The Thanksgiving air filled with the smell of homemade lamb. Yes, lamb, because turkeys are tasteless bird that didn’t deserve to be created.

At least that’s what Grandma says.

As all 10 grandchildren groan (because what is Thanksgiving without a turkey) they all sit around the dining room table. Everyone then goes around saying what they’re thankful for.

A pretty generic Thanksgiving.

Dessert is finished, and everyone says their goodbyes. Now, for the real fun to begin!

The 5 older grandchildren get into their Jeep Wrangler, and drive away.

First stop; Campus Martius, Detroit. For the past 4 years, the oldest of the Jurca grandchildren all go ice skating in Downtown Detroit and admire the giant Christmas tree placed at the foot of the ring.

Skating through the cool, crisp Detroit air, the smell of hot cocoa begins to rise.

As the skating nears to an end, the next endeavor begins; The Hard Rock Café.

Did everyone just stuff themselves with lamb? Yes. Does everyone not have any room for anything else? Yes.

But The Hard Rock Café on Thanksgiving Night is a tradition, and tradition is something we do not break.

After stuffing themselves there even more, and it only being 11:00pm, the night is still young.

Everyone hops back into the car and let’s the adventure continue to Great Lakes Crossing, because in less than 1 hour it’s Black Friday shopping!

They all stay until 1 am, when the mall closes, and shop until they drop.

But no, the fun doesn’t stop there!

Once that mall is closed, another is bound to be open!

Birch Run Outlet is open until 4 am, and thus the next destination.

They all walk and shop until they believe their feet will fall off. Finally, they all head back into the car and head home.Nothing feels sweeter than placing one’s head on their pillow with a full belly and a brand new wardrobe.

Over the past 3 months, I have learned so much about journalism in this class. We have talked a lot about how journalism is constantly changing.

We have fluctuated our conversations to past journalists such as Nelly Bly, to current journalists in Malta, to the current impeachment and how it is being covered.

But as the world changes, so does the journalistic world. In light of Putin recently naming journalists “foreign agents”, it seems internationally that the invisible hand is strengthening its grip on journalism. But the tighter the hand grips, the greater the resistance and need for freedom of speech!

As history has shown us, even when journalism becomes buried, the strong will always rise up in the name of truth!

As of now, I think that there will always be a need for journalism and journalists. There will definitely be a fluctuation in freedom of what can be written, but I pray that we will always have our voice.

On a brisk spring morning Ryan Parker, engineer and father, with his wife, Jane, make their way to their backyard. Their 4 children closely follow, waiting to see what their father has brought for them. 

A soft humming slowly grows louder the closer they get to the end of their 1.5 acre property. Luke, 6 and the oldest of the bunch, sees wooden boxes lining the end of their property. “What could have dad brought in a box that hums” said Lucas to his mother. 

Once they reach their destination, their father reveals to the family the surprise — bees!

Luke was in awe and thought to himself, “ why do we have bees, won’t they sting us?” He asks his father that same question, to which his reply was that they were going to make honey so that the whole family could enjoy it! 

2 months previous, Ryan and Jane came across the idea of beekeeping from a friend who had also done it. Their friend explained the process and that the honey tasted much better and was healthier because it was unheated and organic. 

Once that seed was planted in their minds, they hastily got to work to find out all the information they could. Bee seasons began in the spring and luckily that was 2 months away so they had at least a little time to prepare.  

They bought their hive for $250 and ordered a queen bee for $40. After doing all of their research, they came to the conclusion that the absolute highest their average cost could go would be about $1,000. 

Their research also lead them down the path as to which honey was better: raw or processed. Their research shows that processed honey takes out the pollen grains which are very nutritious. Not only that, but that many have claimed that eating raw honey, as opposed to processed, has helped them cure or suppress the symptoms of some of their allergies.

But then came another question, does honey expire: both raw or processed? After hours of research and comparing the two through many credible sources, they found that it does not. They even read an article about how honey was recently discovered in an Ancient Egyptian tomb. It was stored there due to the Egyptians belief that honey is a religious property and it sustains the body from harm. 

Jane became intrigued: what kept the honey from spoiling all those thousands of years, she thought. She came to find out that there is a key ingredient/reason why honey doesn’t spoil — honey has only 17% of water. This means that bacteria and fungi won’t grow there because they need water to survive.  So instead of spoiling, honey crystallizes and changes flavor throughout the years, but its beneficial properties never change. 

With this new information, Jane and Ryan felt confident in their decision of Beekeeping. 

Spring passed, and the set-up and preparations were complete. Summer flew by as the bees take care of themselves, much to Jane’s delight. Then Autumn rolled around and the real fun can finally begin — it’s time to collect the honey! 

“Make sure your helmet is secure, Luke. We wouldn’t want you to get stung!” calls Ryan, as they put on their beekeeping suits. 

The boys begin collecting the honey, while the girls are inside preparing for what they find the most intriguing — what to do with the honey! Emily, who proudly states she is 4 ¼ , lends a helping hand to her mama as they open the empty jars soon to be filled with honey! 

“The first thing I’ll do is give some honey to my sisters,” says Jane, “And then Emily and I have a whole stack of recipes to try with our new honey. Honey cakes, honey cookies, honey bread, and even honey soup! I’m sure honey will be coming out of our ears before the year is over!” 

The boys have returned with the honey and some smirking faces. “Mama, it’s so yummy! Papa let me try some and I want it all to myself!” cries Luke, eyes glistening with the new sweet. 

Winter now rolls around, and the bees are comfortable in their hives. The Parker family is snuggly sitting around their wood burning fire in the living room. Honey and chocolate chip cookies sit on the middle table, where Luke and Emily play checkers. Jane is cozied up on the couch with some peppermint honey tea and a book, and Ryan is retrieving a new jar of honey from the cellar.

“ We are going through this jars so quickly, I’m not sure we will make it to fall for the new batch,” Ryan laughs. They all agree that having their own honey was one of the best decisions they ever made. Not only do they have something to do as a family, but the honey is the best they’ve ever tasted!