At this time of year, throughout our childhood, my sister and I would go to Nanny Up-the-road’s house (Or Nanna Sharland to my cousins) and then we would venture off to Woodland’s Walk with washed empty ice-cream tubs ready to fill with autumn fruit. I used to look forward to it so much. Proof that you don’t need expensive toys and gadgets to have fun – just nature and family time. This is a gentle post about memories and blackberries….
Rain & Jude blackberry picking
I remember swiping away cobwebs with sticks; trying not to eat more blackberries than I actually put in my tub, and always trying to pick more than my sister! Sometimes our cousins Andrew and Susan would join us and it would be extra fun then because they’d always make us laugh. They were older, but because Woodland’s Walk was our territory, we could impress them by showing them where to go to cross the stream to get to the better brambles! They’d also pick me up to piggy back so I could reach the ones further up.
Going back to her bungalow with scratches up our arms and purple stained hands, Nanny would give us some juice and home-made cake and I’d pester her for blackberry pie immediately. A few days later we’d start getting blackberry and apple jam on the table at breakfast (we had breakfast at Nan’s as our parents left early for work) and I have never tasted jam as good as that since.
I’ve always taken our kids blackberry picking and it’s become a tradition now so we have to do it! I find it very relaxing actually – it’s an activity that easily promotes notice of all your senses, so ideal for mindfulness practice. I have a feeling that a blackberry and apple pie is on its way soon! Do you go blackberrying? Or do you have any similar family traditions?
Blackberry picking