Woodworking and the Honey Making Process

Well today came and went, but where did it go?  This morning I had to laundry so it’s dry and clean when I go home – again, how did time creep up on me like that?  Most of the time I’ve been in Ireland, I’ve laid awake at night counting the days, the hours, the minutes until I’m home again.  The nights are always the hardest.  I lay alone, the lights out, nothing left to occupy me but my thoughts.  It’s easier to not call home.  When I do, it only makes me feel homesick and reminds me of what I’m missing.  Being at this place is different, though.  I love being here.  I love the people.  I enjoy the work.  And I’m in awe of the scenery.  Everything about Blueberry Hill Farm is the perfect fit for me.  I feel challenged and love being able to have so many first experiences.  Most of the activities break down my comfort zone barrier and most of the conversations have been nothing short of philosophical.  I love being surrounded by people who think and feel differently than me when it comes to just about everything.  I love sitting around the table, sipping tea, discussing cultural differences, looking out and seeing the mountains in the distance.  Questioning and assessing one’s own beliefs is healthy and necessary when it comes to living a fulfilled life, and being here is making me realize I hold so many opinions I’ve never even thought about; they’re part of me somehow, and I’m not even sure how they got there.  Like how I use I microwave or enjoy painting my toenails or throw food away once the label tells me it’s expired.  They’re not necessarily important aspects of my personality, but combined, there are a lot of beliefs I’ve never questioned.  Today I learned how to do woodworking by nailing dowels into wood slats for the shelves that are newly hung in the farm kitchen.  I also had the chance to clean bee hives and learn about the honey making process.  Seeing Rosa and me move the supplies from one area to another would have given anyone a good laugh, as we’re not what most people would call strong, but we did manage do get everything where it needed to go.  We high fived at the end, and Rosa thinks it’s normal to make a chicken wing flap after you slap hands, so now we high five with a chicken wing flap every time we do something.  We also helped to make cheesy potatoes and cauliflower for dinner, which we got from the garden, along with a lettuce salad and a peach dessert.  After dinner we watched the movie Seven Years in Tibet and then went to bed.  And the pictures don't really correspond with the writing, but they're the only pictures I took today.