Time to Tap the Maple Trees

So several years ago I posted about one of my favorite memories as a child was syrup making time. It is almost that time of year again! Just when you think winter is never going to end, it's time to tap the trees which is the surest sign that spring is going to be coming very soon. Some days I long to go back to a life that was far more simple than the one I find myself in today.

Tapping the trees was a task only my Dad was able to do as you had to make sure you were tapping a maple tree and not any of the other trees like oak or ash. You see there are no leaves on the trees at this time in Ohio and that is how I would know what kind of tree it is. Not only that the spile had to be put at just the right place and just the right angle. So that was always Dad's job.

Of course Dad did the gathering as well because you had to use a team of horses who pulled this huge tank around the woods while each bucket had to be lifted from the trees and emptied. I did help with this task once or twice but my absolute favorite part was to be in the sugar house while the sap was being cooked down into syrup. I remember the smell of the wood burning and I remember the fire was extremely hot. It was usually so cozy and warm in the sugar house and when it was my turn (my brothers and I had to take turns because someone had to stay and do the chores) to go back to the woods after school for the evening I would get to take dinner back for the ones who were back doing the cooking of the sap. Of course my most favorite part of the night was making dessert...maple cream. It is the sweetest most delectable dessert I have ever eaten and I don't know why I have not done this but I have never made it since leaving home. Maybe because it would just not be the same. It is a little hard to create the atmosphere of the sugarhouse in the city. That has been such a long time ago. Now that I live in a climate that actually has winter and it freezes I will have to look into teaching my girls this awesome skill.

One other thing this time of year reminds me of is spring is coming. February and sometimes March seemed to be endless to me especially when I was young and going to school. In northeastern Ohio it felt like winter was never going to leave!

Until next time "carpe diem"! "seize the day"

Bountiful Blessings,
Barbara Kay

Wow! 3 Years of LIFE and so much has changed!

Hello Again,

Wow! First I must offer my apology to those of you who were hoping to follow this blog and learn lots about the Amish. There have been some dramatic happenings in my life in the last 3 years and a lot has changed. But I am a firm believer that we have to be the change we want to see in the world so I am not going to reflect any longer on the past except to draw from the valuable lessons I have learned and they were many! I am sure if you become a faithful follower (I hope you will) I will be able to share some of the lessons I have learned and hopefully it will help some of you in your life. I truly believe the things we experience in life are not just for us to learn from but are meant to be shared that others may learn and grow and even be spared heartache and pain.

My goal is to post a new post every week. So please say a prayer for me to be able to accomplish that goal!

So now to the future! I am excited about what the future holds! There is so much promise and so much hope! My faith has been strengthened by the things I have experienced since I last posted. I have become a single mother and my two daughters and I moved to Colorado one year ago. It is so beautiful here and being able to see the mountains every day and breathe the clean mountain air has revived my soul in a way I cannot put into words!

So for tonight I just wanted to revive this blog and let you know I have returned!
Please send me your questions on some of the things you are interested in hearing about in regards to the Amish to hbkeim03@gmail.com. Maybe you don't have a question but have a topic you would like me to address. Please send me those topics as well! I want to know what you are interested in reading! I will do my best to answer each one of them and if there is one I don't have an answer for I will get it for you!

Bountiful Blessings
Barbara Kay