EdItoR's NoTe

AroUnD TOwN

Saying No
To No

Not Your Typical
Domestic Garden

with anything, and that's where I'm
ometimes the sound of my
trying to change.
own voice grates on my
The other day my children and I
nerves. Dare I say it's more
went to drop something off at a
painful to the ear than a Barry
I neighbor's home. Adina, 6, asked,
1 Manilow song — even that most
"Can I bring my pets in my back-
I chillingly nauseatingly horrendous
pack?"
putrid "I Write The
She was referring to two
Songs"? Well, maybe not
small, but rather heavy,
that bad. But it's pretty
a dog and a
creatures
insufferable.
cat — she had painted at
To be precise, it's not actu-
Plaster Playhouse. One she
I ally the sound of my voice,
had just finished, so I sup-
I which I suppose is ordinary
pose it was especially
I enough, that's so dreadful,
important to her.
I but rather the seemingly end-
Normally I would have
less barrage of "no's" I utter
said, "No," accompanied by a lec-
in a single day.
ture along the lines of, "You know
• "Can I have another piece of
those things are bulky and you're
candy?" one of my children will ask.
going to get tired carrying them, so
The response: "No."
why don't you just leave them here
"Can we stay up just a little
and we'll be right back, okay?" And
longer?"
then Adina would have been upset
The response: "No."
and I would have become all tense
"Will you read us one more book,
and cranky. But instead I told her,
pleeeeeeeeaase?"
I "Sure you can bring them," and then
The response: "No."
I helped her arrange her plaster pets
I'm not sure what it is about parents
in her backpack.
(because I know I'm not alone in this)
It was a delightful walk, and Adina
that makes us so prone to saying,
didn't complain a bit. In fact, she
I "No." I suspect it usually has a little
I looked adorable as she walked
to do with getting tired (which is
1 down the street, toting her backpack
1 when I'm most likely to start saying,
on a pleasant summer day.
"No.") and a little to do with setting
Children probably hear "No" at
limits for children, which is legitimate.
least 1,000 times a day from par-
My children need to know that they
e ents. Though many of these are legiti-
I can't always push and push and
i mate, it must get awfully tiring. So I,
push and get what they demand,
for one, am going to work on saying
1 and I don't think they really want it.
"yes" to those little things, like plaster
1 Children need boundaries. Because
animals in a backpack, that don't
I they know that I am, all in all, a pret-
really matter much to me, but mean a
ty fair parent, Adina and Yitz don't
great deal to my children. El
usually put up too much of a fight
when I won't give in to a third piece
of candy, or read the 13th book for
the evening.
But sometimes I find myself saying
I Elizabeth Applebaum
"no" to things that have nothing to do
AppleTree Editor

7/24

1998

64 Detroit Jewish News

once did. Children will especially
f you have a garden at your
enjoy running around all the
house, it probably contains veg-
alcoves and granite steps and dis-
etables or flowers or herbs. Most
, covering special hiding places.
likely, you have only one or two
They will certainly be awed by the
rather small and domestic gardens.
vastness of the gardens and the
I The late George Gough Booth
house as well, which is visible at
1 and Ellen Scripps Booth, former
most points along the tour.
1 owners of the Cranbrook
You can catch a
I House and Gardens, had
glimpse of the man-made
1 a different definition of
Kingswood Lake as you
"domestic gardens" that is
stand behind the house
I well worth a look.
and smell the roses. You
The Cranbrook House is
can take the dirt road
situated on the 315-acre
down to the Italian boat
Booth estate and is sur-
house, which is sometimes
rounded by 40 acres of
scattered
with life pre-
gardens. The gardens
Diane Baldwin
servers and oars left
AppleTree
I include the Wildflower
behind by summer
Staff Writer
1 Garden, an Oriental Gar-
campers.
den and the Sunken Gar-
If
you
have
a small child, bring a
. den, along with those containing
:
sling or backpack rather than a
1 herbs and roses and flowering
stroller as the paths are wooded
I shrubs and ground cover, to name
and the grounds contain numerous
I a few. The self-guided walking
sets of concrete steps. There is a
1 tour takes about an hour to 90
drinking fountain and an inside
1 minutes. Visitors receive an intri-
bathroom, but no changing table.
1 cate map that details the history
There are no food facilities.
I and specifics of certain points
The cost of the self-guided tour is
1 along the way. The formal gar-
$5 for adults, $4 for seniors and
dens and terraces abound with
full-time
students. Children under 5
1 sculptures, working fountains, two
are free. The hours are: May-Labor
i reflecting pools and architectural
--\
I Day: daily, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sun-
I fragments.
1 days, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Septem-
Even on hot days visitors stay
I ber: daily 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Octo-
i cool thanks to the many shaded
ber: weekends only, 11 a.m. - 3
i areas along the route. Special
p.m.
points of interest include the Greek
Cranbrook Gardens are located
theater, the Reflecting Pool and the
at
380 Lone Pine Road. Parking is
Sunken Garden — all of which
free on Lone Pine Road or at Christ
are hard to imagine having in
Church Cranbrook parking lot,
your own backyard, as the Booths
across the street from the entrance.
I Diane Baldwin is a mother and
Tours of the Cranbrook House also
freelance writer in Clarkston. Her
are available. Call (248) 645-
17-month-old son, Nicholas, enjoys
3149 for information and reserva-
smelling "pretties," a.k.a. flowers.
tions. Ei

I

