It is only in my later years that I have actually developed an affinity for berries. They were OK. I liked them but I seem to want to grow them now. I put strawberry plants in my green house and I think that I will covet each and every runner and develop a patch outside maybe. Course the birds will "relish" that. I also have blueberry bushes and I have finally started to keep them well hydrated so they will produce. Wonderful!!! And raspberries. I bought two plants and am excited that they are spreading. More! More glorious berries. Then there are the Marion berries that I also planted in the same area. Haven't had any berries off of them yet. I am looking forward to berry pies, jams, fresh berry compote, etc.
Probably one reason I was not overjoyed with berries before was that I grew up in the era when kids went out in the fields and worked all summer for their school clothes. Now days there are too many conditions and I don't think kids are into that physical labor anymore.
As soon as school was out we picked strawberries throughout June, raspberries in July and beans in August until school started. Our yearly vacation was to go down to California to visit relatives. Guess what. When the cousins got old enough they went out and picked boysenberries so we "got" to with them and pick too!! Oh joy. Come home with a fist full of stickers and some cash.
That is if we didn't spend it on clothes at the Goodwill. California had huge Goodwill stores and that was part of the ritual. Go and tactfully try to tell my grandmother why I was not interested in the "lovely brown frock from the 30's" that she was holding up. I had to wear a pair of my mother's old "granny shoes" in 5th grade because we didn't have the money for a new pair. Dad may have been on strike at the mill or it may have been when he was laid up after an automobile accident. Any ways I didn't die from it.
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ReplyDeleteOoops. Guess the test message doesn't get deleted. This is the fifth time I have tried to leave a message, so I better get it in quick before something ELSE happens. (And it ain't all Blogger's fault. Nor mine, for a change...)
ReplyDeleteI picked some, too, but always was yelled at for picking 'too green'. I, however never ate a berry one when I picked. When I was quite small, Grandpa explained the concept of fertilizing plants.
In my young mind, Fertilizer = cow poop = why would you put THAT in your mouth???
Took a while to get the concept...
Mom sewed, so I had the fun of 'this collar', with 'this sleeve' with 'this top'. (This stirred the soul of my artsy fartsy self). We thrift stored, as well. Never had hand-me-downs, no siblings. I think the only item I ever asked for was some Nikes in high school. I loved the color, and (thank G*d) they were a cheap pair, I got them for my birthday. Wore them out, and it became a love affair with sneakers to this day.
Cat.