Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Citrus Christmas Magic

A woman ought to carry herself as an orange tree would if it could walk up and down the garden,
swinging perfume from every little censer it holds up to the air.
Harry Ward Beecher

My California friends are amazed and amused at my love of photographing citrus this time of year. There are two reasons. The first comes from getting citrus at Christmas when I was a child. It was a treat because with 5 children and the cost, fresh oranges in Michigan was not a common thing. The second is that after years of seeing barren trees with the only green things being pines in December to see a tree with ripening fruit is amazing to my four season senses.

Citrus ripens close to Christmas here in California, so to me it seems like a magic, mystical thing and I don't think I will ever lose that sense of it being that way. This year it seems even more special with every thing going on. However for all of that, I'm happy that for the first time in several years, I'll be home in Michigan with Mom and probably be having a "white Christmas".

Diana Krall, "White Christmas":


1 comment:

susanna said...

Merry Christmas! And Happy New Year! Yes, growing up in Canada, those little oranges were a treat in our Christmas stocking. Now that you've mentioned that the peak of the citrus season is close to Christmas, it's interesting that it would fall around the same time as flu season, isn't it? Guess Mother Nature and all those southern farmers know when the rest of us will need the most vitamin C.

Anyhoo, I hope you are having a terrific time up with your mother. And I hope 2011 brings to you many more get-togethers with family and friends.

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