our neighborhood – it had to be dark for it to be a really GOOD game, so it
was nearly 9:00 p.m. when things got started!
Oh what fun we would have, and it usually was around our house because we
never closed our garage door, and our garage was the most cluttered and messy
of them all. The garage was not for our two cars, those were left in the
drive-way and on the street; the garage was filled with boxes of …. who knows
what stuff! That, combined with all the
trees and bushes in a one-yard radius in each direction, we hosted the very
best games at our house! That would
carry on till what seemed late in the night, squeals of excitement of being
found and the race back to touch the home-base and be “Safe” from the seeker if
you get there first!
“Ollie-Ollie-In-Come-Free!” if
everyone couldn’t be found. Home base
was always located up against the house, by the water spicket behind a Russian-Olive
tree. That olive tree was a gift all the students in my class received at school
that year. This was my tree, isn’t it funny how little things are so exciting to
a kid?!
My dad dug the hole when I
brought it home from school. He even
covered it with an empty garbage can tipped upside-down when a big snow came
through that winter to protect it from the snow and cold.
Years later, one of our neighbors
noticed the tree growing crooked, and came over to explain that we needed to
put some stakes and lead wires in to support it so it would grow straight. I found his interest in the tree compelling,
but really had no idea how I was supposed to do such a thing – by this time my
parents had divorced, my dad had taken up residence in the next city, and my
mom was trying to figure out how to run things without my dad and work full time. It was kind of a chaotic time in life from my
perspective. So, Mr. Beebe’s
tree-straightening efforts were lost on me and our young olive tree. Funny that I would remember that old tree, I
do believe it still stands with its slanted posture, well over 40 years of
seasons (and rings in its trunk) to show for its life in front of our old brick
house on S. Newark Way.
Today, as I wander out of the back of our house, I admire a Silver Maple tree that I also planted. This one is only about 13 years old and more than twice the size of the old olive tree.
When I planted this tree, I was also a single mother (like my mom),
although not new to the job, but I did have this new house with a blank slate
for a back yard. So, when a co-worker, who
had an old Silver Maple tree in his yard, noticed about a dozen or so baby
trees sprouting up ~ he offered to give them away at work. I jumped at the
opportunity and became the providential beneficiary of the very last little
baby tree in his yard.
My new baby tree was no bigger than an
18-inch twig with a handful of leaves on its tiny trunk. When I arrived, he dug it up, and with a shovel-full
of dirt from his yard, and dumped it into a 5-gallon bucket and loaded it into
the back of my Jeep. On my way home, at
nearly the very same time of year as this, the gray autumn clouds loomed
overhead and the temperatures dropped significantly low very quickly! I stopped
at the grocery store and bought two trout fish on my way home – hopeful that
the shock of the move and the frigid air was not going to be detrimental to my
little tree. While waiting for the fish
to be wrapped up by the butcher, I pondered with anticipation whether this
little tree might thrive in its new yard - with high hopes that it might!
As for the fish, I had once read that
the Native American Indians used to place fish in the ground before planting –
not sure where I heard that, and I don’t remember exactly what they were
planting, but it sounded good to me! Lots
of natural vitamins and minerals to support the baby tree as it puts its roots
into the earth behind it (and, our) new home.
Anyway, we arrived home, and the rain
started to come down like tiny stinging darts, partially frozen, as the wind
blew sideways off the empty field behind our house ~ I was not to be
deterred. Just me, my little twig of a
tree in a bucket, and two trout wrapped in butcher-paper, I marched out to the
back yard with a shovel in hand and the planting commenced, then I watched as
the cold weather pounded on that little tree.
As winter drew near, the few leaves the
baby tree donned - fell off. And when the
snow came, I found an old empty garbage can and placed it upside-down over my
new baby tree to protect it. When spring
came, much to my excitement, my tree had survived its first winter. And, over the years as it grew, I found some
large stakes and pounded them into the dirt on either side of the tree and ran
lead-lines to hold the tree trunk straight and strong as the wind constantly
blew over the fence from the field behind us. And, today this 13 year old Silver
Maple tree has grown into the most beautiful and amazing tree on the block!
Now, I am remarried, and when my
husband and I take long walks in the area near the house, we often admire our expansive
Silver Maple from afar as we approach the house. This tree provides the most luscious shade
over the back of our house during hot summer days ~ and we are always
astonished as we realize that the back of the house is completely concealed
from view by the mass of five-point leaves that have burst from every branch,
and we marvel at the heights the tree has reached that are beyond the second-story
roof of our house!
Now, we are waiting. Waiting for the leaves to change gold and
orange as the tree prepares to draw deep within to hibernate for the winter
months.
As we prepare for the next season, we
will rake massive piles of golden leaves, as our dog prances about happily to
have his people in the backyard with the cool and brisk air. We will look forward to enjoying the shade and
the new growth of our tree next summer. I guess I am a “Tree” kind of gal. I really do enjoy the shade, the beauty, and enjoyment
of knowing it provides shelter for small birds and critters that fly & scamper
by!
Someone asked me why I picked “beautifulswisstree.blogspot.com”
as my URL address for this blog. The
truth is, as an Arbonne Int’l Independent Consultant, the name Arbonne means “beautiful
tree” and it also comes from the name of a village in Switzerland. Our company has this name because the Swiss
are world famous for their skin care.
And, “beautiful tree” also represents well as all of our products are
botanically based (opposed to chemically derived). So, it would seem, my choice of occupation is
also a good fit for me as well, because I truly prefer using products that are
healthy for the body, and are made from the beautiful plants that grow on this
planet. And, when I think about the
trees in my life, and more specifically the ones that I personally planted and
nurtured to maturity, I reflect on my own life.
It really takes patience, dedicated time, energy, attention and care to
grow up something very beautiful.
We all begin in different places in
life, and we all need a little straightening up as we grow, but with good
roots, a solid foundation, and proper nutrition, we all get that chance to grow
strong, to provide for those we love, and flourish in what we are designed to
do – kind of like that amazing tree in my backyard.
My business with Arbonne is something
really new for me. I’ve never owned,
operated or managed a business before. I’ve
never been good at “sales”, and I know it’s a little late to be starting a new
career path. But, the truth be known,
when I first started out in the work-field a generation ago, I had no idea what
I was doing – I was a single mommy with two very small children and no other resources!
I have to say, I was grateful for the professional opportunities I received (often
with a need for training), so I was able to provide for my two little
daughters. And, sometimes we aren’t
always well suited for what we do, but there is often times an element of “have
to” involved with the job or occupation, so we trudge along, and really try to “bloom
where we are planted”, and look for the sunny side of things to come.
You know, we don’t always get things
right the first time around. And, I have
to say that I am truly grateful for second chances. Not just for that amazing tree in my backyard,
but in many other areas of life. For the
first time in my life, I have someone that has taken his time, his energy and
resources and poured all of that into my life and filled me up with his love
and commitment. And, because of him, I
have the time, energy and resources to pour into building an amazing business, which
has allowed me to truly discover the woman I am created to be!
Running a business ~ Yea, I am totally
a work in progress. Would I like this to be a faster process and be immediately
great at what I do, of course I would! But,
this journey is one of the best yet, and my life is being transformed one day
at a time ~ I wouldn’t want to skip over, or miss one second or season of it!
My suggestion! Plant a tree.
Take your shovel, dig the hole yourself, toss a few fish in, gently
place the roots of the tree in the hole, and fill it up with rich nourishing
soil. Take the time to water it, protect
it, and support it to grow straight, and it will do exactly the same for you as
it grows into the magnificent tree that it was created to be.
I am building my business with Arbonne
International. I like the company, their
products, and their integrity. I like the
fact that all their products are botanically based making them Pure, Safe and
Beneficial, and I truly appreciate and enjoy the women I have linked arms with
to grow this business. I would love to
share our amazing products & business opportunity with you! If you say, this is not for you ~ maybe take
a peek anyway ~ You just never know until you know what you are
looking at, and it gives me good practice!
If you live close by, come by this Saturday to my Harvest Produce Swap. The weather is supposed to be beautiful and your encouragement accompanied by a visit with you would really mean a lot to me.
If you live close by, come by this Saturday to my Harvest Produce Swap. The weather is supposed to be beautiful and your encouragement accompanied by a visit with you would really mean a lot to me.
INVITATION to Harvest Produce Swap:
I am hosting my first annual “Harvest Produce Swap”
This weekend (Oct 10)
I am hopeful to see friends and family show up with healthy things to share. Please contact me if you would like to join us
~ Space is Limited ~
Thank you for taking the time
read. Please check back sometime soon!
Arbonne = Beautiful Tree.
