While writing my most recent DIY (vanilla bean extract) I texted my family’s group chat — “did you know that vanilla beans are orchid seed?!” Later, we discussed this on a group chat. My sister Ana and I exclaimed that we had no idea, and it was just incredible. “I assumed they ...
“It gets dark every night!” vented a stressed cashier at a sub shop in Ohio on the afternoon of the eclipse. He was complaining about having too much business, that the total eclipse wasn’t special — and that all those who flocked to the path of totality were ridiculous. My family ...
When I told my sister the topic for this column, she said “the headlines will read; ‘Preston County family goes to the big city.’” Despite my sister’s teasing, it’s true — my family and I did take a trip to the big city: New York City. And I’m here to report on it. We ...
Feasts are important. I’ve always liked my family’s Easter feasting tradition because while we no longer are tied particularly to seasonal food, I’m reminded that until very recently food was seasonal — and springtime ushered in an abundance after a lean winter. Feasts historically ...
My morning routine involves brewing tea or coffee and enjoying at my kitchen table. From this vantage point I can see a large maple tree in front of my house and my bird feeder. Sipping a caffeinated beverage, I watch birds visit the feeder and the tree. Nuthatches hop down the trunk then ...
Recently I decided I need a new hobby. This was an odd impulse; I don’t really have time or space for more projects. Yet, there I was trying to think of a craft to satisfy my itchy fingers. Crafters may know the feeling — a restlessness that feels like it could be calmed by trying a ...