Blueberries and kiddies

This time of year at the Schnuck Estate, something wondrous happens: the blueberries arrive. We were blessed with a small blueberry thicket off the driveway that we happily discovered 2 months after we moved in in 2001. Dark blue berries began falling off the branches and I wandered over to investigate. Evidently the people who originally owned the house were renown for growing organic stuff (vegetable, cherries, blueberries) and we are happily reaping the benefits of their prior efforts as we do little to nothing to earn this wondrous treat. I neither spray nor protect them from animals and still manage to get plenty to freeze and give away. Occasionally we whack off a branch of two in a vain attempt to pretend we are "managing" the bushes. Yet they continue to come, year after year, providing us with free fruit all year long. In fact we often finish up the last of the frozen berries the week or so before they come in again. (Our blueberry treat of choice is smoothies- put yogurt, frozen blueberries, strawberries, banana and some OJ in a blender, wizz up and serve.)
Anyway, the blueberries are in and they are such a magnificent example of the wisdom of Mother Nature. First of all, the left and and center right bushes start turning blue first. Often giving most of their berries before the rest of the bushes start. (Another interesting thing is different varieties evidently are necessary with cross pollination and such- we must have 2 or 3 slight variations out there) Each bunch has quite a few berries in them and they all turn blue slowly, at different times. You usually see 1-3 ripe berries amid a cluster of hard green berries. So you pick one or two from each bunch, and return for more later. This is perfect as you are not inundated with berries all at once but get the same amount from the bushes each day or so for a few weeks. Nature's way of doling out her treats.

Now, picking berries is my brief therapy most days as I sneak out, away from the madness of the asylum, and pick for 20 minutes or so. During this time I think, and this year I am thinking about children's needs and my ability to manage multiple levels of teaching, multiple kids, all at the same time. So, I began thinking that perhaps something can be learned from the humble blueberry bush. Initially I thought, how nice it would be if the kids were like the blueberries, ripening at their own speed and being ready to be picked all at different times. Me, popping in to pluck them off the shrub, careful not to disturb the one to them. However, I don't really believe this would happen as I know the kids are more like a group of Piranha than blueberries and they tend to circle and swarm in unity. Instead I hope that maybe I will be more like the blueberry bush, and be able to hand out what is needed when it is time. Offer it up and it will be picked off by the kids and consumed. Nice theory, I know, but theories don't always bear out so I have a back up plan: to make them learn and stay on task, I can always bribe them all with blueberry smoothies.