Traditions can reach a new level if you record them
8:31 AM Thu, Jun 26, 2008 | Permalink
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Yesterday as I was leaving the house, an alarm went off in my head. It's almost my birthday and that means the strawberry fields await. My sister and I had planned to go out for dinner, but I cancelled at the last minute and told her there was only a small window of time for me and it was now. She knows me, so she understood. If I don't get my berries stored away for the winter, I get mean! And I am so glad I decided to go. Out in the back of the fields at Schartner Farms, I had already picked a 10-pound basket, one that I'd brought from home, and set it between the rows so I could fill another, when I heard a woman say that the full basket made a pretty picture sitting there in the sun. I looked up and she showed me her basket – the type you buy at the farm, made of white cardboard. It had darkened some and was a bit worn by time and use and it had that heftier look of older things. Then she told me why it was so special. On the bottom, was a year-by-year record of all the times she'd been picking with her daughter, who was only five when they began picking together (she's a college student in Boston now). Some of the entries said "We didn't go" and many had descriptions of picking conditions, such as:
The beauty of it was that Elaine Goryl, of Smithfield, took that treasured basket to pick yesterday afternoon, even without her daughter by her side, just because it held so many memories and because it was the next best thing to having her there.
I've done something similar, I told her, where, every year, at our annual Mother's Day picnic at Blithewold, we take a picture of my twin daughters in front of the same tulip bed near the entrance to the grounds. From the first year when they were just two years old, fiddling with a Chapstick, to this year's photo, ear buds securely in place, I've documented their growth and personalities as they've evolved. Each year, the photo is more meaningful as the chain of tradition grows longer. If you have a tradition you decided early on to record, let me know about it by commenting here. If I have a chance to scan some of the tulip photos, I'll add them later. Check back! 
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There's the bathroom door edge, where my nephew's heights are recorded for each year.
Wow, some storm yesterday. I expected that hail to have massacred my plants, but they came thru pretty well. The East facing house and garage walls, not so much.
I had no idea it was a side swipe by a tornado near Newport, until I received photos of it via email. If they aren't already on the slideshow, I'll add them, although I don't know who the photographer was.
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Dear Beth:
Saw the Blog. I wanted you to know that the entry at the bottom of my basket will read," Picked 19 lbs of beautifully ripened strawberries. Met Beth Heaney and her strawberry basket." It was a pleasure meeting you yesterday. Already made 3 dozen stawberry scones, freezing the strawberries, and the ice cream is in process!
Elaine
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It was a pleasure meeting you, too, Elaine. Whenever I meet someone else in my life who loves the same things as I do, it makes my eyes light up! I only cleaned and froze my berries. I'll make the goodies with them when I have more time. Last night was just hulling, hulling, hulling. I really had to scrub my knees when I got home, too. Nothing like it, huh?
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I have a coffee table. It has scratches from little matchbox cars, dents from baby walkers, and lots of other wonderful memories. I will never ever get rid of this coffee table. It holds too many memories.
Your strawberry "friend" encounter was truly beautiful. I enjoyed it so much.
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