Sunshine and dirt

Sunshine and dirt makes every day better.

Yesterday, I spent a considerable amount of the afternoon hours outside, cleaning out one beehive to make way for new bees. I have a third hive box ready, in case we find a swarm again. I hope for that every spring now, because our most vigorous honeybees who produced the most honey, were a swarm that stopped in my evergreen and we cut the branch and moved them into a hive.

The hive I cleaned out died. From the looks of it, when I did the hive autopsy, the queen may have died. I can’t tell for sure, but there were 3 queen cells. Everything I observed, pointed to a queen-less hive. This is the very hive that I re-queened last June before our trip to France. They were pretty weak before I realized the queen was dead or gone. In hindsight, I should have cut my losses, and let that hive go. It ended up being too late in the season for that small hive to completely rebuild.

I’m a beginner beekeeper. I love it, and I learn something new all the time. I would love to have a beekeeping mentor, but I’m learning everything from books, hand-on practice, online videos and trial and error.

The good news, in my hive autopsy, was that I didn’t see any sign of mites or the wax moths that decimated my weak hive the year before. And, I’m sitting here this morning trying to remember, what I might have done, because I didn’t use any of the chemical mite controls last year. Maybe I should get my beekeeping journal out and actually keep better records.

That’s my stream of consciousness blog writing for today! It’s Thursday, which means I take a complete break from Beachbody coaching. I rarely schedule any calls on a Thursday, unless it’s the only day a team member or client can chat, or if we have a product launch. Then, I schedule my day off, another day. Which I’m going to talk more about in future blog posts, because one thing that leads to burn out for people who work from home, is not setting work hours and thinking if they have a charged phone or computer, they should be on it.

Working from home’s biggest challenge, I think, is boundary setting.

If you want to see what I’m up to today, in my sewing room and then, garden, I’ll be posting pictures in my Instagram story!

Your friend,
Anne Dovel

55 came and went

It was the loveliest of birthdays. The day was sunny and warm. I went to see my parents and spent the afternoon on the porch.

Mom made a cake with broiled coconut frosting.

Dad made me a rolling pin out of hawthorn wood.

I got to see my sister, a nephew and his family, draw with chalk on the sidewalk, read books to a great niece, and untangle a Corgi from under a yew bush.

My 3 sons acknowledged my birthday with a text, a call, and flowers and chocolate.

It was a good, relaxing day, with humans that I love. No masks. Good simple food, laughter, love.

I could ask for nothing more.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel

Birthday number 55

5:30am

Rise and shine! I woke up to the dawn chorus. Grabbed my white fluffy robe and even brushed my hair before swooping it up into my stay-at-home hair clip!

It’s my birthday. Number 55. I used to think people in their fifties were so old.

I won’t be spending much time online today. I’m going to do my work, learn my new groups platform then, check in with my sewing/quilting buddies, and make something. My plan is to knock out the rest of the Bristle Creek Farmhouse block-of-the-month this morning.

I always think I’ll do some amazing birthday challenge associated with my age. And, maybe I will, and I’ll write about it later or in my Instagram stories.

But, for now, I have sourdough started so I can take a loaf to my mom and dad today. I haven’t seen them since this whole self-quarantine thing started. And, it’s going to be a lovely, warm, non-windy day…perfect to go sit on their porch and visit.

Well, I know I’m talking to myself here, since I haven’t posted anywhere about my blog, so have a wonderful day of making, art, sitting, breathing, eating, exercising, and loving the day, no matter what it brings.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel

I know what being a stay at home mom is like

There are so many opinions out there, and I won’t even pretend to have sorted out what is right and wrong on the mask front. Where face covering/masks in public is concerned, I think you have to do the research from sources that you trust, and make your own decision. I don’t need to add my two cents to confuse the issue more than it is already.

I have made a few face covering/masks with a filter pocket, for family members who have asked for them.

But, I feel for my mom friends, especially, who are dealing with so much extra stress right now, and then feeling the guilt of all their sewing friends who are making masks.

So, release that guilt. I’ve said this probably a hundred times in the past month. The “frontline” is not just in the health care field. I absolutely love and respect and support my healthcare workers. But, dear mama, just because you are home with your kids, doesn’t mean your front line of taking care of your family, isn’t important.

And, we could pick any front line. I can only speak to being a stay at home mom, because that’s what I’ve done. It doesn’t make me better than a mom who works outside the home. It’s just what I chose. And, it is important work, valid work, hard work to have your kids home 24/7.

Many days, when I was in the fray of homeschooling, running a business from home, trying to have a little time for me, I asked myself if it was worth it? As a stay at home mom, you are on call 24/7. You probably won’t be able to go to the bathroom alone. Sometimes, you have to sneak in a shower. And keeping a house clean, when everyone is home all the time; it’s like cleaning in front of a slow moving tornado that never stops. And let’s not forget that question we hear all the time, “what’s for lunch?”

Moms, I just want you to know, I understand. I have battle scars. And I believe in you. You’ll make it through this time…and the next. Remember, when you are teacher, trainer, coach, ouchie kisser, chef, laundress….You have to take some time for you, even if it’s 5 minutes. You are worth it. You are doing worthwhile things and being a mama is hard work.

Bless you friends,
Anne Dovel

Saturday rounds

I get out of the house about once a week. Today, I made my rounds and was gone far longer than I had anticipated.

First, I went to Cosmic Cow quilt shop in Lincoln, Nebraska. I’ve been sewing so much of my stash, but I wanted a wide back for my beach quilt and I needed to catch up on the newest block-of-the-month. I still have not made the first month’s block, because I made a deal with myself that I would finish the Bristle Creek Farmhouse block-of-the-month quilt first, because if I put that thing away, now, I may not get back to it for a long time.

Next, I stopped at the Bernina sewing center to visit with my friends, Amy and Bailey, and to pick up some needles. I’m going through a lot more needles lately. That’s a good thing, right?

Lastly, I stopped at Hyvee to grab a few essential groceries, and then treated myself to some fresh juice from Clean Juice.

I made an agreement with myself that I would write in my blog, every day this month, during my Facebook fast, even if all I felt like writing was the very dry particulars of the day!

That was my outing, and all I have to share today!

Your friend,
Anne Dovel

Day 17 Facebook fast

Just a quick update on my personal Facebook fast.

It’s been fantastic!

The first few days, I found myself searching for the app on my phone, because I wisely moved it far from my home screen, so I would have to actually think, to tap on it.

I have been on Facebook, to access Messenger. Thank goodness for that app; and, to access my work teams and family confab. I was late to a team Zoom on Tuesday night, because I knew the link was on the group’s facebook page, and I couldn’t find my facebook app!

So, that’s the Facebook fast update. I’m alive and well! I’m seeing WAY WAY WAY less political and negative news posts, and I have to tell you, I feel so free! It’s not that I live in a vacuum. I know what’s going on in the world, through some very carefully chosen portals. It takes me 5 minutes to find the news I need to know, without bias.

But, not having a constant surge of everyone’s separate political opinions and negative, fear-inducing posts about covid19, is so good. So, so good! I don’t miss that at all. And I don’t miss the few strangers who follow me, and only comment when they disagree and don’t want to share their opinion; they want to put me in my place and tell me how wrong my opinion is. I don’t miss them. Truthfully.

What have I been doing? I’ve been sewing, a lot. Sewing has been my favorite hobby for my whole adult life. I started very young, with an old Singer sewing machine that I talked my mom into letting me have in my crowded bedroom. I can still see it, on a little desk, in the northeast corner of my little bedroom in Nelson, Nebraska, directly across from the door.

Sewing is meaningful to me. It gives me time to think, time to almost meditate. It gives me means to fix things and make things that don’t get undone right away. It gives me an escape. It is my community, near and far, online and offline. It is one thing that without any preparation, I can talk about for ages.

I can’t wait to share the Kensington Handbag that I made yesterday!
That’ll be the next post, or you can see it on my Instagram, which is almost, but not, blog-ish.

Your friend in self-isolation, which isn’t a stretch, because I live out in the sticks anyway.

Anne Dovel

Gallery Block

This is an example. To display your Instagram posts, double-click here to add an account or select an existing connected account. Learn more