Motherhood! One good, long shower per year is enough!

Seventeen and one half years after becoming a mother, I am still dazed. I know I shouldn't, but I look back and think, "where did you go!" Not in a selfish way, but in a way that wonders how I evolved into this archetype warrior, when I started life as a fearful, weak and incredibly shy little girl. It had to have been MOTHERHOOD.
So, the journey of mothering two daughters with mental and physical disabilities brought out the the dormant strength, intelligence, willpower and dare I say it....intuition that made me a tremendously better person.
Motherhood has taught me that small decisions have tremendous implications. A diabetic daughter that would like to sleep over at her friend's house means you will be up all night watching for text messages about sugar levels. An autistic daughter that has no concept of stranger-danger but wants to have some independence and take a walk means that I will be skulking in the neighbor's trees to hide. I watch to be sure she does not get lost or worse. Confirming the neighbor's impression that you are just this side of crazy.
Motherhood gave me the strength and skills needed to be an advocate for those that need it and may have no one filling that role. One cannot be fearful and be an advocate. One cannot be weak and shy and be an advocate. Most of us need someone at one time or another in this life. I have become a protector and have learned how important it is to have grace when someone else advocates for you.
What a tremendous gift when you are at your wits end, wondering if anything you have done was worth the time, effort, force, emotional drama and ultimately the conclusion that your strident position that "this is important!" is met with success. A quiet moment when your autistic daughter says "I need to talk about my feelings" or your diabetic daughter competes in Karate Weapons division against higher belt ranks with much older boys and takes second in the division.
Artemis. That is my role at this stage of my life. Hunter of knowledge, safety, good nutrition and emotional balance. Protector from danger and teacher of life-skills. I am a tremendously lucky mother. I have been given the chance to fulfill my potential. When I am looking back and somewhat missing the young girl that viewed the world in a much gentler and more flexible light, I quickly realize it has been more than worth the price.
Today is Mother's Day. I have had a shower. It was a shower that lasted as long as I wanted, no one banged on the door to ask if they could wear my flip-flops and no one said they needed me to remember that we only had a little hot water.
That is good enough for me! I am charged up for one more year.

Thank you girls! You are spectacular gifts from heaven.

UHMM.....Kirsten, where is my camera!

Kirsten is a doll and a creative one at that. But, even though she takes great photos, she leaves the camera in places that she cannot remember. We are currently in that particular predicament. So, there is no photo update on the bees. But, they are buzzing about at the healing musical note of Middle C and Britten hovers to be sure that she is executing her Master Jedi Bee Keeper responsibilities appropriately.

In addition, I have found this terrific site if you are into the Sustainable Living Movement. Which, I am doing my best to embrace even if I cannot follow all the guidelines.

This website has some great tips on how to re-use glass bottles. I am always trying to start the garden earlier in the year and I have a disaster with something in my garden every year. So, this link will take you to a fun site that give you tips on re-using glass containers that will also provide protection to your garden in case of frost or unexpected cold.

Happy Re-using of glass containers:

http://www.funinthemaking.net/category/reuse-glass-bottles-jars/

Our Honeybee Hive is Thriving!

I have been worried! And...people who know me KNOW that I am a heck of a great worrier. I have not been able to find my QUEEN! Well, actually, I don't know where to look for her. Most of my bees stayed in the cage and I thought that must be where the queen has decided to stay. So, during the time these bees stayed in the cage, they were building honeycomb and I couldn't get the bees out of the entrance because it was blocked with honeycomb. When I read my blogger-friend's blog, she had a bee-friend come over and look at her hive. I decided that was a terrific idea and invited Ben (of Bengela's Bee Hive) over to take a look.

Ben says "YOUR HIVE IS DOING TERRIFIC! IT IS THRIVING!!"
They have eaten all the food we made and are busy building honeycomb INSIDE their cage.

Ben took a piece of honeycomb and put it in my mouth (ick) and said "chew it". It was wonderful. My first mouthful of my own Italian Honeybees' Honey. I loved it.

Ben said that it looks like they have been working so much we should clean the bottom of the hives from all the comb-making activities. So, he did it for me and just about everything else I should have been doing myself, but don't know how to do. ;(

So, it is now evening and all the bees left the cage and have gone into the hive to hang with the Queen that is not lost and has, in fact, inspired her bees to work so hard they will build honeycomb anywhere they can. We brought the cage in and scooped out the comb and are now heating it on a very low heat because in the morning we are making our first beeswax candles and having our first mornings' toast and honey. We can hardly sleep we are so excited.
Thanks again, Ben!
Angie