A Blueberry for Boo-Berry!

Dear Reader:

I love blueberries! So happiness is ….blueberry season has arrived! I have so many memories of David and I (and the dog Old Blackie) following Grandmother Wilson to her blueberry patch and picking blueberries. David was always the funniest…what is it about little boys wanting to show off their blue tongues and lips?

After eating more than he picked, David would stick out his blue tongue and point to his blue lips…Grandmother Wilson, bless her heart, would smile and nod…just like she had never seen anyone do anything like that before. Isn’t that what grandmothers do best? Make you feel special, no matter what!

Home churned vanilla ice cream, blueberry pie…and if there were still enough berries…berries sprinkled on top of the ice cream. Life didn’t get much better than that…in my childhood memories on Grandmother’s farm.

*I was just thinking how funny it is that suddenly all my grandsons, Rutledge, Jakie, and Lachlan want a blueberry lollipop when given the opportunity to pick one from the Charms’ mini-lollipop bag. And after licking it for awhile, they all have to run over and show me their tongues and lips….some things in childhood never change.

*The grandchildren love the real blueberries… more so I am sure I will see them eating blueberries with their cereal now.

Blueberries are probably one of the healthiest foods around…the more you read about them…the more good things they seem to do…things like: keep the brain and memory healthy while benefiting the heart as well as being an anti-oxidant that helps fight and control cancer. A win-win food choice.

If you have ever gotten a blueberry stain on your shirt or blouse or whatever…the only down side is that it can be hard to get out. Blueberries are also natural food dyes. *During colonial times, early American colonists boiled blueberries with milk to make a gray paint.

What got me started on this blueberry theme today, besides I love them and they are in season, is that Anne called, yesterday, while I was out in the garden to ask if I was home and if so, she wanted to drop something off. The only thing that brought me back in from the garden was a pop-up shower that started pouring down on me.

As I was drying off I remembered to check my phone/text messages and there was the message from Anne. I had no longer texted her back than I saw her car pull into the driveway. She came bearing fruit…blueberries….straight from her garden!!!  And not only had she brought me my favorite fruit…but she had taken the time to paint them also on a card…the best!

Now I know that there was a reason for the blueberries yesterday…unknowingly, while Anne was dropping off this healthy food item for memory and remembering…I mistakenly thought my doctor’s appointment was today (Wednesday the 23rd at 11:30) and instead it was Tuesday (yesterday) at the same time and the exact same time that Anne was bringing me good memory foods to eat. Obviously much needed!

The medical office had called to check on me and make sure I wasn’t feeling badly and couldn’t come in…and even more ironic…a new appointment had just opened up for today (that I could now take) at same time I thought my original scheduled appointment was for today.

Irony at its best. Sometimes the universe just likes to play with us for a little fun, I think. But I certainly took advantage of these healthy berries and ate them all day yesterday and on my cereal this morning…so I should be in tip top condition for my check-up! Perfect timing after all Anne! Thank you! The card is on my fridge to remind me of the blueberry surprise day!

So until tomorrow…Eat healthy, keep a sense of humor, and let the fresh fruit seasons of spring and summer take you back to your childhood memories of the ‘good old summertime’.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

  • It turned out to be a really favorite day of mine….Luke and Chelsey got back from their honeymoon in Hawaii…and came over with a hens and chicks plant since they have chickens now in their backyard. They are so cute. We will be getting fresh eggs soon…love living on my street now…it’s like a little bit of country has landed. Too fun! Welcome back Luke and Chelsey…we missed you!

 

About Becky Dingle

I was born a Tarheel but ended up a Sandlapper. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Laurens, South Carolina and it was in my grandmother’s house that my love of storytelling began beside an old Franklin stove. When I graduated from Laurens High School, I attended Erskine College (Due West of what?) and would later get my Masters Degree in Education/Social Studies from Charleston Southern. I am presently an adjunct professor/clinical supervisor at CSU and have also taught at the College of Charleston. For 28 years I taught Social Studies through storytelling. My philosophy matched Rudyard Kipling’s quote: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Today I still spread this message through workshops and presentations throughout the state. The secret of success in teaching social studies is always in the story. I want to keep learning and being surprised by life…it is the greatest teacher. Like Kermit said, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re ripe you rot.”
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to A Blueberry for Boo-Berry!

  1. bcparkison says:

    More good friends. Nice art and blueberries every where. My bushes need to be replaced. While my DnL gets buckets. Something is wrong here.

  2. Becky Dingle says:

    Anne is the only one so far who has had luck with her blueberries…she said the secret was to do nothing…just leave them alone to do their thing.

Leave a Reply