Yay!! Today’s snow is an answer to prayer. We have desperately needed the moisture. Isn’t it beautiful?
That’s our house behind the snow-laden trees.
And our Kenny absolutely loves it!
Crazy pup!!
Have a beautiful Thursday afternoon/evening, my friends.
I attended an art workshop this week. We all painted butterflies. 🦋 Mine’s not as good as I had hoped, but I had fun doing it. That’s what counts, right?
Write a story using 6 sentences. No more. No less. Today’s prompt: GROUND.
In spite of a couple months of dryness, the ground was opening up to new growth. It was February in Montana, but Mother Earth was tricked into thinking it was springtime! Birds tried to settle in the bluebird box while crocus decided the 50 degree days were an invitation. They sprang from the ground with a fervor that was destined to be short-lived. Not too soon, not soon enough, the rain, sleet, and the winter snows came and nearly buried the blossoms. But the evergreen trees were so grateful, and so were we… because the thirsty ground really needed that moisture… and so did we!
Enjoy each beautiful moment. Extended family is so precious!
Our daughter, De, her hubby, André, and our Swiss daughter, Sylviane, with Bob & me. Back in CA, our daughter-in-law, Monika, with our great-granddaughter, Mable. So precious!!Time with #1 grandson, Mike, at a wine tasting yesterday. Precious moments!!The house across the street from us. Look closely at the label there!Can you imagine what was happening in the USA when this house was built in Switzerland?This is Sierre in the Rhone River valley. We’ve perfect weather this entire week we’ve been here. These are the flowers next door to us. That kind of color is long gone by Oct. 31 in Montana!The snow-peaked mountains back in the Madison Valley looking up at the Madison Range … today the valley is snow-covered, too. By the time we return home, all the autumn leaves will have fallen. No, I’m not missing the first days of winter which come late Oct. in MT!And I’m not sad to be missing Halloween!🎃 Here they celebrate the Day of the Dead by taking flowers to the graves of their loved ones.
May your Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 be days of loving remembrance.
Yes, I often write about honeybees. Why? Well, if you have been a JanBeek follower for any time at all, you know that my hubby, Bob, is a retired beekeeper. Not just a hobbyist, but a full-time bee guy with as many as 2,000 hives back in the late 1980’s & ’90s and early 2000’s.
Even after retiring here to Montana, he worked for several years with local beekeeping hobbyist, John White. Bees are a part of Bob’s DNA! His dad was a beekeeper and his brother was, too. Now he has three nephews and a grand-nephew keeping bees big time.
So, it was no surprise to me when I received an e-mail today from someone wanting me to post on the topic of honeybees again. She sent me a letter and asked me to put it on my blog. I’m happy to do so. Here it is:
“Hi Jan,
I hope your day is going well!
I came across your website and noticed you shared a lot of information on beekeeping. I thought our guide could be helpful for your readers.
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the world by commercial gardeners. However, many pesticides – including insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides – harm pollinators and other beneficial insects.
To help educate those in the farming and gardening industries about this toxic chemical, we’ve created a comprehensive guide with organic, and homemade; and a second guide with agricultural alternatives. please take a look:
I thought these guides would be beneficial to share with your community. Would you consider adding that as resources to your website https://janbeek.blog/tag/honeybees/ to inform people about this critical matter better?
I appreciate your time and look forward to your response. Have a great day!”
Nicole Nunez (She / Her) | Outreach Coordinator
1 S. Orange Ave. Ste. 201 | Orlando, FL 32801
So, let’s all do our part to protect our honeybees, our trees, and our fresh water, okay? What do you say?
Hugs to you on this Fabulous Friday. I hope you’re staying warm. It’s 15 degrees outside my Ennis home – and snowing.
Oh my what a difference a week can make. Take a look:
Oh my, those images are too large to show the total difference. I need to learn how to post them smaller, but I was trying that side-by-side feature. It’s kinda neat… you can see more of each image by using the middle arrows to slide it left or right. Anyway, you get the idea…
Hello beautiful sunrise from my dear North Carolina friend!
Hello Montana Snowdrifts!
Hello, dear friend, who walked over the 3’ drift to come say, “I’m here to plow you out!” (Oh my, look how the snow came in the front door!) God bless our helpers!
Hello Daughter#2 back in Maryland. Thank you for your love, hospitality, transportation, and luscious food! We miss you already.
Hello Lacey! You’re such a lucky pup to have your “People Grama” taking care of you while your parents are on their honeymoon!
Hello Daughter#1… So glad you’re back safely in Switzerland, enjoying a luscious dinner with your hubby. 👍🏽
Hello PicNick! Hey, DeDe, How fun that your #2 son came to visit and to show you his new car! Congratulations, Nicky (my #2 grandson). We’re so glad for you!!
Hello again, Lacey! Yes, I know, you need attention!!
Hello Montana sunset! Another day gone by, and we are so grateful for clear skies, for friends, neighbors, WP contacts and their comments, and for our local chiropractor who helped relieve my body aches!
(That was my first visit in my 83 1/2 years to see a chiropractor. I wonder why I waited so long!)
Have you ever been to one?
Whew! Feeling like an Angel just touched me! I hope you’ve had a blessed day, too, my friends.
Bee 🐝 well- and free of pain!
See ya tomorrow. Hah! It’s tomorrow already… I forgot to click “Publish” on this one yesterday ;o(
Is it hard for you to ask for help? Some people find it very difficult. Some people feel like they are a burden. They want to be self-sufficient.
Bob and I have learned Self-sufficiency is harder as you age. Asking for help is imperative, Especially when you are stuck!!
That red dot out there is the back – The back light of our car. We high-centered in.a snow drift. That’s about 50 yards out.
It is freezing out there – Brrr! We walked home and left the car. Brrrr… Help! We can’t do it – Can’t dig ourselves out.
It’s not the first time We needed help this week – Not the first time this year. What would we do alone??
Thank God for friends and neighbors. Thank God for Bobcats & snow blowers And friends who come to help. We would be toast without them!
Tomorrow’s sunrise promises us A better day – a chance to get out A chance to go to church and thank God For the HELP we receive from so many
Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Do not be afraid to ask Do not be too proud to admit You need help – can’t do it all yourself Let others help… and ask God for help, too!
No request is too small.
We reached out yestersay We asked our friend, Joe, for help He came and helped Bob Unbury our snow fence
Earlier this month I reached out And asked my friend, Susan P, For help with my Christmas decorations She came – we did it together – God bless her!
I couldn’t have done this without her!
May the Lord bless and keep you May your neighbors and friends Be the help you need when in distress Don’t be afraid to cry out: HELP!!
There is no joy in aloneness When you are craving assistance People want to help you They want to be asked. So do!
Do ask for HELP when you need it Ask for HELP when you want it You will be blessed and so will your helper We all need to be needed!!
This is my adorable 10-year-old friend Hailey helps to give me a sense of purpose Each week she joins me in my sanctuary We study scripture and read devotionals
I am so grateful for her and her mom They let me know they needed something In helping them, I am the one who is blessed You, too, can be the helper as well as the one who’s helped
Reach out today and make someone’s life better In the process, you will make your own richer, too. Help is a two-way street – Don’t miss it! God bless you, my dear WP friends… you help
You help by reading my blog and commenting You help by posting your stories and inspiration You never know just who needs what you write You never know who you’re he[ping today! Thanks for dropping by JanBeek today.
Your “likes” and comments lift my spirits. I’m headed to go see your blog right now, too. Thanks for your HELP!!
The Christmas cards are done They’re ready to be mailed But we can’t leave our home We’d surely be derailed
The winds were 40 mph gusts, and The drifts have blown like crazy I’ll have to ZOOM church tomorrow And it’s not cuz I am lazy
I’d attend if I could get out And after church I’d go To the post office to mail the cards But I can’t get through the snow
So we are at the mercy Of a kind and helpful neighbor When he comes with his bobcat blower We’ll watch him work and thank him later
He’ll blow out the driveway And clear a path for us So we can get to church Without shoveling and lots of fuss
But if you don’t see us And if our card to you doesn’t come, You might send out a sled team To rescue us… we’re frozen and numb!
That’s our driveway that’s the culprit The wind swirls the snow in piles Inside between the rabbit brush It blows in from many miles
That photo was a light snow This time it’s at least two feet tall After our neighbor plowed us out The piles were a five foot wall!
We haven’t seen a winter like this This storm has been a doozy It started way too early this year – The freezing wind makes me woozy
The Christmas cards are done They’re ready to be mailed But like I said, I’m stuck in here Our Christmas travel might be curtailed
Try coming in through the drifts I’ve some hot chocolate to share But if you don’t make it here Mr Snowman will be content floating there
Hope you’re having a happy December so far. God bless you! Stay in touch.
Love ya, JanBeek
Take a look at this photo I found! That’s me – pregnant with our 1st child, Ty. And that’s my sis and her hubby with my niece, Denise and my mom and dad… 1964 Christmas … Sweet memories!
