"Sixteen candles make a lovely light"

Sweet 16!

Happy Birthday Lydia!

Another Chicken Update.

How about a small smackeral of honey?

I have a secret, not only have I been working and gardening in my own little plot of earth, but I have been spending half a day each week these past few months helping out at a local five-acre farm.  This little farm includes chickens, goats, melons, vegetables, fruit trees, and honey bees!  So this morning mom, Rachel, and I went out to the farm to participate in the annual honey extraction; with no experience in bee keeping we expected to watch the pros work, but we quickly found ourselves right in the sticky of things . . .

 

Where is all begins.

The bee whisperer.

The new recruits!!!

Learning the tricks of the trade.

Decapping the honeycomb with a very, very hot blade!  

Into the extractor.

Monitoring the honey flowing from the extractor.

Straining the honey, the stickiest job!

The final product, liquid gold!

During our four hours there, we help extract nearly 25 gallons of golden honey; I can’t wait to find out the final tally!  Happy honeying!

Shades of Eggs.

Currently our egg average is ten per day; they come in a beautiful array of browns and pinks.

Ten Years.

Ten years.  Ten years since my 11-year-old self stumbled out of bed to find all the grownups in a concerned state as my grandmother’s T.V replayed over and over scenes from the mornings tragic attack.  My brother Andrew was in the hospital for the second time that year, mom and dad were with him almost all the time, grandparents attempted to fill their shoes and keep the rest of us fed and schooled; but no matter how “normal” the routine was, life was not right, I was scared.  Late on September tenth, Andrew was stable enough for mom to come home for the night; but instead of waking up to a morning of hope that our family would soon be reunited, I awoke to a day I will never forget as long as I live.

            Ten years.  It is hard to believe that much time has passed by.  In addition to my memories of that heartbreaking day, I have a special commemorative pin which started out in the hands of a New York Police officer, which he gave to a business associate of my dad’s, she in turn passed it to my dad who gave it to me.  I have kept it tucked away in my jewelry box for the past nine years.  I see it on those occasions when I need a necklace or bracelet, and then I remember; and I think, mom came home, dad came home, Andrew came home for three more years, but so many people didn’t have their moms, dads, and brothers come home.  Life is hard, loving and losing is hard, but when all the frustrations and trivialities of life are stripped away, it is the people we love that make it all worthwhile.  God Bless America.       

Produce with Personality.

Currently I am without the convenience of internet at my beck and call, hence the lack of posts.  I planned on making the trek up to the office to write and update frequently, but so far the application of this practice has yet to take hold.  But here I am again!  Bringing a new label which I christen with this funky little locally grown tomato (not my own unfortunately, though I did add a few touches of my own).  So far I have harvested 8 small golden tomatoes, but my numerous plants hang heavy with green orbs ready to turn; hang on summer!!!