Queens of the Strawberries

By my best guesstimations (as opposed to estimations, and yes, it is a word... I just typed it...) I have thirty-something organic strawberry plants at Freeman House. And ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning to have actual strawberries. Allow me to present them:

...and:

... just to post a few. I got to thinking this morning as I tromped o'er soggy garden land that perhaps I did have an idea for a June "save this house" get together, after all. And I do. This June I'll be hosting a Queens of the Strawberries Day at Freeman House. Every one's invited. We'll drink Strawberry Lemonade and Strawberry Iced Tea in the garden. We'll sit among strawberry topiaries and read menus printed along with strawberry poems and after our strawberry-inspired entree we'll dine on this... the Strawberry-Cornmeal Shortcakes featured in May's Country Home...

You won't want to miss it. It is all decided. In fact, I've gone so far as to mentally fashion the crowns that will be awarded to the official Queens of the Strawberries that day. It's inspired by Pam Garrison's crown submission in this book and will be truly crowning achievements. (By the way, you've seen it, right? It took me a whole 20 seconds to gasp, "My gosh! That gorgeous thing is made from chicken wire!?" Everyday I am more and more convinced that God is good and that Pam Garrison is brilliant. Thanks to God being good, of course.)

Anyway, I have visions of sugar strawberries and strawberry crowns and sparkly, cool, pink-filled punch bowls dancing in my head this morning. It's like a Splenda commercial up here.

So mark your calendars now. June 30th. The Queens of the Strawberries Day. Hope to see you here!