Author Archives: Kathy

More Bill Cunningham

Posted on January 7, 2023 by Kathy

In Instead of Education: Ways to Help People Do Things Better (1976), John Holt wrote, “A life worth living, and work worth doing–that is what I want for children (and all people), not just, or not even, something called ‘a … Continue reading →

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A Sense of Humors

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Kathy

From ancient times well into the 19th century, Westerners believed that four bodily fluids governed human personality and health. These fluids, called humors, derived from the four elements–earth, fire, water, and air—because these four elements composed everything. The Latin word … Continue reading →

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Combo

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Kathy

I’m not resolving to try new recipes this year. That resolution has never taken hold. Instead, I tried something new tonight, and I may do so again. It’s not a resolution. It’s just a thing I might do now and … Continue reading →

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Little Free Book

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Kathy

Occasionally someone will ask me how I choose what to read. It’s a hard question to answer, because there’s no overriding pattern to my choices. One book group meets once a month, the other every other month. That makes about … Continue reading →

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A Humorous Post

Posted on December 29, 2022 by Kathy

The medieval apothecary could not be trusted to prepare prescriptions correctly, remember? (We wrote about this here a couple of weeks ago.) While he might substitute an equally effective medication, he might instead slip a cheaper, even poisonous herb into … Continue reading →

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Another Marvelous Thing

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Kathy

Laurie Colwin wrote memorable, funny novels (Happy All the Time, Family Happiness); ironic, pithy short stories (The Lone Pilgrim and other collections); and two volumes of essays about food: Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen and More Home Cooking: … Continue reading →

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Honoring the Bleak Midwinter

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Kathy

One of my favorite Christmas carols is “In the Bleak Midwinter.” The verses are by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), an English poet. They were set to music by Gustav Holst in 1906. The Pre-Raphaelites, of whom Rossetti was a part, strove … Continue reading →

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The Day the Sun Stands Still

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Kathy

Today is the day the sun stops. Ever since September, as the sun gradually moved south in the sky, the daylight has ineluctably become briefer and the darkness has lengthened. In the culmination of that journey, the night lingers for … Continue reading →

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Baking Cookies, Remembering Dee

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Kathy

Christmas is a time for joy, but also a time for grief. Holiday preparations remind me of my mother-in-law, Dee Ewing, who died in 1993. My childhood Christmases were fine, certainly not traumatic, but sometimes strained and stressful. My Christmas … Continue reading →

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Learning from Chaser

Posted on December 17, 2022 by Kathy

I used to introduce my Latin students to fundamental grammar by telling them about Chaser, the dog who knew a thousand words. Chaser, I would explain, learned the meaning of verbs such as fetch, paw (as in pawing her toys), … Continue reading →

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