Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Under a western Pennsylvania moon

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Under a western Pennsylvania moon, a young man and a young woman fell in love. As they were falling, they shared their dreams.

She: "Long ago I saved the picture of a house from a magazine. I dreamed of living in that house one day."

He: "Long ago I saved the picture of a house from a magazine. And I, too, dreamed of living in that house one day."

They knew it was true love when they compared their pictures . . . of the same white farmhouse with wraparound porch from the same magazine.

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So, they got married and started life together on some acreage on a tree shaded country lane in the middle of western Pennsylvania. They contacted the magazine to see if it were possible to find the plans to their dream home.

Yes, it was.

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So they built it, as all dreams are built, with blood, sweat, and some tears. When they were finished they started a family.

And built a barn.

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And planted an apple orchard, with long straight rows of branches reaching to the sky.

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They built another barn, and started selling knickknacks and geegaws and doohickeys made by local artisans. They began harvesting apples and pressing their own cider.

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The people started coming for the knickknacks and geegaws and doohickeys and preserves and apples and apple cider.

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And they oo-ed and ah-ed in wonder and delight at the beauty they saw in the realized dream. They brought their children to see the beauty and watch the apples being pressed into sweet golden liquid. They ate apple blossoms (a nutty, caramel-ly, apple-ly treat) and drove away with full tummies and warm hearts.

And that man and that woman, now ten years older, tuck their 3 children into bed after a long day's work together, and marvel at the dream come true that was shared while falling

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under a western Pennsylvania moon.

(note: Emmett's Orchard is a real place built from a real dream.)