Blueberries for Wanda

Blueberries
The school year started and my two oldest are both gone all day. I wasn’t happy to see them go. I felt sort of mad, like the school was kidnapping them or something. And then suddenly we had the house to ourselves, me and Wanda.

I had a church meeting. I put Wanda down for an early meltdown-induced nap. I made corn bread and thawed meat for our chili tonight. I baked bread and picked a few pounds of blueberries at a farm a few miles down the road and then I took Wanda for a walk. I played the songs I wanted on the stereo and nobody used the toilet and forgot to flush.

If the school’s going to kidnap my kids and educate them, at least I was able to distract myself with a surge of domestical energy. It was one of those days you just want to repeat over and over again.

My favorite part of the day was picking berries. Wanda and I wandered up and down the rows of fruit, each with our own bucket. She’d venture off and circle around to find me again, plopping berries into her mouth from the trees, the ground and my bucket. Unlike Little Sal, she never accidentally started following a mama bear around the field and she was not wearing overalls.

Blueberry picker

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8 Responses to Blueberries for Wanda

  1. Mir says:

    Goodness, she has grown! She looks like a little Laylee!!

  2. Emily G says:

    I feel like the school has kidnapped my oldest and am going through withdrawal pains. Unfortunately my youngest and I haven’t done anything as cool as pick blueberries. We’ll need to change that.

  3. She’s getting so big! It’s funny how it is impossible to pick blueberries without Blueberries for Sal. We always say “kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk,” even though we are picking into green cardboard containers, and not little/big tin pails.

    My two older kids start school tomorrow, and I will have to find something for my two littles to do. I don’t think we will be picking anything, since it has been raining all day. Maybe we will have a swim party in the basement while I pump out the water.

  4. yuka says:

    I want to eat her!!!!

  5. Cynthia says:

    I am beyond jealous. I wish I could go pick bucketfuls of blueberries.

  6. Pam in Utah says:

    I loved this post. And I love you. Made me feel all hopeful and happy for you and for your family. There’s nothing like picking fruit in the sun with loved ones to bring joy to the soil. P.S. Good luck to the school goers. I bet they had fun, too!

  7. Jd says:

    Mmmmmmm blueberries! Such a great pic of her!

  8. Love that book. They make blueberries seem so juicy and sweet, and then I eat a mouthful :/ Am I the only one who only likes blueberries in pies/jam/other confections?

    On another note… I am SOOOO jealous you get to go pick blueberries so close to your house. WE’re going to grow some (or try) but I’ve heard it’s pretty tricky, involving pine needle mulch or something like that.

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