Hive Membership OPEN!

Below are the details of the Hive membership for 2016. If you are interested, please click HERE and complete the application page. Spots are limited so please email your completed application right away to emily@planbeefarmbrewery.com

Thanks for your support! 

Renovations are underway!

Plan Bee started renovations this August on the 1830's barn located on the 25 acre farm that we purchased in May 2015. Things have been moving along as we have been working on shoring up the foundation. It is amazing that the barn was built on hand laid stones with no mortar! It is beautiful work but isn't strong enough to support our new 10 bbl brew house which is due to arrive at the end of October. Steel and concrete reinforcements are needed!

In the month of September, we will be finishing up the foundation work and moving onto the brew house design. We hope to be finished and ready to go before mid October so we have time before the custom made brewing equipment from Brewmation in Fishkill arrive to the farm. Once the tanks arrive, we will work on getting the equipment up and running. We hope to brew the first batch of beer which will go into barrels before Thanksgiving. Fingers crossed!

We bought the farm!

Exciting news! On May 5th, 2015 we officially closed on the 25-acre farm in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Our goal is to be brewing on our new 10 bbl system before the end of 2015 and we hope to invite the public in to see the farm and facility by Spring 2016. Until then, we can still find us at the Beacon Farmers Market every Sunday from 10 AM to 3 PM. 

 

The day of the closing we went to the farm and
watched the sunset. So happy to be on the farm!!

Why the Expansion?

In order for Plan Bee Farm Brewery to fully achieve our mission of growing and processing all our ingredients, we must move to a larger property. Our current location in Fishkill is less than an acre in size, which makes us unable to produce our own grain, whereas the farm property in Poughkeepsie is 25 farmable acres. On this property, we intend to expand our hop fields; add an orchard; increase the growth of aromatic herbs, fruits and vegetables; and begin growing and malting our own barley, wheat and rye grains. There is a barn on the farm that was built in the 1800’s in which we intend on moving our production after making renovations.

The demand from the public for Plan Bee Farm Brewery’s brews has been astounding. In June 2014, we saw our bottle sales jump, thanks to everyone's support. As the demand grew in our first year, we had to enforce bottle restrictions per customer and we had to increase the number of days we brew per week. However, even with these restrictions, we are still unable to meet the demand of our community. Although most craft breweries begin their operations with 15-20 barrel systems, we have elected to start with a 10 barrel system given our aim of producing 100% NYS ingredient beers and in light of our crop growing potential. The expansion of our brewhouse will allow us to better meet the demand from our community. 

What to expect in 2015-2016

The Barn: The barn once renovated will hold our ten-barrel brewhouse, bottling line, packaging materials and two ten-barrel oak, open fermenters. We will use the cellar of the barn to house our cooperage for barrel aging and our coolship (a traditional Belgian farmhouse vessel used to cool beer and collect microflora/terroir). This structure will house all our needs for beer production and storage.

The Shed: We will need to build an additional structure to house our tractor, combine, grain cleaner, gravity wagon, grain drill, floor malting, etc. This structure will be used for our farming operations and malt production only.

Farmland: The farm is laid out on a ridge and has a variety of soil types.

Northwest Fields: We intend on planting grain, which we will put on a crop rotation that includes red clover, buckwheat, and other useable crops. We haven't quite determined the exact rotation but are working with other farmers and farm managers to make a plan!

Northeastern Fields: We hope to put in an orchard in this region that will include 6 beehives (an increase from our current 2 hives). We hope to include fruit bushes eventually.

Eastern Fields: The lower fields are not very well drained but we intend on using this to our advantage. We want to put our hop fields here as these fields are wetter and thus more suitable for the growth of hops. We will need to install a trellis system here as hops grow vertically up to 30 ft.

Southwest Fields: There is a cleared pasture on the property that is currently housing our neighbors cows. We intend on using this field for grain production as well for which we will utilize in a crop rotation program.

Center Fields: The barn is located in the very center of the property. We intend on building raised beds that will be located on the north facing side of the barn. This is where we will grow our herbs, fruits and vegetables that we will use in our seasonal beer recipes.

SO much work ahead of us but our excitement and determination along with all of your support is propelling us forward!
 

Plan Bee in 2015

Plan Bee Farm Brewery has bought the farm! We are currently in the process of moving our operation to the Town of Poughkeepsie where we are securing a 25 acre farm and renovating an 1820's 3-story barn to become the future brewery, retail space and tasting room. We currently have a 1-barrel brewhouse on Clove Road in Fishkill but the new brewery would feature an 8 barrel system. Our goal is never to grow too large as we will always maintain 100% NYS ingredient brews so we will be at full capacity with our 8 barrel system. Instead of growing vertically as a business, we are discussing horizontal growth in the future which would include things like farm school for children, brewers school for home brewers, concerts and music events, etc. All of these additional operations would carry on the mission of providing for the community by the community. 

Our goal is to have the new brewhouse up and running by Fall 2015 and to open the tasting room and farm grounds for agro tourism the following year. We will still maintain our outlets for bottle sales at the Beacon Farmers Market and as our production increases we will be found at more farmers markets in the area. Again, no distribution for Plan Bee. We want to maintain the intimacy of our sales coming directly from our hands to the community. Lots of planning is underway for this year! 

Frequently Asked Questions

I just wanted to write a quick note because I have gotten a lot of questions about where our beer can be found and our website not being clear enough.

Our website is only updated quarterly because we have a web designer that makes these updates to www.planbeefarmbrewery.com but our Facebook page is updated daily! If you have questions or concerns about when our farm stand will be open or where you can purchase our beers, I would suggest going to our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Plan-Bee-Farm-Brewery/441721552570629?ref=hl

You can also email us directly at info@planbeefarmbrewery.com
Thank you for all your support!
Plan Bee Farm Brewery

Highlights

I just wanted to give everyone a few highlighted updates about Plan Bee Farm Brewery -

• As many of you know we have our federal license from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau + our NYS Farm Brewery license from the State Liquor Authority
• We are all set up with our Certificate of Authority from the Dept. of Taxation and Finance so that we have the authority to sell you all our creations 
• We have started production and have brewed up some tantalizing beers just in time for the holidays
• "Tiny Acorn" - An acorn squash ale with 100% NYS malt from Farmhouse Maltery, and Plan Bee Farm Brewery's very own hops, lemongrass & coriander. And like our name, this tasty treat was bottle carbonated with our very own PBFB honey. 
• "Tachiniki" - The name for this brew comes from the history of our surrounding land. Tachiniki was the name of a young woman from the Wappinger Tribe who was shot by a dutch settler in 1650 for picking a peach from his orchard. This action enacted THE PEACH TREE WAR throughout the entire Hudson Valley. This unique beer has NY malt, NY hops and NY yeast. We cultured the yeast from our very own peach tree on the farm. Fresh, this beer will taste spicy and fruity but this might be a brew to let age to discover its funkier flavors. 
• "Chocolate Rye" - This was a divine dream made possible by Tuthilltown Spirits, our local farm distillery. We put PBFB farm-fresh NY chocolate rye ale into a Tuthilltown rye whiskey barrel and let age. Can someone say, "Mommy needs her mommy-juice"? This is delicious and quite the winter-warmer. 
• "Santa's Big Helper" - Naughty or nice, this is a kick in the pants from the Big Man. A belgian tripel that was aged in Tuthilltown's bourbon barrel is full flavored. A sweet and boozy treat, this beer is in very limited supply. A good one to share with others around a fire. 
• The Plan Bee Farm Brewery official website is under construction and I am using this blog as a place holder right now. Hopefully before 2014 is here, I will have a shiny new website for you to land on with a ton more information. The NY local web builder and gifted artist Rachel Kwapien is preparing something just beautiful and I can't wait to share with you her craft!
• We are working diligently to get all our paperwork in order to bring our product into the community of Beacon, NY at their local indoor winter farmer's market. We are shooting for Sunday, December 15th from 11AM to 3PM. More to come soon! 
• Also in the works, we are building a farm stand at 14 Clove Road. As part of the farm brewery license, we are permitted to sell beer on the side of the road just like any farm stead that might be selling corn or eggs. We are working up the blueprints for our own little stand right on the premise. There will be more information and pictures to come! 
• We are working with Sloop Brewery at the moment to do a cask event. I don't have the details locked down yet but as soon as it is all squared away I will be sure to send out that information.

We have been keeping up with our Plan Bee Farm Brewery Facebook page so if you want to receive more frequent updates, you should 'like' our page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Plan-Bee-Farm-Brewery/441721552570629 

Autumn is upon us

Autumn is here! The leaves in the Hudson Valley are brilliant colors of red, purple, yellow and green. Since we moved to the farm in January of this year, this is our first fall experiencing all the colors. It truly is breathe taking!

The chickens have started to lay their eggs which has been very exciting for us. Each morning we open up their hen house to find little white and brown treasures. We are getting between 2-3 eggs a day so far which tells me only two of the hens are probably laying at this time. The eggs are perfect in shape but a bit small. Their yokes are bright orange-yellow and the texture is fluffy no matter how they are cooked. Eating a farm fresh egg in the morning as the leaves glide down from above gives me the sense there is magic in the air. 

The brewery is moving full speed ahead. We received our federal license this summer and we just heard informally that we were approved for our NYS Farm Brewery license as well! We are just waiting for the formal letter in the mail. This means we will be selling Plan Bee Farm Brewery ground to glass beers in the year 2013! Evan and I got out the credit card and started buying NY made 22 oz. bottles, recycled labels, and so more brewing equipment. We want to have holiday bottles ready for purchase in a few weeks. Brews in the works right now are a chocolate rye that is aging in Tuthilltown rye whiskey barrels, Santa's Big Helper which is a high alcohol holiday brew, our peach tree fruit beer, and we just roasted acorn squash from local J & A Farms last night which will go into a squash beer with fresh curry herb from our farm. Get ready!!!

Coming up in November, we will be formally developing our website with more information about our beers and where you can find them. We are also working out the details for a farm support program which would include our fresh brews delivered directly to your doorstep for a monthly membership. More information and ways to get involved in the next few weeks! 

Corn Bread

Thank you to all that attended our Hop Harvest Festival & Luau! It was a wonderful event filled with amazing people! Because so many asked about my corn bread recipe, I thought I would post it here for you all to enjoy!

Golden Sweet Cornbread
Serves 12
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 vegetable oil (use more oil if you want it less crumbly)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat over to 400 degrees, combine dry ingredients, gradualy add wet ingredients. Spray pan lightly with oil/grease/butter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out dry. Voila!

Playing catch up

I have been neglecting this blog but not because I don't want to share. After spring had sprung, there has been so much to do! I will try to fill in the gap and not leave anything out. You see, I have this notepad that I use to track all the things I need to do. It subsequently also keeps track of all I have done so I will use it as my guide for this entry. I have broken down my list for Plan Bee Farm Brewery into 4 major categories; planting, building, brewing and paperwork.

Planting: What's in the ground?
This list is done for the season, so in my notepad everything is crossed off. Evan and I planted starter plants that we purchased from local greenhouses, plants that were donated to us, and seeds which have grown into nice plants. Most of these plants are all in our raised beds that we made earlier this season from recycled wood that was on the property.

To give you an idea of what we are using to brew beer with, in our garden we have pineapple sage, dill, cilantro, orange mint, chocolate mint, chamomile, lavender, rosemary, lime basil, thai basil, sweet basil, purple basil, lemongrass, strawberries, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, and a myriad of peppers. Our gourmet lettuce was eaten by some small creature last week (I suspect the little white bunny). Our 100 hop rhizomes are doing well. We did lose a few of them during the heat wave but all in all, they are producing beautiful hop combs. We also have a separate plot of land that is housing our two-row barley, wheat and rye. I probably forgot to mention a few items in the garden but there is just so much to keep track of!

I should also mention that we have bees on the property now. Matt from Bee Archetype put their bee boxes up last month and has been caring for them. Once the bees arrived they helped everything in the garden grow quickly. It has been a joy to watch this symbiotic relationship flower over the summer. I was worried about being stung or having our guests swarmed by the bees when they visit but the bees are very satisfied. They keep to themselves and allow us to get close to their home without really noticing us. As I am lying in the sun watching them, I feel satisfied by their productivity as if they are my worker bees and I am their queen.

Building: Making it happen
Evan built 7 raised beds for our fenced in garden which hold all our plants. Just last month, Evan and I finished our project of turning an old doghouse that was on the property into a chicken coop for our 6 hens. The ladies, as I call them, moved outside from the box in our sun room to their new backyard home. They seem to be happy if chickens can feel happiness. They dart around their chicken run and I feed them leftovers from the fridge. In a few months they will be laying eggs. We read somewhere that each hen can lay 1-3 eggs a day. This means we could have 46-126 eggs a week!!

Our building list has several projects on it that are not scratched off yet. These projects include making a sign for the farm to put out front. I am hoping to weed and landscape the small stretch next to the driveway to look inviting. If we get around to it, I would also like to make a small hemlock fence from recycled wood to fence off the front. Evan and I are also hoping to turn the sun room into a retail space once we receive our licenses to sell beer. I am thinking some sliding door coolers for bottles and decor made up of recycled palettes, burlap curtains, mason jars for samples and photos of the farm. We recently purchased a dehydrator to preserve the herbs, fruits and hops that we harvest but we have discussed also building a small oast.

Brewing: The man can brew
Evan has been busy brewing to get in practice with our brew system he has built and to try out different recipes. He has built everything from scratch including the recipes. Last month, we were in the right place at the right time and came into a kegerator that a boat club was throwing away. There isn't anything really wrong with it besides being loud and the doors leak a bit of condensation. This has allotted us the experience of having Plan Bee Farm Brewery beer on tap in our house along with beers from Peekskill Brewery, Captain Lawrence and Sloop.

**I have asked Evan to follow up from this blog post with a posting of his own to discuss all that he has been brewing . . .

Paperwork: Save the trees!
We finished our application on 6/4/13 for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (federal) and were told it can take up to 80 days to hear a response. Once we are approved, we can then move on to filling out the Farm Brewery license for the state license. I have been taking an accounting course this summer through SUNY Empire so I have been learning how to do our bookkeeping properly for the business. I have our general ledger in order along with our balance sheets. Unfortunately this course hasn't taught me how to file my own taxes so I am going to need a tax professional for our quarterly filing once we are approved to sell product.

Evan and I are having the Hop Harvest Festival in September in the style of a 1950's luau. The event will feature the crowning of the Hop Queen along with minor physical labor - the harvesting of the hops. Evan wants to roast a pig in the traditional Hawaiian style which entails digging a pit in the ground and covering the pig in banana leaves. The details of this event are on our facebook page.

We also will have another Clove Road Classic in late October. Our hopes are to have a spring and fall tournament each year. We had the first ever Clove Road Classic on 6/2/13 which was a wiffle ball tournament. Eight teams battled for the chance at the PBFB homemade trophy and their name engraved on our house plaque. After almost 8 hours, the winners came out "Tony Danza's Hit Parade". The tournament in the Fall will be a corn hole tournament so start practicing now!

Time has flown by since March! I am looking forward to the Fall when things outdoors will need less tending and the heat will die down. The list of things 'to do' will continue to grow but this does not cause me stress, it excites me with possibilities!

Spring has sprung

March has been a busy month for us here at the Plan Bee Farm Brewery. We have been working outside through the warm sunny days and the many Nor Easters. Even though the calendar is telling us Spring is here, the winter chill has not lifted from Fiskhill, NY.

On the farm this month, we built 5 raised beds from recycled lumber, we have cleared brush and briars from a 20' x 10' spot behind the house and we have begun weeding and raking up the flower bed. There have been morning chats about a fire pit, hammocks, bee hives and a chicken coop. The evening temperatures are still landing somewhere in the 20's so we will have to wait for the soil to thaw before we can start working the dirt. 

On the business side, we have registered Plan Bee Farm Brewery as a LLC and our EIN from the IRS is on it's way. Next steps will be to get our license through the New York State Liquor Authority before filling out the application to become one of the very first New York State Farm Breweries. Thank you Governor Andrew Cuomo for the legislation to make this whole venture a little easier. For the full farm brewery bill, click here.

We have a Facebook page now as well, check it out here. I just posted over 50 new photos of becoming Plan Bee Farm Brewery. 

Moving to the Farm

On January 26th, Evan and I moved from our apartment in Dobbs Ferry, NY to a house on a small vegetable farm in Fishkill, NY. The previous tenants didn't farm the 1/4 acre so there is a lot of work to be done to get it back in working order.

The house is a 3 bedroom, 2 full bath with a large kitchen, wood burning stove, master bedroom with walk-in closet, and the cherry on top is the full length of the house sunroom. One of my favorite areas to enjoy a book while listening to a vinyl record is the couch next to a fire, under the sky light where I can see clouds floating by.

In addition to the house, the property has a small enclosed, heated building that Evan is using as the brewery. It was once used by the owner for her own small business so it has a sink, plenty of shelving, electricity, and a large window looking over the farm. The fire wood is housed under an overhang attached to the 'brewery' which we will have to replenish as things start to warm up outside.

The sunroom on moving day

The brewery during the blizzard

The landlord did tell us the property has two peach trees, an apple tree, wild grapes, blackberries and mint which consistently produces even when neglected. The land is over grown with tall grasses, there is a pile of building materials in the back, small toys and bird houses scattered around the lawn and the back of the property feeds into 5,000 acres of public, preserved lands. Did I mention we have some work yet to do?

Our goal for the hen house

There is much on the calendar for 2013 but just looking at March, we have 3 main objectives:

1. To build all our 10' x 4' raised beds for our brewer's garden which will have many aromatic herbs, fruits and vegetables 
2. Convert an old dog house into a chicken coop (yes, we will have some laying hens!)
3. Complete our paperwork for becoming an LLC with an operating Farm Brewery License

Looking ahead, we have 100 hop rhizomes on their way, we have to purchase the seeds/started plants for the farm, we need our 3 chicks, and Evan needs to convert the equipment he purchased for brewing into working order. Spring is on our doorstep, we need to be ready to greet her so she can share her magic with us and help turn this soil into deliciously fresh, from-the-earth beer! 

Phase one: In search of dreams

I am at the mercy of Mother Nature and I feel fine. Well, I'm getting use to it I guess. We live in a rapidly cycling planet that is heating up. Experiencing the wrath of super storm Sandy followed by a Nor-Easter has been a reality shattering whirlwind. The convenience of power, the need of gasoline, these storms have exposed the thin margin between an effective society and chaos. Abbey and I are observing the snow mounds out our window over some coffee. I am reflecting on the last months of summer and the coming, then going of Autumn.

Seeding by the bee boxes

Evan and I are still moving forward with our Plan Bee. Phase one: We are immersing our selves in the world of plant life and agriculture. I have to say, even though it has only been a short time since the start of this journey, I feel exponentially happier each day. Instead of dreading the winter and the cold I am day dreaming of our winter rye, wheat and barely tucked under the skin of the earth. I hope they survive this weather and find a spark in them to grow come Spring. The mystery and power of bringing new life into this world feeds my spirit.

October 14th, 2012

Evan and I drove up to an alpaca farm in Pawling, NY and planted 1/4 acre of winter barley, wheat and rye. It took us two months of weekend trips to clear the land to make it ready for this day.

The weather was on our side that day. Temperatures were in the low 60's, a little bit of sunshine to keep our hands warm but cumulonimbus clouds kept us from sweating as we labored. The air carried the smell of dry leaves and animal coats. The alpaca watched us curiously as we spread the seeds over the tilled earth.

Sample section of seed distribution

The majority of the 1/4 acres is winter barely, the base grain used in beer. Thirty percent of the 1/4 acre was split between the winter rye and wheat which will be used as specialty grains to flavor the beer. The white bee boxes hummed.

Hay covering

After we spread the seeds, we took rakes and turned the soil. Well turned, we set about packing it all down. It was a spectacle for those alpaca as we all bunny hopped over the mixture of manure, fresh earth and kernels. Finally, we unfurled hay bails over the lot to protect it from the rain that was coming the next day. We thought the hay might also keep away the birds and squirrels temporarily but the land keeper wrote us about the heated fury that took place upon our departure.

2 week old winter barley

"A few hours after you guys left I walked over to the hill and there were 4 squirrels and about 10 birds foraging the soil for seed. I chased them away but it's definitely going to be an issue. One of the squirrels actually stood his ground, puffed up his tail and started chirping at me. I might try putting out containers of seeds around the area. Hopefully if they have easy access to food they won't bother with the soil. Also, it'll only be problematic for the first few weeks until the seeds sprout." - Matt


October 21st, 2012

Back up at the alpaca farm, we wanted to see the sprouts that covered the hill. To our surprise, there were green and red blades cutting through the hay all over! Education: when rye first sprouts it's blades are a purple-red color but as they grow towards the sky they change to green. The wheat and barley both have green sprouts but their silhouettes are different from one another. My mind is imprinted with these images and I have gained the knowledge to identify the difference between winter barley, wheat and rye in it's early growth stages. How can I quantify this education?

2 week old winter rye

We are getting more people involved with Plan Bee and working on potential next steps. Winter is a time for respite and contemplation. It has been seven short months since Evan and I set our compass in the direction of becoming a self-sustained, farm-to-beer brewery in the Hudson Valley. From where we stand now, I can see our path but there is an arch coming up ahead. What is around the bend? I am eager to find out but reluctant.

"My heart is a traitor," the boy said to the alchemist, when they paused to rest the horses. "It doesn't want me to go on."

"That makes sense," the alchemist answered. "Naturally it's afraid that, in pursuing your dream, you might lose everything you've won."

"Well, then, why should I listen to my heart?"

"Because you will never again be able to keep it quiet. Even if you pretend not to have heard what it tells you, it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what you're thinking about life and about the world."

"You mean I should listen, even if it's treasonous?"

"Treason is a blow that comes unexpectedly. If you know your heart well, it will never be able to do that to you. Because you'll know its dreams and wishes, and will know how to deal with them. You will never be able to escape from your heat. So it's better to listen to what it has to say. That way, you'll never have to fear an unanticipated blow."

The boy continued to listen to his heart as they crossed the desert. He came to understand its dodges and tricks, and to accept it as it was. He lost his fear, and forgot about his need to go back to the oasis, because, one afternoon, his heart told him that it was happy.

"Even thought I complain sometimes," it said, "it's because I'm the heart of a person, and people's hearts are that way. People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don't deserve them, or that they'll be unable to achieve them. We, their hearts, become fearful just thinking of loved ones who go away forever, or of moments that could have been good but weren't, or of treasures that might have been found but were forever hidden in the sands. Because, when these things happen, we suffer terribly."

"My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky.

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity." - The Alchemist

The Kharma Equation

Plan Bee product-Wedding present for Robbie and Abigail

"Maybe this is just one of those days,

Where the best we can do is play along...

Things just ain't going according to plan,

Maybe this is just one of those days,

But there's still time left for some more things to go wrong." - Robbie Gil 

Friday was just one of those days! I have to say, I am very blessed that I don't have many of 'those days'. It's probably due to my philosophy for life; I am a firm believer that you create the mess you find yourself stuck in - kharma baby! For those of you not familiar with the Buddhist theory, I like to think of kharma as a mathematical equation:

Action (good being a positive, bad being a negative) x quantity = happiness/suffering

Therefore, since each person is completely in control (freedom of choice) of their individual actions and reactions, thoughts and feelings, people that have good thoughts, actions and feelings will have a positive situation in life, happiness. And obviously, people who choose to have bad thoughts, actions and feelings have a negative situation in life, suffering. 

Since I understand that the only input into this equation is the 'in' that I 'put', I try always to put in good actions so that my life equation stays in the positive. Yesterday's negative life situation was my failure to react to the negativity that surrounded me. Not that I want to have a bitch-fest, but let's just take a glance at yesterdays shitty kharma equation:

Friday, July 13th (shit it was Friday the 13th!)

Normally I work from home on Friday's but this week is Freshmen orientation at Purchase College therefore all employees in Enrollment Services needed to work Friday and Saturday. There were a few people in my office that were radiating negativity for 8 hours because they were so upset about having to work. I tried to deflect this energy all day = (-8)

Traffic was horrendous! I received an email a week ago from the traffic gods (I honestly don't know who or how I got this email) about the George Washington Bridge going under construction starting Friday which warned all drivers that there would be an increase in congestion especially around commuter hours. For some reason, traffic makes everyone want to kill thy neighbor because there was serious road rage emanating from every car that surrounded me. I took a deep breathe and tried to sing along to my favorite tunes to get me through the hour in an attempt to dodge the negativity and a potential car accident = (-6) 

(By the way, the numerical values I am assigning each of these situations is subjective the only important thing to note is whether they are negative or positive numbers)

Finally, after 6 PM I made it to the Captain Lawrence brewery and had a cold liquid gold. It melted away the traffic jam but I couldn't shake the feeling of a long day at work. So a group of us decided to head to a new mexican restaurant down the street to have margaritas (that is the best medicine for a bad day) and some enchiladas (also good medicine but not as effective as tequila). We popped down the street and got a table right away, had a slow start to getting our order in but soon the margaritas hit the table and the conversations took flight. Fast forward, two hours later we are dry of drinks and still without food. The table across from us finally received their food and shortly after they began eating, several of them sent back their plates complaining of the taste, temperature and texture of their food. This was the cattle prod to my butt that got us moving. I was up like lightening, storming out of the restaurant with an empty stomach. Talk about being kicked when one is down, "The patient needs her medicine!" = (-20) 

Now, I should have practiced a little more patience and tried harder to deflect the neglect we were receiving at the restaurant but I had used up much of my patience on the day and all bets are off when I have an empty stomach. I become a scary person without food, not an excuse just an observation from experience. I went straight home while Evan went through the Wendy's drive thru with our friends. The dog needed to be taken out and I had only an hour left before my homework assignment (for my current Microeconomics course) was due. I sat down to the computer after a quick walk and a wave of 'oh shit!' ran over me. It was a difficult assignment that required hours of preparation. The program I use to do my homework grades it as I submit my answers which are a combination of equations, graph plots and fill in the blanks. I receive a 67% at the end of my hour . . . a feeling of defeat = (-25)

After I finished my homework, I went into the living room to share some time with our friends who were up for the night. I tried to focus on having a good night but felt myself apologizing for all that had gone wrong. Really, I was apologizing for my inability to let go and have a good time so I went to bed feeling like a bad hostess = (-30)

Let's roll out the numbers:

(-8) + (-6) + (-20) + (-25) + (-30) = -89 suffering

I don't really know what that number means, except I can feel it and Friday did feel like a negative 89. The next morning, I felt in a funk and it took almost an entire day to shake the feeling. But it was just one of those days and with the passing of time, it stings less and less. I am going to chalk it up to a series of strange events, just one of those days, the magic of Friday the 13th, a test of my patience, and a lesson learned. Because as my mother always has said, "if you don't learn from adversity, it is an opportunity wasted and the lesson will repeat itself until you learn."  

Introduction to Plan Bee

I don't seem to be very good at keeping up with my blog. I don't think I have that many readers anyway but it still makes me sad when my last entry was over two months ago. I use the excuse "I have been busy" but I would rather not make excuses and just dedicate myself to writing more.

There have been many events that have taken place in the last two months and I feel as though I am entering a new chapter in life. It is these transitions that I wish I documented better as I go through them but instead only seem to catch up with my thoughts after the main events have come and gone.

First, summer arrived and left behind the melancholy of winter. Sunshine brings everyone out into the streets and patios to catch up with friends on what the winter brought or left them. The smell of charcoal and the sound of lawn mowers induce an intoxication that sends me into bliss. Summer and the heat are by far my favorite phase in a year. Naturally, the wafting smells of BBQ have brought hungry guests to our home and have kept Evan and I very busy.

In addition, I started my first college course at Purchase College in June. One of the perks of working for the State of New York is I can take one course a semester for free. I started off with Microeconomics, a 7-week online intensive course which is new material for me. I have learned a lot so far but it has required at least 3 hours a day on top of my full-time job and making time for smoked ribs marinated with friendly conversation. Weeks have turned into months and I have been oblivious to the passing of time.

These are all exciting adventures that are improving the quality of life and feeding my mind, soul and stomach. But the Spring season was slow moving and filled with rejection and heart ache. Many of you know what I speak of but those who do not I am going to reserve the right to keep those stories within my family and friends for now and speak only of the triumph that has arisen from the ashes. For now, let's just say 'there were a series of unfortunate events that led to the discussion and planning of Plan Bee'.

What is Plan Bee?

I hope to share with you all of the journey as my husband and I embark on this exciting new adventure which we have deemed Plan Bee. It is a long-term goal with much planning and exciting explorations to come that will hopefully bring us from point A to point Bee (I am teasing now, I know).

Evan and I birthed this plan out of asking the question "what do we want?" which produced the answer "we want to be more". We want to follow a dream that is beauty incarnate and strip away the stress of working to make money for the sake of having money. We want to go back to our roots and move closer to creation and therefore our creator. We want to let our souls fill up our whole until the lines between "I" and "us" become nearly indistinguishable. We never want to work for one man again but work for an entire community.

Evan and I want to go into business together and open a community shared agricultural, self-sustaining brewery in the Hudson Valley. We want to incorporate Evan's Scottish roots of brewing meads and my families history of farming grain together to produce completely local, fresh, made-of-the-earth-we-stand-on beer that will bring our community in the Hudson Valley together.

Hard work? We are up for it!
Learning new skills? Our pleasure!
Discipline and Organization needed? My speciality!
Creativity and inspiration? Evan's strength!
Stressful and difficult? Not afraid!
Cooperation and collaboration? Will bring Evan and I closer together!

Part I: Education

We have a multi-part plan to get us from where we started (the day after tragedy struck) to Plan Bee. The first part of our plan is education. I am working towards receiving my Masters in Business Administration so that I can make sure that our business is staying above the "shutdown point" (a concept I recently learned in my Microeconomics course) and Evan is home brewing, working extra hours at Captain Lawrence Brewery and as of this last week, building small scale models of brewing equipment and doing test runs.

At the end of October, Evan and I will plant wheat and rye in our front yard in Dobbs Ferry to educate ourselves on the process. We will then be able to harvest, if all goes well, in July 2013 to understand the labor and partake in the experience of turning our homegrown grain from a plant into a malt for brewing beer!

As my fortune cookie read tonight, "Nine tenths of education is encouragement" which means this story isn't for everyone. As I tell our story I want to state that I am not looking for a fight, I’m not interested in making anyone feel faulted, and I’m not trying to convince you of anything you don’t already know.

Evan and I want to be more and we are going to strive to do so with the utmost patience, respect and humility with the best intentions for an uplifting future for our lives and the lives of those around us. So far, I haven't heard a discouraging word although I know Evan has heard a few but happily those moments have helped us build a stronger foundation instead of bringing about doubt or despair.

Thank you in advance for all of you that share encouraging words and love as we dare to be bold and try to be more!

Mrs. Watson

Wow . . . it has been a while since I have written! My last entry was about my resolutions for 2012 and sadly I have not kept them. The vegetarianism went on February 1st when I went to Cedar Street Grill in Dobbs Ferry. They had amazing looking chicken wings that I couldn't resist and to be honest, I didn't even feel guilty after the meal ended it was that good. As for writing in my journal, I honestly tried and through March I wrote consistantly but then something happened and I started writing only once a week. Busted!

The biggest news has yet to be shared! I got married on January 14th, 2012! I am now officially a Watson and have legally changed my name to Emily Ann Watson. It was very organic the way it came about. Over the Fall in 2011 I started planning a big wedding for Memorial Day weekend, May 27th 2012. It wasn't going so well and quickly I realized that I was planning a big wedding because I thought I should, not because I wanted to. Without passion the planning fizzled out and I cancelled my reception reservations without a clue of when the wedding might be rescheduled.

For the duration of the Fall (after the planning of my wedding was off the table) I searched for a job and amazingly I was offered a position at the State University of New York in Purchase, NY to work in the Registrar's Office (where I currently work). I remember it was a Thursday night, Evan and I went to dinner to celebrate the news of my job offer and acceptance. We talked about moving back to our old stomping grounds and when we would take off and where we would look for an apartment and when I would go and if Evan would come out later . . . and then the topic of marriage came up. When would we be getting married?

Evan preferred to get married in Indiana where his family resided and where we were living at the time. I thougth that wasn't a bad idea but I needed to leave Indiana in a week to start my new job. Therefore, it was decided that in a week on January 14th we would be married and that same day we would drive to New York City to look for an apartment! Evan and I went to the local mall and picked out our wedding day attire, reserved the church for that Saturday and invited our parents and siblings. All planning was done in a day! It wasn't the least bit stressful because it was too simple and too short of time to have the time for stress.

The morning of the 14th we had a lovely brunch at Jamie and Dwight Watson's house followed by the cutting of the cake. We then went to the church one block from the house and in 15 minutes it was done! We were now Mr. and Mrs. Watson and off to New York. It was a beautiful day and I couldn't have been happier.

Resolutions for 2012

Well another year has come and gone. Evan and I reflected on 2011 and were amazed that some much fit into 365 days! As part of starting a new year, there are the new year resolutions. This year I made two resolutions: (1) I will be a pescetarian (mainly a vegetarian but on occasion may eat shellfish) for one year to help improve my health and the health of our environment and (2) I will write in my journal every day even if it is just one sentence. The idea with the journal is that next year my resolution for 2013 will be to add a side-by-side statement to watch how each year compares. I think it will be an interesting experiment and will hopefully help me practice mindfulness.

As for SUNY, I know many have asked if I have heard back yet about my job interview which took place on December 12th. Still no word! I wrote an email to inquire about the position yesterday and again, still no answer. I did a little investigating and checked my personal account through SUNY and my application status has changed to "position offered". Now, I would interpret this as I have been offered this position otherwise I would assume it would say "position filled" if they weren't going to ask me or they offered the position to another applicant. Hmmm, still waiting for a definitive yes or no.

My Christmas holiday was nice. I was able to see my father on Friday the 23rd in Columbus, OH. He came with me to a live music show and we shared a few drinks. Then the following day, Christmas Eve, I met my mother and sister. My sister turned 21 that day so we shared a drink and caught up before Evan and I drove back to Indiana. Christmas morning was very traditional, we all sat in a circle at my in laws and took turns opening our presents in a clockwise fashion. Abbey (our dog) was allowed to open her presents on her time since she doesn't understand the concept of taking turns, presents or Christmas.

The last few days in 2011, Evan came down with a cold so we weren't drowning ourselves in alcohol like most people our age for New Year's Eve but we did wake up to watch the ball drop in Time Square. Come January 3rd, I was back to work at Indiana University and here I am still waiting for word from New York. I would like to be back in NY by February but will not move back until I have confirmed employment.

So here's to 2012 which as of right now is a great big blank filled with unknowns. We have absolutely no definitive plans besides my position here at IU ending in January. The unknown brings on a bit of anxiety but at the same time fills me with excitement. The possibilities are endless!

Tracking down Passion

As I embarked on my journey of finding employment I had to ask myself many questions. I challenged myself by answering big picture questions to narrow down my interests so that I could start looking for employment in specific areas. I went through a bulk of these questions in my previous entry. The one question that remains unanswered and nags at me in my waking day is 'what is your passion in life?' I am envious of those people that can answer this question, sometimes with a single word. I have spent most of my life tracking down 'passion' without success.

I can't help but notice the aggressive nature that surrounds finding a new job. I am job hunting and tracking down my passion, I am testing my strength and patience and pushing forward through rejection. So many aggressive adjectives to describe this experience of getting back into the work force. And I can feel the weight of these words, they aren't just a cute narrative of my day. It is an experience that I am trudging through each day.

This aggressive state that I now live in has pushed me to seek serenity in any form possible. When at home I take long baths and gravitate towards funny movies. I eat candy without regret and treat each day like I am on vacation, not worrying about my future. At work, where I sit behind a computer and watch the clock, I have begun occupying my time with reading refurnishing blogs. I have absorbed myself in my Pinterest site (www.pinterest.com) looking for creative DIY (do it yourself) projects. I started collecting furniture magazines and put sticky notes on creative arrangements in the home.

With my current job I have plenty of time to myself so I have been lazily daydreaming. I could be organizing my finances for this upcoming tax season or filling out that insurance form to protect Evan's instruments. But instead, I catch myself planning out entire projects from finish to end. Projects that involve using my hands. I always return to this imagine of the sun shining through a window in the early morning as I am busily staining fresh wood or drilling holes for hardware. All the time, I have a half smile on my face and half set eyelids. I am happy.

For all the 'tracking' I have done in search of my passion I am uncertain if this could be my calling? I have been actively pursuing the chase and now in the middle of a quite day I am daydreaming of refurbishing furniture or building new pieces from raw materials and finding peace. Is this a sign or am I feeling deprived on my own space since I live in my fiance's parent's cabin currently? I guess to find out I am going to set about doing a refurbishing project and see how I feel afterwards.

Will post more as I embark on this new project!

A tribute to Jamie

It was my mother-in-law's 60th birthday yesterday and for the celebration I wrote a story for her about my favorite Jamie moment. I thought I would share it here since it is pretty cute:

My favorite Jamie moments are centered around her theatrics. At the top of the list was the night Dwight and Jamie teamed up to play Evan and I in Cranium. We were half way through the game and the Jamie/Dwight team was trailing behind. They needed a big win to get them back in the game. Jamie was up. She rolled the dice and advanced to a green space indicating she would need to act or hum the clue on the card for Dwight to guess. The card was pulled and there was a moment of silence as Jamie concentrated on the task at hand. A moment later Jamie read out loud the rules on the card indicating she would need to act out an action clue. The timer was flipped and the show began!

Dwight, Evan and I watched in anticipation. Jamie began by slapping her hands on her belly. Unable to make any sounds or speak she continued to slap her stomach. Without a response from her partner, she tried a different approach and rubbed her hands over her head and down to her feet This prompted Dwight who said "rubbing?" and then "ummm . . . what?" Jamie continued the show by patting her shoulders and then her legs. She started the familiar routine of sweeping her hands from her head down to her toes with growing frustration. Dwight was silent except for an occasional "what?". The grains of sand had slipped through the narrow squeeze of the hour glass indicating the passing of time. The answer would have to be discovered soon, time was running out.

To Jamie's relief Dwight guessed, "body!" Jamie's eyes widened as she nodded her head in excitement. But it wasn't over, the answer was an action clue and body is a noun. Jamie had looked down at the floor and hesitated for a moment before flinging her entire body down onto the hardwood floors in the living room. She had performed a belly flop which made the pieces of the board game jump into the air and had us all agasp. Evan and I peered over the rim of the coffee table to discoverJamie swimming on the floor with determination. It wasn't long before she popped back up onto her feet and began waving her hands in the air. Dwight was still in a state of shock from the daredevilish dive Jamie performed when Jamie had turned to Dwight and put her hands up into the air indicating a silent, "well?"

Dwight said, "what?" Jamie had thrown her hands back down to her side and again was airborn. The thud shook us as we all stared in puzzled amazement. Jamie ran through the routine and when she again was standing on her feet turned to Dwight indicating he needed to guess something, anything! But the only words that left Dwight were "what?" between wheezing sputters of laughter. Jamie had turned red in the face from her laberous routine which did not produce a single guess from her partner.

Up and down, up and down Jamie soared threw the air as the three of us were struggling for breath, our diaphrams quaked with laughter. None of us had taken notice that all the sand was resting in the lower half of the hour glass. Jamie had labored in vain but her courageaous efforts we applauded. After we had regained control of our breathing and wiped the tears of joy from our eyes we asked almost in unison, "What was the answer?". Jamie tight lipped said, "body boarding" before sitting next to Dwight who she gave a playful slap. Dwight again broke out into laugher and exclaimed one last "WHAT!?!" which caused Jamie to dart a glare in her partners direction.

Needless to say, Evan and I won the game of Cranium and pleeded with Dwight and Jamie to play another round. Jamie agreed on the conditions that we switched partners.

Happy Birthday Jamie!

Opening up to the way the world works

It's time for an update! Much has happened over the last few weeks. I started my job working in the Office of the Bursar at Indiana University and just this week I had an interview in New York for a position in the Registrar's Office at the State University of New York (the Purchase campus). As I wait to hear back with fingers crossed, I reflect on the process of job searching.

Job searching or hunting which denotes a struggle for survival, is not for the faint of heart. First, the application process. The process of putting together a resume that is appealing to the eyes in it's format as well as appealing to the brain for its content. It is a gamble deciding what words from the English language you should use. Now a days, most job applications have to be submitted through the Internet. No one wants a paper copy or an email with a resume attached. I have discovered they do this for very specific reasons.

When you submit a resume and cover letter into the company of interest's data system the system performs a simple word association scan. If your resume and cover letter contain a number of keywords that have been entered into the system as desirable then your application is elevated to an observation level and into human hands. So if you aren't careful in choosing your words, your application may be sent right into the cyber recycling bin without a second thought. I think of my resume screaming out as it is being sucked into a giant black hole, never to be found again!

So if you manage to survive the computer scan and make it onto the hands of a living being it doesn't mean you have finally arrived. Humans are critical and can dismiss your application for far less sophisticated reasons. For example, a manager in his/her late 50's may be threatened by a young wo/man with more education and experience and therefore may dismiss the application for his/her own security. Or even more cynical, a wo/man might simply not like the applicants name because of a past event!

I know it may seem silly or improbable to think people are so shallow but unfortunately, we are! So even if you choose all the right words your application can come to a screeching halt due to uncontrollable circumstances. However, if you have a name that doesn't trigger a PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) event in your future supervisor and are lucky enough to have a well adjusted person review your application you may just find yourself in line for an interview.

The interview, for me, is the least of my worries. I feel that I am an easy person to get along with and in a short amount of time can let my personality shine through. Maybe it's all those social events in NYC that have brought me into my own as a network-er or maybe it is my confidence that I am a good person and any organization/business would be lucky to have an employee like me . . . cocky? No, confident! My ability to control my nerves and focus on making a good first impression on new people makes me a good interviewer.

Okay, so I passed the computer scan, the human once-over and the live interview. Now comes the hardest part, the waiting. I know I am one of the contenders but the unknown of who I am competing against starts to build anxiety. The candidates could be past employees or employees from another department. Maybe a son or daughter of an employee or a friend of the supervisor. Who knows if the other candidates have more experience or gave a better interview. All one can do at this point is wait, wait for the phone to ring.

The job hunting process is filled with controllable and uncontrollable variables. In this economy where unemployment is near 8%, a number which has gone down due to the number of Americans who have decided to remove their resumes from the job hunt entirely, it is a statistically certain that getting a job will take time and patience and maybe a miracle! Rejection will most likely be the outcome and defeat will devour you if you don't continue the hunt.
I just wish there was a way to get noticed among the sea of electronic applications. Survival instinct, I did something risky today and I tried to call one of the offices I applied for directly. I thought maybe if I spoke to someone in the department that it might tie a red balloon to my hand and make me stand out from the crowd. My optimism and courage helped me push through as the receptionist laughed at me on the phone. "Please transfer me to Human Resources", I said firmly. I would not be rebuffed! But once transferred the department of Human Resources only gave me a serious of prerecorded messages with no offer to speak to a living being.

I though I might take a trip and start walking into the offices I have applied to but envision a bold move like that removing my name from the not only the list of resumes in consideration but black list me from the entire establishment. How does one get a head in this market? How does one stand out? I think it must just be the wait and see approach for now and hope that statistically, the more applications I submit the higher my chances of being plucked from the masses and offered a job.

The spa in my mind

I know it has been awhile since I have written. I had my interview at Indiana University and a week later was offered the job! I now work Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM at the Office of the Bursar as their Receptionist. Unfortunately, it is only a temporary job ending in January but for now I am happy that I am out of the house and active!

My commute from Bowling Green to Bloomington is a 50 mile trip, one way. It takes me approximately an hour to drive this distance and I make the trip twice a day, to work and back home. The commute has given me lots of time to listen to stories and news updates on NPR which makes me feel connected to the world outside of myself. Surprisingly though, what has proven to be even more useful is the time I sit in silence during my drive and just think. 

Everyone I know is constantly rushing from place to place. We live in a society where the ability to successfully multi-task is coveted and taking your work home is how you get ahead. With our brains being taxed to switch concentrations every minute to keep up with the pace around us, we rarely take the time to simply think about our lives; Am I happy? What do I want in life? Where am I heading? What happened last weekend? Who do I want to receive the Republican candidacy? Should we get another dog?

Exploring theses questions and allowing my mind to wonder through the 'junk pile' in my brain is refreshing. Almost like purging your email box or cleaning out the clutter in your closet. Taking the time to 'think' instead of reacting to the million situations that pop up in a day can really change your perspective on life. I know it sounds silly but it's true! After a long drive home I feel refreshed and calm.

So instead of being upset about the amount of time I spend commuting, I have decided to turn it into a spa hour for my mind. I purge and allow room for new thoughts and ideas to enter without the old taking up space and find that I have more patience to listen to others without the distraction of my thoughts getting in the way.

As for job prospects after my temporary position ends, I have one pending. I interviewed for a position in the Office of the Registrar at SUNY (State University of New York) and will find out this week if I move onto the next round of interviews. As part of my commuting purging I have decided that if I do not have a job lined up by the end of January I will go to New York for the month of February to job hunt, hopefully staying with friends while I fill out applications and go on interviews. I will keep you posted as the months progress!