The Beekeeper

We had company for dinner last evening, an old high school friend I have not really seen in 30 years, safe a moment here and there over the years. We reconnected via Facebook, which is an entirely different story. I learned that Kathy was a beekeeper while reading her blog. It was as though I was swooned by the bees and the journey. I am crazy about honey and simply captivated by the creation of the nectar. I was riveted that Kathy was actually a real live beekeeper. I wish I had the confidence and resources to take up beekeeping. Our friend Maggie was a beekeeper as well, but somehow I got enthralled in Kathy's bees through her very poignant writing and story telling. 

I began to plan our dinner weeks ago and thought it would be oh so fun to serve cheese and honey, maybe even some honeycomb. I had purchased some honey in Budapest that I knew would be interesting to serve.  But suddenly Kathy's bee's were in peril and I fretted endlessly about the possibility that they had all perished. A cheese owner convinced me to get some honeycomb but the closer the evening came, not knowing about the fate of the bees I worried that serving honeycomb and honey would be all too sad, especially if the bees were dead. Tina laughed at me as I weighed my options. I supposed it was silly to worry so much. I can't help myself, I am wired that way. I went ahead with cheese and honey and kept the honeycomb in the cupboard which in the end turned out perfectly.

The bees, well for the moment they are surviving, maybe not thriving, I am not exactly sure but they haven't all perished. Kathy gave me a jar of her Minnesota State Fair, 2006 Blue Ribbon Honey. She calls it Lake Isle of Innisfree Apiaries (which I believe comes from the famous poet William Yeats). Of course I opened it right then to serve with the cheese. Oh my gosh, it was so wonderful, better than any of the other honey I was serving. I had more of it this morning and I am simply thrilled an honored to have received such of thoughtful gift. I know there are a limited number of jars and quite frankly I am overwhelmed to have received one of 7 jars left from the harvest. Pure joy!

As for the evening, I can't even begin to describe how enjoyable it was to reconnect with Kathy and meet her partner Carolyn. Tina especially enjoyed the evening, telling me, "They are a lot like me, smart and a little nerdy, I liked them both so much".  I worried that the evening might be awkward, after all it had been 30 years, or that Kathy and I might take to remembering too much about high school, leaving Tina and Carolyn out. There was a little bit of remembering but for the most part we talked about who we are now. Although I must admit, Kathy relayed the sweetest, most endearing memory of me that nearly made me cry. We had one of the most relaxing and enjoyable evenings ever.