jimell kahrs - piggy tails boutique
Building a family tradition is important to the family core. Participating together creates and strengthens the family bonds through the years. Here is one of ours:
T
he “jackspot”, as termed by 8 year old Coby, is a giant cluster of the biggest berries on the berry bush. Whether the family tradition is picking blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, pumpkins or apples, the strategy is to pick and move around the bush, looking for the jackspot. And judging from the amount of berries in Coby‟s bucket, this strategy is reliable. Blueberry picking in July is a yearly family tradition in our family. In Tennessee, the blueberries begin to ripen the first of July and continue through to mid-August, so we have plenty of opportunities to harvest the blueberries. Traveling to the blueberry patch sets the stage for getting into nature. We get up early in the morning to avoid the heat of the sun during our berry harvest and head straight to the patch. Taking several back roads with overgrown trees that frame the road, it almost seems as if we are driving through an artist's painting of the Tennessee landscape.
Upon arrival at the blueberry patch, my boys immediately run to their special bush, the one that they believe is where the biggest blueberries reside. My toddler, Tylie, isn't as interested in picking the berries as she is in eating the berries. I love just watching the excitement of the children, and I am proud of the boys for watching over their baby sister, and of my oldest, Tony, for showing Tylie which berries are the yummiest. Not only is berry picking a very economical activity - we brought home over three pounds of blueberries and a blueberry bush to plant in our backyard for under $18 - but it also creates fantastic memories for my children of spending quality time with mom. After we pick the berries together, we bring them home and make delicious muffins, pancakes and blueberry cobbler together too. That is, of course, if we haven‟t eaten them all first! Special thanks to Carolyn and Eric at Morris Vineyard for letting our family create and share wonderful memories every year while blueberry picking.