Will you be my Huckleberry?”

Yup!  I want YOU to be my HUCKLEBERRY!

Who wants to be a commonplace and unpretentious Valentine!?  The word is so overused and so blasé!  The word huckleberry has more oomph and meaning and pizzazz!  I would love for you to be my HUCKLEBERRY.  What do you say?

I love words!  Huckleberry is one of those words that rolls off the tip of your tongue and just makes you feel alive and robust.  Furthermore, huckleberries are heart-healthy and being an alliteration addict, it just sounds so perfect together with all the words melding one into the other – the humble, heart-healthy huckleberry.  Similar sounding words are part of the pressing human need to shape and order life.

Turning to the Dictionary of American Regional English, I found the word huckleberry to take on a meaning comparable to “you have been discovered,” “the desired or suitable person for a task” or just “an all-around nice person or even a sweetheart!”  Although small, huckleberries are special, as seen in the phrase “the only huckleberry on the bush,” demonstrating something unique and exclusive.

“I’m your huckleberry” is a phrase that denotes one as “just the right person for the job.”  It has a range of slang meanings from the 19^th century with an emphasis on a huckleberry as a significant or nice person.

Are you more fascinated with the possibility of being “my huckleberry” now?

Perhaps a more personal connection would be the unforgettable Andy Williams serenely crooning the tune “Moon River.”  Your nostalgia should be in full bloom now.  Can you envision him and hear the words?

“There’s such a lot of world to see
We’re after the same rainbow’s end,
Waitin’ ’round the bend
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me.”

And then there is Mark Twain’s infamous and endearing character Huck Finn.  How could he not bolster your desire to be a huckleberry?

When conversing with a friend, (Of course, we were both on a treadmill aside each other, when we were conversing!  Being heart-healthy is always the prime concern!)  I found out that he, as a young lad, would pick huckleberries and sell them on the corner for twenty-five cents a quart.  This carefree boyhood activity was the beginning of his entrepreneur and business relationships.

I thought, huckleberries, huh?  What the heck are huckleberries and how come I have never heard of them?  Are huckleberries a heart-healthy choice?

I found out that huckleberries are not grown commercially and must be picked in the wild.  That explains why I have not heard or seen them.  Apparently, huckleberries look just like blueberries and can even be confused with them.  They taste similar to the blueberry but are a bit more tart and contain seeds that give them a unique, crunchy sort of texture.  The health benefits are similar to blueberries, making them VERY heart-healthy.

Lifestyle Lounge  further defines the delectable huckleberry:

“Huckleberry is a small round berry found in the North American and European continents, on the lower slopes of mountains. The delicious fruit grows on a 16-inch tall shrub. The berries are less than 5 mm in diameter and contain 10 large seeds. The colors of the berries can differ from bright red to dark purple to blue. Huckleberry is quite similar to blueberry in appearance and taste. It forms the food of many mammals, including grizzly bears and humans. Studies have rated huckleberries as number 1 in antioxidant activity, when compared to 40 other fruits and vegetables.”

♦ So, let’s have a perfect huckleberry day together.  What would your perfect huckleberry day look like?

♦ We could start the day with huckleberry scones (or huckleberry bagels or huckleberry pancakes, your choice, huckleberry friend!  Oh, of course, the pancakes come with huckleberry syrup too.)  We would sip on huckleberry coffee or tea and listen to Andy Williams sing about his humble huckleberry friend.

♦ We could take day trip to someplace warm with the intention of picking huckleberries.  Does anyone know where we can find huckleberries for the picking?

♦ What could be better than attempting some heart healthy behaviors?  February is American Heart Month.  It is this time that we explore the importance of a strong heart for a strong body.  We will discover how to stay fit and healthy.  We will challenge ourselves to be active, healthy and smoke-free.

♦ We will celebrate the love of family, friends and good health with positive behaviors.

♦ We’ll be purposeful, yet care-free and self-indulgent, taking on the world with all its possibilities, much like Huck Finn.  We will think noble thoughts with our heart in the right place, yet proceed in a reckless, child-like sort of way.

♦ “Here Huckleberry… here Huck!”
Don’t you love the alliteration?  Do you know that it is heart-healthy to own a pet?  Maybe we could go to the animal shelter and get a little puppy.  I already know his name!  It will be HUCKLEBERRY!  (I will be able to satisfy my alliteration addiction on a regular basis!)

♦ We will THINK RED.  We will wear red and eat red!  (I hope I find my new red dress by then!)  We will eat red bell peppers and tomato sauce and cherries and strawberries and red beans and drink bloody Mary’s.  (Low-sodium, of course!)  We could choose a glass of red wine also, or instead of the bloody Mary.  After all, red wine is shown to reduce the risk of blood clots and improve cardiovascular function.

♦ Know that it will be a time for laughter, fun and food, adding all of your ideas and plans to the day..

What could be better than a huckleberry friend?

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  A Valentine for YOU!  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Will you be my huckleberry?

‘Cuz you’re most extraordinary,

And not the most usual or customary

Just a unique and humble huckleberry.

You are my one and only

And that’s no baloney.

Take care of your heart

Because you’re state of the art.

Eat right and exercise

A fact I must emphasize!

Know your numbers and BMI

I know it’s all my unending cry.

We’ll be humble heart-healthy buddies,

Forget the old fuddy-duddies.

We’ll give up ice cream and eclairs

And always attempt running the stairs.

The small huckleberry is unique

Like Hercules’ physique.

You are the “only Huckleberry on the bush”

And you know that exercise gives you a firm tush.

Happy Huckleberry Hullabaloo!

♥ Happy Valentine’s Day ♥

So…Will you be my huckleberry?!