Bee feeding, birthdays, meals that work, a radical new idea

Over the lunch hour today I took time to replenish the syrup feeders in the beehives. As expected, both feeders were bone dry. If I were more diligent, I suppose I could refill the feeders every five days, but I do so only once per week. Each gallon of syrup requires ten cups of sugar, so I use almost ten pounds of sugar per feeding. I cannot afford to use more than ten pounds of sugar per week for the bees, so they have will have to get by on what Mama and I can afford to do for them. So far that is working out just fine.

Besides the syrup, each hive has a candy board atop the hive with pollen patties and pollen substitute for the bees to munch on through these dry, excessively hot days. These supplements must be working out well enough because both hives are continuing to make honey and raise brood. The bees have taken over one of the water dishes Mama keeps out for the chickens but that is okay with us. It saves the bees a lot of flight time to just scoot over to the coop yard for a drink, especially since there is no pollen to collect from any plants within their flight radius in our area.

Tomorrow is Zoe and Sophia’s birthday. Mama and I were slated to travel next week to Brittany’s and have a late birthday party with the girls, but those plans fell through when Grandpa had his medical issue. We are leaving the credit on our accounts with American Airlines for now, but I may see how to get a refund to ensure we do not lose the money we paid for that flight as well as a flight from Brittany’s to Maggie’s for a short visit prior to coming home. How we use that credit remains to be determined, but for this year as well, we will celebrate birthdays remotely once more. It is kind of interesting that both Brittany’s and Maggie’s children will be attending the Christian schools at their respective churches. Obviously, a good thing, but an interesting development in their respective locations. Brittany and Maggie will each also be employees for those schools. Another good outcome. God is good!

One of the challenges of having Grandma and Grandpa with us is meal preparation. Neither of them has very good eating habits. Their prior diet consisted largely of things that were extracted individually from cellophane wrappers. Mama and I tend to eat meals we prepare. Well, mostly that I prepare. Regardless, we cook every day, and if we do not prepare something fresh, we eat leftovers. Her parents are not necessarily fond of the foods we eat – especially leftovers. We are starting to find some dietary choices where there is overlap with beans (almost any variety), hamburgers, an occasional hot dog (but only with chili and slaw), peanut butter and jelly, and most varieties of soups. We will make things work as long as we can get Grandpa to eat something – he has no appetite – and we can get Grandma to eat something moderately healthy.

On that front, Grandma is a sugar addict, but we have never been able to get her to recognize that fact. However, yesterday afternoon Grandma was scanning through a book Mama had on healthy eating and Grandma read – for herself – that sugar is as addictive as alcohol. That struck a nerve with her. In fact, she was horrified at the thought of being addicted to something. She, in her lifetime, most of which was lived in the hollow of West Virginia has known many alcoholics. When the passage she read from the book compared the desire for sugar to the alcoholic’s desire for alcohol, the words had a huge impact. How she reacted was the interesting part.

When she announced this newfound revelation to Mama, Mama’s response was, “Mom, I’ve been saying that for years.” “Well, how come I’ve NEVER heard you tell me that!” Grandma shot back. So, she called Norman who said virtually the same words to Grandma to which Grandma gave the same exasperated response. She, from her way of remembering, had never heard that idea from anyone ever before. So, before the conversation got too argumentative, Mama simply asked, “well, Mom, what does the book recommend to overcome that addiction?”

Oddly enough the book recommends getting the sugary drinks, foods and snacks out of your diet - and out of the house - and replacing those things with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. What a radical idea? If we follow that advice, only good can come of it. To begin the process Grandma bought some cantaloupe today.

It is a win-win, regardless of how we got there.