Traffic

Not having to struggle through traffic before, I've been surprised and annoyed figuring out the traffic patterns I'm currently facing. The biggest reason that I'm annoyed is because of the lack of consistency. One Wednesday, the drive I take (from the Farm to the West Side) will take 40minutes. The next week, (and for a very unknown reason) the drive will take 65minutes.

 Seriously, how do you plan for that!?

Here are a few pictures of other cars sitting around in the stop and go traffic.

Lunching

I never knew how much I like eating. I love it! 

But I really like doing it with other people.

I find that sometimes I have to eat alone. (Surprising? It shouldn't be right?)

Anyway, the point? I'm learning to enjoy fixing an easy lunch and eating it alone.

Here is one of my main stays.

Slice of delish Alvarado Street Bread with Butter

Three Dates

Handful of Peanuts

Carrot

Glass of Raw Goat's Milk

YUMMY 

More Bees - Pt. 2

So you last read that I fell in love with bees.

As time when on I continued to love bees. I would read about them - look at them - and dream about keeping them. I went to an art class and there met a woman who kept bees. We talked about bees pretty often.

My passion grew. I asked my dad if I could get bees and keep them at our house in SV. But after careful consideration the answer was no. My heart was broken.

But then, as I was working on an art project (it was an advertisement for honey no less!) I randomly prayed.

Basically I told God that I knew he cared about me. And that I knew he could send some bees my way if he wanted to do it.

Really, the prayer just sort of jumped out of me before I even thought about it. Bees? Who prays that God will send some? But I did - and thought little of it. Until...

I looked out my bedroom window the next day. In the tree right outside my bedroom window was a swarm of bees. They stayed around for the summer, over-wintered, and remained for the next year too.

While living there they never, ever stung a person. A perfect hive!

The Sting of Love - Bees Pt. 1

I remembered that I needed to post something about bees.

I've been sitting in a coffee shop for a few hours (which is remarkable peaceful considering how many people come in and out.) I'm almost finished with my internet required work - but I needed to get my head on straight again so that I can look it over and deem it finished.

So I thought I'd pop back over here and post something about my bees.

I have loved bees for years. It all started the first time I got stung - when was that you want to know? How did it happen?

I was over at my friends house. She was my best friend for a number of years. I loved her dearly (and still do...) We were having a delightful time visiting along with my twin sister, Ivanna. (Of course you all know who she is! hehe)

The three of us were watching my friends little brothers and two of their friends. For a grand total of four boys. Not a big deal for me - I loved children. After lazing around for a bit we decided that Ivanna would stay with the children and Friend and I would go to the store to get some junk food and soda. (This was YEARS ago, so don't judge harshly.)

I went to the back porch and called the boys up the yard. We thought they should know the plan. So I shouted each of the boys names. I watched in shock as two of the boys jumped up and ran - the opposite direction! Around a fence and out of view. The two brothers of my friend were rushing toward me. But then I heard (and they must have too) a shriek. The boys halted and then began traveling back toward their friends.

Then I saw it - a cloud if you will - of oh, oh! BEES! I knew enough about bees at the time to know that

A. They defend their hive
B. That they will keep stinging if you're close by
C. That the best thing to do is get away from where they live.

So I raced down the hill and got to the boys. There was a crazy lot of bees. And as I dragged the boys away from where they stood rooted to the ground I saw bees flying out of their shirts, down the necks of their collars, clustered at their waists. After going a good distance from where the hive was located, I knew the only thing to do was strip down.

I commanded them to take off their clothing. They protested. I help them get to it. As they took off their shirts they were covered in bees. They took off their pants - more bees. Of course, there was a lot of screaming and yelling. There were even tears. The noise attracted the friends boys' mother, who came over shouting at me. (Understandably - the woman didn't know me and her boy's were crying and mostly undressed. Which would be scary in a very scary way!) Then she saw their bodies. They had more stings covering their bodies then could be easily counted.

She got her sons and raced them to the ER, where they both were given shots and ended up just fine.

I, myself, got about five stings and four bites. (Or some sort of combination of stings and bites.) The trip to the store was canceled. I was extremely tingly, and my lips went numb. But after a quick call to poison control felt comfortable not going into the ER (or urgent care) and just relaxed.

And as I lay upon the couch recovering, I fell in love. Bees: delightful, powerful, beautiful and wonderful. Instead of the sting of death, it was the sting of love. And I've never stopped loving them.

Goats

I'm living on a farm. A goat farm. So it seems fitting that I should post some 

pictures of goats doesn't it? I took these weeks - and weeks ago. 

This mama was the first goat to have babies this year.

It was a hard labor. One baby died, which was so sad.

Although, it's also real life. I learned a lot from the birth. I've always known 

I love human births. I also knew I loved pig, cat, and rat births. 

Goat births were no different.

I loved being there. The goat birth was the first time that I felt, 

without a doubt that I belonged here.

Here's the sweet little fellow that made it. 

He's now big, friendly, and extremely healthy.

He got named Moses.

The Sword!

The below fellow and his family moved away recently. But first he graduated and got some extremely high honors when he did it. Because of his grade point average (I believe, come correct me on the comments if I'm wrong!) he got to cut the cake... with his most amazing sword! 

It was fantastic.

 I'm so happy I got to be there.

Getting ready to cut the cake!

Better than at a wedding...

And it's done.

The beautiful family!

I wish you lots of happiness and joy friends. You're missed in the Bay Area.

Coffee Chronicals

Well, in my last post, you would have seen that I drank some sort of cold coffee/sugar drink. After that extremely successful coffee experience I was feeling pretty kindly toward the drink that I had formerly despised.

And so, the next week I went to a coffee shop and got a drink (maybe it was a latte, or a mocha, or an americana, or well...) And I like that drink just fine. So I got another a few days later. My plan was just to randomly order something off the menu and see what I thought. And so I ordered the above mentioned list. Although not in that order. Things were going well.

(I had a little, tiny misgiving about the idea of drinking something to keep myself awake. In the back of my head I remembered that I'd thought that was a bad, bad idea for living a fully functional life.)

But, I was amazed at how much the coffee allowed me to function on tiny amounts of sleep. It was fantastic. I was so impressed with the wonder of it, that I told a friend (who is NOT a coffee drinker) about the greatness of the drink.

I said when you're really tired you should try drinking a cup of coffee.
He said that never, ever, would he start drinking coffee.
I suggested that he ought to reconsider.
He said there wasn't a chance.
I laughed at him.

Later that day, I went to bed. But I didn't fall asleep. Instead, as I struggled to recline in bed, while being extremely tired, yet fidgety and restless, I laughed at myself. The coffee was keeping me up! All that caffeine was doing its grand work.

So, after a brief and delightful coffee fling, I'm back to a coffee free life. And I'm loving it.

Food, Friends, Falling Trees

Today I went to my friends baby shower. I got to visit with some friends – which I enjoyed of course. I walked one dear friend out to her car and we got to talk a little bit. I reflected on how sweet it is just to be near her. She knows me. I don’t have to work to make her understand. There is enough shared history for her to on her own.

I’m living in a new place with really kind people. But, there is so much to learn. I’ve never lived with non-family. I don’t always understand the nuances of conversation. I don’t always know where I should fit in. It’s tricky knowing what I should and shouldn’t do. Knowing and being known is a tremendous blessing. 

After the shower I went out with my friend Kendall. We were able to visit and share some deep conversation. It was wonderful and meaningful, and I’m glad for it. We stopped at Starbucks and I got a coffee drink. (That should surprise you!) And guess what? I liked it! Yummy. How many other things am I going to find I like as time moves on?

Kendall and Osanna

(Here's the coffee drink. It's got whipped cream and no doubt 

copious amounts of sugar, no wonder it tasted good!)

I came back up to the farm to see some work had been done with the trees. Hurray for big strong boys. I love a can do attitude – and these fellows sure have it!

Trouble with Pictures

I'm supposed to be working. I have been, am taking a break now (is that fair when you're only an hour into work?!) and will return to the grindstone soon. I haven't blogged in days because I haven't been able to get my pictures to upload. It's extremely frustrating to me when I have limited internet access and cannot get something to work. WAIT! I get frustrated when I have unlimited internet access and cannot get things to work.
The days continue to be busy around here. There is so much to learn and do - and I love it better now than I did when I first came to the farm. That's a good sign isn't it?
Well, I'm going to try to get some pictures to upload again so that I can post some other stuff.