The good. My bees thrived. The weather and my schedule matched up to allow almost weekly hive inspections. I left the bee yard only two or three times without resolving issues, one of which my bee-ple subscribing to my beekeeping newsletter got read about (twice!) :-O
I gave away $500. What was that? Story time: Approximately five years ago, I was prospected on a barter site — life insurance info in exchange for beekeeping info. I happened to be in the market for a policy as a planning and future-minded single woman, and the agent was returning to Iowa and wanted to know about local laws and how-to’s. It was a great exchange.
I bought a policy, and was very attracted to the company’s yearly benefit of two $250 donations. I had never heard of an idea like this. I can give away $500 every year, regardless of how much money I put toward my own policy that year. Despite my enthusiasm, it took me until 2021 to put time and energy toward using the benefit. The experience was satisfying enough to want to use it in the future as time and energy allow. Thank you, Thrivent.
Vaccinations allowed some activities. Some things simply have no substitutes and I continue to celebrate their return.
The bad. My dad passed away late Feb. After years of no contact, followed by a couple recent years of family therapy, we were able to understand each other. That was the best we got. Unlike the difficult and beautiful work when my mom and I went through family therapy a few years ago, my network and I realized that complete healing with my dad was impossible given his conditions.
The ugly. COVID-19 continues to negatively mess with life activities, despite vaccinations and best practices. Personally, it led to being vulnerable myself. Without many public options for the hours and frequency of meetings, I decided to open my house to all winter bee club meetings. Virtual meetings work for some activities, but for bee meetings, it pretty much fails. We all have to weigh our risks against the benefits (which we did previously).
The future. Looking ahead, I see 2022 as a blank slate. I’m blessed to wake up every morning. What are your hopes for the New Year? Leave me a comment.