Chew On It

Have you ever gone fruit-picking? There’s something special about walking up to a plant, plucking off delicious, sun-ripened fruit and plopping it into your bucket to take home. If you’re a gardener, you know the satisfaction of toiling in the dirt, watering for days and celebrating the results of your tender, loving care. It’s like producing a masterpiece!

Masterpieces come in all forms; fruit, flower and unusual plants remind me of great works of art and they require a similar patience before we can enjoy the final product. Everyone can appreciate cultivating a piece of food from a seed, but the definition of "art" varies by individual. Take a look at one man’s artwork:

                                             

                                          https://youtu.be/WSzkKEKcmN4  

How interesting that a kid’s preoccupation with chewing gum grew into a life-long passion and a career. Anything is possible once passion and creativity collide. What’s your passion in life and how can you use it to bring joy to others?     

               

Reprinted from August 2012  

What’s the Backstory?

Not long ago there was a story about a lady finding a spider in a blueberry. I had a hard time imagining a bug tunneling into a fruit that small until this week when we bought the largest blueberries I’ve ever seen. I could easily imagine an insect getting comfortable inside our gigantic berries, and of course, I had to check them carefully to avoid any surprises. Since we’re mentioning massive fruit, let’s check out the massive creatures who might enjoy it. Watch this:

                                         https://youtu.be/PVJ_OuAMyxw

 That’s the stuff of nightmares. Dig into nature, and you never know what unusual creatures you’ll find. The natural world is bursting with variety and so much to explore. A quick internet search identified a handful of different kinds of commonly grown blueberries and over twelve hundred bat species. In the comments section, talk about why you think there are so many types of plants and mammals living side by side. 

The Fruit of the Matter

We’ve had an unspectacular season for fruit, so imagine my surprise when I picked up the juiciest plum of the year. After one bite, juice ricocheted off the paper towel and splashed all over my shoulder. How does that happen? When it comes to fruit, you never know what you’ll get. Have a look:

                                         https://youtu.be/ik3l4U_17bI

There’s an artistic quality to this science experiment, but the Frankenstein nature of it overwhelms its beauty. Someone once said you’ll know a person by their fruits, meaning you’ll understand who they are based on their character and actions. Unlike Prof. Sam’s project, it’s natural for us to be multi-faceted. But if you had to squeeze the core of your character into one sentence, what would you say?