cherries and the Atkins diet

It is a big day for the stall on the bend in our road and, judging by the smile I received on my way to market, I think I may even have been the proud holder's first customer : The first cherries have come out! Safe on their branches they have been quietly plumping and rouging themselves ready for their debut on the stalls and now they are picked and stacked in their boxes with their parent trees waving them on their way into our stomachs, and the Ventoux looking proudly on.

Last year we almost missed them entirely as we had decided to do the Atkins diet. We did it for two days and felt constipated and unhealthy. Worse still, walking past a wild cherry tree heavy with fruit, we found ourselves like small children in front of the sweetie counter staring at the sherbet - filled spacecraft or the red twisty liquorice, not 'allowed' to gorge ourselves. We went home to eat ham and eggs and thought to ourselves: 'This is ludicrous'. We stopped the diet immediately.

The poppies are crowding the banks and will nod a glorious translucent goodbye over the next week as their twins in hue flood in a little higher up. I have slowly learned not to be sad about their departure. Sometimes I reckon this season comes as a technicolour illustration of the natural law of letting go; that if you do, something new will spring up in it's place; that I could miss the burgeoning fruit if I gaze too intently at the shriveling flower.

At this time of year I always think about our little tudor cottage in Sussex and the difference in Julian and my reactions when our tenants suddenly gave notice: I was paralyzed with fear, desperate to write as many emotionally manipulative emails as was necessary to prevent the change. Julian simply laughed and said "This could be the most exciting thing that has happened to us! C'mon - for a laugh, let's just go out and see what we could get if we sold the cottage and bought somewhere here...." He almost dragged me screaming to the estate agent and the first house was saw, naturally, was 'Les Cougieux' - our beautiful home. Where would this gal, so terrified of change, be if it weren't for the other cherry on her stem? Probably still in the womb......!

Now the greatest challenge for cherry no.1 is to let go of the new ponytail hairstyle sported by cherry no. 2 who can't be arsed to get a haircut.

Slightly shy still of their full carmine richness and with some still following the lead in sweetness, these lovely fruit come nevertheless with a tasty message for control freaks and they mark one of the happiest days of the season.



(ps...and a big thank you to oiseau for believeing in my photography talent and giving me a flicker pro account. Now you can see my blog and other photos larger than life just by clicking on them!)