Feeling blah today.

My bees are doing so good. Still bringing in lots of pollen. I wish they could gather ALL the nasty pollen. The past several days, my eyes have been very itchy and red and watering like crazy. I rub them so hard, my eye balls get swollen. And my dandelions are dwindling fast. I feel better when I have a big cup of dandelion tea every day. But one day, there will be no more.

As I was mowing the garden yesterday, I mowed around the hive. The sun was shining and it was warm. I could smell honey! I hope to be able to harvest some honey in the next few weeks. I bought a manual 2 frame extractor. I hope it's going to be pretty simple to figure out. I've never done it before. But I've never gotten this close to having my own honey before either. In fact, all I do with these bees is a learning experience. Last night, it was raining real hard. When I went out to check on all the critters, I checked the hive too. There were still some bees going in and out. And rain looked like it was getting in the entrance. So I put the big board on the top of the hive to help keep rain out. Well, there must have been a bee on the board and it got in my left sleeve and stung me under the arm. I kept feeling something and I guess it was another bee because I got stung on my neck too. Silly bees. Just trying to help and get stung.

So I have no desire to do anything right now. I have no motivation at all. And SO much to get done. I want to go to the farmers market this Saturday and bring my hand spun yarn. I need to figure out some sort of display to hang the yarn on. So need to go to town. Also need more jars for salve. Need to make some soap. I watched a few you tube videos on how to make hot process soap. I really want to try it. But don't even feel like doing that. I don't know what's wrong with me. No energy I think.

We got a lot of rain starting about 3:30 yesterday. Thunder and lightening right over the house. I sat on the porch and crocheted a little. It felt good out there. Later I went to see how the okra rows looked. There was water standing in the rows. I hope all the seeds didn't get washed away. But it looked like it was just staying on the rows, not moving. So they should be fine. But I see all the news around the country, like Houston flooding, Arkansas storms. A mess all over. Then California still in a horrible drought. I don't know what's going on these days. Just crazy.

I think I'll just go to town. Get away for awhile. Sounds good to me.

Making and doing around the farm...

Just a few things I've been doing the past week.

I made some fresh plantain salve. It'd been awhile since I'd made any. And I'll be heading back to the farmers market this Saturday. So I thought I better have fresh stuff to take. I need more jars. I still have some in the pot. I made a dozen. So I'll get a few more boxes, because I have calendula salve to make too.

Yesterday, I made feta cheese. I am getting well over a half gallon of milk from Freja each day and we can't drink it fast enough. So I decided to make some feta. I love making feta. Then I marinade it in olive oil with garlic and herbs. SO good! This will be ready Saturday. Already have some sold.

This is the calendula petals infusing in olive oil. I really like this salve. I've been using it on my face the past few months and I like the results. Better than plantain. Calendula takes care of the dryness. And it's a lot gentler to use in sensitive places. Great for babies too.

I am almost finished with my Sunburst Granny square bed spread. I'll take a pic when I'm all done. I take it with me to Mrs. T's, on my days to stay with her. I have made most of it at her house. And some more at the eye doctor with my mom. And in the motel when I went to the fiber show in Townsend. So it's been around.

I have a lot of the cotton yarn left, so I decided to try to make a blouse for myself. I started yesterday. Maybe by the time I'm finished, I'll have lost more weight and can wear it. I really have no idea how to make a blouse. Just guessing at it. It'll probably be like a tank top. And very colorful!

Speaking of weight, a friend was asking me about my weight loss journey the other day. She said I should blog about it. I told her I sort of do here. But not enough. So I might just start another blog, dedicated to this new way of eating and living. Will have to think more about it though.

So here is my favorite salad. I went to 2 farmers markets Saturday. I got some fresh salad greens, romaine lettuce and spinach from one farm. Then some really nice looking beets with pretty greens. So mixed all those up with the beet greens. Then I add dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and either Gorgonzola or Blue cheese. I love Superberry fruit vinaigrette, but the store where I shop didn't have any. I got a raspberry instead. Pretty good, but too sweet for me. So this is either my lunch or dinner several times a week. I love it. Very filling too.

I need to take my new bike back to the store where I bought it. I went for a ride a few days ago and it was torture! It took forever to get up a little hill and I was exhausted. When I got home, I aired up the tires, thinking they might have been low. Then decided to check the brakes. My friend who I ride with, said last time we rode that she kept hearing my bike scraping, like the back brake pads were rubbing the rim. Well, it is. Very tightly too. No wonder it's so darn hard to ride! And I should have lost 15 pounds.

And this mess. Oh my. I don't know if I'll just have to cut it. But I was spinning, or have been spinning, this very fine Merino roving I had bought. For hours. And it broke a few times. I would always find the end. But not this time. It is nowhere to be found. I posted on the fiber art forum for help. So I tried tape, a toothbrush and a vacuum. Nothing. Someone else suggested some Tequila, which I would have drank if I'd had some. Or poured it over this and lit it on fire. VERY frustrating for sure! Has this happened to anyone else? What do you do?

I don't know if anyone else watched the Duggers on TLC. But it was one of my favorite shows. I am so bummed right now about what's happened. And the fact that it happened over 12 years ago makes it even worse. Because to me, it's in the past, Why bring up the past? They got counseling and went to the police, although a few years after the fact. But still did. I just hate that anyone in the public eye is subject to all kinds of  talk and gossip and people making assumptions about them. Like Paula Deen last year for something she said 30 something years ago. Good grief already! I am not condoning child molestation at all. It is bad. But he was 15 for crying out loud! And he got help. So did his family. Anyway, enough of this. I'm just upset about the whole thing and what people are saying about them. Just makes it worse for people who are trying to live right and be good people.

I hope you all have a wonderful day. Memorial day. Makes me think of all the men and women who fought and gave their lives for us to have the freedom we have today. Thank you all so much!

Birds

 I kept seeing birds flying into the milk room yesterday. Then saw this. A pair of barn swallows is building a nest. I love it! Now I can't wait to hear little babies soon.

These little chicks are being bad. I let them in the coop this morning because I was bringing the 4 legged creatures over. Now I guess they don't like being penned up. Mommas are not happy anout this situation at all.