We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Program....

The Bees Are HERE!
We got a call Thursday night from our friend-neighbor-fellow beekeeper who has been preparing a nuc for us.  Our first of two hives is ready to be moved.  I guess this is really going to happen.  This is that moment of "What-have-I-gotten-myself-into-because-I-don't-know-ANYTHING-about-beekeeping"  And here we are.
Yesterday Mr. Marvelous tilled up an area and put concrete blocks down and leveled them to be ready for the bees when they get here.

 The arrival. 

The careful placement.  

You may not realize it if you don't keep bees yourself, but there is an "entrance reducer" that is blocking the way out of the hive.  It keeps the bees from flying out on the trip over here.

OK, it keeps MOST of the bees from flying out.

 

I had to sit and introduce myself to them and explain what was going on.

Later in the evening, after sundown, I went out and moved the entrance reducer just a little bit so that they could get out of the hive if they wanted to.  I wasn't geared up ~ didn't think I needed to be ~ but they started trash-talking me when I started to move the reducer, so I left, went in the house, geared up completely, grabbed the flashlight, and went back out to try again.  They were happy to get some fresh air!  When I left them for the evening, two of them weren't quite finished with our conversation, so they followed me into the garage, still talking.  I don't know if they ever found their way back out of the garage or not.  Now I know to be sure they don't follow me in!

Tomorrow I will remove the reducer completely and then tomorrow afternoon late I will do an inspection if it is not raining.  I also have 2 1/2 more gallons of strawberries to turn into jam.  It's going to be a busy weekend!

Enchanted

I am enchanted by the fairies.  For years I have seen bits and pieces of what people term "Fairy Gardens" and I have always been interested in these.  Sometimes you just have to quit thinking about ideas and actually DO something about them.  This past weekend was the time.

Mother's Day.  A sick husband.  An exhausted son (he works 2 jobs most days).  Both men napping all afternoon.  Mom at loose ends.  I finally jumped into Pinterest and caught the bug.  I found some amazing things people have done with "Fairy Gardens" and "Miniature Gardens".  I was off and running!

A number of years ago, I was given my Granny's old stock pot.  It has been a treasure to me because my Granny was a treasure.  I think I cried the day it sprung a leak.  I have been trying to figure out how to use it ever since.  A miniature garden has always been in my mind for it and I decided it was time to fix it up.


So I took a pot.

Terribly blurry, but do you see the hole?  Sigh!

And I went on a rock hunt.  Mr. Marvelous was thrilled.  Our gardens seem to be overly generous in giving us rocks.  If you need any, please feel free to give me a call.

 

 Not liking to think about what might be living in this hole, I moved on to the back yard.  I did NOT scream, I don't care what anyone says.

This is the water source for our honey bees when we get them.  Isn't Mr. Marvelous marvelous to think of this?!

Peach pit.  Guess they don't compost very well after all.  I added it.  If a peach tree grows in the stock pot I will know the fairies did it!

Even found some rocks co-existing with the tomato plants.

I took the pot into the shop and drilled 5 more holes in the bottom.  I drilled the holes.  With Mr. Marvelous' drill.

Then added the rocks. 

 In our basement/shop/gardening area, we keep tubs of potting soil.  After we plant our seedlings, we often recycle the potting soil.  Sometimes that gives us a surprise later in the season!

I removed the whatever-it-was and added the potting soil on top of the rocks.

Guess I should have put my gloves back on first.

This is the hill on the east side of the house.  It is shaded, so it grows a lot of moss.  It's also the less steep side, so it is the route Mr. Marvelous takes to get the tiller from back to front. 

Wasn't it sweet of him to plow a furrow through the moss for me??

I love mossy areas!

Moss added to pot....

...and now the fun of adding different tchotchkes. 

I have a lot of them for all different seasons.

 I love that the cow farm wife has glasses and a hat!

 

I've had this girl since I was about 8.  She has to have a bunny, of course.

.

 And here they all are

 I'll be doing more with this.  Maybe a few tiny little flowering plants.  Maybe a little house.  I don't know that all the figures are going to stay.  I don't know if I am going to change things out periodically or just make more gardens when I want something different.  I have started another little one around one of the cedar trees.  It's just a fun way to get outside and get my hands in the dirt without being overwhelmed by a large area where the weeds get away from me.  I think this pot will be pretty easy to keep weeded!

Surprise!

I have been a diabetic for over 30 years.  So my feet are, well, "challenged".  I'm going to be kind and NOT show you any pictures!

When I go outside to do anything these days, I put on my big rubber wellies.  

It's a trip to see me, I'm sure.  But the wellies protect me from things like thorns from the wild roses.

And mean roosters and their spurs.

And poo.  There's lots of that around.   

(Every time I go out to see the animals, I feel like saying, "Greetings, Dwellers in the land of poo")

So anytime I go feed the rabbits and chickens, or anytime the chickens are making more noise than usual and I think I need to go check on them and protect them from armadillos or possums, I put on my wellies as I dash out the door.

Yes, those are pink flamingo lights around our front door.  

Doesn't everyone have those??

This morning the chickens started clamoring for my attention.  Being the cooperative farm-wife that I am, I went out to give them some.  I put on my boots.  By the time I hit the sidewalk, I was screeching louder than the chickens!  I didn't know if there was a family of mice or rats in there, but it was SOMETHING that wasn't supposed to be there!  LOTS of something!!  

I limped back to the front door and quickly kicked off the offending boot.  There are those who say I leapt back onto the porch and kicked the boot into next week.  Clearly those who say that are wrong, because the boot was still right there.  

Along with a bunch of little somethings....

....that look like peas!

Mr. Marvelous has been planting the front garden in peas.  Somehow a couple of handfuls found their way into my boots.  OK, maybe just the one on the left. 

Mr. Marvelous swears he is innocent.  I'm 99% sure I believe him.

Mr. Marvelous, Jr. swears he is innocent.  I believe him.  Mamas know these things.

 

The neighbor's miniature greyhound doesn't like me, but he's not bright enough to figure out how to get peas into a boot.  Trust me.














 

There was a squirrel yesterday trying to poach some of the seeds that had been planted.  I gave him quite the lecture and scolded him away. 








I guess it's just one of those things. 

But I'm a little more careful when I put my boots on now!!

Things I Have Learned From My Son

I figured I would conclude the Lessons Learned/Mother's Day Series, with things I have learned from my son.

1. One of the top three best things in life is being a Mom (right up there with being a Christ-follower and being Mr. Marvelous' wife).
2. Raising children is an adventure.  And most of the time I was just wingin' it.
3. Make sure your child knows that they are more important than stuff.
4. Encourage your child's enthusiasms and passion.
5. Encourage your child to have balance in their life.
6. It's easier if you give yourself and your family permission to be less than 100% perfect.
7. In your imperfections, mistakes, and sin, teach your children how to react to these things and handle them in a manner that pleases God.
8. Don't spend too much time bragging to everyone about how wonderful your child is.  In the first place, as soon as you do that is inevitably when they are going to do something especially knuckle-headed.  In the second place, you don't know what wounds you are inflicting on someone whose child is not doing particularly well at that moment.
9. It is not a good idea to expect a person in their teens or20's to have the same maturity that you have in your 40's and 50's.   Remember how you got there?
10. Spending time being with someone you love is important.
11. Grace.  This man has taught me so much about grace.  He has extended grace freely on a daily basis to his Mom.  
12. Personality quirks make life a LOT more fun!
13. Encouraging independence is not easy for a Mom.
14. Don't hover.
15. Being Mom to Mr. Marvelous Jr is....marvelous!

Thanks, Son!  I love you!

Lessons I Have Learned From My Mother-In-Law

I miss my mother-in-law.  She died in the spring of 2001.  I'm sure that the past 12 years have softened my memories a bit; she had her moments (as do I).  However, we had a good relationship and I enjoyed her company.  Mr. Marvelous says that some of the stories and family histories she shared with me were things he had never heard before.  He was always a little surprised at some of the things I would tell him!

So here are some of the Lessons I have Learned from Sara.

1. How to cook vegetables southern-style (a huge relief to Mr. Marvelous after living with a few months of "Yankee-Style"!)
2. Flower gardens are just as important as vegetable gardens.  Sara is with me whenever I try to "do" flowers.
3. One day I will find "up" and discover all those things I have put there through the years.
4. Save everything; you might need it later.
5. The joy of a porch swing.
6. How to make a really, really good zucchini casserole, and chicken baked in Durkee's sauce.
7. Canning is not only something that is done for preserving the harvest, it is fun.
8. Be interested in what your children and grandchildren are doing.
9. Don't try and make your child perfect; it doesn't work. 
10. Family is important, even when they are difficult.
11. Homemade fruitcake really is good!
12. Be very generous with your time, energy, and life.
13. The work of the home is important, but so is taking time to enjoy life.
14. The value of close friends increases with age.
15. Keep a sense of humor.
16. Eventually social filters will start slipping and your heart attitudes will be revealed.  Keep grace very close.

Things I Learned From My Mother

 My Mom is a pro.  She is a professional Wife, a professional mother, a professional Nana, and a truly wonderful and professional Great-grandmother (or Grand-Nana).  In honor of Mothers' Day, here is a list of just a few of the lessons I have learned from her.

1. If it is not raining, go ahead and hang out the laundry.  If it rains, thank God for giving you an extra free rinse.
2. Home made granola is easy to make and good.
3. Home made buttermilk, not so much (you don't want to know the details but it did not involve a churn).
4.  Spend time with each child every evening before bed.  Read a good book, a Bible story, work on a memory verse, a catechism question or two, and teach them to pray.
5. One of the most important tools a housewife has is her thumbnail.
6. If you forget your youngest child's birth date, you will not ever live it down. 
7. Sunday dinner is incomplete without company.
8. Always read.
9. Always learn.
10. Always listen.
11. Find some handcraft to do.  Busy hands are happy hands.
12. "Yankee" style vegetables are quite economical.  Because in the south, no one eats them much.  They are really quick and easy to fix, too (just long enough to get them hot).  Except Boston Baked beans.  Those are good but they take forever.
13. Good music is as essential as good food.
14. Good music is defined as having been written before the 1900s with the exceptions of Aaron Copeland, Burl Ives, Gentleman Jim Reeves, Tennessee Ernie Ford and (gulp) John Denver.  And just for the record, I do not agree with her about John Denver.
15. Do the chores you dislike the most first and get them over with.
16. As soon as you finish the Saturday chores in the summertime, find a friendly neighbor with a pool and take the kids swimming.
17. When your child is having trouble adjusting to a new school and walks out to the car after school with "that face", hand her a map (it's a big piece of paper with all the streets and geographic landmarks), and let her navigate a 1-2 hour road trip.  Just for fun.  She might even open up and tell you what's going on.  Or she might just find some enjoyment in the day after all.
18. It is essential to know how to cut up a whole chicken.
19. NEVER put cast iron cookware in the dishwasher.
20. Always be ready for adventure; it is usually just waiting for you to find it!

 Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Please pay no attention to the necklace.  She is convinced it is a maple leaf.

Country Girl Couture

I have become a country girl.  And I am a little (!) old-fashioned.  Most days I am at the house taking care of things here.  A trip to town has become an event.  Since I find slacks and jeans uncomfortable what with the various medical accoutrements, I wear a skirt and blouse or a dress.  Since I have glaring-pasty-white legs, that means stockings.  And since I am a Southern Girl, I put on my small string of pearls that my dear Aunt Emmi gave me. 

Please don't tell me that these are fake.  In my mind they are pearls of great price.

A couple of Saturdays ago it was shopping day and off we went ~ a trip to town!  We had a blast, got the shopping done, and got home early, so I decided to do some Saturday chores.  You know, those things that have to be done every few months but somehow keep getting put off.  The one chore that had been hanging heavy over my head was the chicken house.

That's the "after" picture.  You don't want to know what the "before" looked like.  Trust me!

I went inside, took off my town clothes, put my "country clothes" back on, shoved my feet in my wellies, and got to work.  It wasn't a big deal, just raking it out and allowing Mr. Marvelous the privilege of toting the bin over to the compost pile.  

As I was walking back into the house I noticed my reflection in the door.  Oh my! 

What does a well-dressed Southern Lady wear to clean out the chicken house?

House dress.






Wellies.

 

  

 

And pearls.

No wonder the girls were so amused!

My girls were fussing this morning more than usual so I went out to check on them.

I don't blame them for fussing

I almost thought one of the wild turkeys had slipped in and left us a gift!