Kampung Kreepy

Since discovering an American persimmon tree right in my backyard, I’ve also stumbled upon a delightful piece of Appalachian folklore with which some of you may be familiar.  Did you know a locally grown American persimmon can predict winter weather in your area? The fruit has to be from a local tree so as to mirror local conditions. Cut open a ripe fruit (when it gets soft and mushy) and take out one of its seeds. Slice the seed lengthwise, exposing its white kernel. According to the lore, the kernel’s shape tells you what to expect for winter. If the kernel is shaped like a:     • fork: winter will be mild with light snow     • spoon: expect heavy wet snows where you’ll need your shovel     • knife: winter will be bitterly cold and icy with a biting wind You may want to examine the seeds from the fruit of at least three different trees for more accuracy.  My persimmons aren’t ripe yet, but I’ll certainly be putting the lore to the test. 😄

Like many others, I will never forget Sept. 11, 2001. We lived at the time in Arlington, a neighborhood in Virginia that’s separated from Washington, D.C., by the Potomac River.  My husband was a journalist. His office was in D.C. near the White House.  On that day, I’d just dropped my child off at daycare when my husband called and told me to turn on the T.V. I did so, and learned that two planes had plowed into the World Trade Center.  A third plane struck the Pentagon, only 7 miles up the road from our house. I got my son back from daycare, and I wanted to drive into D.C. to get my husband. I had no idea if the bridges into D.C. would close. I didn’t know if more planes would fall out of the sky. My instinct was that if the world was going to end, I wanted my family together. He told me not to come, because there were rumors that the terrorists had planted car bombs in the city. (That turned out to be false.) So I stayed home with my child. I monitored the news. I talk...