And other odd things happening at the farm this week.
Friends,
We have not had snow. It has been warm, and the rain has been an occupational hazard of going out to the barn this week. The bees have been out all week, their pollen britches bursting, buzzing, jet fast back and forth, glad to be out of confinement. Depending on the flower they’ve found, their britches have been white, yellow, brown, or an almost orangy color. You need to get pretty close to the hive and settle in to watch closely to see the little bags on their back legs, carefully balanced so they can fly. They may not realize we are not out of winter yet; it’s supposed to turn cold again a couple more times before winter gives up. For now, working with the crocus and spring flowers has them busy. As for the garden, it’s too soon, but it doesn’t keep me from buying more seeds than I could possibly plant. If wishes were real, I’d be out there right now. I decided to write to you next. After all, the hydroponic garden is turning out seedlings for our eventual garden, and I can’t help but dream of getting out there once there isn’t mud up to my knees sucking my barn boots off. In the meantime, I need to catch up on our correspondence, clean house, and dream about flowers. Later, I’ve got two books I am writing, and one cover to pass judgment on. BROAD HINT! My next book is a space trilogy. You are going to love it for beach reading. I’ll share the cover soon.
Even our retriever pup hates mud, though he does track a lot of it in. The great-grandchild tries to stay out of it, but occasionally, OK, more than occasionally, there is a puddle she cannot resist. This is why she had her clothes changed three times today, and it isn’t lunchtime. Yesterday, she got a bee costume from her Aunt Fawn; she was running all over the yard with it, came in for a drink of water, and assured me she was a good bee and did not have a sharp butt. I suppose that is as good a description as ever for bees.
And now it is 3 weeks until we leave for the beach. I am packing up the nonperishable food and setting aside work on thumbsticks to complete while I am there. And to help you have something that will make you laugh and try new recipes at the same time, our special starting Monday is our combination memoir and cookbook. Grandma’s kitchen made everything—meals, memories, and miracles. Get your copy now while it’s on sale. You won’t regret it.
March 8-15, Kitchen Memories will be a 99-cent download on Amazon. Remember when kitchens smelled wonderful, food tasted good, and people still shared recipes over a cup of coffee and fresh muffins? Every recipe tells a story—and some are juicier than the peach cobbler. Come and smell the bread baking, the soup simmering, the pie cooling on the rack, and fall in love with friendly country gossip. You have to get a copy!
Any suggestions on what I ought to do at the beach this year besides just sit and look at the waves? Does anyone know anything about Ocean City or their boardwalk? Is it really 3 miles long? OI’d love to hear from you about that. And now, heading out to vacuum, prep the chili for hatstacks, and decide which geraniums are going to go where in the front yard. Have a great weekend!