The fruits of both vacciniums are very high in the antioxidants and flavanoids that fight cancer and heart disease. Those berries may also prevent cataracts, repel viruses, and cure diarrhea.
If you have any whole cranberries left over from Thanksgiving, you might want to try stringing and drying them to make decorative red "chains" for Christmas. They will stain your hands, but that's all part of the fun.
Cranberries and blueberries can also color our memories with the anticipations of childhood. Wading through the July weeds or clustered eagerly in the kitchen on a certain morning in November, we kids never doubted that abundance was very close and only waiting to be discovered!
Note: Cranberry and blueberry photos are courtesy of the National Park Service at http://www.nps.gov
Vaccinium oxycoccos image is by National Geographic, vaccinium
ovatum by Mimi Kamp, vaccinium corymbosum by Mary Vaux Walcott, all courtesy of the SW School of Botanical Medicine at:
http://chili.rt66.com/hrbmoore/HOMEPAGE/...
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