Greetings to everyone and welcome to Jazianzza’s July journey (we couldn’t help ourselves with the alliteration!). There are a few special things that Jazi and I want to share with you, and we’re glad you are joining us.First, Jazi‘s cousins the bumblebees have finally started to arrive and it’s a joy to see them with their chubby little bodies eagerly flying from flower to flower. They’re so heavy that the flower often bends downward, yet somehow they don’t get dizzy or disoriented. Maybe it’s because they’re so focused on what they’re doing it’s not a big deal. I have some kale that went to seed and I’m happy I didn’t pull it but kept it for the bees to enjoy. They love it!
Second, speaking of focus, we’ve been waiting for months to try to find the space to include this incredible video of one of Jazianzza’s cousins, a Red-Tailed Mason bee, building her house. She spent over three hours of intense concentration constructing her new home. The following clip is from Martin Dohrn’s wonderful documentary, My Garden of a Thousand Bees. We talked about it in a previous newsletter, but once again, if you haven’t seen it, I’d encourage you to check it out. Martin does a truly marvelous job of bringing us two-leggeds into the world of the six-leggeds. Prepare to be amazzzed!
I recently visited a wonderful friend in Bellingham, WA. While there, we were able to get Bee-Coming Strong placed in their beautiful Village Books bookshop as well as their local Barnes & Noble. How cool is that? Which reminds me…August 17 at 11:00 we’ll be doing a book signing/reading at the Barnes & Noble in Huntington Beach. Please feel free to stop by, if you are local. And as a wonderful favor for us, if you haven’t already done so could you please go to Amazon and/or Goodreads and write a short review of Bee-Coming Strong? It’s something that can really help potential readers decide whether it’s a good fit for their children.Since summer has arrived and those with young ones may be looking for fun crafts to fill some time, here’s a link to a site that has a lot of ideas for bee projects. I couldn’t decide which one I liked the most, so I’m including the link for all of them. There are even activities that help increase fine motor and sensory skills, as well as teaching about basic beekeeping and bee anatomy. Please let me know if you make any of them! And by the way, this site has all kinds of activities, both indoors and out, on a variety of subjects for all age groups.
We wish you a July which hopefully includes taking time to appreciate and wonder at the gift of all pollinators as well as being present to our precious natural world. Just sitting with nature and perhaps including some of Jazi’s belly breathing to help you stay focused can do wonders for the mind and heart. Enjoy!A dear friend recently sent me this quote from a Methodist pastor. I love it, Jazianzza loves it, and we’re hoping you will, as well. It’s the small things in life that can bring deep meaning.
Dearly Beloved,
Grace and Peace to you.
Because the purple clover and the tiny sweat bee
appreciate each other life goes on.
Your contribution to the world doesn't have to be
a great or small accomplishment. It is enough—
it is glory— for you to offer mindfulness and gratitude.
You pollinate the world with your attention.
| Deep Blessings, Pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes |