The Big Plum Tree

{Note: For years my parents had a HUGE purple plum tree in their small backyard. The fruits were delicious and sweet and the shade was magnificent. I can remember daddy sitting under it with a glass of iced tea after a tedious and arduous workout with the weeds in his garden. Over time the tree grew too large and took up too much of the yard with it's shade (it seems you can't grow Beefsteak tomatoes in the shade...) and so he intended to cut it down. I, however, as well as my husband Joe, had other plans for it. Here is the story.}

"It's too big!" they said.
"You just can't do it!"
But Joe took the shovel and went right to it.

Joe sawed a little.
Dad pruned a lot.
"You're digging it up?!
I bet you're not!"

Determination had taken hold.
He would not quit for love, nor gold.
"I'll get this tree, I know I can.
It's man against tree and tree against man."

I'll dig it up and take it home
I want it for my very own.
With one last shove, the tree came free
Joe brought it home, and gave it to me.

And so we planted this lovely tree.
It grows here now for all to see.

(Hurricane Hugo eventually took the plum tree down. However for years after we brought it to Cross the tree never once faltered in blooming and producing delicious plums - plums that were apparently so delightful that our Doberman, Kismet, couldn't resist literally cramming as many in her mouth as she could and carrying them off to the corner of the house to eat her sweet treats. The tree was approximately 15 feet tall when Joe and Daddy started to dig it up. After a lot of pruning and digging, it stood about 10 feet tall, and was loaded into the back of a little blue Toyota truck. It stood up in the back and I remember Joe talking about people passing him on the Interstate, gaping at this tree that was almost as big as the little truck, and laughing. This just shows you that determination can be the best inspiration and often result in the best rewards.)