Photo courtesy of Sydney, The Charming Tyrants
Summer Series – Day One
Today I’d like you to help me welcome Shannan from Flower Patch Farmgirl. I’ve got to be honest with you, I adore Shannan’s blog, her sweet little kids and their antics, and her heart. She has a beautiful spirit and lavishly gives her love away. I am blessed every single time I read her blog. When my blog grows up, it wants to be just like hers.
Welcome Shannan!
**************************************
Right now, as we speak, there’s a little box of raspberries in my fridge. I absolutely adore raspberries. It always feels so decadent and splurgey to buy them, and right now, at $2 a box, there’s really no reason not to.
The problem is, I love them so much that I don’t want to squander them.
I like knowing that they’re in my fridge and as soon as I eat them, they’ll be gone.
So what do I do?
I wait.
I look at them every time I pull out the milk or the lame old grapes and I smile just a little. Until one day, I’ll notice that they look a little mushy. They looked so good when I brought them home! Wait – when was that? I’ll do the math in my head. I’ll realize I’ve waited too long and then I’ll force the best ones down and pitch the rest.
Trust me, I know. I’ve been down this road before.
So, it seems I have a habit of idealizing a good thing. I want it to be perfect, that good thing.
(Idea courtesy of Meg Duerksen at Whatever, but you already knew that.)
I made this list months ago and it seemed a bit optimistic. Maybe just a touch overzealous.
I almost kept a few things off because I didn’t want them on the list if it wasn’t really going to follow through. I wanted my pretty list to be perfect and then I wanted to carry it out perfectly.
In the end, my saner self shoved my crazy self aside and I listed up with abandon.
We have four weeks of Summer left and we never did make it to the Silverhawks game, but we found a few new (old) parks that were pretty rad.
The strawberries didn’t grow this year, so we didn’t make jam. But we did pick buckets of berries and package them up for some of our favorite people.
We made it to the beach once, but it wasn’t Silver.
I got pecked on the head at the zoo.
The Chief was just as good in our underwear as it would have been in our jammies.
We have yet to paper mache, decoupage or craft robots from cans, but we have taken a whole lot of bike rides.
And who the heck knows how many books we’ve read, because I’m not writing them down this summer.
(photo via my honey)
Of course, there’s still time. Maybe we’ll make it to the Drive-In yet, but if not, our Winnie the Pooh matinée will suffice.
Summer is for dreaming. Big dreaming.
But it’s also for plucking up every single day and LIVING.
I’ll keep checking things off and mentally adding new things on but I’ll also wind back over and over and chuck the list.
Also? I’ll eat the raspberries, because they won’t be on sale forever.
Shannan Martin is an ordi
nary girl who searches for and finds beauty in the everyday. She’s the wife of a man who thinks all of her jokes are funny and who regularly indulges her late-night, thinking-out-loud ponderings. They have three funny babies, Calvin, Ruby and Silas, who came to them across rivers and oceans. Together, they are embarking on a fresh adventure and are confident that God will meet them there.
****************************************
Shannan, thank you for joining us and reminding us to enjoy our days, eat the raspberries, and have a little summer fun. I didn’t pick any strawberries this year, mostly because of last year’s mishap (for the love of strawberries), but I’m going out right now to buy some raspberries! 
I’m over at An Army of Ermas today sharing some fun in the kitchen and giving you all a simple recipe that I created myself. Yes, go ahead and be scared.
Like this:
Tags: berry picking, children, cooking, Family, guest blogger, Life, outdoor activities, photography, recipes, summer fun, Summer Series
Funny I have some blackberries that I’ve been squandering.
Love Silas’ blueberry gift…so sweet. We are heading to MI this Friday to pick blueberries. I abandoned our Summer list, and am living in the present. My babies are 7,7, 12, and 14…so my Summer is highly unpredictable. We joined a community garden at a senior citizen residence near our home. It’s been such a treat to have new friends to visit and learn from each day. Our tomatoes and peppers may not be the biggest in the garden, but they are growing, and my kids are getting some exercise biking over there. Keep having fun!
Oh, I do the same thing! And then I’m eating bowls of fruit all day because it really should be thrown out soon
Such a refreshing post, Shannan! Thanks for sharing the happy this Monday!
Love her, she is one of my favorites too!
Our raspberry bushes are full to overflowing, we can’t pick and eat them fast enough, so we have plenty to share . . . even the birds have had their fill. Anybody got any good recipes?
Perfection! My two favourite gals.
I do the same thing with my raspberries! They always end up coated in suits of white & then I feel all SAD about all my hard work picking um! This year I’m kinda sad for a different reason…..I don’t know if I trimmed them to short or what they aren’t looking so hot…not many leaves…no berries!
Love ya’ Farmgirlie!!!
Rebecca
What a great idea to make to-do lists for FUN things instead of chores. It helps us keep accountable to embrace the good in our lives. I’ll look forward to making some ‘happy lists’ for myself – it’s a great motivational tactic… possibly even for tackling those chores one day
Thanks for sharing!
Blessings,
This Good Life
I’ve been learning these lessons, too – the imperfect lists, the fruit going smooshy,… and my blog wants to be like Shannan’s when it grows up, too.
beauty all around.
get out there and buy some raspberries. You’ll be glad you did.
I did the same thing with my blackberries about 2 weeks ago. I used them so sparingly so they’d last and then one day I looked and they were fuzzy!! So disappointing.
Happy Summer Shannon and FringeGirl! Here’s to eating berries with reckless abandon!
love her, too.
glad to come over and visit your blog!
we’re crossing off our summer list, too…..one thing at a time.
1. I’m so excited to be introduced to your blog…can’t wait to read more!
2. Shan, my summer list never made it out of a notebook in which I scrawled out ideas in pencil as my kids shouted their thoughts at me. Oh, well.
3. I save the raspberries too. And the big apples. And the avocados. No more madness! Time to raid the fridge.
You need to grow your own raspberry bushes. Get some at Lowe’s or a garden center and pick an area with some nice sun. In a few years you will have so many berries, they might go fuzzy in the fridge because you have so many. Eating them off the bush is the best.
You can freeze them, can them- pies,jam, fruit leathers- and mix them with vodka, rum or brandy to make a wonderful fruit liquor. A bowl of them with whipped cream for breakfast is lovely. Have I motivated you enough to plant your own bushes yet?
Sometimes I do something fun and then add it to my list so I can cross it off. It’s cheating, but sometimes opportunities come up that I just can’t turn down!
How great is this ta da list. I make lists of all the things I have/need to do. How much more fun to have one of all the things I want/love to do. Hmmm…middle of July…I still have time. Thanks for the reminder to always eat the raspberries instead of blowing ‘em.
Deb
I do the same thing with blueberries. But actually, sometimes I’m not saving them, they just get buried in the fridge. Thanks for the reminder to enjoy summer while it lasts.
first things first, shannan: i want that dress. details please. : )
you guys know how to soak in the summer better than anyone! love it all.