I Draw Home-Notes 4 Home- The Bees That Brought Us Pumpkins

Alphabet Soup

A short story of pollinators, pumpkins, and gratitude.🥧

Dear Friends and Colorful Humans,

Most pumpkins are part of a single scraggly species of squash — Cucurbita pepo — native to the southern U.S. and northeastern Mexico. Over thousands of years, this humble vine was carried and cultivated by Native peoples until it diversified into all the squash we know today: acorn, spaghetti, zucchini, and more. I wish I could say I loved them but alas I am allergic to pumpkins. 🙀

But none of it would’ve been possible without a small but mighty helper — the wild bees.🐝 cue bee emoji!!!

“Even the smallest work can make a harvest possible.”

Early in summer, every pumpkin patch hums with them. The flowers open just as the morning light hits, offering a flood of sweet nectar to the bees that know exactly when to arrive. A single species, the squash bee (Eucera pruinosa), carries most of the pollen from bloom to bloom — quietly ensuring the harvest we celebrate months later.

When I think about home, I think about those bees — the unseen ones doing their work early in the day, creating nourishment and abundance for others. I've been a mother for almost 30 years now and feel a bit like those bees.

In these hard times, maybe that’s what November invites from us too: to keep tending, gently and quietly, to the small work that makes life possible.

Lunchbox Note

A Little Encouragement (and Bee/Pumpkin Cuteness) to Take Home

I present to you The Bees That Brought Us Pumpkins

“A tiny reminder of kindness and belonging — for you, or someone who needs a smile today.”

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Nourish Yourself

This month in Notes 4 Home I have 4 Bee recipes for you 🐝🐝🐝🐝

1.🫖 Nourish Me — Honey Lemon Comfort Tea

When the air cools and the days shorten, I find myself reaching for something warm to hold.

This simple tea is one of my favorites — a tiny ritual of care and sweetness.

You’ll need:

🍯 1 cup hot water

🍋 Juice of half a lemon

🐝 1 tablespoon local raw honey

🤎 A pinch of cinnamon (optional, but lovely)

To make:

Pour hot water over your lemon juice and honey, stir slowly, and breathe in that golden steam.

Sip it by a window, or share it with someone you love.

It’s a small reminder — like the bees — that tending to yourself helps the whole world bee a little brighter.

2.🕯 Craft — Beeswax Candle of Light

When the days feel short and the world tilts toward winter, I like to pour a little light.

This simple beeswax candle is a quiet act of creation and calm.

You’ll need:

🕯 Beeswax (pellets or leftover bits)

🧵 Cotton wick

🥣 A small jar or teacup

To make:

Melt the beeswax slowly in a double boiler or homemade version(a glass bowl over a boiling pot), pour it into your jar, and anchor the wick in the center, (I know its easier said than done, but use a stick across the top to hold it). Let it cool.

As you light it, whisper something you’re thankful for.

The flame is your reminder that even the smallest light can warm a home.

3.🛁 Self-Care — Honey & Oat Soak

A bath that feels like a hug. Gentle, natural, and kind (so you remember to bee that for yourself— just what November or any month asks for.

You’ll need:

🌾 ½ cup oats (ground or whole)

🍯 1 tablespoon honey

💛 A few drops of vanilla or lavender (optional)

To make:

Mix ingredients in a muslin bag or homemade fabric tea bag .

Soak, breathe, and think of the bees again — soft work, slow care, steady hearts.

⸻

4.🫶 Mindful Practice — The Gratitude Jar

A small daily ritual to collect joy.

You’ll need:

🫙 A jar, scraps of paper, a pen

🎀 Ribbon or paint if you’d like to decorate (I have seen some adorable ones on pinterest)

To make:

Each evening, write one thing that made you feel grateful, cozy, or safe that day. Fold it and tuck it inside.

By the end of the month, you’ll have a jar full of home — proof that light lives in small things.

“Tending to yourself helps the whole world bloom brighter.”

This Is Home

I know this isn't Pumpkin Pie (due to my allergy ). but its a pie!! Homemade apple and it was our first time making pie. since this photo, I have fallen in love with pie, and I can't wait to get to a home to make more.