Is Colony Collapse Disorder Bee Gone? Catch A Bee Expert's Latest Buzz

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

"Beekeepers know that honey bees provide another service; as second-shift workers they pollinate one-third of the food we eat."  --The Healing Powers of Honey

Last night I was a guest on Coast to Coast A.M.  with host George Noory. While the topic was Quakes & Strange Sounds (even End Days), the subject of our shaky planet's vanishing honey bees aka "colony collapse disorder" was brought up, too. (I had to do it. After all, my latest book The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington) is still abuzz.) 

Today, I received a message via email by an individual claiming that CCD is over. "There is a cure. Didn't I know that?" Uh no. I didn't. So, I contacted my trusty bee expert Dr. Eric Mussen. Here, take a look at his update:

* Pesticides are one of many different stresses that bees are encountering in their environment.  However, similar, unexpected, total abandonment of hives continues to occur in commercial colonies and in some colonies kept by small scale (hobby) beekeepers.  We are seeing less of it, but it isn’t “gone.”

 * I’m not sure what that person’s cause of the day was, but if CCD is gone, we should all be told why.  Then, I could tell the folks who still have trouble with it how to straighten things out. ...two papers that demonstrated the effects of sublethal doses of neonicotinoid insecticides on honey bees, there could be the idea that those are the singular cause.  However, I think that exposing honey bees to sublethal doses of most insecticides would have measurable physiological and behavioral changes in the exposed bees.  So, the neonicotinoids are not likely to be any worse than the rest.  The commercial bees are living in a sea of chemical pollutants. 

* Beekeepers have been able to reduce what appears to be an every-other-year problem, with the even years beginning in 2006 the worse.  Colonies that are started from scratch (swarms, packages) or from “splits” or “divides” of larger colonies seem to be able to outrun their problems during that “build up” year.  But, if you don’t split them up the next year, they are much more likely to die over winter.  The problem with this approach is that the building populations are not large enough to rent for pollination or to produce a honey crop.  They are just able to make it through the next almond pollination, which is mandatory income for most commercial beekeepers.

 * Research has been refined since this problem was first brought to light.  For instance, now we are prodding into the roles of various “adjuvants” in the distribution and synergisms of pesticide effects on the bees.  If you wish to look at the names of some of those compounds, please go to my web page and read the Jan/Feb issue of my apiary newsletter.  There are two different references to some of the adjuvants that may be causing problems.

     And, in my book The Healing Powers of Honey, I devote a whole chapter "And the Bee's Buzz Goes On..." where I interviewed Dr. Mussen, Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture magazine, and hands-on, savvy beekeepers.  

UPDATE: "I side with Eric M.  -- multiple causes of CCD" -- Joe Traynor, agriculturist-author of Honey: The Gourmet Medicine

Drop 6 Lbs. in Two Days with Honey, Olive Oil & Vinegar

 By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

Fall is  in the air. I can feel it. Rather than sing the blues (especially if you're carrying unwanted vacation weight) dump the pounds ASAP! Couples seem to be blossoming like olives or buzzing like honey bees everywhere you look, right?

So, whether you're enjoying the season of renewal in the U.S. or getting ready to travel somewhere new and exciting like Europe or a Fall Break hot spot, you want a leaner, fit and fab beach and pool body. Here is a perfect tried-and-true quickie jump-start diet plan that'll help you drop six pounds or more (depending upon your weight) in 48 hours. This quickie diet plan is found in the Healing Powers series: The Healing Powers of Vinegar, The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, and The Healing Powers of Honey. (Don't forget the new book The Healing Powers of Coffee--another superfood fat-burner!)

Autumn Two-Day Honey, Olive Oil and Vinegar Detox Diet

Breakfast: Fresh berries (no limit)

Lunch: 4 ounces fresh white-meat turkey

Greens with dressing made of fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon each virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar, and spices to taste

1 cup fresh berries

Dinner:
6 to 8 ounces fresh flounder, sole, or salmon

1 cup fresh berries

COOL NOTES:
• Drink a minimum of six 8-ounce glasses of water with fresh lemon throughout the day.
• Check with your doctor before starting this or any diet.
• For an extra healthful edge to this diet plan, every day before each meal, drink 1 tablespoon of Bragg apple cider vinegar  in an 8-ounce glass of water. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey, if desired. A bonus tip: Exercise at least 20-30 minutes each day.

* The Healing Powers series explains exactly how honey, olive oil, and vinegar work as fat burners. Drink 2 cups of coffee per day to boost your calorie-burning power and provide energy so you'll go do it!

10 Hot Ways to Blast Cabin Fever: Winter Blues

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

Ah, the scourge of winter blues. Ever get it?  Today, I was told by a friend that her dogs have fallen victim to "cabin fever." Yep, it's possible. Sure, fresh white powder can be a joy for both two-leggers and four-leggers. But black ice fun? Not so much.
Last night I spoke with the one that got away (two-legger) and he told me how he's not as physically active or prone to clean house during the colder, winter months. At first, I disagreed but then I got it. Sure, come spring, I, too, get that surge of energy.
Yesterday, I went swimming/hot tubbing and wow. It's like taking a mini vacation to another location. No cold temps or fear of falling. A warm, Mediterranean or tropical climate is awesome at the end of January. And I'm hooked.

10 Ways to Get Warm & Cozy

* Make a fire; bake something healthful at the same time.

* Wear a hooded sweatshirt, leggings, and soft socks.

* Turn up the heat while brewing hot herbal tea.

* Open the blinds during the day and let the light shine in/shut at night.

* Layer the bed with thick, cotton comforters, turn up the water heater thermostat.

* Take hot, steamy showers and use fluffy towels next to the wall heater.

* Cuddle at night underneath the covers with two loving dogs and one cat.

* Keep the fish aquarium lights on longer than in the summer months.

* Burn scented candles: Chocolate and Hazelnut.

* Take a teaspoon of raw, natural honey (for energy); a piece of dark chocolate (to boost mood); a cup of java in the a.m., paired with organic milk (to feel warm and fuzzy inside).

Bonus Tip: Swim/Hot tub. Repeat as needed.

Is it Doomsday for Honey Bees (and Cows)?

Did you know most beef and dairy products count on insect-pollinated alfalfa and clover?

News Flash: The honey bee and our food chain are linked big-time. (See the importance of bees and our planet in the honey bee trailer.)  In the new book The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington), I discuss how crops depend on the beekeepers and small honey bee in a big way. Millions of acres of U.S. fruit, vegetable, oilseed, and legume crops depend on insect-pollination--and that includes the sacred honey bees.
It's estimated by the USDA that 80 percent of insect crop pollination is done by the hardworking honey bees. If you do the math that means one-third of the total human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants--all the good, healthful stuff that you and I love and eat each day. And that's not where the honey bee's work stops, either.
The problem is, beekeepers are witnessing the mysterious die-offs of bee colonies. But nobody knows exactly why the honey bee is going AWOL. Theories include climate change, diet, stress, pesticides, and more. And if the honey bee becomes extinct--our food chain and planet will end as we know it. So, here are ways we can help keep the honey bee alive and well.
* Devote a portion of your property to growing annual and perennial plants to help honey bees collect nectar.
* Reduce the use of pesticides.
* Supply fresh water in a way so visiting bees don't become a nuisance.
* Donate funds to bee researchers around the country who are trying to determine the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder and what can be done to bolster bee population.

New Healing Powers Honey Bee Book Trailer Creating a Buzz

As the author of the Healing Powers book series, I have been given the opportunity to learn about some superfoods with amazing powers that have wowed me throughout more than a decade. It all began back in 1999. I was assigned my first book The Healing Powers of Vinegar. Then, several years after, OLIVE OIL, CHOCOLATE, HONEY, and COFFEE followed.

While I'm known as a "health author" -- these books have given me the opportunity to share  healing powers of healing foods and lively anecdotes (mine and others from around the globe) that will linger on your mind like a honey bee on a flower.

The best part is, I feel a sense of spirit has come alive with each of these books, one by one. And my favorite one is The Healing Powers of Honey. This creative new trailer created with heart and soul captures the essence of my book and my feelings about the beloved, hardworking honey bee.

Can you imagine a world without honey bees? Take a peek at the importance of this insect and what honey bees mean to mankind and our planet.

The Power Hour: California Author Dishes on Healing Powers Book Series

I dished out edgy info to Middle America about vinegars, olive oils, and honeys--the 21st century healthful salad dressings....and touted the healing powers of these versatile superfoods.

This morning at 5:00 AM PST, the alarm clock woke me up with rock music. Yes, no Siamese cat alarm today. I got up and brewed a fresh cup of flavored Nutmeg Coffee with a splash of organic milk. And, I walked back to my bedroom and climbed into my cozy oversized waterbed with my two Brittanys, and kitty. Then, at 6:00 AM I was wide-eyed and ready to be a guest on The Power Hour (December 6, Hour 2) with savvy radio talk show host Joyce Riley.
My books published by New York publisher Kensington were put on the table and we discussed the ins and outs of The Healing Powers of Vinegar, The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, and The Healing Powers of Honey. Ironically, tagged a health author it was my job today to dish out how superfoods vinegar, olive oil, and honey can and do keep you healthy and happy. But today I have a pesky flu bug. Read: I feel terrible.
Blame it on the grocery store checker who had the flu on the weekend as she shared her woes while bagging my groceries. (Think the film "Outbreak"-- I was infected.) It didn't help that after the shopping trip I brought in firewood: going in and out of 9 degree temps and 75 indoor climate, and swam/walked the dogs somewhere in between. Also, burning the candle from AM to PM, day after day, didn't do my body any good either.  This workerbee is not feeling like a Queen and desperately needs some R&R.

Anyhow, I'm kind of sensing the Midwestern audience knew that the down-to-earth West Coast guest was fighting aches and pains...Perhaps, my raspy words, here and there gave 'em a hint that I was feeling under the sunny Northern California weather. I did get some emails about my hard work and requests for fat-burning diets.
Actually, on a one to 10 Sickly Scale, I'm about a 7.5 today on Day 2. That's not too bad, right? Major sick, not Great sick. No, I'm not going to go swim and do a hot tub--but I want to. Bed rest, water, oranges, and bed rest is on the agenda. Type-A folks don't do rest well. Perhaps this is a lesson.  And yes, I will drink lots of hot chamomile tea with honey. I wonder if any doomsday films about viruses are on the sci-fi channel. Maybe that's not such a good idea right now. Perhaps a nice chick flick like "City of Angels" or "As Good As It Gets" will make me feel better.  And there are dogs in each one. Or maybe "You've Got Mail"--Meg Ryan's character gets a cold. Misery loves company.

Healing Powers Books Author Goes to the Dogs at B&N Signing in Reno



Author Cal Orey's Healing Powers books series B&N signing went to the dogs.

Last Friday I took a trip 50 miles away from Lake Tahoe to Reno, Nevada for a signing of my Healing Powers book series. As a reclusive author-intuitive, this was a big trip for me. But it's not like I haven't done the book tour thing at B&N bookstores before. I have experienced the West Coast book tour adventure--I have.
I've done lectures/signsing at B&N bookstores in Chico (college kids kept me up all night);  Seattle (amazing solo trip and fell in love with the mini SF); San Francisco (big audience with Geologist Jim Berkland); San Mateo (for my book Doctors' Orders but no docs arrived); Sacramento (big audience and my face turned red when reading); Glendale (bigger audience with Berkland and quake sensitives); and Palmdale (was on TV after the book signing); and many other B&N stores.
Sometimes, I've greeted a crowd of more than 40 people. Other times it was like a ghost bookstore. You never know what you're going to but you go with the flow. This time around last week it was Black Friday and the bookstore was buzzing with people and dogs. Yes, canines. Sure, my poster boasting The Healing Powers of Honey book teamed with a photo of my beloved Brittany Simon was next to me--and so were special dogs clad in a variety of human-type suits. So it was two hours of talking to locals about the powers of honey, vinegar, chocolate, and olive oil...

As I sipped a comped Pumpkin Latte I sort of wished my forthcoming coffee book (due to be released July 2012) was with me and my Healing Powers children. But I did get a sweet cuppa holiday java and enjoyed dangling conversations with two-leggers and four-leggers. Yep, the book signing went to the dogs.
I even had one woman put her Doxie in my lap. The pooch was clad in a Santa's suit. What can I say? If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. It was fun despite I sold several books instead of dozens. And I admit I was happy to return to Tahoe's trees, lake, cool temps, and my Brittany duo whom I left at the kennel and Zen cat who held down the cabin for his reclusive mountain authoress who took a trip to the city.

Warning: The Honey Bee Vanishing Affects You & Our Planet

If the honey bees become extinct our food chain, mankind, and
Earth will end as we know it.

5 Questions:

Where Have All the Honey Bees Gone?

Q. Colony Collapse Disorder was excluded as a cause of the dead bees in the Florida incident. So, what exactly is this term?
A. Back in 2006, an apiary owner in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, made the problem known. Penn State researchers took note of the bee colony decline, due to a condition now known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). This condition causes honey bee colonies to simply vanish without a trace—go AWOL leaving their hives in the dust—lending to eerie images of The Happening and I Am Legend sci-fi films of human and animal extinction.

Q. What are some of the theories behind CCD?
A. Theories include climate change, diet, mites, pesticides, and viruses. Also, the stress of traveling for pollination of crops and the usage of cell phones (perhaps due to the radiation), chemtrails, and even changes in the Earth's magnetic field are in the mixed bag of possibilities for why the bees are vanishing and leaving their beekeepers out of work and shocked by losing half or more of their prized colonies to an unknown cause.

Q. How will the die-off of the honey bee affect our food chain?
A. Millions of acres of U.S. fruit, vegetable, oilseed, and legume crops depend on insect pollination—and that includes the sacred honey bees. This little insect gives human gifts from the hive but also helps pollinate our crops (one-third), home gardens, and wildlife habitat. And don’t forget most beef and dairy products enjoyed in the United States count on insect-pollinated legumes, such as alfalfa and clover. Worse, if the bee disappears our food chain would decline in diversity and quantity, and images of the futuristic doomsday films without fresh food like Soylent Green and The Road could become a grave reality.

Q. What are scientists doing about CCD?

A. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is trying to help get a handle on Colony Collapse Disorder. In 2010 it dished out $6 million in emergency assistance to beekeepers who had lost their bees. And scientists are busy at work trying to discover what exactly is causing the vanishing of honey bees.

California bee expert Dr. Eric Mussen of UC Davis says, “None of us know why the bees are not as vital as they used to be. In many cases this may be due to limited access to a good varied supply of pollens.” He hopes in our lifetime scientists will discover what is killing the honey bees. “But,” he adds, “even if we find the cause, will we be able to overcome it?”

Q. What can you do to help keep the honey bee alive and well?

A. Devote a portion of your property to growing annual and perennial plants the bloom consecutively over the whole season that honey bees are collecting nectar and pollens for food. Reduce the pesticides of all kinds to a minimum. In areas with extended dry periods, supply fresh water in a way so that visiting bees don’t become a nuisance.

Consider donating funds to bee researchers around the country who are trying to determine the cause of CCD and what can be done to bolster the bee populations. 

Support honey bee research at UC Davis: http://beebiology.ucdavis.edu/HAVEN/haagendazshbh.pdf

Excerpt from The Healing Powers of Honey: A Complete Guide to Nature's Remarkable Nectar! (Kensington, October 2011)

Are You Eating "Mystery" Honey--Or the Pure Golden Food?

To Be 100 Percent Pure Honey--Or Not?
--By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

News headlines continue to show us that the honey we buy may not be pure. In my new book The Healing Powers of Honey: A Complete Guide to Nature's Remarkable Nectar! (Kensington, October 2011), I note that people in the honey bee world, know that the honey they see in some grocery stores and dollar stores may not be 100 percent pure but instead be "adulterated" (contaminated with tainted elements).
This fact is upsetting to people because not only are we not getting what we pay for, but we also are being duped, as often the honey is tainted with unhealthful, cheaper ingredients. This ordeal is making the nes more rather than less and it's causing concern for both consumers and beekeeers.
All-natural, 100 percent pure honey will have one ingredients listed on the nutrition label: honey. Imitation honeys, much like quality imitation dark chocolate, are not a laughing matter in the real world. Honey-flavored syrups, or honey that's diluted with other ingredients, are becoming more commonplace and being sold to the unaware consumer. To be sure you get the pure golden food of the gods, check the label.  Don't get stung! Find out all you want to know and more in The Healing Powers of Honey.  (Source: National Honey Board.)

Author Unveils Sweet Secrets Behind New Honey Book

Superfood honey can be used to sweeten up a homemade
pumpkin or sweet potato pie for the upcoming holidays.
--Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

1.    Cal tell us a little bit about your background? I'm an author-Intuitive…known for the internationally popular Healing Powers book series.
2.    When did you get interested in the healing power of foods? Since a teen back in the 70s I was a “granola girl.” I ate fruits/vegetables/yogurt. It was “in” to be lean and fit. So I was and still am a “health nut.” I was going to be a nutritionist but ended up getting my master’s degree in English (Creative Writing).
3.  I understand you have written several other healing power books? The Healing Powers Book Series began back in 1999 when I penned The Healing Powers of Vinegar. The rest is history. Several years later, the book was a success. Olive oil, chocolate, and honey followed.
4.    Your book draws on interviews with medical doctors, beekeepers, and researchers about the positive effects of honey? Yes, I did go to the “experts” who know about how honey and honey bees…and they told me how this superfood which has been used since biblical times can heal via health improvements to home cures. Also, I met a  beekeeper and his queen Italian bees…and I spoke with beekeepers around the globe.  I interviewed the editor of Bee Culture Magazine (The Healing Powers of Honey received a positive review in the October issue) about trends of city hobbyist bee keepers to CCD—the mysterious vanishing and die-off of bees with an unknown cause. And I got to taste straight from the hive… honeycomb. A hexagon structure made from beeswax by honey bees to hold honey.
5.    Tell us what makes honey so healthy? It’s got vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants (molecules in superfoods like fruits/vegetables) that can stall Father Time and enhance the immune system and  keep our cells healthy.
6.    How many honey varieties are there? Hundreds…more than 300 in U.S. from different floral sources. I got up close and  intimate with more than 30…we’re talking different flavors from different sources.The darker varieties are the healthiest…a bit of a challenge for the palate: manuka to buckwheat---which are commonly used in health and honey studies. My faves are sage, wildflower, white honey from Hawaii, pumpkin, blackberry--and orange blossom. Once you taste the varietals there's no going back to one honey flavor.
7.    Are there major differences between raw honey and the commercial varieties? Yes, raw is healthier but mass market varieties still have benefits, too.  The real, raw, unprocessed, unheated, unfiltered kind of honey that you get straight from the hive—honeycomb—is the real deal with the good for you antioxidants. Think pure ACV, quality dark cocoa.
8.    What are some short-term health benefits of consuming honey? Home cures: I've turned to honey for sore throat, allergies, cough, cuts, anxiety, stress, fatigue, and it can even boost libido! What's more, manuka honey--found in Australia and New Zealand--is simply amazing for its healing perks. If you have a cut, like I did on my foot, it can heal it in days, thanks to honey's super amazing antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits.
9.    You say honey can help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, increase longevity and even reduce boy fat and unwanted weight? Indeed… If you stay clear of the big diseases…you’ll up the odds of living longer. And honey can help stave off the major life-threatening diseases because of its different compounds. I show studies with humans (not just lab rats) in my honey book how it works to back up this fact.
10.   You say pure, raw, unprocessed honey is a healthier sweetener than table sugar and high fructose corn syrup? You get only empty nutrition with white table sugar…HFCS is controversial but I stay clear from it--found in fruit juice drinks to processed foods. Honey contains dozens of different substances (minerals, vitamins, antioxidants) which makes it more like a fruit than sugar. Sugar and HFCS are simpler compounds containing only glucose and fructose, honey is more of a “functional or superfood”—because of its compounds.
11. How many calories typically per teaspoon? 21--a dieter's dream. And just a spoonful will provide energy to get a move on and boost your metabolism as well as curb that sweet tooth so you're not tempted to overeat sweets that are laden with saturated fat, calories, and added sugar. 
12. How much Honey do you recommend people eat daily or weekly? 5 teaspoons/8teaspoons women/men. (None for babies younger than one year old.)
13. How can you use honey in your beauty routine? It’s used in DIY recipes/store bought beauty products/top-notch spa treatments. I use all types to help keep my hair and skin healthy. I was treated to a honey bath at a plush European-style hotel and the story is unforgettable. My skin felt so smooth.
14.   What kind of recipes are there in your book? Scrumptious recipes that'll wow you. The book was purchased by The Good Cook Book Club. Spa chefs/honey companies (big and small) provided many recipes including Honey Biscotti, Bee Breakfast Smoothie, Honey Poppy Seed Salad Dressing, Honey Glazed Hen, Honey Berries with Lime Pound Cake, and Sweet Potato Pie. Wholesome, down-to-earth ingredients are used--mostly from the Mediterranean diet--are used. I'm talking whole grains, nuts, fresh fruit and vegetables, dark chocolate, and olive oil as a primary fat.
 15. What easy ways can our listeners use honey in their everyday lives? Use a teaspoon of honey in tea/coffee daily and/or drizzle on fresh fruit or whole grain bread to get a double punch of antioxidants.
The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington, October 2011) by Cal Orey is available at  online bookstores including www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com , local bookstores, OneSpirit bookclubs, and other popular grocery stores including Walmart, Smiths, and Target.

Going Abroad Sierra-Style

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

It snowed yesterday in the Sierra. I have this love-hate relationship with the cold weather. It really wasn't much of a storm, perhaps foreshadow of the white powder to come. Still, my weather forecast for the Fall till late December is nothing to write home about. We may get a few more storms but that will mean slush and rain with temperatures in the low digits at lake level. I can do that. (See Callie in hooded turtleneck sweater, hooded sweatshirt, jeans, mittens, Sorels, neck scarf, ski hat...like the character by the fireplace in the library in the film "The Day After Tomorrow.")

As a city girl, I have to say I miss the culture, people, malls, bistros, and weather of the SF Bay Area. Ah, the fog and overcast. Not sure why I get the moving bug during this time of year--but I do.

Also, it seems like everyone I know is going to Europe: Geologist Jim Berkland is in Portugal (or in the process of getting there); another acquaintance is talking abroad; and someone just got back from Spain.

Meanwhile, I go to the resort pool/hot tub and talk to the straggling tourists (it's off season) and get a bit of culture vicariously through them. And there is the Psychic Power Network  and Psychics Forever where I can read the callers calling from different countries. It's a quick fix of going abroad, sort of. (It helps if I'm sipping exotic tea or coffee.)

Perhaps I am meant to stay in my Tahoe rustic cabin, making a crackling fire (I did it last night; my first one of the season), cuddle up with Zen (my Siamese love kitty) and my Brittany duo, and watch Julia in "Eat, Pray, Love".... This lifestyle is in the stars for me, for now. So, chilling and creating articles about Earth Changes, food, and honey to being a guest on radio shows to spread the word about my new book The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington)--next week I will be doing it in Italy--is as good as it gets. Maybe I should learn Spanish. Or not. Hola. 

Autumn Quakes, Pumpkins, & the Honey Book Buzz

'Tis the time for autumn heaven. -- Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

It's the day after yesterday--the big red letter date when the world as we know it was supposed to end, according to Harold Camping's doomsday forecast. I created an anti-prediction on my website Earthquake Epicenter Forum that while the Earth could move with a noteworthy shaker near October 21 (and it did twice in the San Francisco Bay Area--the night before--and a 7.4 hit near Tonga on the day)--life would continue. And here I am with pumpkin on the brain.
Autumn Days in the Sierra. If you live at Lake Tahoe or visit during this time of off-season you'd feel fall. The autumn colors are gold, orange, red, and brown. Wood piles are seen in yards. But we're having an Indian Summer and the temps are warm during the day. (I swam yesterday and it was heavenly.) But looking ahead we're going to experience a cold spell (low in the teens) next week. So, my first fire is nearing.
Baking is on my mind. That includes pumpkin pie (I will wait till November), pumpkin scones, muffins, bread, and fudge--all included with sweet honey. There's something about pumpkin that is addictive. All this pumpkin chat is creating a craving for pumpkin seeds. Maybe I'll buy a pumpkin and make the seeds myself. Or not.
Computers and Rice.  After the computer fiasco last Friday evening (my Brittany duo dumped a water bottle on my laptop), tonight I am getting used to my new machine. And the drowned one? Well, maybe putting it in a bed of rice helped dried it out. I will know next week from the tech. It may have seen its last days and the world for the last time. The cranberry and rice pudding provided some comfort but the cost of purchasing a new computer when my casualty was not even a year old is heartbreaking.
The Healing Powers of Honey. And so here I sit thinking about my new book The Healing Powers of Honey (published by Kensington). It's making a buzz like a honey bee flying flower to flower. It's offered on FoodieBlogroll (a contest); I'll be a guest on San Francisco's KSFO come October 30; a piece about the vanishing honey bee in Oracle 20-20 magazine, November issue; Donna Seebo will interview me via her radio show on November 2; a book signing at Barnes and Noble in Reno will see me the day after Turkey Day; an excerpt about my visit to a beekeeper in the Tahoe Daily Tribune; And so it goes. Pumpkins and a honey bee book.  Did I mention I love fall despite its ups and downs?
UPDATE: I wrote this blog post before I got the news of the 7.2 Eastern Turkey earthquake. (I forecasted a major earthquake would happen in Turkey and/or Greece in 2011. It was printed in the January issue of Oracle 20-20 magazine , Earth Changes column--see older entries link on website.)  My heart goes out to all affected by Mother Nature's wrath.

The Buzzworthys Cure for Springtime Allergies

Cures From Your Kitchen:
Seasonal Allergies Bee-Gone!

'Tis the season when allergies, colds, coughs and flus hit households around the globe. Living at Lake Tahoe is a treat during autumn but...this year while Indian Summer is welcomed, the ups and downs of temperatures are wreaking havoc on my body. Walking in a snow flurry last week and gardening in the sunshine this afternoon is enough to make anyone feel a bit out of whack. But honey comes to the rescue!
As the author of the book The Healing Powers of Honey (October 2011, Kensington Publishing Corp., ) I forgot about this sweet home remedy that is good for the body and spirit --as I note in both The Healing Powers of Chocolate and The Healing Powers of Honey books.  That's right, by turning to immune-boosting, antioxidant-rich chocolate, you may find your own allergy symptoms, from hay fever to seasonal-change woes, may stop in their tracks--rain, slush, snow or shine.
The truth is, I've been too busy fighting allergy symptoms that I forgot about home sweet cures like chocolate and honey Blame it on the new season and oh, oh, oh--the two shedding dogs and cat. Hairs, hairs, hairs everywhere. My black T-shirts and sweaters look like a white bunny rabbit's fur. Two weeks ago, I paid a visit to my doctor. My eyes were red, itchy, runny, and oh-so puffy! Not to forget the post-nasal drip and sneezing--not fun. And today, my throat is sore and voice is raspy. It's time for this honey book author to practice what she preaches and take her own sweet ancient cure, straight from the hive.
Allergies (Stop Seasonal Misery): Dealing with a runny nose, and coughing can ruin an indoor and outdoor event, thanks to seasononal pollen. Every year when the yellow pollen arrives in the spring like an uninvited visitor at Lake Tahoe I hold a tissue in one hand and am on the phone to a pharmacist with the other. I am always on a mission to find the natural remedy to stop my sniffles.
What Honey Rx to Use: Try eating a tablsepoon of locally produced honey. Proponents of honey tell me that your immune system will get used to the local pollen in it (it should be withing a 50-mile radius from where you live).
Why You'll Bee Happy: If you have mild allergies, honey may enhance the immune system to build up a better arsenal against airborne allergens. Honey enthusiasts like D.C. Jarvis, M.D., believe honeycomb is excellent for treating breathing problems. The honey prescription, according to him, was chewing honeycomb, which may line the entire breathing tract... "Vermont folk medicine uses honeycomb as a desensitizing agent; from the results obtained by its use it appears to be anti-allergic in its action," notes the good doctor who gives credit to the honey bees.
Beekeepers tell me that honey may help allergies linked to trees and ragweed--the culprit in hay fever and its irritating symptoms during spring and autumn months. So, as beekeepers are workerbee busy at work selling local honey to allergy sufferers, like me (and maybe you, too), I am busy including all types of honey in my diet becasue I want to be covered. And if honey can help me cope with congestion and pesky sniffles, I'm in. While further research is needed, I'm not going to wait for scientists to go to their lab rats for a go-ahead. More honey, please.

The Honey Bee Decline: Is The Honeymoon Over?

"The honey bee population is declining."

In my new book The Healing Powers of Honey (October 2011, Kensington Publishing Corp.), I noted in chapter 1, bees make honey and work double shift as key pollinators for mankind. Did you know that our crops depend on the beekeepers and small honey bee in a big way? Millions of acres of U.S. Fruit, vegetable, oilseed, and legume crops depend on insect pollination--and that includes the sacred honey bees. This little insect gives humans gifts (from health to beauty and eco-friendly uses) from the hive but also helps pollinate our crops, home gardens, and wildlife habitat.
But despite the need for the honey bee--there is a megaglitch that is becoming a growing problem: The honey bee population is declining... In the upcoming weeks, I'll be a guest on talks shows such as Michael Quinsey's Connecting the Light in the UK,  a program in Italy, and KSFO in the SF Bay Area (October 30, Sunday at 7:30 AM, PST) to dish out what's going on with our honey bees gone AWOL.
It's no secret. Beekeepers across America are witnessing the mysterious die-offs of bee colonies. Back in 2006, an apiary owner in Pennsylvania, made the problem known. Penn State rsearchers took notes of the bee colony numbers' decline, due to a condition now known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). This deadly disorder causes honey bee colonies (50,000 to 60,000 bees in one) to vanish without a trace--leading to The Happening and I Am Legend images of thriller sci-fi films of human and animal extinction.
And in my book on honey and the honey bee I devote  an entire chapter to this intriguing topic and I will continue to expound on the frightening phenomenon about the latest theories behind CCD--and what's happening today. Top scientists to beekeepers shared with me their take on the spooky demise of the little honey bee and what it may mean for us in the big picture.
Update: Millions of Floridian honey bees die. Pesticides? Poison?  CCD is not suspected to be the cause.
[Excerpt The Healing Powers of Honey]; By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

New Charming and Enlightening Honey Book Hits Mainstream America

My first encounter with honey was when I was five years old.

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

As a child, in my dreams I lived in a cottage with my father, a dedicated beekeeper, and my mom, who did all cooking, canning, and baking with honey. In our garden I'd watch my father experiment with hives and establish an apiary on 10 acres. He shipped Italian queen bees across the United States and around the world. But my home was normal, because in reality I grew up in a middle-class suburb of south San Jose, California, a place once touted for its nectar sources--a honey bee's dreamworld.
My first encounter with honey was when I was five years old. In kindergarten I remember drawing a giant honey bee on a wildflower. (It didn't hold a beeswax candle to beekeeper Prince Cesi's microscopic drawing of the insect.) After art time, Mrs. Berry dished out graham crackers (sweetened with honey and developed by Sylvester Graham in 1829), milk cartons, and Mr. Bee-Good notes (little square papers with special kudos to three good students once a week). When I wasn't one of the chosen few, my mind wandered; What would life be like as a bee? My imagination soared with images of me morphing into an insect and flying from flower to flower to fill up on sweet nectar.
That was decades ago, and today I can look back at my life experiences and see how the honey bee and honey played a role in my real world. I wasn't raised by a beekeeper and his wife, nor as a kid did I put on bee veil and visit bees. But I got a taste of honey and its healing powers  through the years of growing up and traveling like a wayward bee... The best part is, I have discovered the healing magic of honey, and a world I've called Honeyland that I want to share with you.
[Excerpt from The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington Publishing Corp.)]

Bee Culture Magazine Unveils New Book: The Healing Powers of Honey

"This is a good book to
 give someone who doesn't want to know all about bees and beekeeping--but just honey."
--Kim Flottum
By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

I was pleasantly surprised today when I received a copy of Bee Culture: The Magazine Of American Beekeeping. On page 12, my new book The Healing Powers of Honey (published by Kensington Publishing Corp.) is scrutinized like a honey bee found on an orange blossom. And the review penned by editor Kim Flottum--is sweet and enlightening like being in a field with gentle honey bees.

He gets it. Flottum writes, "It does cover a bit of beekeeping history, and mentions some well known authors in our field. But, it does cover a lot of topics, none of them in enough depth to become boring, or dull. It is a good starting place for someone very interested in knowing more about honey, sources, flavors, colors and what's good to eat with each kind." And that's not all...

"Each chapter leads off with a bit of her history," the editor continues on, "as she roamed the U.S. and Canada in her youth, looking for adventure [like a wild honey bee gone AWOL], and good food...actually, any food sometimes, and she always has a dog with her."

The fact is, Flottum  (a fellow busy author) dishes out praise to my workerbee's work: "...The healing chapters cover honey and cinnamon, teas, home remedies, creams and lotions from beeswax, beauty aids, and lists and charts and graphs and more lists and more lists of things to use honey, things to use honey for, things honey can cure, and more."

Whew! I'm exhausted just reading what the magazine editor caught and that I captured and infused in 302 pages.  Good job, Kim Flottum. Thank you for including The Healing Powers of Honey in the "Good Reading" column of your October issue. I'm buzzed!

News Flash! Groundbreaking Honey (Bee) Book Has Landed on Earth!

THE HEALING POWERS OF HONEY:
A COMPLETE GUIDE TO NATURE'S REMARKABLE NECTAR!
BY CAL OREY (KENSINGTON BOOKS)

Today, September 27--the day of the New Moon--the new honey book The Healing Powers of Honey has been published and is available at all bookstores. On the back of the cover you will read: Drawing on the latest honey buzz and interviews with medical doctors, beekeepers, and researchers, this charming and enlightening book (sweetened with stories about honey bees and humans) reveals 30 healing honey varieties paired with cinnamon and teas, tells you haw to incorporate honey into Mediterranean-style, heart-healthy recipes such as Honey Custard French Toast and Filo Pear and Honey Tarts.
The author's dedication is heartfelt and original: This book is dedicated to the honey bees--especially the persevering workers and queens--whom I feel are my kindred spirits. I feel a strong and moving bond to this small but remarkable hardworking creature with big efforts--nature's greatest gift.  And that's not all...
This landmark book has been featured by a buzz-worthy Youtube, NewsMax, will be reviewed in the October issue of Bee Culture Magazine, and graces the homepage in an interview on Red Room: Where the Writers Are.  And this is the new beginning of the workerbee author's work spreading the news of the groundbreaking honey (bee) book.

It's Almost Here! The New Bee-Healthy Book for Autumn

The Healing Powers of Honey: A Complete Guide to Nature's Remarkable Nectar
By Cal Orey (The Writing Gourmet)

Tomorrow is the first day of Fall. Next week is the time when my book The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington Books, September 27, 2011) will be released. The popular NewsMax featured a story about my new book. It's sweetened with bee-healthy health data, home cures, decadent recipes--and tales about honey bees and humans. Finally, I get to share my very intimate on the road experiences with my dog(s), which is similar to wayward honey bees in search of a new home.

Truly it's perfect timing. After all, September is National Honey Month. It is the season when beekeepers are busy harvesting honey bees' gift to mankind. And it's a time when I try to snag some R&R at Lake Tahoe, a nirvana in autumn, in between nesting...

Like a queen bee, I'm busy in my hive. So much work to do before winter. Is the fireplace clean? Will the firewood man answer the phone? Do I stack wood against the fence or garage? Will snowfall be unbearable or doable? The double pane window covers--where are they? My pantry is still stuffed with honeys--all kinds--what do I bake?

Meanwhile, I am getting booked on national and international radio shows to dish out the words about honey--nature's sweet nectar. On September 30, I'll be up before the crack of dawn and talking on the Tom Roten Radio Show. October 1, it will be time spent with Dr. Will Clower. The other night on Tuesday, I made a cameo appearance on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory (quake chat) and while my honey book and honey bees are important, October is the month for earthquakes in my Golden State. But I'll still be promoting my book during shine or shake.

While I'll still be in worker bee mode, I'll still be able to pamper myself as I savor the changes I see, feel, taste, hear, and touch. There is a crispness in air at night. Autumn produce should be out and I wish I had drones to go out and fetch it for me. No matter. I will do it and this weekend in between fall cleaning I'll be baking honey breads to cakes. 'Tis the season to enjoy buzzing about like busy beekeepers and honey bees.

Tis the Month for a Honeyfest--The Healing Powers of Honey Is Coming!

September is National Honey Month--the month for people to celebrate honey...And I've been as busy as a honey bee that I forgot that fact. At the end of the month my new book will be released. That's right, The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington Books, Sept. 27, 2011) is almost here. It will come alive in autumn (when I was born). Fall is my favorite season and the time for honey harvests in many parts of the world. And on September 23 I'll be enjoying some R&R in the sierra--a place where fall comes alive with its vibrant tree color changes.

Meanwhile, I've been lost in a new Healing Powers book, which next week will be en route to New York. Ah, then it's time for this queen bee (in her past life) to savor off season at Lake Tahoe. It's a time when I can feel the nights dropping down to the 30s; see locals stocking up on firewood; enjoy the lower food prices and seasonal fall produce; bake fruit breads, muffins, and scones;  take long walks with the Brittany duo; cuddle up with Zen cat (doesn't he look like a feline version of a Siberian Husky?); make a cozy fire, and anticipate the first snow flurry.

So, here I sit fine-tuning the new superfood book that'll be published in August 2012--before the Mayan forecasted end of days. No worries. Harold Camping's end of the world prediction fizzled (I predicted that it would do just that as will his extension on October 21). But, but, but--there will be Earth changes, for sure. For now, I'll rejoice next week and the weeks to come because my hard work on The Healing Powers of Honey book will be in the hands of humans. Oh, oh, oh...the honey bee book is in the fall line-up (scroll down the page on Kensington Books).

One more thing. Summer does have its perks and I will  miss the sunshine, swimming outdoors, wearing sleeveless tops, and getting golden...And the breakfasts--get this--Blueberry Pancakes on a late summer morning. with coffee-and no fluffy snow to shovel. Ah, I'm missing the season and it's not even over yet.

The Healing Powers of Honey Is Buzzing

By Cal Orey,

The Writing Gourmet
Like a honey bee in the springtime, I feel change is in the air. Change is scary. Change is exciting. Change is good. I am a fall girl, perhaps because I was born in October. But this year I can see novelty has its perks. A whole lot of changes are happening... One: The galley for my book The Healing Powers of Honey (September 27, 2011, Kensington Books) should arrive on my doorstep this month. It's kind of like viewing the birth of your book child. Two: After the passing of my beloved cat Kerouac who I sense is still around me but physically is chasing mice in feline heaven, I am now infatuated with my new Siamese-mix 2 year-old kitty Zen. It took 11 days for my Brittany duo to get used to the fact that this companion animal is part of the pack and here to stay forever. It gets better. We slept together peacefully two nights in a row. We are family... What's more, this athletic cat looks like a Siberian Husky and boasts dog-like qualities: bold, affectionate, and doesn't like to be alone. Read: Velcro Cat. (Note: More quakes may be on their way south of Tahoe on the CA-NV Border. I sense I've got another seismically sensitive creature in the house.)
Three: Due to a pesky glitch in the system of a psychic network that I worked for for 15 months, I was was out of work for two weeks trying to play phone tech due to a phone glitch that noone could solve so I changed to a cell phone and voila. Fast forward: Alas, my work as an intuitive continues on... Four: ...I feel like a worker bee. Now and through the summer, I am working on a new Healing Powers series book (and surprise superfood) and it's work but exciting. And the wonderful treats for a honey bee type of gal are arriving on my doorstep as well as research is in the works. Five: Swimming outdoors is right around the corner. Not. (Still feels like winter with snow.) Most importantly, Zen cat has given me a sense of peace and harmony, showing me this season that life goes on no matter what Mother Nature does or losses hit our world, big or small, we blossom again.