Billie Silvey
July 2007
An eclectic website about Women, Christianity, History,
Culture and the Arts--and anything else that comes to mind.
Culture and the Arts--and anything else that comes to mind.
I love trees. Especially in the summer. I love the fresh green of
the leaves and the shade they give us from the sun.
The two Chinese oak trees in the parkway strip in front of our
house present a graceful outline through our arched picture
window. We watch them as they change through the seasons--
filigreed with pale green in spring, heavy with darker green
folliage in summer, golden in fall and barren in winter. Not
everyone in Los Angeles has a view of the changing seasons out
their window.
We have even more large trees in our backyard, and they
provide a shady haven for picnics or just sitting and sipping
lemonade. They also give us big, creamy avocados for
sandwiches and salads, and tangy, juicy grapefruits for
breakfast.
Now that we have a grandchild, they enhance her play. She
has a playhouse in the shade of the trees. A few months ago,
they were showering her with tiny white flowers. Before she
was many months old, we began to take her out on a quilt or
hold her up under their boughs. She was hypnotized by the
dappled light as they swayed in the wind.
As soon as she was able to walk, she began collecting leaves
and distributing them to us--silky green and yellow, even dried,
crackly ones. She seemed to love their colors, shapes and
textures. We applaud her generosity in giving out her treasures,
as well as God’s grace in providing such beautiful and
graceful ornaments to our lives.
the leaves and the shade they give us from the sun.
The two Chinese oak trees in the parkway strip in front of our
house present a graceful outline through our arched picture
window. We watch them as they change through the seasons--
filigreed with pale green in spring, heavy with darker green
folliage in summer, golden in fall and barren in winter. Not
everyone in Los Angeles has a view of the changing seasons out
their window.
We have even more large trees in our backyard, and they
provide a shady haven for picnics or just sitting and sipping
lemonade. They also give us big, creamy avocados for
sandwiches and salads, and tangy, juicy grapefruits for
breakfast.
Now that we have a grandchild, they enhance her play. She
has a playhouse in the shade of the trees. A few months ago,
they were showering her with tiny white flowers. Before she
was many months old, we began to take her out on a quilt or
hold her up under their boughs. She was hypnotized by the
dappled light as they swayed in the wind.
As soon as she was able to walk, she began collecting leaves
and distributing them to us--silky green and yellow, even dried,
crackly ones. She seemed to love their colors, shapes and
textures. We applaud her generosity in giving out her treasures,
as well as God’s grace in providing such beautiful and
graceful ornaments to our lives.
In this issue, we’ll look at some of the trees of Los Angeles,
study the intricate anatomy of trees, and consider some of the
trees in scripture.
I hope you'll enjoy this look at our largest and oldest plants, and
that you'll write me at b.silvey@sbcglobal.net with tales of trees
with special meanings to you.
study the intricate anatomy of trees, and consider some of the
trees in scripture.
I hope you'll enjoy this look at our largest and oldest plants, and
that you'll write me at b.silvey@sbcglobal.net with tales of trees
with special meanings to you.
| TREES |