In my blog I plan to chat about nature, crafts, baking, gardening, beekeeping, family, and whatever else seems appropriate at the time. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Folks we have a winner!

You probably thought I forgot to draw a name out yesterday.  
Nope... didn't forget....I just didn't have time to post!  
I've been dealing with realtor stuff all week long...another post for another day.



 I had to go into town, so I stopped by Groovy Girl Yarn to see if there were any honest looking people sitting around knitting or crocheting or something!
I wrote all of your names sheets of paper before I left.

 I got to Groovy Girl...
 folded all of the papers in half, and put them in a big glass fishbowl that had bits of pieces of candy stuck to the bottom!
 I asked Pam, whom I just met, but she looked to be honest enough, to draw from the fishbowl...
 and she drew out Kathy B!
YOU ARE A WINNER KATHY B!  
E-MAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE....
hilltopbeelady@aol.com

Cindy Bee

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY...
OK everyone, now smile!

Don't miss a chance to win some honey,
on the post before this one!

Cindy Bee

Friday, August 23, 2013

Lots of sweet stuff!

 I
 have
been
extracting
 honey.

And working on the house...painting...
And doing a little bit of crocheting in the evenings...
some entertaining...
going to fairs and festivals...
and a whole lot of beekeeping.
  My cousin Vickie has been helping me.
 And I still can't keep up with it all!
 I'm thinking about less hives for next year. 
In the meantime.....
 I found out that I can mail honey in a flat rate box from the post office for $12.35 shipping.

 I charge $6.00 for a bottle of honey, 
and I can get 14 bottles in one of these flat rate boxes.
 or three quarts, ($18.00 quart)
 or three quarts and four bottles!  
Or many other variations of quarts and bottles.

If you are interested in buying some honey,
please e-mail me at 
hilltopbeelady@aol.com

This honey is raw, unprocessed, and I don't use chemicals on my hives.  Because it is raw and unprocessed, it will eventually crystalize.  To get it back to a liquid state you put it in some warm water.  Never microwave the plastic bottles.

I think I can also fit a bottle in a flat rate box for $5.85. 
So shipping for one bottle is about the same as a bottle of honey. 

I took this picture at the Indiana State Fair through some glass.
Can you find the Queen?
Her body is longer than the other bees...
 and she's bigger.

 If you made it this far in the post,
I have a treat for you.
I have decided to have a give away!!!

Just leave a comment.....
and you are entered in the drawing.  
I'll draw on Wednesday.  

Cindy Bee

PS.  Sorry, must live in the United States to enter drawing.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Patti Becks garden tour

Back in June, I visited Patti Beck's garden and pottery studio.
My friend Marcia wanted to take me out that day for my birthday and go to a few garage sales.  I explained to her that I couldn't go 'sailing' because I have no willpower, but let's go to Patti Becks garden instead.  She had never been there, and loved it, by the way.
I've done posts on her garden before, but I always get so inspired when I visit, that I can't help but post every year.  Check out one of the old posts here if you want to see inside the camper.


She has two open houses every year, one in the winter, and one in the summer.

Garden bed
Her garden has changed a lot since the summer, I've seen pics.  If I can slow down from painting and extracting, I'd like to go there one more time before winter.

Adorable chicken coop.


Her yard is huge!



Why is it that some people can take 'stuff', put it in a garden, and make it look like something, while others take stuff, put it in the garden, and it looks like they need to clean the place up.  I fall in the latter category.  The above pic is shovels and rakes and such, made into an arbor.
I wish I had a better picture of this chandelier.  It has colorful flowers that she made on it and those flowers  just jazzed it up.  Remember she is a ceramic artist.  I have bought a few pieces of her pottery every time I visit and now I have quite a collection.  I cannot wait to have time to actually garden....and set up my camper...and spend time in the bee yard....and decorate.
Bottle bush and tree.



Now this is what I'm talking about....doors in the yard.....L.O.V.E. it.

Fairy gardens




Pond

This clock reminded me of Alice in Wonderland
Another back yard photo
Patti is so nice to me.  She knew we were starting over gardening so she gave me these plants!  When I got home, I planted every single one of them.  They are all doing great too.

This is a Laura Bush petunia (I think) and it self-seeds.  I want to put all self-seeding plants in my bee yard.  My bees would be so happy.
So, I bought this chicken/rooster to put in my little garden area.  And I took them out there and stood them in the garden, but I had this big blank space above my kitchen sink and I thought they looked perfect there!
I love them!
  So, on our way home, Marcia and I stopped at a sale, and they had these lights.  I thought long and hard....buy them...don't buy them....  I was thinking about painting them brighter colors (because sorry folks, but I'm tired of green) and turning them so the flower faces up...and cutting off the wires of course, and hanging them somewhere outside to use as candle holders.

But I was wondering what ideas you might have?
And I was also wondering, what would Patti do with them!

Cindy Bee