Strawberry Picking

I’m going to take a Pregnant Pause pause today. I never intended to make Mondays into a mandatory Pregnant Pause day… nor did I intend to do a PP every week. It was supposed to be something available to me when I was too tired to write anything else.

Today I’m not too tired. I want to tell you all about our wonderful day on Saturday. I begged Stephen to take me strawberry picking at this place called Froberg Farms and he agreed. The place opened at 9 and I knew it would be crowded since the last day of strawberry picking is next Saturday. I set my alarm for 8:15. I figured that would give us enough time to sleep in a bit but still make it to the farm by 10. I woke up several times early Saturday morning with a slight headache and/or stuffy nose. I kept wondering why my alarm hadn’t gone off. Finally I picked up my cell phone to see what time it was. 8:40. I had set my alarm for PM. Don’t you love it when you do that?

I got up and hopped in the shower, trying to ignore my headache. Stephen and I got ready and headed out. We ended up making it to the farm by 11. I felt like a little kid going to Disney for the first time! I had high hopes, great anticipation!

We grabbed our buckets and headed out to the field. Stephen picked a spot that he thought would be least picked over and we got to work. The strawberries looked delicious. They were bright red and shiny, nothing like the berries you find in the grocery store that have been picked too early and shipped across the country. These were fresh and juicy and red from one end to the other. One by one we tossed another berry into our bucket. “Let me see your bucket,” I’d yell to Stephen. He’d run back over me to show off his goods. I’d show him mine. “Man, you’re beating me!” He hated when my bucket had more berries. I kept reminding him that this was not a contest. We are here to have fun! He’s a man, everything is a contest.

I had a rough time out there. With every bend, my headache would flare up. I’d try to find a spot with an abundance of berries and squat there for a bit. Then I’d stand up and my pregnancy light-headedness would rush over me. I found a spot to sit and relax for a bit… cursing the Froberg family for not strategically placing benches around the field for their pregnant patrons.

This was the first time that I’ve felt that I truly couldn’t do something because I was pregnant. I was hot, thirsty, tired, and frustrated. But Stephen picked away and I was having a fantastic time watching him! He’d show me the really big ones, the really red ones, the funny looking ones. He’d yell when he grabbed one that looked beautiful on one side but was mushy or rotten on the other. It was a blast!

At the end of our picking adventure, this was our loot.

Ladies and gents, that’s about $17 worth of fresh strawberries. We got them weighed and boxed up and then headed inside and spent another $12 on other fresh produce. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, and (of course) we had to get two fried pies. We loaded ourselves and our food into the car, talked about how much fun we just had, and pulled out of the parking lot.

As we left, we saw a sign for the Froberg Nursery where we could find citrus and avocado trees. U-Turn please! We pulled into the small area and got out. It was a little nursery with only about 3-7 of each plant. (Smart! Why uproot and pot something if it’s not going to sell yet?) We wandered, looking at nothing in particular. Being surrounded by fresh produce had left us wanting more. What better way than to have your own plants? We already have beans, tomatoes, cantaloupe, and strawberries at home that are growing and kicking butt! But somehow we felt that our life wouldn’t be complete without some citrus.

We chatted with a man there for quite some time. He was passionate, knowledgable, and friendly. We later found out that he’s one of the Frobergs. We ended up buying a satsuma tree and another strawberry plant.

Overall, we spent way too much money but we had an amazing time. It was something new and fun. Something to get us out of the house. I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning, hulling, and freezing strawberries. I made a batch of chocolate covered strawberries. I cut 10 cups of them into the makings of strawberry shortcake. I packaged some up for my parents and in-laws. And I left a batch in the fridge for our munching pleasure.

It wore me out. My body ached and I laid on ice for a bit to soothe my throbbing muscles. I wouldn’t trade it though. I can’t wait until we have little kids that can come enjoy it. You can guaranteed that we’ll be talking the Hurstling and little Avery when they are old enough to know what a strawberry is! There were several little kids going from bush to bush, holding their giant buckets and looking for the perfect berries. They’d snag one off the bush and run to show their momma. It was too cute!

If you have the chance to do something like this, do it! Don’t just keep saying that you’re going to do it. If you’re in the Houston area, this Saturday is the last picking day of the season. Go do it! And if you pick too many, be sure to call me because I’d love to take them off your hands!

(ToT questions are posted.)