Slice of Life Tuesdays #190408
The Tree.
Spring is synonymous with the blooming of our beautiful pink saucer magnolia (aka: Chinese magnolia, Tulip Tree). Sometime between the second week of March and the first of April, the buds that started swelling on sunny winter days will open and blossoms load the branches in the most magnificent display of pink. We love this beautiful tree.
The Petals.
When the blossoms have fully opened, they begin to drop their petals one by one. Sometimes the petals float down in a soft shower, drifting on a spring breeze. It is such a lovely sight. Sometimes they fall quickly, knocked loose by a heavy rain and driven to the ground.
The Girl.
Livi is my 9-year-old granddaughter. She was born in Russia, sent to an orphanage as an infant because she has Down syndrome, then adopted as a toddler by an American family. However, within a year, her adoptive family requested respite, and my son and daughter-in-law took Livi into their home. In a matter of months, the original adoptive family said they could not take Livi back and granted adoptive rights to my son and daughter-in-law. That was six years ago.
Last week on her way to school, Livi was so excited when she saw my driveway covered in pink. She exclaimed, “Pretty, like pink snow!”
The Boys.
Twice this week, two of my grandsons– Livi’s cousins –raked and shoveled my driveway. Imagine shoveling up pink blossoms with the scoop shovel we use for snow. They filled four green bins with the pink petals.
Tomorrow the debris recycle truck will come through our neighborhood. They will dump these cans and carry our pink blossoms away.
Is it significant that Livi used the simile “snow” and
the boys are scooping up the petals with our snow shovel
Happy Spring!
Happy April!
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Thank you to
Two Writing Teachers
Thanks for linking me to this post, Alice. I do love the tree’s pink surrender and Livi’s smile. Blessings…
That tree is stunning and so is the joy on Livi’s face. I love her image of “pink snow” and the follow up of your grandsons using snow shovels to scoop the petals up. I feel like there’s a poem living in this post. Here’s a quick found poem:
Beautiful tree
blossoms fully opened
drop their petals one by one
soft shower
drifting on a spring breeze
like pink snow
Thanks, Molly. Your found poem is lovely. Thanks for sharing it.
I love everything about this post – your words, the pictures, and the sheer joy shared by your granddaughter! This slice brought joy to me today!
Pink snow always beats the white stuff!
Livi’s smile is contagious. We went to see the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. last week. Your tree reminded me of them. Simply beautiful.
Your pictures are glorious. I want to play in pink snow.
Pink Snow not only delights your granddaughter but me, Alice. This is an amazing scene. Maybe you will write a poem for Poetry Friday about the pink snow and a little girl.
Pure joy on Livi’s face, in her pink “snow” – how perfect a simile, yes. The trees are stunning; my thought on that blanket of petals was of an invisible flower girl having tossed them, to make way for Spring in all of her glory.
The flowers are so beautiful and Livi looks lovely in her excitement. Your son and daughter–n-law are angels.
I could picture that saucer magnolia, a mainstay in my growing years. My grandmother’s favorite tree. That pink snow falling down. Thanks for the vision.
How gorgeous and significant is that?! I wish snow was pink! Livi has just captured the image so beautifully, love the photos! What an amazing tree.