In the midst of a lot of drama this summer (doctor visits and surgery and jury duty, oh my!), I’ve been keeping my eye on the paw paw tree for a sense of hope and stability. And it’s been working. We have eight or nine paw paw fruit on our tree, some in pairs but mostly singles, and every week they grow a little bigger as if they’re being inflated by a bicycle pump when I’m not looking.
I don’t visit the tree each time I walk the dogs, because I follow the shade wherever I can find it and sometimes the tree is in full sun (good for the tree, bad for me, and my heat intolerance and tendency to sun poisoning), but I check on it at least once a day, and carefully duck under branches and around paw paw leaves to look at the growing fruit.
It helps to have a calm, gradual, positive thing in my life, while I have to do a lot of things that are (way) out of my comfort zone. The paw paw tree has been that reassuring thing this summer – that, and the dogs: Ellie’s sweet, loving face when she cuddles up next to me and asks for head scratchies, and Cricket’s great joy when she sees Kevin, the mini Golden Doodle, coming her way. The good things don’t make the bad things (the news) or the scary things (surgeries) go away, but they give me the strength to keep going, and I feel so lucky for that.
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Yeshiva Girl is about a Jewish teenager on Long Island, named Isabel, though her father calls her Jezebel. Her father has been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior with one of his students, which he denies, but Izzy implicitly believes it’s true. As a result of his problems, her father sends her to a co-ed Orthodox yeshiva for tenth grade, out of the blue, and Izzy and her mother can’t figure out how to prevent it. At Yeshiva, though, Izzy finds that religious people are much more complicated than she had expected. Some, like her father, may use religion as a place to hide, but others search for and find comfort, and community, and even enlightenment. The question is, what will Izzy find?
rachelmankowitz 
Short and sweet–and what a treat to see your actual face and not just disembodied hands and laps!
Thank you!
Oh I so agree, that was a treat.
Yes!!
I agree
Ditto. I especially like the smile.
yes, nature & the creatures & blessings of nature are the best medicine that i have yet found for the dreadful doldrums of way too much “life” coming at me hard & heavy! time will pass & events will evolve & you will still find your way through them. your instincts are sound & you pay attention. it will be ok🙏🏼❤️
Thank you!
I agree with Suzanne–so good to see your smiling face, Rachel! Hello Cricket and Ellie. Is your mom keeping an eye on the paw-paws, too?
We’re all a little paw paw crazy around here!
You’ve got your arms full of love, Rachel. And it’s so sweet that Cricket likes Kevin! May your paw paws keep growing!
Thank you!
So glad you have a positive thing to watch grow affirming life. Also dogs are the most wonderful things. They give so much love. I don’t know how I would make it without mine.
I would be lost without them!
I feel from you a sense of peace in the reassurance from seeing the steady progress of the paw paw tree and its fruit. I hope when it comes time to pick the fruit and eat it, it is sweet and refreshing, and pleasing in all respects.
Me too! Thank you!
Oh my 45 yrs ago in sunny San Diego while in the Navy we called those Figs. Pretty Doggie
Thank you!
That’s the best hug ever!
Seriously!
I imagine the dogs like Paw Paws 🙂
I have pictures of them sniffing last year’s paw paw, but it was too precious to share. Maybe this year I’ll be generous.
I have never eaten a Paw Paw, but it is great to see them growing. Nature carries on regardless of human frailty and our other nonsense. And a happy dog can make us forget almost anything.
Best wishes, Pete.
Absolutely!
It turns out that the little things in life are not really little after all.
Exactly!
How wonderful! Do they taste nice too?
Lovely picture of you and the girls Rachel. Have a good week
Thank you! Paw paws are delicious!
I’ve never had one. Are they anything like mangoes or passion fruit?
They are like banana mixed with pear mixed with mango.
Sounds right up my street. If I see one and it’s not too pricey, I’ll try it!
Wonderful news about the paw paw fruit. What a great pic of you with the dogs. You manage to look sporty and glamorous at the same time.
Ha! My cousin Sarah is clearly a great photographer.
Great pictures of the Paw Paw fruit Rachel! I’m curious. The Paw Paw is the host plant for their Zebra Swallowtail caterpillar. Now that you have mature Paw Paw trees do you see any Zebra Swallowtail butterflies in the courtyard?
I haven’t seen any yet, but I will start looking!
I enjoyed your post about the pawpaw trees and flowers last year and am thrilled to see the update on this year’s fruits and the other happy things in your life. We need these little packets of joy!
Absolutely!
Great pictures!
I’ve never eaten a paw paw, I am very curious about what they taste like…
Never heard of that plant before. Sounds delicious.
It is!
I never heard of a paw paw tree. It looks pretty cool! Enjoy!
It’s wonderful! Thank you!
Glad to see your smiling face.
Thank you!
Never heard of a paw paw tree!
I love spreading the word!
I was also delighted and intrigued to see your face. It was a real treat! My mum comes from Queensland and my grandfather used to grow paw paws in his backyard which all sounds rather extraordinary. I’m surprised to hear you have a paw paw tree there. However, I just checked Google and they’re actually native to North America- not here. You learn something new everyday, even if it is rather trivial.
Paw paws are never trivial; they can be small, but never trivial.
Amen. God’s little blessings keep us going during trials – and your Paw Paw fruit is lovely! God bless.