I've been going, going, going for days now and then last night it all came to a screeching halt. I developed a horrible headache, one like I've never had before, and it actually made me physically ill, so today was spent laying in bed and watching whatever movies were on TV.
It's funny how not feeling well and being laid up in bed for a day can make you appreciate all that you are able to accomplish on a day when you don't feel sick.
On Friday, I got the chance to go to lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in awhile. My old art partner and I have been so busy that it's been hard to carve out time to get together, so it was wonderful to have a couple of hours to sit and chat about everything that's been happening in our lives for the last few months.
I always realize after I get the chance to see someone I love spending time with but rarely get to, that I need to make more of an effort to do that. You know how you run in to someone and you each say, "we really need to get together soon," but then time, and life get in the way and you never make it happen?
Well, I have decided that part of simplifying my life is to concentrate on the little things, the things that really do matter, like making time to see those people who you talk about, want to see and spend time with, but rarely do.
I'm also happy to report that we have now eaten 70 of our last 72 meals at home. We decided about a month ago that we would make an effort to eat at home, preparing seasonal foods and just enjoying the process of cooking again.
It really has been effortless in many ways, made easier by the fact that it is summertime and lots of fresh veggies and fruits are in season and so plentiful. Our tomato plants are giving us lots of tomatoes and the blueberries are finally starting to come in.
I so wish I could have these sweet blue berries fresh off the bush year round, but then again maybe I would take them for granted. It is after all, the little things that truly make us happy in life, like a handful of fresh ripe blueberries on one of my favorite plates...life is good people, really good!
I hope that each of you had a wonderful 4th of July!
We watched fireworks from our dock, and enjoyed good food and good company...including this yummy blueberry pie!
I wish I could take credit for it, but my sweet neighbor made it for us as a thank you for taking care of her cats while she was away.
For pie this yummy I would cat sit any day of the week!
I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday weekend, and for those of you outside the United States and Canada, I hope your week is off to a great start!
I think in order to be a true patriot I better go eat another slice of pie! ;-)
Isn't it funny how certain months of the year hold such a special place in our hearts? I'm not sure why summertime is the time of year I feel most content, but it always has been my favorite season.
With the first warm days, I can almost feel the breeze blowing in my hair as I race down hills on my banana bike, or smell the delicious scent as I would run inside my grandmother's kitchen to see what type of cake or pie she had made that day.
Joy, over at Savvy City Farmer just did a post on the way she grew up and those precious memories she clings to, and I could relate to many aspects of her upbringing.
It's funny, if you were to ask me about certain months each year growing up, there is little I could tell you about them. Maybe because we didn't have any birthdays in those months, or there weren't any big holiday celebrations that hit home, but ask me about the time from May until September each year and I can reminisce all day long.
Even as an adult, summer was always my favorite time of year because it meant my kids would be with me all day everyday, I treasure that time we had together now that they are both grown.
If you asked me about summertime growing up, I could regale you with tales of playing baseball in the field across the street, running barefooted on hot blue chip asphalt to catch the ice cream truck, and about playing freeze tag and green light red light until daylight gave way to twilight when the hunt for lightning bugs would begin. I would tell you about my mom marching us into the tub each night to scrub our feet and the dirt and grime from a day of playing hard, and how she stroked our hair each night checking us for ticks.
As I grew up, summer became the time when we didn't talk about school, or need to take notes, we could just be and hang out with our friends acting silly and talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Working minimum wage jobs and spending time crabbing or water-skiing on our days off. We thought those days would never end, and sometimes we wished they would. We wanted to be grown ups and live in our own homes and not have to come home by 2 am after dancing all night or sailing all day.
Once, when I was in college, my sister and I went sailing with some friends late in the afternoon. We ventured pretty far out in the Chesapeake Bay, and as we turned to head back to the marina the motor suddenly quit on the boat. This was the mid 1980s so there were no cell phones, and the radio on board decided to quit working too, along with the wind which is why we were using the motor to begin with.
For hours, we were adrift trying to make our way back to shore, and the hours went by so that when we finally did dock it was almost 3 am. I can still remember the look on my mom's face when we got back home and how frightened and worried she was. But what we saw was how angry she was, because we were young, invincible, and we knew we could handle it and that we were ok, so why should she be worried?! Now that I'm a mom, I understand.
She knew something we didn't, that life is short, and more importantly it's very fragile and can be gone in a second. Where we saw invulnerability when we looked in the mirror, she saw naivety and a lack of life knowledge.
Just like my mother, I will always worry, but I have to also let go the same way she did. I've learned to let my kids have their own summer memories, ones that I hope will be as moving as my own.
Ones where even the smell and taste of ripe blackberry will transport them back in time. My only hope is that like the berries which seem so plentiful this time of year they will realize that they are only ripe and full of flavor for a very short time. I hope they memorize that sweetness and drink it in and that they will savor each phase of their lives. That they will find their own time of year that says "ahh" to every fiber of their being the way summertime does to mine.
Embracing who you are and where you come from is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. We can't turn back the clock, and getting stuck trying to cling tight to the little and big hands is futile and will only leave you stuck in time instead of continuing on your journey. Just as we can't speed up the clock in hopes of erasing the bad times, each bit of time is what makes us who we are and takes us to the next place we need to go to in life. People, things, pets, and places will change, and you will miss them all, but if you have your memories, then you have it all.
What season speaks to your heart and takes you back?
When my late father retired after 38 years of government service, he decided that retirement should be about doing those things you love and have always wanted to try.
So even before he retired, back in 1989, he started gathering woodworking equipment so that he could make furniture. And having grown up in Michigan, he had a real affinity for blueberries! He knew all about the health benefits of these little blue berries, but it was the taste and the idea of growing organic fruit that really appealed to him. So he planted between 40 and 50 blueberry bushes on my grandparent's small farm just down the street from where I grew up.
My grandparents had long since passed away, but they always had fruit trees, grapes, and a huge garden on the property, so I think my father wanted to carry on that legacy with his new blueberry crop.
He and my mother planted several different varieties. Some didn't survive that first year, while others have slowly waned with each passing season. The bush above was never a great producer and with the help of that tenacious weed called honeysuckle, it probably won't last too much longer. And although you can't really tell it from these photos most of the healthy bushes are nearly 8 feet tall! You need a ladder to pick the berries at the tops of the bushes so we usually let the birds have their fill of those.
Thanks to my sister "M" most of the bushes are free of honeysuckle and blackberry brambles, which also love climbing up the blueberry bushes! And now approximately 25 bushes remain and are doing well. Shortly after I took these pictures my sister and her husband arrived to mow around the bushes. Now that the berries are getting ripe, she and I will take turns each week mowing to keep the weeds and ticks to a minimum!
When my parents were alive, we would all go to the farm, including the grandkids, and help pick the berries. Then my father and mother would take them to a local farmer's market each Saturday to sell them.
Today, my niece and nephew pick and sell the berries locally. We weren't sure how this year's crop would fair since we've had so little rain. And it's still hard to judge since they are just starting to ripen and are always a little sour at the beginning of the season!
Mr. Tide and I used to live in the little farmhouse on the property when we were first married, and later we moved just down the street. Each morning, on his way to work, Mr. Tide would take a small ziploc baggie with him and drive right up to the bushes and pick himself some berries "to go!"
Not much has really changed, except that the bushes are much larger! These pictures were taken from our big SUV and you can tell from the picture above this one that these bushes are mighty tall!
During the relatively short season each year we eat our weight in blueberries, resulting in a few tummy aches over the years! We also freeze lots to use in pies, pancakes, and blueberry lemon bread throughout the winter. But nothing really beats a handful fresh off the bush, sweet and ripe and ready for the picking!
I wish everyone had this kind of organic drive-thru because it sure is a lot better for you than a fast food drive-thru!
Thanks to everyone who left such sweet comments about Puddin's house, I know she appreciated each and every one of them!
All images, text, and content are Copyright protected and exclusively owned by Low Tide High Style, Kat Warren Photography, and Kat W. Photography. Please do not reproduce without written permission.
I am a mom to 2 wonderful children, wife to an amazing husband, loved by 2 fluffy puppies, a freelance writer, fine art photographer, and a lover of all things beautiful which I hope to share with you here on my blog.
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