This 'n That Thursdays: 2020 Picks of the Year

From Pantone

I am attempting to stick with uplifting topics in my Thursday posts, so today's topic is 2020 picks of the year.  Let's start with Pantone's 2020 Color of the Year, Classic Blue, which they describe as "a shade reminiscent of the sky at dusk".  Also eerily prescient is the reason given for the choice of this color:

"[The Pantone Color Institute] settled on a shade that offers the reassurance, confidence and connection that people may be searching for in an uncertain global milieu."

I am not sure that blue is a color I would choose for reassurance, but I am one of the minority who are not especially fond of this hue, so here's hoping that the folks at Pantone are right and that most of us will be comforted by this soothing shade (I did choose blue as my blog's new main background color, so it must at least be easy on the eyes)!

From Firmenich

Next up is the Firmenich 2020 Flavor of the Year, which is Classic Blueberry - what a perfect complement to the 2020 Color of the Year!  According to the company president, "What's classic is new again", and the blueberry's longstanding association with well-being makes it increasingly popular with consumers.  Here are the Firmenich president's further remarks:

“With blueberry we celebrate a flavor that is timeless and enduring, but also increasingly relevant. Blueberry has been a beloved flavor for centuries in many markets and today, with our increasing focus on health and wellness, blueberries are being rediscovered and growing to be one of the most relevant flavors in many categories.”

For most of my life I have not been especially fond of blueberries, but in recent years I have come to appreciate them more.  In fact, I think they have replaced strawberries as my favorite berry now!  It is not a bad idea for all of us to eat more of these antioxidant-rich little round fruits.

From Fine Art America

Surprisingly, the International Herb Association 2020 Herb of the Year is NOT the blueberry, but it is pretty close.  The choice for 2020 is the genus Rubus, which includes blackberries and raspberries. With proper care, including the right planting site and regular pruning, bramble fruits (as they are also known), are a tasty addition to any garden.  Here is the description from the International Herb Association:

"Prized for its abundant sweet fruit, healing roots and leaves, and gorgeous ornamental flowers, Rubus appeals year round in gardens, fields, and hedgerows. Fresh or frozen, brambleberries add flavor and fiber to any meal, from oatmeal to salads to fish and fowl as well as desserts and beverages. Rubus teas nourish and tonify while the seeds are used in skin care products. The arched canes provide shelter to a number of birds and animals. It is hard to overestimate the pleasure, nourishment, medicinal and culinary delights offered by this juicy genus!"

This book full of information about Rubus species is
available for purchase from the International Herb Association

When I was a child, wild blackberries and raspberries were abundant in the western Pennsylvania area where I grew up.  Back then, however, enthusiasm for harvesting the berries waned once my siblings and I realized that bramble scratches in the humid heat of August were not worth the effort for fruit that was invariably sour and full of seeds that got stuck in our teeth!  Until recently I was not a fan of raspberries and especially blackberries, but just last month I found the sweetest and most delicious blackberries at a local grocery store.  I am now on a mission to find them again (although subsequent purchases have only reinforced the mouth-puckering sourness I remember from my childhood).  Maybe I need to be growing my own if I can find a variety that is reliably sweet!

My final top pick of the year find is the American Birding Association 2020 Bird of the Year, which is the Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum).  Cedar Waxwings are medium-sized birds with a lovely color pattern - pale brown shading to grey above, a pale yellow belly, bright yellow tail tip, black-masked crested head, and the characteristic waxy red tips on the wings.  These social birds gather in large flocks and forage for berries together, especially in the fall and winter.  In the United States they are found year-round mostly in the northern states, but can be found nationwide as they migrate south for the winter.  I especially like this lovely description of the bird's behavior from the American Birding Association:

"Famously gregarious, Cedar Waxwings are all about community. They share berries, they congregate at fruiting trees, they even occasionally over-imbibe."

Although most of us are currently discouraged from congregating in large groups, once life gets back to normal we can all hopefully emulate the current bird of the year and get back to our own community life!  I remember seeing flocks of these lovely and active birds in Colorado, but have yet to see any here in New Mexico.  I do hope they at least pass through our area, because they are one of my favorites!