May 23, 2011
Hey guess what? I’m at work!
Okay, I’m here on a part-time basis for a bit as I regain strength. I can say that it is very nice to be here, surrounded by the sweetest folks EVER, my favorite food, this lovely place. I have a two week break here as I assess the treatment options and replace the missing pounds on my body.
Thought you might like to know a couple of very sweet stories that have happened recently:
First of all, as you know, I have been working on a proposal for a book about honey and bees and foods that would not exist without honeybee pollinators. The other day, in between doctor appointments and difficult news, I got a call from my friend/literary agent, informing me that there is a publisher who is very interested in taking on my book. I was having a low day and so arranged to call her the next day. And, the next day, feeling a tiny bit better, though still quite daunted by the path that is revealing itself to me, I had a long conversation with my agent and
said
YES!
The timing is highly exciting to me. I will have a whole year to write this book which will give me plenty of time to pay close attention to my bees and to fit writing into my life and to create this book that is going to help me heal and that will also help my business and the world of honey and other things too – things that I don’t even know about.
Since I’ve been gone I had a birthday. I came home a few days before my big day and was happy to sink into my yard and my home. On the afternoon of my birthday my sister and I were puttering inside while a squall came up, rushed through the yard and sped off to the south. As my sister was watching a tiny little rainbow formed right in front of her. Neither of us had ever seen an entire rainbow but there it was, right in my woods. One end touched down near the Sweet Shrub bushes and the other tucked itself into the Hydrangea. The entire rainbow spanned just 10 feet and it was complete, right there in front of us. Very, very nice.
And finally, yesterday, one of my bee mentors came to help me visit my bees. As you may remember, I have four hives but only one made it through the winter. And that hive has not had a Queen so it has been limping along. A hive cannot function without a Queen, though the workers do their best. I’ve given them frames of babies from another of my mentors but yesterday, during our exploration, we found no Queen.
While I was out recently my mentor picked the two new bee colonies I’d ordered in January (and a third, gifted colony) and had installed them in my waiting hives. In the past three weeks those three hives have been growing quickly, delighted to be in my yard. And yesterday, when she helped me, we found bursting populations and frames of babies galore which have now been given to Queenless Hive # 1. It was an exciting time for me even though I was the observer, not the lifter/doer this time. My yard is filled with bees right now and it feels very very good.
So – that’s a bit of an update for today.
I’ll keep you apprised of things as it seems appropriate. For now – thank you, thank you again, for your care, love, concern and support.
In deep appreciation,
Laurey
