Fruits of our Labor

Growing up Mom would pack us into the car with buckets, containers, coolers, water, and snacks. She knew how to prepare for picking blueberries having started when she was young, working on a local farm in Holland, MI.
We arrived in sweaters walking through a light frost. We would leave sweating, our bellies and containers full of blueberries.
 This past summer was the first time in years that Nina and I would join Mom again for a blueberry picking adventure. This time we had our own children with us and like in years past we packed up the cars and headed for the fields. Our thoughts went to Anna who miles away was heading for fields too with her little one in tow. She would not be harvesting blueberries but working on other crops.
 The summer of 2012 we had a week of very warm weather followed by a heavy frost that killed the chance of a blueberry crop. Blueberries were expensive and scarce. Drought followed and needless to say fruit prices were astounding.
This past summer started out slowly and we feared a cold summer was ahead but we need not have worried. The heat came and so did the rain. The blueberry bushes burst forth with tiny white buds and soon luscious berries weighed down branches.
 So it was that we arrived with the sun already hot on our backs as we started to fill our buckets. The children ate as much as they picked enjoying every moment. Mom worked quickly, filling containers faster than Nina and I all the while answering questions from her grandchildren and encouraging them to help with the harvest. We all brought home pounds upon pounds of blueberries, some we ate fresh and some we froze for winter enjoyment. While visiting Eric found the container of blueberries under the cotton cloth on the table set out for eating just as it had been growing up.
 Today I used some of the frozen blueberries in a smoothie, truly enjoying the fruits of our labor.

Looking Out the Window

 Photo Friday, from top to bottom, Michigan, Iowa, Florida, and Indiana. 

Socks for Anna

These socks are for my sister Anna. Although it is way too warm for wool socks right now, she can wear them on chilly mornings or in the fall.
These socks are often called "Frankenstein socks" but I tend to call them crazy quilt socks. This is a great way to use up left-over sock yarn.
I hope she likes them!

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Style Cents

Often as women we start out our adult style career copying other people then start mixing in touches of our own selves and then just as we switch to dressing in a style we love and can own ....we have kids. Suddenly it's all about dressing them and FOR them. Our trendy tops give way to tshirts that can easily have spit up and grubby hand marks washed off. Those short flowy skirts dont work so well when you are trying to bend over at the park to pick up a sippy cup, heels and stroller brakes I swear are enemies! So we lose ourselves to jeans, ponytails and flip flops or tennis shoes. The Style Cents posts will focus on easy ways to break out of the mold and throw some fun in the mix for pennies on the dollar. Example. The first picture is of me in typical Mom errand wear. Ponytail, tshirt, flipflops jeans and my trusty purse. The second picture is the renewed errand wear. I upgraded to flip flops with some design and shine $5 (Big Lots), I switched the ponytail to the lower side and added a flower I made with a clip, flower and glue gun $2.00 (Michaels Crafts) a colorful bead braclet made from spare parts of jewlry $free (craft junk drawer) and I swapped out the old stand by purse for a super chic tote bag with vintage inspired art design. $free gift (otherwise $4.50 at amazon.com) So for less than $12.00 (assuming I bought the tote) I was able to put a little of "me" back in my style without crimping the practicality of my wardrobe. - Nina the Middle Daughter

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Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

Dinner with the Fam

 I love meal time with the Fam. My favorite part is listening to all the kids talking at the same time as they sit together around the children's table. They are like little grown-ups, mirrors of my adult children. I can see each of my grown children in my grand children.
One thing about meal time with the Fam is that we all talk at the same time and yet we all know what is being said by the other party and answer questions, make comments, and complete topics by, what I like to call, talking in the round. It's funny! outsiders would think we are crazy, they just don't understand our way of communicating....lol! the fam knows what I'm talking about. thanks Naomi for hosting our get together.
(we enjoyed, fresh green beans, stir-fried, musk melon, sausage and scalloped potatoes, oh yeah and a few bites of left over pizza from lunch, can't forget the coke....yummy!

family time in MIchigan

Today we drove to MI to visit with the girls and their families. I don't know why, but we always end up cancelling our plans at the last minute then going back to our original plan after much to do on face book or by phone. Lol! the way we journey in our fam.
     The cold MI weather was no surprise since its Tulip Time, but made it a bit uncomfortable sitting in the garage for the sale Nina was having at Naomi's new house. I love your new house Naomi. It fits your family perfectly.
     I'm so proud of how my daughters have become such wonderful Mothers & housewives. Great job girls!
We enjoyed pizza for lunch and now we are making dinner. I love cooking with my girls. It reminds me of when they were young and we all spent many hours in the kitchen making meals, baking goodies, laughing, and just enjoying being together. Life is best spent with those you love......:)