Busy as the bees

It appears that our bees came through this cold winter in good shape.  Each time my son has peeked at them they appear healthy and strong.  He and a friend are hoping to split their hives and swap the splits.  This will allow each of them to start a new hive without laying out the money to buy bees.  Bees are expensive. We were sitting around the table last night figuring the income that could be made off of 10 hives.  I think that is the new goal!

I've been busy at lip balms again.  Just finished cappuccino, chia (clove, cinnamon and a hint of ginger and vanilla!) lemon, tangerine and vanilla.  I'm getting pictures taken and labels ready and hope to have them on my website by this weekend.

I've parked my wheelchair!  I'm moving around on crutches pretty easily and hope to park those before too long.  I got to my greenhouse for the first time and love having my hands back in the dirt!  I imagined each harvest as I planted the seeds.  I still marvel at His system.  Plant a small seed - perhaps as small as a speck of pepper and in return you get pounds and pounds of food! I still see it as a miracle each time. I hope to go back again this afternoon - so much to get done and I'm a bit behind!

On my way to the greenhouse, I saw that my comfrey is poking up through the earth.  My favorite herb! If you don't have comfrey planted, please consider planting it.  It is a wonderful medicinal herb - promotes healing and cell re-generation.  All you need is a small piece of root from a friend.  Comfrey is also an activator for your compost pile (no need to buy those expensive products!)  and wonderful to feed to your chickens.

Doodle says that his worm bins are getting full!  Guess we need to divide again to start another.  We'll be adding their droppings to the garden this year.  I also learned something yesterday that I found very interesting.  Do you ever have trouble with disease in your tomato plants? I was told by an Extension Agent that almost all disease has a basis of a lack of copper, in tomatoes that is....and to prevent disease you could run a thin copper wire through the base of your tomato plant.  Clip off the side that it protrudes from and that it should prevent disease.  This is an alternative to spreading all that nasty chemical stuff for tomatoes.  Of course, you need to wait till you have a stem at least as big around as your thumb. I don't know if this really works but will keep this in the back of my mind if we have problems.  I'd like to do a "test" section this year to try it out just in case problems show up.

Tried a new recipe last night and will post it later today.  It was delicious!  Light, healthy and very Italian.

I hope you are enjoying beautiful spring weather...warm sunshine, cool breezes and the glorious smell of spring!

Blessings,