Author Archives: Kathy

The Buzz on Vergil

Posted on September 16, 2022 by Kathy

(for Trevor Thoms) I can’t close out our week of bees without sharing what is possibly my favorite poem, The Georgics, by the Roman poet Vergil. I know, this might strike you as a stodgy and obscure choice, but believe … Continue reading →

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Bee Lines

Posted on September 14, 2022 by Kathy

A beekeeper can also be called an apiarist. These two words demonstrate how the English language developed on different tracks. Bee derives from the Germanic roots of English, related to Dutch bij and German Beie. The api- words derive from … Continue reading →

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A Honey of a Post

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Kathy

Did you know that honey bees have little baskets on their legs to collect pollen and nectar? Reading the novel Grey Bees, about a Ukrainian bee keeper, has piqued my interest in bees. I’ve been reading about how worker bees … Continue reading →

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Apitherapy

Posted on September 10, 2022 by Kathy

Artists ever since Homer, and probably before, have created anti-war art. You may know Picasso’s painting Guernica, Jean Renoir’s great film Grand Illusion, novels such as All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque and Stephen Crane’s Red … Continue reading →

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A Not Terrible* Word

Posted on September 7, 2022 by Kathy

Terrazzo flooring is a composite mixing flecks of quartz, marble, glass, or other substances with a base such as cement, or, in recent times, a polymer. It’s like a mosaic, except the little pieces are scattered randomly and do not … Continue reading →

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Birthday Quiche +

Posted on September 5, 2022 by Kathy

Thinking up meal ideas definitely gets old, and cleaning up can be debilitating, but, by and large, cooking is probably my least onerous household task. I usually enjoy it. And I enjoy baking too much for my own good. Even … Continue reading →

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Weekend Editions

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Kathy

Thousands of books are published each year that none of us ever hear of. Many of these books are very good, and some of them are great. Agents, publicity, luck, money—all of these factors help determine whether we hear about … Continue reading →

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Wednesday Word

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Kathy

A certain redacted affidavit has been in the news. As far as I know, reporters have not yet explicated the all-important Latin derivation of these newsworthy words. Today’s post remedies the oversight. Redacted comes from a Latin verb, ago, that … Continue reading →

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Monday Meals

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Kathy

I happened on an America’s Test Kitchen video featuring the always cheerful Becky, who demonstrated how to make Chilled Soba Noodle Salad. The vegetables looked so good, and Becky made it look so easy, that I tried it myself last … Continue reading →

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Weekend Editions

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Kathy

My husband has a knack for naming film series. The Cleveland Cinematheque’s current schedule, for example, includes a series of nine movies by W.C. Fields cleverly dubbed “Fields Days.” Another series featuring a Swedish female director named Mai Zetterling is … Continue reading →

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