TheBanyanTree: love and pie

[Julie Anna Teague]

Husband and I went on one our urban hunting and gathering missions, as 
we like to call them, last weekend.  There is an apartment complex near 
us that was built about 15 years ago on old farm land.  They left two 
of the farmer's apple trees for landscaping, and I don't think anyone 
who has ever lived there has ever wandered over, picked up a dirty 
apple, wiped it on the leg of their trousers, and taken a big old bite 
out of a tart, old-timey apple.  They all just rot on the ground, so 
much worm food.  So we go over every year to confiscate a big bag full, 
and this seems to be an extraordinary year for apples.  Sure, they're 
small and buggy and bruised, but that in no way affects their 
eat-ability in our eyes.  We collected about 15 pounds worth.  It seems 
like treasure.  Urban pirate booty, ours for the taking.

I've just finished baking the second apple pie this week for my beloved 
family.  Husband and number one son, anyway.  Number two son doesn't 
eat fruit in any form.  I keep telling him SOME DAY he will grow up and 
try a piece of homemade apple pie and realize that he has missed years 
of homemade apple pies and he will weep at the thought of it.  The 
first pie, I cut the slits in the top and a tiny heart in the middle.  
Made with love by yours truly.  Tonight, I was tired.  I rode my bike 
five miles to work.  I worked all day.  I ran at lunch.  I pulled a 
calf muscle.  I rode five miles home in the heat.  I made dinner and I 
cleaned it up.  I was tired.  So tonight, where the heart was last 
time, I cut a small dollar sign in the middle of the crust, just to 
remind my wonderful family: you can't buy this kind of love ;)

Julie