Blueberries!

Ted was going to Huntsville on Saturday so when Irene mentioned they were going blueberry picking I asked to tag along.  I met them in a parking lot at 5:30 am (or as I usually refer to a time like that as "Oh Dark Thirty") and off we went.  I think we were in New Caney when we finally arrived.  It was dark and the gates were locked but we were third in line.  Once parked inside we picked up our buckets and off we went just as it got light.  They warned me they would pick until 9:00.  By a little before 8:00 I had 14 lbs. of blueberries divided between two 10# buckets.  They were getting heavy to carry so I called "uncle" and made my way to the benches and fans at the weigh station.  I was people watching and amazed at the amount of Asian people there.  I am not sure if they make particular dishes with blueberries or just pick for the same reasons everyone else does.  There were no Hispanics though which was confusing considering the area.  A little girl about 7 was sitting across from me and just singing to herself and she had the most beautiful voice.  My hour of waiting passed quickly.

By then the line to check out was extremely long but moving quickly.  John was in line so Irene and I got all the buckets up to the weigh station while John stayed in line.  When he got to the front we moved all 8 buckets over to him.  They had picked 60#!  I got checked out right before them and we loaded the blueberries into coolers we had brought and headed home.  At the parking lot I moved my things to my car and took off.  

You are advised not to wash the berries if you are going to freeze them.  So I made up two 3 cup packages each for Gerre and Carol and then put a dozen or more 2 cup packages in the freezer.  I kept out enough for my fruit salad I am making for Monday and to make muffins for Thursday.  Mission accomplished!

I had an early lunch, took about an hour long nap and then tackled the wood floors.  Ted came home in time to shower and get ready for church.  Afterwards we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner.  It wasn't too late when I went off to bed.

Sunday after Ted returned from an errand south of Houston, we went to the store to get something for dinner and what I needed for Memorial Day.  When we returned home I spent a lot of time on the phone with Kristin, Steve and Keith choosing our excursions and tours for our Greece cruise.  Ted grilled park chops for dinner, we watched some TV and I turned in early.

Memorial Day was Monday and I made deviled eggs and fruit salad to take to Gerre's for a cookout.  She had a big crowd but their backyard is so lovely it didn't seem crowded.  Some of us were in the pool, men were gathered at the tiki bar and two picnic tables hosted still others.  It was a great afternoon and evening with lots of good conversation and food.  I learned you really need a new bathing suit bottom when you are on a diet.  I tried on a Land's End bottom of Gerre's and came home and ordered a black one in the correct size.  For now the two black and white tops I already have will work!

Here is my Facebook post to honor our fallen heroes.

I wish everyone could visit Normandy and see the enormity of what our young men and women did for the free world.  It brings tears to my eyes to see the ignorance, ungratefulness and disrespect shown by so many today realizing they can act like that because of what their fellowmen did so unselfishly.  It has been done and continues in many wars all over the world but the American Cemetery in Normandy that sits on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel in Colleville-sur-Mer, France will always stay with me.  God bless the USA!