“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.” That quote is from French journalist, novelist and critic Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, who lived from 1808 to 1890. He’s right of course, being thankful for the good attributes of flowers is important even though some also have some problematic […]

Sometimes a column deserves a follow-up, especially when I did not deliver it well the first time. Although I usually try to write about politics without emotion, sometimes personal frustration and misunderstanding creeps in. Last week was one of those times, and responses to my column prove that I did not make the point I […]

Is it not enjoyable to take advantage of another culture’s holiday to explore new recipes and treat yourself to something delicious? It is. And is St. Patrick’s Day not right around the corner? As the Irish might say, ’tis. Moist, biscuit-y Irish scones, lashed with rich butter and a few slices of smoked salmon top […]

BOSTON On a chilly winter morning here, two furnaces inside the Massachusetts College of Art and Design burn at upward of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat is palpable as you enter the room, but it doesn’t seem to bother a group of students working nearby. They’re here learning the ancient art of glassblowing, a technique […]

When I was in first grade, we learned a song about pussywillows that still rings in my head when I walk past the fire pond in Cornish Flat. Or it did recently when I saw pussywillows starting to pop open in a marshy area. Spring is here. Pussywillows are actually the flowers of a wild […]

As part of the red-hot globalism trend, “tribal style” — exotic, eclectic and influenced by travel — has spread from fashion to home decor. There’s a caravan of interesting furniture and accessories that work in any space, from the sleek and contemporary to the simple and functional. “It’s a look that’s meant to reflect the […]

On Wednesday, March 8, also known as International Women’s Day, the same people who brought us the Women’s March on Washington in January plan to give the world a “Day Without a Woman.” In theory, you should see no women at work. They won’t be in the cubicle beside you or in the office next […]

I have a recipe for a potato gratin in my last cookbook, “Dinner Solved!”, that I firmly stand by. Here is another that I firmly stand by. And I plan to come up with more such recipes to firmly stand by because I am committed to reminding all of us why gratins are one of […]

DENVER It was Miaofan Chen’s first trip away from her native China. At lunch with us in Denver, she looked so bemused that I had to ask: “Is this the first time you’ve had a hamburger?” “No,” said the 15-year-old. “It’s the first time I’ve had such a BIG hamburger.” That encounter with supersized American […]

Although I’ve never read a scientific paper on the value of hedges for garden plants, my personal theory is that they are beneficial, particularly in winter. They break the cold winter winds that damage flower buds on trees and shrubs in cold times and can help keep soil from drying out from hot, dry winds […]