You've pulled the weeds. You've cut out the thorns. You've mulched, watered, and fertilized at the right time of the season for a few years now. Since Aunt Loola's departure, you've done everything you could to bring the tree to fruition. Your tree looks like a formidable teen should; for a few seasons now, it […]

You’ve caught up with the weeding duties and the garden is back on track. Loola’s chair sits open at the edge of your one tree orchard. For now, your tree is doing well, but you feel as if there are probably things you ought to be doing to ensure its health. You plop down in […]

It’s been days since you’ve worked in the garden. You peer out every time you cross the back window, but you can’t make yourself walk out. Even across the lawn, you see the weeds are returning. Instead of working on the garden, you opt for a half measure. You’ve tried already, but you decide to […]

You reach for the phone. You’ve dialed Loola’s number even before you realize what you’re doing. The phone beeps about the same time you remember that Loola no longer lives in your neighborhood. You set down the phone and glance out the window.  Your eyes fall toward the kitchen sink, and across the counter where […]

A few weeks of weeding has made a stupendous change in the look of your one-tree orchard. The fruit tree is finally beginning to grow. You've diligently dug up any weeds that are hardy enough to make it through the layer of mulch. Things are beginning to look respectable in your fledgling fruit garden. Aunt […]

The wind whistles outside your bedroom window and the roof creaks with the howling blast. You sit up in bed and peer toward the clock. It’s dark, as is the entire house. Outside, a fierce crack punctuates the screaming bluster. You sneak to the window, as if the storm might discover you're out of bed.  […]

You’re standing at your kitchen sink staring out at the lawn. What a splendid scene. The sun is smiling down; the grass is still shrouded with dew; the tool shed door is wide and tools are flying out. Wait, what? You set your coffee cup down next to the sink and start toward the exit.  […]

"That's how it's done," Loola says from her garden chair. She's watching you remove weeds with your trusty hand shovel. The place that has been wild for so long is beginning to look respectable. For weeks now, you've removed weeds with careful yet thorough digging. "What a difference weeding makes!”  "Yeah. It's starting to look […]

“I’m going out of town for a few days,” Loola says over the phone. You flip pancakes on the stove-top skillet. You pinch the phone between your shoulder and your ear.  “Where are you going?”  “I’m going to see my son,” she says. “He never comes to town. He’s become too important.”  “Well, I’m sure […]

For a week, Aunt Loola has been visiting each morning. She likes her coffee hot and dark. She comes armed with instructions for you. You’ve seen little progress so far, but at least you’re getting your hands dirty.  “What should we do next?" you ask.  “It’s time to do something about these weeds,” Loola says.  […]