The Queen Bee

Flowers on Telegraph Hill in San Fransisco. Bees may be a theme here on my blog as August rolls in! I'm preparing to teach one of my favorite classes - "Becoming the Queen Bee". I've given this presentation several times before to groups of women who are in the thick of mothering and teaching and home keeping. I personally have always loved home keeping. Even during the times that I can't control the mess (we're in construction zone right now!), I love the idea of it. The thought of having nothing else to do but put away, polish, and putter in my home seems like heaven. When I was young I'd spend hours organizing and decorating my bedroom. My Mom was the best Queen Bee - we often made cleaning into a fun game by playing the parts of English house maids! Even those who really dislike the work of home keeping can make it more enjoyable, and feel the lovely calm that comes after the chores are done.

"The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one has to do."

-James M. Barrie

As I snapped these photos, I thought of the work that people put into their gardens - especially these on Telegraph Hill! They're gorgeous!

Here are some favorite quotes from my class outline:

"With each sunrise, we start anew."

-Anonymous

"I believe we all have this instinct to create beauty, distinction, meaning in our lives. Your daily and lifetime rituals can define you, and they can keep your spirits up: they are important for you, for your family, and friends. Look for natural beauty in all things. Beauty encourages us; it gives us joy and energy to care more and not settle for less."

-Alexandra Stoddard

"What a great blessing it is to struggle to teach a child the correct principles of life, and to make the home a great medium to do so. What we teach our children, how we mold their characters to try to make them responsible family members, loyal citizens, and noble children of God, affects not only us and them but also their children and their children's children - an awesome and exciting challenge!"

-Lynda J. Eyre

"There are women who make things better simply by showing up. There are women who make things happen. There are women who make their way. There are women who make a difference. And women who make us smile. There are women who do not make excuses...women who cannot be replaced. There are women of wit and wisdom who, with strength and courage, make it through. There are women who change the world every day."

-Ashley Rice

Blarney Spoken Here

I finally did my research and found out just what the blarney stone is all about.

We have some blarney stones all ready to "kiss" - hopefully they'll promote lots of sweet
and complimentary banter among the girls at Camp Hideaway!

I think I'll keep one handy to work magic on kids' summer quarrels. You know - they're with each other so much more in the summer, and they get on each other's nerves after awhile...

"Go kiss the stone - only blarney spoken here!"

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Lucky Catch

"Darling, that bracelet! It really makes your entire look. You must have people clamoring to snatch that right off your wrist! It's fabulous! " (a little blarney...)

Here's the charm bracelet project we'll be making. Brass fishing swivels - is that what they're called? I never remember. :) I do know that I use a size 7 for this bracelet.

The first time I made these was years ago for a family beach trip project. They were a little different - we made anklets then with seed beads and one tiny jingle bell instead of all the bead charms. These fun bracelets turn out great every time, and they're perfect for every skill level. I think we'll make some little dangle earrings also...more about the crafts when we're home!

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My cabin prep. trip was mostly productive. I ended up taking projects to finish, not finishing them, and hauling the stuff back home! However, my two worker bees really put in their time and we got the cabin in fine shape - as ready as we need to be for Hideaway. Yipee!

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Speaking of worker bees, I've got lots of ideas and tips for the Queen Bee (a.k.a. Mother or Grandmother) of the home. I've been interested in home keeping (not beekeeping - I'm allergic) and parenting - and the combination of the two - for many years. I love it! So here's the latest little reward idea sitting on our kitchen counter.

Queen Bee Tip #1 - Make your candy (or cookie) jar treats count for something.

A sweet reminder or reward for sweet behavior.

Camp Hideaway fun begins tomorrow!

We're very excited...

More on the blog at the end of the week...

"May the sun smile warmly down on you, may horny toads cross your path, and may the evening clouds part so you can see the majesty of the stars."

-Camp Hideaway Irish (ish) Blessing