Yesterday morning, I drove to a nearby grocery store to meet my friend, Michelle, to pick blueberries at a farm in our county belonging to a member of our church. Loaded down with buckets and bug spray, we made our way through the gate to a blueberry patch the length of one of those hideous stretch-Hummers and nearly as wide.
Gorgeous ripe blueberries hung from every branch, often in clusters of half a dozen or so. Some burst in my hands as I scrambled to pick them while resisting the urge to snack. Okay, I didn’t fully resist. I didn’t resist at all. Who could? And why on earth would they? The best part of berry picking is the feast to the senses and a terrific distraction from my jumbled thoughts about the adoption house inspection in just a few hours.
As I took in the sensory smorgasbord that surrounded us in the slow cooker that is southern Georgia, I couldn’t help but be amazed at my good fortune to be in that moment; in that place. With the soft sounds of the blueberries hitting the bottom of my bucket and gentle whisper of a high breeze in the trees above us, I felt overwhelmed by the simple abundance before me.
Leaning fences topped with long-rusted barb wire washed up memories of days on The Farm with my grandfather and flooded my heart with the peace that I craved. As I reached for blueberries to pluck them from the vine with already stained fingertips, I wondered about the children we would have and if they would one day see our farm as The Farm. Will it fill them with heartsease? Will they look back upon their life and feel blessed to have shared in the blueberry picking or instead view it as a senseless chore?
My berries neared the top of the bucket when Michelle rounded the end of the patch and appeared with rosy cheeks (from the heat and the fact that she was on the sunny side of the blueberry patch). All smiles, we made our way to her van and I snapped a few pictures while we discussed the adoption home study, the four children that were on our hearts, and how we had basically come to the conclusion that we couldn’t afford to adopt a large sibling group at this time. If only those wicked gas companies knew that they were the main reason that four beautiful children would not be adopted by a couple who wanted them upon seeing them. We decided to have lunch at my house and continued chatting while taking in the scenery. Georgia had some showing off to do.
As we passed trees laden with golden pears and backyard vineyards which promised sweet muscadine wine, I reflected on the pros and cons of adopting a sibling group. I’d priced trading in my car for the minivan and while we could handle that expense, we couldn’t handle the fuel costs of transporting the children to birthday parties, T ball practices, soccer games, swimming lessons, and ballet. We are also unwilling to deny our children those experiences. After all, hadn’t they been denied enough already? Michelle reminded me to let go and let God (something that you, my dear friends, have said before). I decided to take everyone’s advice.
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Rosa - I LOVE blueberries! Here, they are far too expensive and, unfortunately, I don’t have a garden…
That’s such a peaceful place! It makes you want to take a nap in the shadow!
Cheers,
Rosa
YDavis - I see blueberry pie or blueberry muffins on your TO-DO list. 🙂
Something about picking berries…it has a soothing effect(at least that’s how I feel).
I didn’t pick any blueberries this year. Raspberries kept me busy and I’m still picking.
marky - we have been picking blueberries here for a few weeks at a local blueberry farm.. It has been so TASTY! Ours are about finished now. Last week when I was picking 2 little fawns walked right up to me..cute as could be.
Mrs darling - I love this tour down country lanes and into the farm! Life is good when its lived close to the land. The land is so alive! When so much around us is pretence and sham nature remains real and unconcerned.
Ann - Blueberries are my favorite. I JUST made a Blueberry Crumble Pie and will blog about it soon – it was INSANELY good. And addicting.
Linda Sue - Loving the pictures and I cheated and read your OTHER post already – ha ha ha – the provision was already in place!
Valarie Lea - Ok I so needed to read this. It was further down in my reader and I just got to it, and I think I am gonna cry again. 🙂
The Cotton Wife - Oh my Lordy! I am in love with your new website.
I want one!!!!
Sheri - Beautiful pictures. Michelle sounds like a gem of a friend. I am glad you have her for support.
Barb - Oh for the love of Blueberries! Can’t wait to see what you are going to post about…eating them?? A wonderful time you had I can tell and what a great friend! I hear gas prices MAY be coming down.. could be a “sign” for you & those 4 kids you want to love & share your life with 🙂
I’m praying for you everyday!
{{HUGS}}
Barb
Jana - Lacey, I can’t help but think of what a beautiful person you are EVERYTIME I visit this blog. You are fantastic, and will be an excellent mother. And I’m a FIRM believer in letting go and letting God. It will happen, I have no doubt.
Auntie Katydid - I love the sound of ‘plunk plunk plunk’ when blueberries hit the bottom of big plastic ice cream bucket. Black eyed peas make a similarly satisfying sound when you toss them fresh from the shell into a bit stainless steel pot. That’s more of a ‘poink poink poink’ tho.
Maybe next summer we will be taking all SEVEN children out on produce picking field trips. We would have to take two cars likely, but we can trade up kids — one taking the 3 girls and one taking the 4 boys. You can have the boys.
CC - Just what we did last week. And the kids? Loved it!
Nina - My children are grown now and married.
I wondered at times, too, if their experiences with us were worth the extra effort we put into making them as we wanted the to be.
I’m happy yo say, “YES,”–they remember much of what we had hoped for and talk about doing the same when they start a family.
What more could we ask for!
Mad Love: Blueberry Jam : Razor Family Farms - […] Read about picking the blueberries in Friendship Harvest: Blueberries and Tranquility […]
Carla - It’s winter, and there’s snow on the ground, but I am just now reading your post. It’s helping me beat the cabin fever I’m experiencing. I ordered my first four blueberry plants last week from Gurney’s (on sale!) Can’t wait to harvest (in a couple years blueberry’s from my own acreage. Yuuummmy, fresh blueberry muffins!