Triple Sibling Infusion

We typically visit New England in the summer, shortly before school starts. Our parents and siblings all live in the Northeast, with almost all of them in the Boston area. The trip almost always includes time in New Hampshire, just as the blueberry season begins there. We thought we would be able to do it again this summer, though we expected it to involve driving instead of flying to accomodate my still-compromised immune system.

With my relapse, there's no way I should be getting that far away from my doctors or getting exposed to extra people, so I will be staying in Illinois for the first summer in a long, long time. Maybe even for the first time since moving to Illinois 25 years ago. Paul will fly to Boston, and Jake is already there for the summer, so they will have to be our representatives at the annual summer family gatherings.

Since I had to cancel my summer travel plans, and to help ease the shock and pain of learning my leukemia was back, all three of my siblings flew out for a long weekend of hanging out, cooking, and yard work. And blueberries.

Mara tames some tomatoes.

There are always plenty of weeds.
Karl and Lauren take some of them out.

There is a U-Pik farm not too far west of town. Last year was their last year of being officially open for business, but they still let you come and pick and pay on the honor system. There are lots of weeds, and the bushes have not been pruned, and it's a little sad. It was also just shy of 100 degrees and very humid. But the late afternoon light was beautiful, making the scene look like a painting of an Italian landscape. And, of course, there were blueberries! Writing the perfect metaphor about finding beauty and sweetness in a day's dying light, in a blueberry patch succumbing to weeds, is left as an exercise for the reader.

Karl and others picking...

Paul picked the most.

I did not pick, an extension of my doctor's orders to avoid yard work. I roamed the rows finding bushes that were relatively loaded. It has been so hot and dry for the last week and a half that the berries were smaller than expected. However, they pack the flavor of a larger, plumper berry into a smaller volume, so they should make a good pie.

Joe holds Paul's bucket while Paul takes the picture.

Mara flips Karl's famous pancakes, some of which got to be blueberry pancakes.

Karl makes bread cuts fruit. Later he made some of his famous
oatmeal bread.

Lauren works on a blueberry pie.

As expected, the pie turned out great. I should have worn a hat!
I forgot that I don't need much hair to have a bad hair day.