Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us on Sasserfrass Hill!

One of my favorite songs by John Lennon is "Happy Christmas"

"So, this is Christmas and what have you done? Another year over and a new one just begun.... " Well, we have done a lot, and things have been very interesting on Sasserfrass Hill, it has been a incredible, crazy productive year, and it flew by at the speed of light. It has been a year of great transition.

After being laid off from my job of twenty years as a video producer, I was in shock and really frightened as to what the future may hold. But like they say... God doesn't close a door without opening a window.... I do believe that, and we started the year with great wonder and anticipation. I hoped for a great adventure and I got that and much more.

I love spending time in my yards. I put in stacked stone flower beds. It was hard, back breaking work, but the results were very gratifying.

We doubled the number of hives from five to ten. We captured five swarms this spring. We gave each hive it's own beautiful pastel color. Sometimes it seems, the bees think they are on rainbow row in Charleston.
We had a bumper crop of honey as well. We harvested over 250 pounds. Mr. Charlie's guidance and advice made the harvesting process much easier and very productive. His experience is invaluable and his skill in the bee yard is exceptional. We call him a bee whisperer.... He truly is.

We have continued with our Bee Venom Therapy. Helping anyone with aliments from Arthritis to Multiple Sclerosis. Mr. Charlie has also made BVT look easy and almost painless.

We also whipped up some incredible lotion bars and lip balms. Made with all natural exotic butters, beeswax and botanical oils. We have some delicious essential oils, that smell delightful and fresh.
We made votive and tea light candles of pure beeswax. Which emit negative ions that actually clean the air and burn longer and brighter than other candles.

Sarah and Erika helped with all our computer needs. They helped with design and packaging, and also helped get our web site up and running. Check out sasserfrasshill.com when you have a chance.

Mr Charlie's wife has been battling cancer this year and he has devoted himself to her care. We wish her . . . Bright Blessings.

The big highlight this fall was one of my photographs making the cover of Bee Culture. Which is a national beekeeping magazine. It all happened rather quickly. We asked if they accepted freelance photography in September and we made the cover in October. I was stoked and as proud as I could bee to see a SasserFrass Hill girl on the cover.

I also joined a couple of garden clubs and met several master gardeners. Generous knowledgeable women that gave me many plants and are going to help get my yard "bee friendly" with lots of perennials the bees can feast on all year.

It has been a busy and rewarding year. I count my blessing everyday. I thank God for my health, family and friends. I want to thank everyone that believed in me and helped me make Sasserfrass Hill a great place to be this year. We are planning to add more hives in the spring, and with a little luck and lots of hard work we expect to have even a better year in 2010.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Let's hope it's a good one without any fear. (Don't forget to pray for all our troops in Afghanistan.)

Bee Merry,
Ms Deb

SasserFrass Hill Get Ready for Winter!

Today is the last day of November. Only thirty days till we issue in another new year. This year has zipped pasted at light speed.

I have been feeding my bees 1 x 1 sugar water for several weeks. They are drinking it up as fast as they can. They have polished off 100 pounds of sugar so far and I will feed them another 50 pounds this week and see how their food stores measures up.

I will insulate the hives on SasserFrass Hill when the temperature drop. I want to save my girls as much energy as possible. Each little cell of honey can figuratively be compared to a miniature barrel of oil or a few sticks of firewood. Each bee consumes honey, metabolizes it (burns it) at the cellular level and produces heat and muscular energy. Each individual bee's heat is contributed to the cluster and communal heat is produced.

We have had many blessings this year. One of our biggest is Mr. Charlie, guiding us and sharing his thirty years of beekeeping experience. He tirelessly helps everyone with our bees, he answer's all our questions and makes you feel everything is going to be alright.

We Thank you GOD for all our Many Blessing. We are grateful.

Bee Well my tiny friends.

Ms Deb

Today is the last day of November. Only 30 days left till the new year. This year has passed very quickly for me. Sasserfrass Hill Bee Farm has taken lots of my time and energy. I have enjoyed working in my yards. Building stone beds borders and planting lots of perennials. I have met several master Gardeners who are willing to help me get my yard planted with flowers and plants that are bee friendly all seasons of the year.

I have been feeding my bees sugar water 1 x 1 and the are busy drinking it up as fast as they can. We have had very mind fall with temperatures only in the high thirties a few nights. I still have morning glories blooming and even tiny yellow blooms on my tomato plants.

I hope my girls will make it through our second winter together. I will wrap the hives with a nice insulation when temperture drop. I want to help the girls save as much energy as possible. Each bee consumes honey, metabolizes it, at the cellular level and produces heat and muscular energy. Each individual bee's heat is contributed to the cluster and communal heat is produced.

I am going to fed my bees and hope for the best.

Charlotte, my niece, said I have the luckest bees in the world.... just to be on SasserFrass Hill...I hope my ten hives come out of winter feeling the same.

Bee Well my tiny friends.

Ms Deb

Things are well on Sasserfrass Hill

Our family had a great weekend. Justin flew in from Hawaii for a visit. He will be deployed to Afghanistan in a few weeks. So, say a little prayer for him and all his comrades fighting for our freedom. Mama cooked a feast and we had lots of hugs, laughs and fellowship.

The ladies Vikki teaches with gave her a Grandmother shower. It was at Dee Trevor's house. Everyone brought a dish and a drink. It was so much fun. But the icing on the cake was Olivia's first family outing. It was exciting. Most of the family had not met her yet. She was so sweet and let everyone get some baby sugar. She is an adorable baby.

The bees are doing great also. All is well on Sasserfrass Hill. We are working to get some lotion bars and beeswax candles ready for the holiday season.

I will post an update soon.

Bee Well,

Ms Deb

Lotion Bars, Candles, lip Balm ....Ohooo My!

Happy Halloween Everyone.!!!

It was a beautiful day with lots of blue sky and white puffy clouds. I worked in my yards all day. Then it turned gray and rainy.

I have only had two trick or treaters tonight. I have never had very many kids because the street is not well lit, and the houses are far apart.

I closed on my house nine years ago today. I can hardly believe it has been that long. . . . Time flies....

I am working on lotion bars and pure beeswax candles. I got lots of new exotic oils and yummy butters. I hope to make several new batches of lotion bars next week.

The bees are eating from the feeders and still bringing in pollen. All seems to be going well at this time.

I got lots of plants and cuttings from Carol Finch, a master gardener this week. She gave me some perennials I hope the girls will like. The spring will tell. I am going to meet some other master gardeners in the next week or so for more ideas how to make Sasserfrass Hill more bee friendly.

Bee Spooky,

Ms Deb

A Beautiful Fall Day for Bee Venom Therapy

October 23, 2009 is a beautiful fall day with sunshine peeping in and out of the clouds. The bees are flying and the yellow jackets are on the prowl. I got stung by a yellow jacket yesterday while I was cleaning the feeders. The yellow jackets will not live through the winter but they are eating as much protein (bees) as possible now. They are lurking outside the hive looking for the sick and weak bees. When people say they got stung by a bee, usually they got stung by a bad old yellow jacket.

Today we had two new Bee Venom Therapy patients. Natalie is 84 years old and as cute as a button. She and her daughter came to try to get relief from arthritis. They had gone to the chiropractor and had physical therapy and wanted to try BVT as a complimentary treatment. I hope they get great relief from their arthritis pain. I was happy they were open minded and willing to try something new.

Erika came over also, she is suffering from MS, and has had a lot of relief from her aches and pains. Sarah came by to help with the web site. We are getting our products ready to post in time for Christmas. We hope to have lots of stocking stuffers to choose from.

We got a new baby girl in our family yesterday. Olivia was born at 5:58am and weighed 7lbs. 1oz

Vicky and Reese (my nephew) are doing fine. Vikki and Laurice and proud grandparents for the first time. They are over the moon for this little girl. We welcome her into the family.

I am off to Sam's to buy another 50 pounds of sugar... I will feed the girls for a while till they get plenty of food stored up for the winter.

Bee Well,

Ms Deb

The Girls cleaning up the harvested supers

Believe it or not it is the middle of October. I can not believe how this year has buzzed by.

Mr Charlie and I went through all the hives last week. All were strong but the Peach hive. Mr Charlie said they may have swarmed while I was not looking.

He brought a nuc over ( A nuc is a small hive with only five frames.) It is half the space for them to keep warm as the temperatures fall. I hope the peach girls will prosper. With so few sisters to keep themselves warm it may be tough.

The Girls...the Worker bees, will kick the drones out of the hive during the fall and winter. The drones contribute nothing to the hive. They don't even collect their own nectar...They make several flights each day looking for a virgin queen. Which odds are NOT good they will ever be successful.

Sarah and Erika are coming over on Thursday. We are going to update the website and put up some product photos.

The year is buzzing away at light speed....... So the Girls and I will hold on tight.... it's going to be a fun filled fall.

Bee Well,

Ms Deb