Is there a sight in nature as lovely as strawberries? That glimpse of shiny red from beneath the green leaves, with delicate white blossoms showing good things yet to come.

Nathaniel and I, along with his sister, Liz, and her boyfriend, took the kids to a berry farm today for late season picking. I love strawberries, but I'd forgotten how much fun it can be to hunt for them in a garden larger than the 4x8 foot box we had in Colorado. To lift the leaves of the plant and find a little branch with three or four beautifully ripe, juicy berries hanging from it. The girls ate till their fingers and faces were red while they helped fill our crates, then retired to the shade of the mulberry trees that offered a continuation of their snacking that added purple streaks to their face painting. The only downside was that the most convenient time for us to go was at about 2:00 this afternoon. The hottest time of day on what I think was the hottest day so far this summer, not to mention smack in the middle of naptime. There was whining, to be sure, but the girls fared well, all things considered.
I think the coolest thing about the field trip, other than the aforementioned beauty of the plants, was the smell! As soon as I opened the car door the smell of ripe berries flooded my senses. Amazing! Now the smell is permeating my house as I debate what to do with the three flats of strawberries on my counter, and I'm enjoying every minute of it. These are so different from the juice-less imitations in most grocery stores. I can't walk through the kitchen without grabbing one to sample. Mmmmm.
*****
Please don't think that my commenting first on berry picking meant that Father's Day went unobserved (though I owe my own father a call. Oops! Hi, Dad!). The day began with Nathaniel getting his turn to sleep in while I let the girls help me prepare breakfast in bed for him. An omelet, cherry scones, a yogurt parfait and coffee and juice provided enough tasks for everyone to help out in some way and the girls were very proud of the meal they assembled. Unfortunately the gift we made needed to be picked up today, but the berry picking took longer than expected and the store was closed before we were able to get there. That surprise will have to wait a day to be shared.
After breakfast, mass and the farm expedition, we had dinner at my in-laws' to celebrate Father's Day and Nathaniel's brother, Sam's, birthday. He turned 21 today, so as I type, all the siblings in town who are of-age are celebrating with Sam. I love that Nathaniel's family is close knit enough that they celebrate their big drinking birthdays together. Too cool.
*****
I thanked God multiple times today for the amazing husband he gave me to be the father of my children and the "foster father", as it were, to my nieces and nephew, as well as for my own awesome dad. God bless all father's on this day and every day!
Labels: field trip