A Typcial Day around the House on Hilltop Farm

Look what popped up...and just in time for winter!  Well, it feels like it outside!!  We are on vacation this week and there is a chance of rain every day. They say it is 53degrees outside but it feels like 30!  Doesn't matter I guess, we are working on the house this week.  On Friday we insulated the Grand Banquet Hall!

 After a few hours of that itchy job, I decided to get outside.

 I cleaned up the leftover mess that my loving family left for me.

 I try to be creative with Easter egg surprises and they get creative right back.

 Look what I found while cleaning up!

What do you think?  Wear?  Don't wear?

 Then I took a break on the porch.  I'm putting the border on this blankey now!

 Then my Shug and I did more yard staking for a pole barn.  We have been trying to find an area to put a pole barn that is ok with both of us, and doesn't take up too much green space.  This was the last location and I thought it was going to be perfect, until I saw how far back it would go.  I think we have the perfect location now.  We've changed our minds...let's see.....1...2...3...4...who knows how many times!

Then I started on this sad and arduous task.  I think I told you I lost all but two hives.  Well, it appears there is only one alive now.  I have been taking them down and cleaning them out.  I have no where to put them, so I'm setting them back up.  I did find a place that has bees for sell.  And I checked with someone I know to make sure the place was legit.

 But now I'm starting to wonder.  I called them twice this week and have not received a return phone call.  I keep getting an answering machine.  I hope I didn't get ripped off.  The price of bees has almost doubled since I started beekeeping in 2003. I ordered three packages to the tune of $435.00.   You order bees in packages or nucs.  I prefer nucs, but they have to be ordered in January.  I will show you my packages of bees if/when I get them.  (I am very concerned) And I am considering downsizing my hives. 

 Here is my one live hive, and it is not a strong one.

 Can you find the queen in these pics?

 If you look closely you can see bright yellow dots in these pictures.  That is pollen that the bees are carrying into the hive.  (It's hard taking pictures while suited up.)

Hint..the queen is only in one of the pictures and she looks much different than the rest of the bees.

 

Break time.

Cindy Bee

Crochet group...

I realized a couple of weeks ago that I haven't shared crochet group in awhile.  

My blanket is almost finished.

 

 Groovy Girl has learned fair isle knitting and finished this stunning pair of hand warmers!

 

Kay was making a rug...which is finished by now I'm sure.

 

 And Debbie was starting a blanket....we had to 'encourage' her to stop making dishcloths...it was time to move on!

Here is an updated photo of her blanket.  Not bad for a beginner huh!

And one last thing....Kay was making this blanket for her sister-in-law.  We were a little unsure, but what Kay could tell from the conversation, her SIL had a mammogram two years ago.  She never heard back from the mammo, so she assumed everything was ok.  She skipped getting one last year, and when she went back to get her mammogram this year, she found out the one from two years ago showed cancer.  So bloggettes, if you do not hear back from your mammogram, then YOU CALL THEM.

 
Cindy Bee

Easter day

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter.   Even with all of the dessert blunders I had, this Easter was perfect!  The weather was absolutely gorgeous.  Thank you God!  When we have this many people over, we have to use the patio as part of our house.  (room)

This year, once again, we went to Mom & Dad's for Easter dinner.  Then we came to our house for dessert and the egg hunt.  Mom & Dad live in a condo that has a very good sized living room, which is where they set up the tables.   Now, I would have sworn that I got a picture of their living room, and the tables, but I think I got distracted by this cute salt and pepper shaker!

 

 Then someone said, "Time to eat!"

After dinner Dave and I left to go hide the eggs and do some last minute food prep before everyone got to our house.

Here are the desserts I ended up with...not including the peanut butter pies Andrew brought, the sugar cookies that Billie brought, and the sugar cookies that Greg brought.  Sugar overload!  (I'm having friends over today to finish off that 2nd peanut butter pie)

 Now peeps, I didn't have the time after the food flops, to do it all from scratch, so I went for cute.  The original Pinterest recipe was ALL from scratch, including the carrots. 

 And the recipe calls for chocolate icing, but I thought it was just too much chocolate.  I like white icing on chocolate cake!  The oreos are supposed to look like dirt.

 The reason some of the cupcakes look messed up is I put them in a three-tiered iron cupcake holder thingy, and when I looked at them a few minutes later, they were so heavy they were falling through the holes!  And this was right before everyone was to be here.  So, I ended up putting them on a cake stand.

 

 I was going to opt out of the no bakes this year....but my brother-in-law said that was a stupid thing to do and I ALWAYS have no bake nests with little peanut m&m's on them for eggs.

I used the wire holder for the no-bakes and the chocolate covered bunny suckers.

I colored some coconut green and set the chicks in the coconut nests.

 A cute way to set out jelly beans, m&m's, cadbury mini-eggs, when you don't want to dig out some pretty dishes. Cute always works.

 The cobblers were deslish!  Especially with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on them and coffee to go with!

 

 When everyone got to our house, they were still full from dinner, so they went on the egg hunt.

 Everyone was waiting impatiently with their bags on Mom & Dad and Andrew & Michelle to get here!

 Seriously Dave....you try this every year....and no one listens!  My Sister sent me a facebook message the next day that said, "what were the rules again?!!!"  LOL!  Anyway, my Shug read the blessing that he meant to bring to Mom & Dad's but forgot.  Then he tried to tell everyone the rules and where to look for eggs.....

 LOL!  Look at those faces.....

 Off they go.................and my Shug is still trying to tell them the rules!!!

 After everyone took off, I told these non-hunters there are a few eggs on the patio.....just for them.

 Everyone meets back on the patio to see what their eggs hold.

 You might get candy, or a lotto ticket, or maybe a dollar or two. 

 Or maybe you got a message that simply says, "Loser!"  Or a pretty necklace.

Or maybe some vienna sausage!!!  ewwwww

 

 

I had bunnies all over the place.  I realized that over the years I have made a LOT of bunnies!

I thought you might like to see where we are living.  This is looking from the bedroom into the kitchen.  The door opening to the left is the laundry/bathroom.

Looking from the kitchen into the bedroom.  That's my Shug sitting in the living room!

Happy Easter everyone, a couple of days late!  Enjoy this gorgeous weather!

Cindy Bee