84-Lmcaster Farming, Saturday, March 29,1986
On being
a farm wife
-And other
hazards
Joyce Bapp
Dead. Dull brown, the branch
breaks free of the bush with a
sharp snap.
It’s located at an exposed corner
of the house, this bush that bears
the brunt of icy winter winds. They
whip around the northeast corner,
fierce, cold, biting. Wrapping
around the bush are concrete
walls, forming an extended porch
and steps to the lower yard.
Flanking a fourth side of the bush
is a fuel tank of generic shape and
color.
Trimmed? Oh, sure it gets
trimmed. But not in your fancy
topiary design; not even a
pleasantly-rounded landscaping
shape.
Uh, uh. This functional bit of
foliage draws its shape from
people ripping up the steps and
cutting the corner, bruising the
tender stems that find courage to
venture out over the steps. Further
shaping comes from odd bits and
pieces borrowed to fill gaps in
casual summertime flower
arrangements. Maple trees con-
*l*l
ymm
stantly steal moisture from its
roots, forcing the bush to fight an
ongoing battle for life-giving
water.
Dead? No. And that’s the
amazing part.
Ignored, abused, misshapen,
thirsty, it spends the winter in
apparent lifelessness. Seemingly
useless.
Then, one sunny day, with a hint
of spring in the air, I break off a
couple of brown, barren-looking
whips of branch. Even the tiny bud
bumps on the stem show no vigor.
And then, on a bright windowsill
in an old glass jar, the magic
begins to work.
As if in response to the gentle
touch of caring, the buds begin
overnight to swell. In a day or two,
spots of yellow color begin to peek
from the bud tips. Daily, they open
wider, until cheery golden stars
cover the length of the branch.
Eventually, the bright blooms of
the forsythia will fade and tiny
green leaflets begin to form. With a
bit of luck, the part of the branch in
the water of the old Jar will begin
pushing out healthy, white roots.
And new life has begun.
Thus it is with Easter. What had
seemed so lifeless, so barren, so
... dead, has been transformed.
What was colorless and sad now
offers a new beginning. A new life.
Magic? No. Just love.
A blessed and beautiful Easter to
you and yours.
YOU NEED A FENCE??
A & J Fencing.
All kinds of fence.
Specializing in high-tensil fence
We also do post driving
Please Write To:
RD 1 Box 266
Kinzers, PA 17535
SPRING PAINT SAVINGS
Ibugfi Coat
Latex Metal
Primer
Controls rust oo
inn, steel,
ihuuonmiiid
galvanized metal.
Purchase *5O Or More And Receive A '
10% Discount
Purchase *lOO Or More And Receive A
J Now Thru April 10,1986 With Coupon
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LANCASTER
a m a m jfp intercourse
COLEMAN
|mh|mm OLD LEACOCK RD
89 Old Leacock Rd., CcIMIER leacock /
RD 1, Ronks, PA
Due to a typographical error,
the percentage of fat in milk
was listed incorrectly as 35
percent in a National Nutrition
Month story on last week’s
;;
DSD3 Money
BHD Seek
D Guarantee
TOP OF THE LINE
Ibugfi Coat
Enamel
Rost control for
metal. Extra
protection for
wood.
20% Discount
Correction
family living page. It should
have read 3.5 percent. Lan
caster Fanning regrets this
error.
Products Include Household
Molasses, Syrup & Edible Oil
★ BAKING * SORGHUM SYRUP
MOLASSES * TABLE SYRUP
★ BARBADOS * HONEY
MOLASSES ★ COCONUT OIL
★ BLACKSTRAP * CORN OIL
MOLASSES * SOYBEAN OIL
★ PANCAKE SYRUP * PEANUT OIL
★ CORN SYRUP ★ SHOO-FLY PIE
MIX
If your local store does not have it,
1 - contact:
GOOD FOOD INC.
(Food Division Of Zook Molasses Co.)
West Main St., Box 160
Honey Brook, PA 19344
Phone: 215-273-3776
Call toll free in PA: 800-662-7464
Over SO Veers Of Service
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You’ll be ahead choosing a top quality
Martin-Senour paint for any project. So
stop by any day this week and stock up for
all your painting needs.
Concrete
Floor Primer
& Sealer
Property prepares
concrete floors,
patios, bteeieways,
and steps.
I
Great life"
Alkyd Gloss
House Faint
Long-lasting
beauty and
protection for
exterior wood
and metal.