I too have romanticized bees, even though I've barely interacted with your bee hive that is right there at your house where I visit sometimes. I admit I would likely flinch at the sound of buzzing things zipping around my head in stereo. But I would love to grow my level of comfort with them and achieve that calm painterly feeling! My grandfather kept bees, and now one of my cousins keeps hives on the same land, producing unrefined dark honey with a rich taste I am sure I could pick out of a lineup. I am never going to live in rural Kentucky like they do, but beekeeping is one family tradition I hope I can continue someday.
have you thought about teaching T sign language as a means to communicate simple desires/wants? My daughter is now an adult, but when she was 9 month or so, we began teaching her simple sign language and it made all of our lives SO much easier! Signs for more, thirsty, want, no, yes, please, thank you, hungry, etc. We continued using it through her toddler years and beyond for silent communication between us. The sign for NO was especially useful as I could use my voice to call her name from across the room/playground etc and sign NO and she’d stop doing said behavior deemed unacceptable. Ha! That was always my favorite lol.
As a fellow bee-watcher-from-the-sidelines-while-someone-else-does-it, this was a relatable read (except for the part where you actually take over and do something - what?!). However, I am proud to say that I recently switched the inputs on our TV from the gaming console to the Roku, another task I have exclusively outsourced for eight years so....small wins, ya know?
Baby signing is one of those things that sounds like new age silliness but 100% isn’t because talking is harder than signing and words that sound alike are signs that look different and vice versa. 20 words is enough to bridge a lot of the gap (“more” and “all done” go a long way).
Also not silly; there’s nothing wrong with saying “No” to a small child but it’s rarely the useful answer. You’re asking the absolute least qualified person in the room to figure out a) what you want them to stop doing and b) what they should do instead.
Love the post Sophie. I have a Luke called Frank so I get the calm. Morning coffee on our deck in the sun looking over the lavender to the hive, bees settling on the lavender is mesmerising. The honey is delicious. I feel calm just thinking about it.
Ohhh I meant to ask…Succession! I’ve heard a little bit about it but have not watched it yet. Anyone have anything to share about it? Is it a waste of time…? Sophie, why so ‘meh’ about it?
Thank you for these words Sophie! It makes me absolutely ache for my one year of beekeeping that I had been dreaming of for many years! The apartment I am about to move into is an impossible home for bees but I sincerely hope one day to live in a home where I can have a couple hives again! Keeping honeybees was an experience full of wonder, delight, frustration, and awe to me! I miss it dearly. Since those days, I have been trying to learn more about the native bees in my area!
dear sophie,
thank you for all of this, as always!
i particularly like the phrase "aggressively 'meh'"! (among many other phrases!)
my thoughts on bees include that i want them to be happy!
love,
myq
I too have romanticized bees, even though I've barely interacted with your bee hive that is right there at your house where I visit sometimes. I admit I would likely flinch at the sound of buzzing things zipping around my head in stereo. But I would love to grow my level of comfort with them and achieve that calm painterly feeling! My grandfather kept bees, and now one of my cousins keeps hives on the same land, producing unrefined dark honey with a rich taste I am sure I could pick out of a lineup. I am never going to live in rural Kentucky like they do, but beekeeping is one family tradition I hope I can continue someday.
Sophie,
have you thought about teaching T sign language as a means to communicate simple desires/wants? My daughter is now an adult, but when she was 9 month or so, we began teaching her simple sign language and it made all of our lives SO much easier! Signs for more, thirsty, want, no, yes, please, thank you, hungry, etc. We continued using it through her toddler years and beyond for silent communication between us. The sign for NO was especially useful as I could use my voice to call her name from across the room/playground etc and sign NO and she’d stop doing said behavior deemed unacceptable. Ha! That was always my favorite lol.
I so enjoyed todays post! Thank you 🖤
Your writing brings me all the feelings. Thank you Sophie <3
As a fellow bee-watcher-from-the-sidelines-while-someone-else-does-it, this was a relatable read (except for the part where you actually take over and do something - what?!). However, I am proud to say that I recently switched the inputs on our TV from the gaming console to the Roku, another task I have exclusively outsourced for eight years so....small wins, ya know?
Baby signing is one of those things that sounds like new age silliness but 100% isn’t because talking is harder than signing and words that sound alike are signs that look different and vice versa. 20 words is enough to bridge a lot of the gap (“more” and “all done” go a long way).
Also not silly; there’s nothing wrong with saying “No” to a small child but it’s rarely the useful answer. You’re asking the absolute least qualified person in the room to figure out a) what you want them to stop doing and b) what they should do instead.
Love the post Sophie. I have a Luke called Frank so I get the calm. Morning coffee on our deck in the sun looking over the lavender to the hive, bees settling on the lavender is mesmerising. The honey is delicious. I feel calm just thinking about it.
Bees definitely work too hard.
Ohhh I meant to ask…Succession! I’ve heard a little bit about it but have not watched it yet. Anyone have anything to share about it? Is it a waste of time…? Sophie, why so ‘meh’ about it?
Thank you for these words Sophie! It makes me absolutely ache for my one year of beekeeping that I had been dreaming of for many years! The apartment I am about to move into is an impossible home for bees but I sincerely hope one day to live in a home where I can have a couple hives again! Keeping honeybees was an experience full of wonder, delight, frustration, and awe to me! I miss it dearly. Since those days, I have been trying to learn more about the native bees in my area!