Threads of Wisdom Newsletter Summer 2009

Celebration Calendar

June
[International fathers month, Children's Awareness month, National Ice Tea month, National Rose month, Gay & Lesbian Pride month, World Infertility month, Children's Cancer Awareness Month]
1 National Go Barefoot Day
5 World Environment Day
7 National Cancer Survivor's Day
11 Nursing Assistant Day
12 Loving Day
13 The Wicket World of Croquet Day
14 Race Unity Day
     Flag Day
    World Blood Donor Day
16 Fudge Day
20 Take Your Dog To Work Day
     World Refugee Day
21 Summer Solstice
     Family Awareness Day
     Father's Day
22 International Day of Radiant Peace
23 Public Service Day
26 International Day Against Drug Abuse
27 Great American Backyard Campout
28 Gay & Lesbian Parade Day
29 Take My Child to Work Day

July
[National Dog Days Month, Blueberries Month, Family Reunion Month, National Black Family Month, National Grilling, Ice Cream, and Hot Dog Month, National Make A Difference To Children Month, Tour de France Month, National Women's Motorcycle Month]
1 Canada Day
4 U.S. Independence Day
     Independence From Meat Day
6 Dalai Lama's Birthday
7 Chocolate Day/Father Daughter Take a Walk Together Day
10 Don't Step on a Bee Day
19 National Ice Cream Day
20 National Hug Your Kid Day
   National Lollipop Day
22 Spooners Day
23 Gorgeous Grammas Day
     All American Soap Box Derby Day
24 Pioneer Day
26 National Parent's Day
28 National Singing Telegram Day
30 Father-in-law Day

August
[National get ready for Kindergarten Month, National Immunizations Awareness Month, National Inventors Month, National What Will Be Your Legacy Month, National Children's Eye Health Month, National Water Quality Awareness Month]
1 Respect For Parents Day
   World Wide Web Day
   US Air Force Day
    Girlfriend's Day
2 Sister's Day
    Friendship Day
4 Coast Guard Day
    Chocolate Chip Day
   National Night Out
6 Hiroshima Day
7 National Lighthouse Day
8 Sneak Some Zucchini Onto your Neighbor's Porch Night
    National Garage Sale Day
10 Smithsonian Day
     S'mores Day
12 Sewing Machine Day
     International Youth Day
    Vinyl Record Day
13 International Lefthanders Day
14 National Navajo Code Talkers Day
     Kool-aid Day
15 Feast of the Assumption
     Best Friend's Day
     National Homeless Animal's Day
     Sandcastle Day
18 Cupcake Day
20 Pony Express Day
23 Day of Remembrance for Slave Trade and it's Abolition
26 Women's Equality Day
     National Dog Day
27 Global Forgiveness Day
30 National Toasted Marshmallow Day

Featured Ritual
By Mackenzie Treible

Graduating High School Senior

May 10, 2009

The Trivialities of Beekeeping

Our culture stereotypically labels honeybees as aggressive and caustic, but the small pollinators should instead be acclaimed for their humility and helpfulness toward sustaining humanity. To comment upon Nelson Mandela's axiom "If you want to make peace with the enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner," honeybees are necessary to achieve a stable and reliable economy. Not until people can recognize the importance of accommodating honeybees will the success of agriculture in the near future be securely promised. Unknowingly, bees and humans work side by side. Bees pollinate plum trees, lettuce crops, blueberry bushes, and many more plants essential to the world than what the average person truly understands. Without them, the 90 billion dollar agriculture industry would be in ruins. Pollution caused imminently by humans has devastatingly hindered honeybees' ability to survive in the already deteriorating environment.

Due to pollution, honeybees have completely disappeared in the Hanyuan County in the Sichuan Province of China, whose primary source of revenue is agriculture, specifically pears. In order for the county's small family-owned businesses to survive, farmers must devote day and night to hand pollination of each individual pear blossom with a small feather-brush to do what honeybees once did naturally and for free. It is my goal to keep farms and orchards in Oregon from needing heat lamps, feather-brushes, and pollen excluders.

I began my own business, Mes Abeilles, Garden and Orchard Beekeeping, LLC, in 2007. Mes Abeilles establishes beehives for commercial and residential farms in Oregon. Read the rest

Inspirational Quote
"The men of experiment are like the ant; they only collect and use. But the bee . . . gathers its materials from the flowers of the garden and of the field, but transforms and digests it by a power of its own."
~ Leonardo da Vinci

Summer 2009 Newsletter

Summer is a time to get outside and connect with all that great energy from the earth. As we are all simplifying and watching our pennies, this is a great year to start a backyard or front yard garden; learn to make honey or can our harvest; take a trip somewhere in our state; volunteer for a program to save our Bees; or start an outdoor club with friends, gathering together once a week to walk, knit on the porch, swap money saving ideas and coupons, or have a good old fashion street BBQ. Throw open the windows and let all your cares that are holding you down float off on the breeze! With a revitalized mind and body we can then organize for a garage sale, make a couple bucks, and have some neighborhood fun in the process! As the renewal of spring runs into the lazy days of summer, let's take time to feel the shift in our lives and our family's routine. It is a radical idea, but let's consider dropping all scheduled activitie s for our kids one day a week and have them reconnect with playing out doors with neighbors, walking to the library, or drumming up a game of kickball! Do I dare suggest we even go so far as to send them out the door and say "be back by six for dinner"! I know, it is a foreign idea, but what would we need to do to make it happen?

We are all working harder and possibly worrying a bit more, so let's shake off that stress and do something wonderful for our mind, body and spirit. Those around us will benefit as well as the fresh ideas we will have to tackle the big issues in life. If escaping from work is not an option for your job, then try to change the scenery at work, or shake up your routine after work. Whatever the challenge, it can all look a bit better if we take a lesson from our Bee friends and stop to smell the flowers; often the answers are right there in front of us!

Peace Begins at Home!

Mary Jo
Chief Inspirational Officer

Recipe

Dates and Honey Bread
From National Honey Board
-makes 1 loaf -

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice