Bees

Bill and fellow teacher/friend Kay are the official beekeepers at the middle school in our district. Bill has enjoyed it so much that he's purchased our first Henske hive, which arrives at the end of April. Our plan is to keep the hive at our neighborhood community garden and, so far, there's been no opposition to that. Back at the middle school though, the bees have been a big hit with the kids. A few times a month, Bill and Kay lead a beekeeping club. Not only have the kids enthusiastically excelled at beekeeping, they have also taken an interest in all things bee-related such as making jars of honey, lip balm, and hand lotion. Next up? Facial moisturizer! Yay! I took these photos of Bill and Kay beekeeping during our spring break a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of fun to watch and photograph. And, despite having dressed completely inappropriately - it was a cold day so I wore dark, woolly, fuzzy clothes which, while keeping me warm, happen to look a lot like bears to bees! - I managed to remain sting-free.

Snow in the Lou

An unexpected snow hit us here in St. Louis on Saturday. It wasn't that the snow itself was unexpected - because it had been in the forecast - but it felt unexpected because it had been between 70 - 80 degrees earlier in the week. But, no biggie to me; as you all know, I love me some snow! And, it was gorgeous! Here are a few photos that I took from Saturday and Sunday. The top two are from Saturday, early afternoon, when the snow first started falling. They were taken at the park by Lola on North 14th Street where we went for brunch. Great, great food! The bottom three were taken today, Sunday, at the playground in Forest Park near the Missouri Historical Society. As you may have noticed, our 4 -6 inches of snow had melted considerably since it was about 40 degrees today.

Book Review: The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Bradley Udall

Okay. I am not a romantic. Never have been. Probably never will be. But I’m the first to admit that I’m otherwise easily moved. As in I can, and will, cry about most anything else that tugs at the old heartstrings. Ad nauseam. It’s a sickness really. Thank you inventor of waterproof mascara! That said, Bradley Udall’s The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint made me cry. As in I had to put this book aside occasionally because I was so saddened by it kind of crying. Edgar, his life, was so, so heartbreaking. Yet, he remained so innocent, so good, so hopeful, and so resilient. Ugh. It think that I’m about to cry right now. It’s just too much! If you’re a fan of John Irving or John Kennedy O’Toole, like I am, do yourself a favor and spend sometime with Edgar Mint. You won’t be disappointed.