Mendota Virginia Honeybees in December

Everyone always asks about my honeybees.  “How are they?’    I’ve asked the bees the same question, and they never reply.  They are too busy stalking me.    Today, I went to my small apiary to check on them.  When the recent temperatures moved into the “teens”, I have worried  about them.  “Are they clustering properly?”  “Will they have enough honey if the winter is long?”   “Is the queen alive?”

Today’s temperature was 70 degrees, and one would think I’d feel relieved when I visit them, but I’m not.  This 70-degree weather could be confusing for them.  They might leave the hives and not get back.  They might cluster improperly and when it gets cold, and it’s suppose to be back in the teens near Christmas Day, will they keep the queen warm?   If  the queen dies, the bees will die.   I do not want my bees to die.   

The mean babies in what I call the “Left Hive”….

Honeybees December 2013

And the even meaner babies in the “Right Hive.” This hive seemed agitated today.

Honeybees December 2013 2

If you look closely at the picture above, you’ll see some wood in the photo. Here’s an even closer look below, and there’s Neth and EJ sawing wood.   These boys are all muscle–they are working hard!   They have their coats lying in the grass.  No coat is necessary when it’s 70 degrees and you’re sawing wood.

Woodpile December 2013

This is wood that will be used in the 2014-15 season. This means we’ll go into summer with all of the wood we’ll need in the winter.  However, this seems a little weird because all of this is taking place on Winter’s Solstice 2013.      Living the simple life takes planning!

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English Muffins, Golden Retrievers and Me

Never, ever feed your pet “people food” unless your pet is Gracie Beaule and she’s 15 years and 3 months old. Gracie Beaule will do what she dog-gone darn well pleases. Age has its privileges. Gracie rules!

Gracie Eating

Yuck…someone needs a manicure in that picture above. Gracie and I decided to split an English Muffin with cheap cream cheese and even cheaper grape jelly. We both loved it. We’re on a sugar high. She’s barking. I’m singing.

English Muffins

On other fronts here at RiverCliff Cottage, we are completely focused on our church Christmas play. Procrastination has turned into a frantic rush to get things done. This is going to be a play for the ages. One of the shepherds insisted on bringing his pet rabbit and including it in the play. I let him. Possibly a big mistake in our path to winning a Tony Award. Strategically, it had another pitfall…one of our angels learned of the rabbit and wanted to bring her cat. “No, Sweet Little Angel, you cannot bring your cat. It will eat the shepherd’s rabbit!”

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Our Natural Christmas in Mendota

It’s ten days before Christmas, and until now, I’ve been making my decorations vs just digging them out of the box. Mind you, I’m not against the box, it’s just something I haven’t done this year. Yet.

Here’s a picture collage that recaps many of the items made this year. Lots of greenery and red bows. The greenery that was used outside is still looking good, but inside, things are getting a “mite dry.”

Natural Christmas Pictures r

I’ll be soaking my indoor wreaths in water this week and replacing some of the greenery in the house with fresh greenery. It sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? However, I sold all of my faux wreaths at the garage sale this summer!! I don’t have a choice.

Maybe I’m not as smart as I thought!

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Eleven Days Until Christmas!

Tonight I am staring at a box full of odd costumes that was in the attic at Mt. Vernon Church. Hopefully, tomorrow these will begin outfitting Joseph, Mary, three wise men, various shepherds and a few angels. Christmas is almost here. This picture looks a little fuzzy…but you get the picture!

Eleven Days

It’s also been a week of surprises. On Friday night, someone gave me a marvelous gift — too precious to mention at this time. A few days later, on Thursday, I opened the mail and found a beautiful, hand-knitted gift from a young friend in the Netherlands. I’ll post a picture tomorrow.

Later, I picked a card from the Mendota “gift tree” and went to make my purchases. As I walked into JCPenney’s, a lady met me and gave me a coupon. It wasn’t the normal spend this get that. It was “spend $50 get $25 off.” She was my angel! I was able to get all the items on my card.

Sometimes we throw the word “blessed” around too much, but this is what I feel.

Now..on another subject..do you remember the ugly light fixture we replaced in our little bathroom? Here it is lest you forgot..

Little Bathroom Project 1

If you’ll recall, Mike repurposed the light fixture, and we used it in the fall like this…okay…but a little bit of a yawn.

Candles Burning Inside 2

And today it looks like this…when Mike and I go by it, we give each other a “high five” for keeping something out of the landfill. Just feeling very smug about it!! 🙂

Repurposed Hollywood Mirror Bar

Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage. Hope I wasn’t too sappy tonight. Maybe it’s all the Lifetime movies I’m watching at Christmas.

As you drive by marquees on little churches in the coming days that announce their Christmas plays, don’t be shy. Stop in and attend that play! They are looking for an audience.

Eva

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Natural Christmas Holiday Centerpiece

A few years ago, I was involved in planning a get together at a place call “The Banq” in Kingsport, Tennessee.   We had a very tight budget but wanted to do something nice, and the very talented folks at Rainbow Florist helped me make centerpieces for the tables.    I’m going to share some of what I learned.

It starts with a glass bowl, glass cylinder or even a Mason jar.   I have a small one that I purchased a few years ago.  This one was about $8 but I used a coupon and got it a little cheaper.

clear vase

Next up are a few shiny balls. I bought a dozen of these at the Dollar Tree for $1.

Shiny Balls

Fill your container with water and fill each of your shiny balls with water so they’ll sink to the bottom.

Shiny Balls Sinking

Now, it’s time to add a bit of color. I poured in about a cup of cranberries.

Cranberries in the Vase

Add a few floating candles. I would have preferred to use one larger floating candle but I only had the small ones, so I used three. For some reason, it’s more pleasing to the eye  to see an odd number. Maybe we’re all off balanced a little and we like that reflected in what we do. I dunno..that’s just my guess.

Floating Candles

It still looks a little plain, doesn’t it? It’s time to nestle it in with some greenery. I had a small crate that had been used to ship fruit which I spray painted black. I added some boxwood stems and three other candles that I already had.

Inexpensive Table Centerpiece

Here’s another picture…all very natural. I had a few of the shiny balls left so I tucked them in with a couple of gourds that left over from fall. The gourds been spray painted gold and are still workin’ hard here in Mendota, Virginia! You can see a little bit of them in the picture. I started to draw an arrow, but you get it!

Natural Christmas Table Centerpiece

I hope you liked my centerpiece which was obviously a low-budget, low-talent piece. Easy as Pie. Cheap as Dirt. .

Here’s the foyer which opens up to the dining room. I am not even looking at decorations in Blogland this year. They are way too fabulous and fancy, and I don’t know where anyone keeps all that stuff after Christmas is over. I’m too lazy.

Christmas Foyer Display

Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage.

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We’re Rollin’ for Christmas!

I am almost finished decorating the family room for Christmas…sans tree.  We do not put a tree up until the eve of Christmas Eve.    We like a “live” tree, and I don’t want to worry about a tree drying out.    But still..I don’t wanna wait until that close to Christmas to have that Chrismas-y feel!  Here’s where that pretty tree will go when it DOES arrive…right in this corner.   I can just see it…smell it!

Mendota Burley Tobacco Basket

This is a comfortable room. It used to be a garage, and we turned it into a den to try and keep the doggies out of the house for at least a portion of the time. It worked until they became too feeble to climb steps. 🙁

Den With Christmas

Do you see the little wooden truck on the hearth? This post is about that little truck and what it’s hauling. It’s full of gourds. While putting the garland up on the front porch…I thought “what the heck am I going to do with the gourds?” Last year, I had loads of them–perfectly round– and I spray painted them gold and piled them everywhere. This year, however, I just have a few gourds…all of them looking like large pears. Here they are in their fall clothing…before they got all fancy for Christmas.   They were really into fall…they even wore a monogram.

Blocks and Gourds

And they were hanging around on the porch…that’s where I found them today.

Fall Grape Cart LP With Sam

Begging not to be thrown away, they asked about a spray tan. “What?” “Yes…a spray tan…we want a spray tan like the gourds got last year!” I then realized they were talking about being spray painted gold. “Oh…sure,” I replied..”why not?”    And here they are!

Spray Painting Gourds for Christmas

And now they are ready to roll with their new look. I don’t think I can trust these flashy gourds. They’ve went out and got “lit.”

Flaming Gourds

And do you know what I hear when walk by this little truck? They giggle and say “Merry Christmas!” Really!

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Wreath Rings From Preserved Boxwood

I’m still decorating around the house using natural items and what I’ve got on hand. We live in a rural area, and there is plenty of greenery available.

I have enjoying using the preserved boxwood made last month. I don’t have to worry about it drying out. Here’s one of the wreath rings. I ran a wire through the ring and gathered the burlap fabric that is pretending to be a table runner.

Wreath on Table Runner

My wrists are hurting from twisting and turning greenery on wreaths. In year’s past, I’ve had a wreath making party and I’ll definitely do that next year. For the wreath making party, all the greenery comes here. With my making the wreaths by myself, I have to go hunting for the greenery!

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Wreaths for the Inside

I bought four wreaths at my True Love’s this morning. They were $10 each. I got them home and they were so dry–I am returning two of them. The two I’m returning were going inside my house. No way — that would be asking for a mess all of the time. Sorry True Love–I’ll be giving you your wreaths back and wanting my $20 back. I can make my own, and they’ll be fresh.

I like the mixture of greenery in wreaths. I just drove around and clipped things from my neighbors’ trees.

Wreath 1

After I took this picture, I submerged the wreaths in water. I’m letting them dry out now and tomorrow, they’ll go on the door. I’ll take a picture.

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NOEL on the Mantle

I’ve been off of here a few days. It’s good to be back. I’ve missed you!

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at mid-afternoon, we had a BIG SURPRISE which surrounded identify theft. Without dragging you along on all the details, we temporarily found ourselves with no money via ATM or credit card for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Nada. It’s unweaving and being “fixed” now but it was a wake up call.

I think in the long run, it’s a good thing because Mike will finally get involved in our household budget.

So…I’m decorating the house for Christmas on a budget. I’d planned on going down to Hobby Lobby and copying this “Noel” which I found on Pinterest from Once.Daily.Chic

However, rethinking my newly non-existent budget, I went in a slightly different direction shopping our house, the woodshop, etc.   Lo and behold, I had an “E”.  The rest is the preserved boxwood wreath (read How to Preserve Boxwood in 20 Days here) I made last week and a couple of pieces of wood.

Do you like it?

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