Storytelling Sunday: A Summer Ritual
I grew up in Orange Country, California. But it was not the glitzy "O.C." of Real Housewives or television imagination. It was Northern Orange County, circa 1970, where tracts of ranch homes and newly developed shopping malls sprouted alongside orange groves and fields of strawberries. I remember the joy and anticipation I felt whenever my mom would bring home a flat of strawberries from the field next to the hospital where she worked. She would wash, slice and serve the berries, with a little sugar or over ice cream. And they were the best things I ever tasted. Each bite tasted like summer.
Recently I stopped by a roadside stand selling strawberries (2012 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt Item #4) and bought a flat of strawberries. To enjoy this summer ritual with my own kids. One last time, before school starts.
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This story, in pictures and just a few words is brought to you courtesy of Sian's Storytelling Sunday. To read more stories, check out this link.
What a sweet story of your childhood memory, Rinda. And I love the roadside stand photo!
ReplyDeleteThose strawberries look deliciously sweet. Your story reminded me of going to the Farmers Market with my mom and dad to buy produce. Great photos. Have a wonderful holiday.
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely memories Rinda. Strawberries always shout summer to me too.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree, we used to and still do relish lashings of fresh strawberries in the summertime.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean, a little taste of summer!
ReplyDeleteStrawberries are summer for me too - haven't seen a flat like that in years though. They all come from supermarkets around here :sigh:
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoyed them!
Yummy, We used to go strawberry picking with the family when my two were little I think Neil ate more than went into his pannier
ReplyDeleteStrawberries mean summer to me as well...we can now buy strawberries in the shops all year....but none of the imported ones taste like the fresh,newly picked ones of summer.
ReplyDeleteWow Rinda, I could almost smell them, they look so good. And I love the roadside stall for your scavenger hunt photograph. Irene
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely flash of memory - and another side to the O.C. When my brother lived in California he used to take in amazement about the abundance of fresh produce available everywhere. He loved it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story today Rinda. We are into blackberry picking season this week - I'll be thinking about you as we go out to gather some this afternoon
Isn't it amazing how good a freshly picked strawberry can taste? So much better than those you buy in the supermarket. Thanks for sharing your memory, it's reminded me of strawberry picking as a child.
ReplyDeleteI remember making myself sick one year when we went strawberry picking, and ate more than I ought to! A lovely memory today Rinda
ReplyDeleteAlison xx
A lovely childhood memory and a tradition continued. It brought back a couple of related memories of my own. Thanks for sharing x
ReplyDeleteThis is a really lovely story Rinda. We love strawberry picking over here. I always ate more strawberries than went in the box though!
ReplyDeleteoh yes I lvoe strawberris - and that they are seasonal
ReplyDeleteThat is a lovely memory. Strawberries are the perfect food. I had some on my cereal this morning.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet remembrance. It's fun to celebrate the seasons in small ways.
ReplyDeleteGreat to share something you treasured with your children. Lovely story and photo.
ReplyDeleteA lovely memory to share and glad you were able to share some strawberries with the children too!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful memory! We go raspberry picking every summer with the boys.
ReplyDeleteSummer strawberroies are the best thing
ReplyDeleteooooo so mouthwatering! strawberries scream summer! A lovely story Rinda.
ReplyDeleteYum I love the OC and strawberries. Normally we go strawberry picking in the summer, but in England the weather hasn't been good enough.
ReplyDeleteLiving on the east coast in the middle of nowhere, our summer ritual was picking wild blackberries along the creek. My Mom could do miraculous things with those blackberries, and yes, served with a little sugar on top of vanilla ice cream.... yummmmmm!
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely memory, Rinda, and it is so good that you now share this with your own children. I love the way you called them a flat of strawberries!
ReplyDeleteI took my daughter strawberry picking when she was younger. Unfortunately she became highly sensitive after being exposed to so many strawberries. She had to avoid them for a year or so before she could go near them again.
We've been enjoying watching our grandsons develop the berry picking habit this summer. Love your photos!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great roadside stand photo for the hunt! And a yummy memory.
ReplyDeleteLove the photos, Rinda!
ReplyDeleteYes, there definitely is something special about summer strawberries.
We are spoiled these days, by having fruits and vegetables available year-round, rather than only when in-season locally; but summer strawberries, grown locally, always taste so fresh and lovely. Even now, they are a real treat.
We even had a few fresh strawberries from our garden this year; Mr LizzieMade bought some plants, which produced a little fruit this year. He plans on covering them with fleece over the winter, to try and encourage them to grow and fruit more next year.
Looking forward to homegrown summer strawberries in 2013!
Yum - a great memory - lovely to share it with your children so tangibly too!
ReplyDeleteWe used to do Pick-Your-Own strawberries - you didn't have to weigh (or pay for) the ones you ate!!!!
Those strawberries look wonderful Rinda and your story has reminded me of a lovely memory from many years ago. It has been a rubbish year for strawberries over here!
ReplyDeleteThe strawberries we purchase in the store are nothing compared to the ones I experienced picking from our garden as a kid! My mom always did the same with the bit of sugar and over icecream. Sometimes we got angel food cake too :)
ReplyDeleteexactly, strawberries taste of summer as does watermelon :)
ReplyDeleteA lovely insight into the real OC & aren't strawberries just THE taste of summer?!! TFS :D
ReplyDeleteMmmm, those strawberries look delicious! My kids love them too, baby gobbles them up so fast, with juice dripping all down his chin and onto his clothes - with the biggest smile on his face! x
ReplyDeleteWonderful story Rinda. It brought back a couple of memories for me. Going to a pick your own strawberry farm and making jam with what I picked. The other memory is of OC when I first started going down to visit my in-laws who lived there and seeing fields & fields of strawberries growing alongside the 405 & 5.
ReplyDeleteLast week I finally took a picture of our roadside strawberry truck for the scavenger hunt. I use to buy flats of strawberries for $10 a whole flat then proceed to eat all 16 baskets myself. If I didn't eat them all in a couple days I might make up a little strawberry jam or strawberry pie. It pains me now that it is $10 for half the flat (8 baskets). I think eating all those strawberries for so many years I now break out when I eat them. I guess that's good since I can't bring myself to pay $10 for half the goods.
ReplyDelete