Wednesday's Word: Nectar

Main Entry: nec·tar
Pronunciation: \ˈnek-tər\
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, from Greek nektar
Date: 1555

1 a: the drink of the Greek and Roman gods b: something delicious to drink c: a beverage of fruit juice and pulp 2: a sweet liquid that is secreted by the nectaries of a plant and is the chief raw material of honey
— nec·tar·ous

"nectar." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2008.
Merriam-Webster Online. 31 December 2008



Last night when my husband was finished making me my current favorite nightcap, a cosmopolitan, he held it up to the light above the bar to gaze at its ruby pink, to check for it's characteristic crystals floating elegantly on the top; he referred to it as the nectar of the gods. That led us into a 10 minute diatribe on the word nectar...we even had to look it up in the dictionary to find its true meaning and origin. I knew, of course, that it would immediately have to be added to my word wall and would, additionally, be the most obvious choice for a word focus.

Nectar. Today is New Year's Eve. We have reservations at our favorite Italian restaurant, Bella Italia. We love them for their food, their service, their wine, their ambiance. Each year, they change minimally, as do we. That's probably why we love them. They are constant, but little nuances make it different each time - specials, desserts, waiters and waitresses.

And we will indeed be sampling the true nectar of the gods: wine. We often try their featured wines, just to experience something new. But, if nothing strikes our pallet's fancy, we will probably fall back on a tried and true standard...something like Zinfandel Seghesio, Waterbrook Melange, or Camaraderie Cellars Cabernet Franc. Something big, juicy, and decadent but not overly expensive.

And then we will very carefully find our footing between snow and ice patches to Wine on the Waterfront where some of our favorite Bella employees have found a new home doing more of the wonderful same: serving that sweet and sultry beverage to locals and Canadian tourists en route to and from the Victoria Express.

Tonight...a bit of the old and a bit of the new...a perfect compliment to a life in progress, a journey of immersion.

It is a night for red nail polish, a new skirt, patent leather heels, brand new nylons, and just one too many glasses of champagne.

Happy New Year!