Way back in the memories of my mind I remember blackberry picking time with my mama, brother and sisters, aunts and cousins. That was a special time for us all. I can remember the laughs we all had being together. Now there were some down falls about picking the blackberries but it didnt out weigh the fun on a hot summer morning. Mama would wake us up early, dress us in long sleeve shirts and long pants, tie pieces of rags around our ankles and wrist that had been soaked in Kerosene. That was to keep the red bugs off of us but come to think about it, it didnt seem to help. Lawd of mercy those were some mean little devils, I can remember getting them in the bends of my legs, my arms and around my waist, itch wasnt the word for it. Now mama had three remedies ... Rub bacon grease on them but that only smelled good and made me hungry... Clear finger nail polish which would sting like heck... and a raw lemon which was another stinger. Come to think of it none of them really helped. It puts a smile on my face to think back about those times. Mama and my aunts would take gal jars of water or tea and a biscuit of whatever we had left over from breakfast because these were no small outtings we would stay for almost a day. we would go down in pastures or along the creek banks and sometimes around the pond. I can still remember how big those wild blackberries were, as long as the first joint on my thumb. Getting scratched by the briers was one thing but reaching in a bush and your arm brushes up against a black snake was a whole nother story. Have mercy I was ready to go then. Have I said before how I dont like snakes? It seems like the hotter it got the more snakes we would see. Mama wouldnt stop until we filled a few big buckets but honey it was worth all that when she would open a jar of her jam during the winter and set a plate of hot buttered biscuits on the table. Her blackberry pies were awesome, I even liked when she stewed some for breakfast with hot biscuits and fried bacon. A meal fit for a king I must say. Now I loved going to the strawberry fields with her. Bending over for me was hard with having the polio in my back, well the bending over wasnt bad it was just trying to straighten up again, that was the problem. I would sit down in the middle of the rows and pick them as far around me as I could reach then I would slid on my butt on down the row. It was funny that most of what I picked went in my mouth instead of the bucket. One time the man that run the store up above us, Mr Mark told me I could go to his patch and get all I wanted. Now that was like throwing the rabbit into the brier patch. I think I must have eat those berries for over an hour and it was hot, the sweat was dripping off my chin but gosh there were so sweet. I went to a friends house that was just behind the store laid down on her steps and threw up, I mean over and over. I dont think I had ever been so sick. But you know what, it didnt hinder me from doing it again. Well people just dont do that anymore, to much trouble I reckon. My mama worked hard to make good things for us to enjoy and im sure we didnt appreciate it then. I wish I could thank her today for all she did. I was just thinking that I would love to see kids today do the things we did as a child. Good heavens there would be so much complaining. Well I just wanted to give you another peek into my memories, for memories are as precious as our families, so never forget them, and tell them every chance you get so they will live on forever. Hope you enjoyed it and that I was able to make you smile. May God bless Yawl and have a good one now ya hear.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:02:19 +0000
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