THE FRUIT OF FRIENDSHIP...

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.

-Emerson-

I spent Friday at the farm picking fruit with my best friend, Pam. This was my first time to take her there and introduce her to the farm since it came into my possession...and I was nervous. Why? I am not sure except I mostly did not want her to be disappointed. Like you, dear readers, she has seen pictures and heard stories and imagined what is in between the two and I did not want to disillusion any ideals she might have formed. What was I thinking, this could not have been further from the truth, we are friends after all. We have known each other for years and that first sweet blush of finding a kindred spirit has grown sweeter and ripened over time into a fully formed friendship. As we drove along the country back roads stories began to roll off my tongue, memories tumbling over themselves in my mind, spilling forth and gathering in our shared basket of friendship.Ripe memories of long ago days, of people who have passed, and those that still linger, some sad, some happy, some funny, and some telling, they piled up like plump juicy apples, one on top of another, adding to our basket of memories.Her stories began to intermingle with mine. There were our grannies and their gardens, our girlhoods, all good memories picked from the past, and, before I knew it we had arrived. My fanciful fears were flights of nothing that evaporated as she stepped from the car and said, "This is beautiful." After a small wander about we set to picking some fruit, side by side new memories blossomed, laughter rang out on the wind as the give and take of conversation flowed.One ant, as nimble as a spider plant... scurried up the ladder into the boughs of the waiting tree to begin picking fruit... while one grasshopper remained on the ground playing with the camera before she gave up her song of snapping photos to be of any real assistance. Different as night and day yet the same as two peas in a pod, we are apples and peaches... And still, we have managed to cultivate a fruitful friendship.

I woke up this morning feeling a very deep gratitude for the gift of friendship which is by choice, someone choosing to like you and accept you for who and what you are and encouraging you to grow and blossom and ripen into the best version of yourself. There is nothing so sweet on the taste of tongue as the word...friend.

I value your friendship here in the land of blog too. I have " met " so many wonderful, funny, creative, talented, caring, sharing, inspiring people here and my gratitude extends to each of you who takes a little time out of your day to visit with me here at Quill Cottage. Your presence never fails to brighten my day.

Below you will find some scans of images from a Victorian era instructional art book for children. These images are free for you to save to your computer and use in any manner in which you wish. They all bear a fruit theme, enjoy!(FREE IMAGE)

Love is flower-like;
Friendship is like a sheltering tree.

-S. T. Coleridge-(FREE IMAGE)(FREE IMAGE)

Friendship is a word, the sight of which in print makes the heart warm.

-Augustine Birrell-(FREE IMAGE)(FREE IMAGE)

Friendship is steady and peaceful; not much jealousy, and no heartburnings. It strengthens with time, and survives...It doubles our joys, divides our griefs, and warms our lives with a steady flame.

-Charles Reade-(FREE IMAGE)

(FREE IMAGE)

A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangably...

-William Penn-(FREE IMAGE)

Blessings,
Miss Sandy