“Apples Are Growing on My “Cherry” Tree” by Joan Y. Edwards
Carl and I moved into our house in Pineville, North Carolina in June 2005. A tree in our backyard only had small green fruit that looked like cherries. However, they were green and stayed green. For that reason, I thought perhaps it was an ornamental cherry tree.
Each year I checked and these tiny fruit never got bigger than my little fingernail. They never got ripe. That is until this year.
On Monday, June 18, 2012, I overheard our neighbor’s little girl, a third grader, ask her friend, “Can you get me the big one way up there?”
The biggest I had ever seen as I told you was only 1/4 of an inch in diameter. Not big in my mind. I watched to see what was going to happen. Her friend was on a bike. He reached way up high, and brought down a big green…
Hold it. Wait a minute. That can’t be. I looked again. Yep. For sure, in her hands was an apple about two inches around that he had picked from my “cherry” tree. Now that was a big surprise to me.
I remembered hearing that fruit trees take up to seven years before they bear fruit. So, indeed, it had been 7 years since we moved here. Isn’t that amazing?
The apple is exactly 2 inches in diameter. The size of a crab apple. If they get larger, they call them regular apples. The leaves alternate on the branch. Another sign that it might be a crab apple.
It almost looks like they planted two really close together. Perhaps to help cross pollinate them. The leaves alternate on opposite sides of the branches.
In other years, I never did a lot of research on the tree. I assumed it was an ornamental cherry tree that had little fruits that never got ripe and white blossoms. Funny about that.
I understand that crab apples make good jelly. Online it says that crab apples are different colors. I’ll watch and see if these stay green when they get ripe or change colors. It’s fun to watch the mystery unfold.
These things come to mind, “All that glitters is not gold.”
Hmm. Maybe a character you’ve created seemed like they always acted strictly by the book. However, when you started writing, this character was more interesting than you gave her credit. She almost stole the show from the main character. She blossomed right in front of you.
Perhaps you mistook a person for a friend. To you, he seemed like he was as sweet as a cherry, but it turned out that he was a real crab apple at times.
Readers like to watch the mystery unfold in stories, too. Enjoy the mysteries of your characters. Enjoy even more the mystery of your own life.
Write a funny story. It’s healing. Things don’t look so dark when you can laugh about it.
I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. Please share a funny experience with me: joanyedwards1@gmail.com/
Never Give Up
Do something fun for you today!
Celebrate Each Step You Take
Joan Y. Edwards
Copyright © 2012-2022 Joan Y. Edwards
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I enjoy your blog – always interesting!
Dear Sharon, Thanks for writing. What a nice compliment! I appreciate your saying that it’s always interesting. You are a jewel.
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Cool beans, Joan! Hope you find lots more hidden treasures as the years go by!
Dear Donna, Thanks for writing. Thanks for the kind wishes that I find more hidden treasures. It’s good to hear from you! Hope you, your daughters, and your hubby are doing well. Do something special to celebrate you!
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Joan,
What a wonderful surprise. Life is full of them. Thanks for sharing your “cherry” to apple story. You could take your photos and check with a local nursery. I think you’ve got a golden delicious apple here.
The clever writer that you are, you compared your discovery to discoveries made while writing. Now that’s creative thinking!
Dear Linda, Thanks for writing. You’re right. It was indeed a wonderful surprise. You’re welcome for my sharing my “cherry” to apple story. I appreciate you for telling me what you believe I have is a golden delicious apple. It’s too hard to eat now. Thank you for the compliment about comparing my discovery to ones a writer has. Celebrate you and your gift of enthusiasm.
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Joan, thanks for the post. Interesting that your tree has started growing larger apples.
I have had characters take over – frequently, in fact. When I start writing, they surprise me.
When I was little, neighbors had a crab apple tree. I used to love eating the small, hard green apples. I must have had a cast-iron stomach, because I don’t recall any stomach trouble as a result.
Do let us know, if you do make apple jelly, how it turns out.
Dear Margaret, Thanks for writing. You’re welcome for the post. I had fun writing it. Isn’t it amazing when characters take over? Neat that you used to eat the crab apples from a neighbor’s tree. I’m glad you didn’t have stomach problems as a result.I’ll let you know if I make jelly and how it turns out. Do something good to celebrate you!
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OMGoodness – how exciting – the mystery of your tree has grown through the years, just as your ‘cherry’ apples have, and that mystery continues to grow as well. Please keep us informed as you’ve made us participants now in your ‘cherry, apple tree’ story.
How lovely that you’ve used this story to prompt others to think about what is happening around them, either in relationships that have actually blossomed or soured, and relating that to characters and character development in our own stories – and how such twists and contrasts create conflict and balance, and keeps interest and causes ‘mystery’ urging the reader to read on – you clever and always helpful gal you.
Thank you Joan – for all the lessons you share with us – to remind us – of the tools we need not forget. Love you much!
Dear Claire, Thanks for writing. You are like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. You’re spread joy and love wherever you go. It is exciting about the cherry tree turning into an apple tree. I’m glad you liked my references to how relationships can change from one fruit to another. You are right. Mysteries do indeed set up conflict and when they are solved, it adds a dimension of peace. Thanks for taking time to write. You’re welcome for anything I say that helps you. Celebrate you today!
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