Posted in Food

A blue miracle: Blueberries!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

They are bite-sized. They are delicious. They can be eaten in so many ways. They are good for you. And they are the closest thing we have to blue food. Yep, the miraculous blueberry!

April is blueberry season in Florida, and that’s when I start checking the local you-pick farms. The one we go to each year only advertises at most a week at a time on Facebook (HNH Blueberry Farm). Their hours vary with the weather, the number of berries in the field, and how many folks showed up to pick the day before.

We don’t have to drive very far to get into the undeveloped agricultural areas of north central Florida. Fields full of cabbage, potatoes, and corn line the roads just miles from our house. Small church buildings, farm supply stores, and transmission shops dot the landscape. Cows and horses fill the front yards of large homes and single wide trailers.

The GPS says it’s a forty-two mile drive, but it will take us a full hour to get to the blueberry farm. There is no sign on the four lane, so you have to watch for the turn off. A mile down the road we pull into a grassy lot in front of a small building and acres of blueberry bushes.

We always bring our own buckets, but they have plenty there. We walk through a small sheltered area where we will later check out, and then we’re there. Rows and rows of bushes covered with ripe and ripening blueberries. All you have to do is pick them, stuff them in your mouth, and fill your bucket.

The first blueberries I picked were huge. Some were 3/4-inch in diameter. They were so sweet. My grandson and I ate the first dozen or so we picked, and then we began filling up our buckets. The ones that are fully ripe come off the branch with hardly any effort at all. I didn’t have to walk around very much; every bush was speckled with blue. My wife and I spent an hour filling two buckets (a little over six pounds). My grandson only added a few to the harvest. This year the farm charged $5 per pound cash or $5.50 if you pay with a card. If a pint of blueberries weighs 12 ounces, we came home with about 8 pints. $4 a pint at Walmart. You can do the math. All I know is that the ones right off the bush are tastier than the ones that came from who knows where.

As I picked, I had to work around a lot of white and green berries which would ripen in the next few days. Some bushes still had flowers. Their berries wouldn’t be ready for several weeks. It’s a miracle. We can pick pounds of berries one day, and the next day there will be that many more ready to eat.

In addition to eating blueberries at every meal, my next task is baking scones and muffins, some to eat now and some to freeze for later. I’ve got some good recipes for just this occasion. We may use some of these for a pie, too.

Yes, I’m a big fan of blueberries!

Posted in Life

The paint store: Wonderful colors and an amazing voice

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Image by Freepik

As soon as he spoke, I knew it would be an unforgettable conversation. He simply said, “How can I help you today?”

I was waiting at the Home Depot paint counter with paint chips in hand. The man behind the counter in the orange apron finished tapping a paint can lid closed and came over to see what I needed. It’s not what he said. It was his voice. With a deep, rich, smooth, resonate bass voice he said, “How can I help you today?” His voice was lower than Vin Diesel‘s voice. More like J. D. Sumner. Or Barry White.

I made sure I asked lots of questions just so I could hear him speak more.

“Can I get this stain in this color?”

He said, “Well, let’s look it up on the computer. Yes, we can mix that up for you. How many gallons do you need?”

“Well, I’m not sure.” I explained my project to him just so I could hear him voice his opinion. I could not get enough of his voice.

I wasn’t listening to what he said about stains and sealers, tints and hues, or colors and coverage. I could only think, “I wonder if he sings with any groups?” He’d make a wonderful addition to a gospel quartet or a Sunday morning church choir. His would also be a wonderful radio voice.

What is it about a low voice that is so soothing, so relaxing, so pleasing to the ear? I’ve read that those low frequencies can create a pleasurable vibration or resonance in a listener’s body.

All I know is I want to go back and buy some more paint.

Posted in family, Life

Hiding Easter eggs: Leveling up

Posted on by William Douthwaite

We had five of our grandchildren at our house for Easter Sunday supper and of course, an Easter egg hunt. I can just throw a bunch out on the lawn to keep the younger ones (two and fours) busy. The oldest is almost eight, and I had to level up my egg-hiding to challenge him.

This one loves to climb, so I used some tape to put one of his up high on the play fort. I’m not sure his mom was real happy about the altitude, but once he spotted it, he got up there with no problem.

A little more tape held some eggs underneath the deck of the play fort, just out of plain sight.

He quickly saw the one hanging from a tree with a pine needle pinched between egg halves hanging from an old bird-feeder hook.

The ones that stumped him? One was under an upside-down flower pot. Not hugely creative, but worked. The other was on the ground, under a pile of pine cones, with just the slightest hint of blue showing. I had to give him a couple of clues for these last two. Grandpa is still just a little cleverer than he is!

Posted in Easter

Cool take-home craft: A resurrection garden

Posted on by William Douthwaite

He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

As part of my resurrection celebration, I got to help out at an Easter Egg hunt at the church we’ve been attending. The children who attended got to hear the Easter story, eat lots of treats, run around and find Easter eggs, and slide down the bounce house slide a couple of hundred times.

And they got to make this cool craft to take home: a resurrection garden.

First, fill a large flower pot base with potting soil. Place a small flower pot on its side and cover it with soil to make a nice hill with a cave.

Next, make a nice path to the cave with small white rocks. Add some moss on top of the hill and spritz it with water to hold it in place.

Third step: sprinkle some grass seed on the rest of the dirt and spritz it with water. Hopefully, it will grow up nice and green.

Finally, add three small wooden crosses to the hill and add a large stone rolled away from the tomb.

And there you go, a resurrection garden for Easter. I was so impressed, I made one of my own to bring home. My grass hasn’t grown yet, but it made it to our home decorations for our family gathering this afternoon.

Posted in Life

It’s not so bad: Waking up before my alarm

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Man, that’s loud!”

I reached over and found my phone and punched my finger all over the screen until the alarm stopped. I was already awake, just laying there waiting for the vibration and soft sounds that would have woken me up if I were still asleep. I could have sworn I turned the volume all the way down. My wife didn’t move. Maybe she didn’t hear it. She did. “That was loud.”

To be fair, I’ve got a new phone and this was the first time I’ve actually set the alarm to go off in the morning. One of the perks of retirement is that you don’t have to set an alarm. You can wake up whenever your body says, “I’ve had enough sleep.” However, I still wake up early, just like I used to. In fact, when I do set my alarm, I usually wake up a few minutes before it goes off. I rarely wake to the alarm. Why is that? How does my body know when to wake up? And why don’t I trust my body enough so that I don’t have to set an alarm?

I did a little internet research. Apparently it’s common for people to wake up just before the alarm goes off. If you usually get up at the same time each day, your “body clock” knows that and gets you going around that time. In addition, your subconscious knows you’ve set your alarm because you’ve got something going on and wakes you around the time you set on your alarm.

Well, my subconscious is pretty good at knowing what’s going on the next day. I don’t think I’ve ever overslept and been late in the morning. I never trusted my subconscious, though. When I positively, absolutely had to get up on a Sunday morning for church, I set two alarms. Just in case. I was never late for church.

And while we’re on the topic, here’s another thing that bothers me. Why does my mind wait until just before I wake up to have my most interesting and vivid dreams? Why do I dream the most just before I wake up? I’m sure there is some science behind this. Perhaps the most recent dreams are the ones I remember the most.

Anyway, I found out how to quiet down my alarm. It’s in settings, under “sounds and haptics.”

Posted in joy, Life

Make sure you find the Easter joy you’re looking for

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The yellows, greens, and pinks reached out to me, saying, “This way!” I had little choice but to follow my autonomous shopping cart into the maze of cellophane-wrapped Easter baskets. Fuzzy chicks and bunnies watched from the shelves, hoping to be chosen for a forever home. Yellow boxes filled with peanut butter eggs whispered to my subconscious, “These the the ones you’re looking for.” Rather than the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the shore, God could have directed Abraham’s eyes to the myriad of jellybeans, promising, “Your family will number more than these!”

A couple of days from now, we’ll be filled with the joy of resurrection. Easter Sunday will celebrate the truth that Christ, not death, has the final word. Yes, we’ve adorned Easter with all these trappings and plenty of food. But none of that can drown out our voices proclaiming, “He is risen! He is risen, indeed!”

And yet, most of the people I saw in the Easter aisles at the various stores looked miserable. I did not see any smiles at all. Shoppers looked annoyed, frustrated, and tired as they scanned the shelves, shrugged their shoulders, and tossed a bag of whatever into their cart. If they had brought kids along it was worse. Angry voices scolded, “Put that back. Stop asking. One more time and you get nothing.”

Oh, come on! All of these things bring a smile to my face. In the retail world, every popular cartoon character has part in Easter, from Super Mario to the Avengers! I’m impressed by the creativity that goes into each year’s products. I don’t know about you, but the thought of Starburst jellybeans, Reese’s peanut butter eggs, marshmallow chocolate bunnies, and malted milk robin eggs makes me smile every year! I can’t wait for the fun we’ll have hiding and finding plastic eggs.

So here’s what I think. First, if it makes you miserable, you should just skip the holiday. It’s OK. The candy companies won’t go broke without you. Second, find someone (like me) who enjoys the holiday and find out why. Anyone with Easter joy is more than ready to give a reason for the hope they have. Finally, go back to the source of joy. It’s not stuff. It’s not candy. It’s not a bunny. Or eggs. It’s an empty tomb. Death has been defeated, sin has been forgiven, and God’s love endures forever.

Posted in children, Life

Story time: The fountain of youth

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Story time at the library was packed. When my grandson and I got in line, there were twenty preschoolers, parents, and grandparents ahead of us. There were enough sitting mats to go around, and we found our spot near the front of the room. I’m glad we did, because I enjoyed the three stories as much as anyone else in the room. Especially The Good Egg.

The Good Egg by Jory John and Pete Oswald made me laugh out loud over and over. It’s about a dozen eggs, one of who is good, joined by eleven others who misbehave and cause trouble. The good egg gets so stressed out trying to be the good one that his shell starts to crack. So he takes some time away for self care. Relaxation, meditation, and new hobbies soon have him feeling much better. But he’s lonely, so he heads back to join the others, having learned that you don’t have to be perfect in an imperfect world.

I am certain the children didn’t appreciate the story as much as the adults. We’re the ones who struggle with perfectionism, being judgmental, and putting up with difficult people. We grownups need to be reminded that a little self-care improves our capacity to understand the care for others, too.

I left story time wanting to read more children’s books. I want to read them to my grandchildren and for my self. I appreciate creative words and illustrations inspires my inner child and entertains the little one sitting in my lap.

When we grow up, we no longer see the world with the wonder, imagination, and curiosity of a child. But a children’s story can restore all of that like a fountain of youth.

I’m thankful my grandson likes to take me to story time.

Posted in wildlife

I’m watching them, and they’re watching me

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Two hawks were screeching in the tree right above our back patio. One flew off while one remained on a branch about twenty feet up. On any given day I’ll see them circling in the sky, riding the updrafts. Some days they may be sitting right on a fence post, just a few feet from the back door.

They’re watching. Watching the grass for snakes. I’ve seen them swoop in and grab an unsuspecting snake. Never saw him or her coming. Still wriggling in the talons as the hawk flies away.

Watching for bunnies. Plenty of those around. The bunnies who sit out front and think that if they are still enough, I won’t notice them. Right after I notice more bunnies than usual out in the yard, usually munching on garden plants, they disappear. Pretty easy targets for the hawk dropping in from the sky.

Watching out for other birds. The crows will sometimes gang up on them and loudly chase them away. I guess it’s not worth the fight when there are plenty of other trees around.

Watching me. I’m not a threat, but if I take a step too close, the hawk flies off. If I stand and watch too long, they leave. I’m not really a threat, but they aren’t taking any chances.

I love catching sight of the wildlife in our neighborhood. Sadly, more houses means fewer wooded lots. I think most of the deer have left. My neighbors in the sky are still around though.

Posted in faith, family, Life

The excitement is building: It’s almost Easter!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Growing up, Easter was as exciting as Christmas. I had a hard time getting to sleep the night before. My brother, sister, and I all woke up way too early on Easter Sunday morning. Why? We couldn’t wait to get our Easter baskets! The church was always a part of our family life, but we never missed out on all the other good stuff, too.

I have no idea where the tradition came from, but every Easter our baskets would have a string tied to them. It was a treasure hunt. The string would wind around furniture, through different rooms, and finally lead us to a small present. The only specific present I remember receiving was a Matchbox bulldozer. I know, that has nothing to do with Easter, but I thought it was really cool.

In addition to the hard-boiled eggs we had dyed the day before, our baskets were filled with jellybeans, malted milk balls coated to look like candy eggs, a few marshmallow bunnies, and sometimes a solid chocolate bunny.

This one comes in sizes up to 64 oz!

My mom always ordered a special dark-chocolate covered coconut cream egg from a local candy store. A little larger than the size of a softball, I remember it weighing several pounds and was unbelievably sweet. Apparently, these eggs were a Philadelphia tradition. My mom always ate most of it, slicing off pieces like she was carving a roast.

When I walked through Walmart a few days ago, I saw four aisles devoted to Easter baskets, candy, decorations, and toys. It’s still very exciting. It’s very exciting for retailers, who predict we’ll spend $23 billion dollars on Easter this year. That’s every kind of chocolate candy you can imagine is wrapped for Easter. That’s why jellybeans come in so many flavors.

But I saw no solid bunnies. Just the hollow chocolate ones. The big coconut cream eggs? I would probably have to order one online. Other Easter candy? We’ve got plenty of that. Don’t worry, I’ll let the grandkids have some, too.