recipe for boy flavored jam

beans held his little berry carton out and kept asking me to fill it up.  i would give him what i'd picked and then start over again.  the berry stains on my fingers were a visible sign of our work.  i was singlely focused on raspberry jam.  but, you try picking berries in the 100 degree heat with your littles and see how far it gets you.  the owner of the farm looked at the fruits of my labor and said i was a little short.  that, perhaps, i could freeze what i had and then come back for red raspberry picking.  the mixture of red and black berries, i was told, work well together. 

the point?  you have to keep filling them up.  adding more berries to the carton.  putting in the work while the sun beats down on you.  even with tired, stained hands.  mosquitos whispering in your ears.  put a few more berries in his carton.  and then let them set a bit.  adding more.  testing for sweetness.  what you end up with may not be raspberry jam.  but the boy turns out with really nice flavor. 

if you live in the denver area, there is a sweet place up north called berry patch farms.  you must go there.  think flower patch.  red barn.  pig roaming about.  fresh veggies.  berries.  rocking chairs on the porch.  it's dreamy.  truly wonderful.  on second thought...forget i ever told you about it.  xoxo