Beehive growth

So happy to report that our bees are multiplying to the point that we had to get more supers to start another hive. Michael is building another bee box and this will make three!

Hive 1 is not flourishing as well as we would like. While we see larvae, we have yet located the actual queen. Hive 2 is full of honey, so extraction is soon.

Alex (age 10) got a full class on beekeeping while visiting Poppa and Mimi over the weekend. Alex is so much like her Poppa. She loves gardening, cooking, making things and now loves the bees. I think it is so wonderful that he has passed along those amazingly wonderful traits about him to his precious granddaughter.

Happy Birthday to my Dad

A special man turned 73 yesterday. Our walks around the lake when I was growing up saved my sanity. Thanks, Dad.

There was an article in the local newspaper not long ago about sentimental kitchen items. Everyone one of us has something in our kitchen that is close to our hearts. Our first mixing bowl, an old whisk that came from a distant aunt, a cookie recipe that has been passed down. The kitchen is not only the heart of our homes, but the heart of our being. When you throw a gathering, most people end up congregating in the kitchen at some point.

When the paper posed the question "what kitchen item do you own that is near and dear to your heart?" I had to share mine. I have a black iron skillet that has been passed down from my Grandmother. She bought it back in the late 30's from a housewares salesman. (Saying that conjures up visions of a door to door salesman - not so) There was a wooden horse drawn wagon that visited all the farms in our rural southern county. My grandmother was an eighteen year old newlywed when she decided she needed that 10" cast iron frying pan.

Through the years it has been a part of meal preparation a family of nine and then later seventeen grandchildren, of which I am the oldest. Maybe that is why I was lucky enough to inherit this very special item. When I married my husband, he also brought with an iron skillet. It was about half the weight of mine, without the rough, black, bumpy exterior. The iron made today is obviously greatly inferior to earlier cookware.

My iron skillet means so much to me, not because it makes the best cornbread, but because it symbolizes the woman it belonged to. My Grandmother was strong, to the point of withstanding more then anyone should in a lifetime. She had a purpose, to lead and guide so many, which she did. She was seasoned. Because of her wisdom and experience, she was able to sprinkle words of wisdom when needed (some of those words were spicy and had quite a kick, but it's what we needed to hear).

Whenever I use this wonderful pan, I get a warm feeling inside, one that convinces me that I can be that strong, that I can pass down advice and lessons through the generations that will have a lasting effect on those that I love.

So there was I was, picture and all, proudly holding my Nanny's iron skillet. I don't cook as much as I once did, and all our kids and family are strown all over the world. There is a part of me that wonders if I start using that old skillet once again, would that somehow summon the family to gather as it once did?

Chances are it will be passed down from me to my daughter. I hope at that time she knows that not just cornbread comes from that pan, but that strength and encouragement does as well and that seems to come from the most unexpected places.

Pensacola Garden Show

We were fortunate enough to get to see some of Pensacola's loveliest gardens over the weekend. It was a full weekend with gardens, art, wonderful shrimp dishes and sweet Mother's Day cards.

Yesterday I played hooky. Ok, work knew where I was, the family knew where I was..but..the world wasn't notified. I slipped away and left the grown up me behind.

Halfway through the afternoon I took my book, a bottle of water and found a hammock near the beach. Being a Thursday afternoon, this wasn't hard to find. The crowds were light (to none) and the weather was beach perfect.

Between naps in the hammock, I read, drank some frozen concoctions and contemplated life. It is short. Don't miss a minute. Color with every crayon in the box. I would love to say that I can wait until I retire to enjoy the moment, but I can't. My mind won't allow it.

Our choice isn't always up to us. I must work to make ends meet, which means 1/3 of my life is spent behind a desk in an office building.

I must follow lifes rules (physical exams, pay taxes, keep up with bills, be a part of the daily world and all that involves). But yesterday, I stuck my toes in the sand during a weekday and played in the sprinkler instead of filing paperwork.

Take a walk, look at an earthworm, feel the sun. Listen close to what your soul is telling you and follow that lead...make today count and find a hammock as soon as you can.

my day..

seasons

Funny how our lives are seasonal. They say every 7 years we reinvent ourselves. This really seems to be the case.
Look around or look at your own life. Are you the same person that you were 7 years ago? I would have to say no. And that is a good thing. It's good to "molt" and shed the old skin and grow new, fresh perspectives and interests. Oh, I think we basically are the same people in the general sense. Shy people will most always be shy somewhat, usually people who never have liked liver will never like it. But maturity and life's lessons keep a cycle of refreshment in our lives going that is necessary for dealing with all our natural cycles. We all deal with deaths, births, people leaving, change of locations, disappointments. Sometimes the emotion takes over and we have little control on how we
handle things. In the big picture, we do have a choice in how we "handle" things. I am an adult child of an alcoholic, and one of the skills we learn as children of "out of control people" is how to handle large things as if they are small things. During my life I have dealt with massive problems while those alongside me had no idea. Is this healthy? Probably not.
Children in turbulent homes learn to mask the worry, concern and fear and put on a smiling face for others. I have seen this working with children who are in those situations. As an adult, I would say I have learned to share feelings and emotions in a healthy way, it took me a long, long time to realize this was the best way to go about things, but overall I am now happier sharing than not (maybe those around me wish I didn't share quite so much!) Now, when I see people get bent out of shape over small things, my first thoughts are..this person never had a real problem to deal with such as death, addiction, divorce, etc.
Those who have been in the lap of chaos know that locking your keys in your car, etc. isn't the end of the world. These daily problems are part of walking on the earth. How you handle the large things in life is what tells how you have matured, how you process life itself, how you chose to live your life.
My zest for life has always been there. It has changed over time, as it should

At one time it was going as fast as the boat would go across the water. Today it's morning sun across my little yard with flowers and squash plants and bees and holding hands with my sweet husband. Tomorrow it might be painting, learning piano, international travel (that last one especially). I welcome the seasons and the changes and the consistencies. I choose to be good to those around me and love those who aren't always deserving and not judge others. I resolve to handle it as gracefully and honestly as this life has taught me. Live and let live and be glad the seasons are still rolling around.

bee happy

more bee love. did I mention we are enjoying these little miracles with wings?

these are your kids

Source: exp.lore.com via Norzian on Pinterest

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie ever

Chocolate Chip Cookies (modified slightly from the New York Times) 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour 1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt (I used kosher salt) 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into chunks 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, grated 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Stir all chocolate into dough using a wooden spoon. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls on to the prepared cookie sheet, then sprinkled lightly with sea salt and baked until golden brown, but still soft, 10-12 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 3-4 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

Bee Day for Escarosa Beekeepers Association

And anyone interested in beekeeping!
http://escarosa.beeinfo.org/