Although you would not see this very often anymore in the Chicago suburbs, I grew up with two apple trees in the parkway of my childhood home. Our house was only on a 40 foot wide lot, so the trees took up most of the front yard. In today’s suburbs, fruit trees would not be allowed in a front yard, but 70 years ago homeowners could pretty much do what they wished. My mother chose the trees and loved that my friends and I would put blankets under them and play our childhood games, making it a favorite gathering place. There were beautiful white blossoms in the Spring and apples to eat in the fall. In between during the Summer months, it offered shelter, shade, and beauty to my growing up memories. My Mom would bake pies, cobblers, cakes, and make apple sauce with the apples. My dad would pick the apples and often peel them for her. And then, of course, a less desirable job, he would pick them up off the street and the neighbor’s yards and rake them up in the fall. I remember my mom singing the song, ‘Under the Shade of the Old Apple Tree’ and the joy the trees brought her. Actually, the trees brought joy to so many during my early years and will forever be tucked away in my memories of happy days gone by!
