Wow...it's been a while!

Unimaginable...it's been a busy time. I just got home from "Newberry's Backyard BBQ." They have near 'bout the best BBQ chicken anywhere around. It was a good ending to a long - but productive day. Started the morning with my favorite date (for the past 24 or so years!) went to my favorite bakery where they serve perhaps the best French pastries anywhere, drank my favorite coffee (Starbucks--yes, I am a corporate puppet). We then went leisurely WANDERING to pick BLUEBERRIES! Hurrah for Brad's Organic Blueberries! He's a post all on his own. :)

It was about 95 degrees but beautiful. The trees had been pretty well picked over but we still managed to get 3 lbs. At 2.50/lb. that was a steal. Even at WM (corporate puppet again) they were 2.48/PINT and that was on sale! Same reason I finally bought a Meyer Lemon tree...I HATE paying so much for fruits, herbs, and other produce. I never had a garden growing up but my grandparents, and their grandparents, and their..well, you get the point...did. I'm trying hard to learn about gardening and native plants. I'm mostly trying to learn how not to kill stuff. My great Grandma Quillen had a green thumb not to be believed. The smell of rich, fertile soil immediately takes me back to her yard with its beautiful roses and white half runner beans growing side by side. She was a native of Tennessee so you can imagine how much she LOVED being able to grow year round here in Florida. One of my worst memories from her yard though was eating a pepper I was told NOT to touch. I have no idea what it was I just know it was small, yellow, and HOT as Hades. I don't think I even put the pepper itself in my mouth, I just rubbed my hand over my lips. Man, I still feel that pain!

So now I'm off to get the berries in the freezer. Then off to bed with visions of blueberry muffins, blueberry - lemon tea cake, blueberry crepes, and blueberry tarts dancing in my head. Sweet dreams! :)