Blue is for.....

I am taking part in Jenny's Rainbow Summer School and this week the featured color is blue.....You can find all the participants and read their "blue" essays at jennymatlock.blogspot.com
Last night while once again battling the dreaded insomnia, I thought about the color blue. Blue isn't one of my favorites. I love water and the ocean and I thought of blue skies, but it just wasn't doing it for me....Then blueberries came to mind. I love blueberries. Then I remembered one of the first books I read, "Blueberries for Sal." So here is my blue story.







Once I learned to write my name, my mom took me to the Tillamook County Library to get my very own library card. It was an epic day. I loved the library and I loved books. It must've been towards the end of the school year because they were promoting their Summer Reading Program. My mom signed me up and we picked out books. I was five, almost six years old and so proud to have my own library card. The first book we decided to read was "Blueberries for Sal"







All I have to do is see the cover and I am transported back in time. Sitting on the couch with my mom in the middle, me on one side, my little sister on the other. My mom holding the book with me tucked under her arm and I am turning the pages. The feel of the nubby green sofa on my legs. The sound of my mom rubbing my little sisters back. She had to rub her back to get her to stay still for the story and even then it was a stretch. For weeks I begged for a berry bucket so I could hear the berries that I just knew we were going to pick plinking in my pail. I became Sal on that wonderful day walking up the trail with her bucket and eating the berries until my mouth was stained blue. It was an adventure even without the bear! The best part was to come though. I got to go to the library and the librarian marked my Summer Reading Program with a bookmobile stamp. I loved those stamps. They were blue bookmobiles and for years I had the completed sheet with all the wonderful stamps to show my progress. The highlight of my summer was when I got to stand on stage at the Tillamook County Fair right between the Pronto Pup stand and the cow barn to receive my award.








Under a blue summer sky I proudly got my last bookmobile stamp and a blue ribbon for reading 11 books. My mom and my sister watched and I knew they were proud of me. I was proud of me......I still love to read more than any other activity and it all started with a mom who was willing to take the time to share the gift of books and a story called "Blueberries for Sal." with her two little girls.