Facets of Beekeeping

Chuck Lorence has been promoting, educating, encouraging and protecting bees and their keepers for many years. He is creative, experimental and entrepreneurial. He has a long history of serving on boards, presiding over beekeeping clubs, and advancing the causes of beekeepers by his involvement in organizations, the state fair and politics. He is, in my opinion and I am pretty sure that I am in good company, The Master Beekeeper of Cook DuPage Counties in Illinois. In addition, he is frugal, approachable, entertaining and wise.

Chuck says that he and his wife were hippies in the 1970’s. Not the pot smoking kind of hippies but the natural food, gardener, live-off-the-land kind of hippies. He says, “You know, hippies brought us organic farming. They were the pioneers in that field.”

In 1971, Chuck read an article about beekeeping in a copy of Mother Earth News while waiting for a dentist appointment. It reminded him that his father used to keep bees when he was around the age of eight in Racine, WI.

He told a humorous story of how his father used to pull honey. With the bees swarming his father like a cloud, Chuck and his siblings and his mom watched from the safety of the screen door. He recalls his mother saying, “Do not laugh at your father.”

After reading the article on beekeeping, and seeing what it could do for the environment and our food supply, he went to the Wisconsin farm where he was raised and got his father’s old beekeeping equipment. He burned all that was beyond repair, and scraped, sanded and painted the rest and got his beekeeping start with two hives. He has been keeping bees ever since. He continued to teach graphic arts at Glenbrook South High School. However, unlike most hobbyist beekeepers, he figured out a way to make it a lucrative hobby. At his prime, he kept 150 colonies but recently downsized to 25-30 colonies.


When I heard that Chuck was going to semi retire, I jumped at the opportunity to sit under his teaching. I am so glad for this experience. Chuck is good. He is passionate. I leave class each Wednesday really wanting to become a beekeeper and believing that I can do it.

However, to be quite honest, I think that I like the idea of beekeeping better than actually doing the beekeeping. Much in the same way, I like the idea of dogs—especially Lassie-like stories. I like the idea of horses and horse stories and yes, I went through a phase of drawing horses. However, I can’t say that I really want a dog or a horse. In fact I am quite sure that if someone offered to give me a dog or a horse and pay for the expenses for one year, I would decline. I am not too optimistic that beekeeping is ever going to be much of a passionate hobby for me either.


Yet I was excited and eager to accompany my beekeeping hubby on Saturday to see if his girls had survived the winter.


He was overjoyed, ecstatic, to discover four surviving hives at this beeyard. We did not get to the other beeyards because we needed to do some other chores before attending our local beekeeper’s club meeting.


At this particular meeting, a CSI panel shared what they knew and did not know about dead-outs. (In beekeeping terms, a dead colony especially one that did not survive the winter is referred to as a “dead-out.”) One gracious beekeeper, brought an unopened winter colony—a dead-out and it was opened and dismantled and scrutinized—an autopsy of sorts. The panel and other knowledgeable beekeepers explained the forensic science of beekeeping. Several theories for this dead-out emerged. Perhaps there was too much moisture in the hive—but that theory did not make sense to me as it was wintered just like other colonies in the beeyard that survived and the dead bees were not wet. There was plenty of honey in the hive and no evidence of disease. The theory that made the most sense to me was that the queen died and the cluster became confused with no queen to protect. Thus small clusters were found in four or five areas of the hive. When they did not huddle and work together, they got cold and could not survive. Several beekeepers made suggestions as to why the queen might have died. It is important to know why colonies do not survive the winter so changes can be made for a better outcome the next year.


At first glance, you might think that beekeepers are an unusual group of people.















But here is what I discovered after attending several of these meetings each year.

Beekeepers are:

• unpretentious
• generous
• vulnerable
• sharing
• kind
• learned
• hopeful
• motivating
• fascinating
• hardworking




• and appreciative of good desserts.

I am so glad that my hubby is a beekeeper!

Sweeter than honey

After being with the grandkids for ten days, I have lots of material for blog posts but instead just did a little movie of pictures. I think this song is so sweet and of course the kids are sweeter.

Slowing down? Eat something red!

Andy checked out a book from the library on Eat This Not That! for Kids!. The boys have especially latched on to the designations on pages 12-16 about what kind of Superpowers vegetables and fruits give you—depending on which color they are. Jacob uses the phrases like code words for whatever he would like on his plate at mealtimes.

• Red food makes you dash like the Flash!
• Orange foods give you night vision!
• Yellow foods make you jump higher and play harder!
• Green foods give you sharp vision and superhuman healing abilities!
• Blue foods make you the smartest kid in the class!

Jacob loves his Red Fireball shirt and being on a team. In the video, he is the smallest Red Fireball. His number is three. Jakie is particularly into “dash like a flash” foods.

Apparently it works?

Y Fan

I like the Durham Downtown Y

I like the zero depth pool.


I like free play in the gym and the walking path above it.


I like the staff.


I like the programs . . .

for all ages . . .

I like the families.

I like the spectators.


I like the participants.

And guess who scored in his Blue Lasers game on Saturday!

I am a fan.

This just won’t work . . .

The concept of Valentine’s Day was new, a couple of days ago, to five year old Ryan. I explained that we needed to go and buy some valentines so that he could give one to each person in his class.

Ryan knows that we do not like to spend money unnecessarily and so he suggested that he could make a valentine for everyone.

I explained that would mean a lot of writing to make one for all of his classmates.

Ryan’s response made us smile. He is definitely his daddy’s son.

He said, “Well, I could just write what I want to say and then we could make a chart and everyone could make a mark on the chart by their name after they read it.”

After Ryan went to bed, we chuckled again as Amy and I related the story to his daddy, Andy.

The next morning at breakfast, Andy anxiously asked, “Oh no! Did I miss Valentine’s Day?” Amy and I laughed and assured him that he still had time to observe the day.

It seemed that he was sincere when he said, “Whew! Good! Because I really love all of my family.”

Then he paused, “Please put a check mark after your name when you have read this.”

Sea como sea

We had the opportunity to go for a few days to Cancun—mostly business for Bob.

However, I usually love to do an excursion of some kind and see the area and learn or experience something new when I accompany Bob.

However, this time, I wanted to be careful not to spend any extra money because after all, we are building a new home and have not sold our current home.

However, I did want to enjoy the water and sunshine and relax and read books. I went well supplied and read four books that were just fun.


However, the weather was uncharacteristically cool and rainy with two downpour drenching rainy days and temperatures never getting above 62 degrees.

However, we did enjoy watching the coatis. I loved sitting and listening to their chirping sounds. They were quite tame and although I did not have my camera ever with me, the phone worked well enough to capture a couple of shots.



I do so wish that I could speak Spanish.

However, it was a joy to hear “Hola” and other gracious phrases every time I stepped out of our room.

Sí, gracias, I am remembering this trip con mucho gusto.

Let’s say really really early, okay?

A couple of people one person asked me to post my recipe and tips on gingerbread house construction. This post is either really, really early for 2011 or months late for 2010.

I usually make the gingerbread houses in late October or in November.

The grandchildren come the day after Thanksgiving to decorate their houses.

The recipe, that I use, makes ten of these little gingerbread houses.

In recent years the grands enjoy experimenting with designing their own houses—if they have time. In that case, of course, the recipe does not go quite as far but it is easy to put together. It is very fun to see their creativity.

If this is your first time baking gingerbread houses, you will want need to gather your equipment and supplies a few days before you want to start.

Equipment needs include two cookie sheets (jelly roll pans) and a good mixer.

These next items are available at craft stores like Hobby Lobby or Michaels or JoAnn Fabrics. You can get some of these things from Amazon.com but be careful. Some are much more expensive from Amazon than from the craft stores.

Meringue Powder

12” disposable frosting or pastry bags

Frosting tips (Do not pay more than $.99 for them.)
I think that Wilton Decorating Tip size #4
or Wilton Decorating Tip size #5
work best for children.

8” rounds

You will need cookie cutters. I bought a three piece set from http://www.foosecookiecutters.com/. You have to look under Christmas and Holidays until you get to about the 4th page or look on the second page of Cookie Cutter Sets. I created another little piece by bending a small cookie cutter into a door shape. The cookie cutters are also available several other places as well. Yes, they are flimsy but we have used ours for about 10 years anyhow.

Here are some tips/suggestions that make the process easier.

When baking the houses, roll the dough out on the underside of a cookie sheet.


Put a damp towel under the cookie sheet so that when muscles are applied to the rolling pin, the cookie sheet stays in place.
Don’t move the cookies after they are cut because it will change the shapes.


Just peel away the extra dough and put it back into the covered bowl to roll it out again for the next batch.

The difference between a front and a back is that that we cut a door in the front pieces. We use the same cookie cutter for both pieces but press my make-shift door cutter for a front piece.

Keep a chart to make sure you bake the right number of pieces. We have ten columns across the top and then four rows. The roof pieces need two slashes per house; the sides need two slashes per house and we need one back and one front. Be sure to mark your chart each time you put a tray of cookies in the oven.


After the cookies are all baked, assemble the houses using the Meringue Powder frosting recipe. Sometimes I assemble on baking day and other times I wait until later. I never assemble them on the day that we decorate because they could collapse during decorating.


I only beat the frosting for seven minutes with my Kitchen Aid mixer. The recipe says to beat for ten minutes but I think that makes the frosting too stiff.

Do not use rubber or plastic when making the frosting or it does not get stiff enough. Just use a regular spoon for putting the frosting in bags.

Snip the ends of the bags and put a tip in each pastry bag.

Kids and adults have a difficult time with the frosting squeezing out the top of the frosting bags so I secure the bags first with a twist tie.

Then I roll the end of the bag and secure it even further with a piece of masking tape.

I wrap a just damp piece of paper towel around the tip of the frosting bags so that the frosting does not harden. I put the tubes in a gallon plastic bag and refrigerate them until we are ready to use the frosting. The frosting recipe is enough for six houses.


The frosting keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.

When assembling the houses, start with a back and a side.

Then the next side and the front.


Construct all of the houses first and then go back and roof them all after the sides have dried for a few minutes.

It takes me two hours to make the dough from scratch and cut out and bake the pieces for ten houses. It takes me another half hour to put the houses together. When Jessica and I worked together, we made the dough and constructed eleven houses from start to finish in two hours.

Here is the recipe . . .

Gingerbread - 10 houses

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup molasses (use unsulphered--I use Grandma's original)
7 cup flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2/3 cup water

Use a Kitchen Aid or another good mixer.

Cream butter, margarine and brown sugar
Add molasses

Mix dry ingredients and add slowly & alternately with water to creamed mixture. Mix only long enough to mix so that all ingredients are mixed together.

Keep unused portion covered at all times. Can be refrigerated--bring back to room temperature before rolling.

Oil and flour back of cookie sheet lightly.
Roll out dough and press the cookie cutters. Remove the extra dough.

Bake at 325 to 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie shapes are just beginning to brown on the edges.

Royal Icing with Meringue Powder
6 T. meringue powder
2 lbs. powdered sugar
12 T. hot tap water

Beat for for 10 minutes.
Use only grease free utensils--stainless steel spoon--no rubber spatulas
Keep covered--air tight
One recipe is more than enough for 6 houses.

If you cannot get the meringue powder, here is an alternative frosting. However, it must be used immediately after you make it. Otherwise it will separate.
3 large egg whites
1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Now file this away for nine months and then if you have any challenges during the process, send me an email and I will give you my phone number to talk you through it.

This year, I made or helped to make around sixty little houses.

Jessica and I made 22 houses for her November birthday party.


I contributed houses for an adult Christmas party at church hosted by our small group.


and a few extras for three little girls . . .


I wanted to include my NC grands so we had another party with them and some of their friends the week before Christmas. I had temporarily misplaced my camera and got no photos of our party. That happens to me too frequently--losing my camera.


I was honored when our oldest grandchild, Kent, sixteen years old, borrowed our mixer and a few supplies and made gingerbread houses by himself for a decorating party that he hosted for some male and female friends. I contributed a few houses to that endeavor when he needed a few extra.


This photo was taken in 2001. This is a photo of my dad and stepmom, my mother-in-law, my first husband's sister-in-law and her two kids and my sister. Anne in the striped sweater now has three children of her own. I cannot look at a picture of Dad without thinking how much I miss him. But I digress . . .


I cannot resist one more old photo. Jessica was three in this photo. Now she is eleven.

This post is much, much too long. What can I say? Maybe that's the point. It is time to quick talking. Blessings my friends.