The End of an Institution

There is a marvelous restaurant here in New York called Florent. It's a kind of funky French bistro living in an old diner. For years its been a home to all sorts of different people. But now it's closing. The rent is set to jump sky high and Florent has decided he must close.
Two friends of mine went for dinner there the other day, sad that it would probably be the last time. As they sat at the bar one said to the other "I bet there isn't a single person in here who voted for George Bush." A man sitting next to them at the bar raised his hand. He had voted for Bush and intended to vote for McCain though he thought McCain too old. He also said that he and his wife loved France, went every year until this year because the Euro was too expensive. My friends forebore from saying "and who's fault is that?". One of my friends expressed surprise that a Republican would come to a restaurant frequented by many people on the edges of mainstream society. The man said he didn't care what others might do privately. My friends attributed this largesse to the frequent visits to France. They ended up having a nice little talk in spite of their differences.. This is the power of truly good food.

Garden Gone

There used to be this cute little garden on a street a few blocks from me. It was tended by the tenants of the adjacent apartment building. Do you remember Lisa, it was on the corner of Seaman and Payson? Well, they tore it out and built a new building. It's not even a pretty building. It's just a big brick box. See?


No character. I bet the neighboring buildings are really pissed. Here they are, classy pre-war charmers and now they've got this dull new kid on the block mucking up the scenery. And it seems that people seem to agree. It's been complete for at least 2 months now and there don't seem to be any tenants. I remember many years ago a similar thing happened where I lived in Queens. Someone built 2 houses on this little strip of land that people took their dogs to. We called it Dog Island. The two houses were so close they were almost touching with no yards to speak of and they had no interesting features at all. Eventually people moved in but always wondered what it was like living there. Would it ever feel private, would it ever feel like home? This new building on Seaman is just the same, stuck on like an after thought. I'll never understand the need to fill every last little nook and cranny. There must be better ways to make money.

Sewing Class

I don't know about you, but I have been finding it harder and harder to shop for clothes. It seems like all the stores have the same trendy stuff and it's either sweatshop cheap or really overpriced. I have found a few independent stores (mostly in the East Village and on the Lower East Side) that have some cool stuff but those places tend to be out of my price range. Being a crafty type the solution seems obvious. I must learn to sew my own clothes. I'm not going to get crazy mind, I won't be sewing my own jeans or t-shirts, but skirts and dresses and little summer tops. These are the hardest to find. So I have made a start with a wrap-around skirt.

Of course the cats want to help.

It's difficult to sew without opposable thumbs

Mostly they provide moral support and occasional comic relief.

It took me most of the day since I made several mistakes and had to go back. But now that I've done it once the next one will go quicker.

I think it came out pretty well. Not too bad for my first piece of clothing.

I'm thinking I should make one in corduroy too.

Book Shelf

Hello again. I apologize for my recent absence. I simply have not wanted to turn on the computer unless it was absolutely necessary. I realize that for some, blogging is absolutely necessary, but not for me. At least not in the last three weeks.

Anyway, there hasn't been too much excitement around here but I did get a new bookshelf. I decided to splurge a little and then it turned out it was on sale! Kismet. Obviously I was meant to have this bookcase. Isn't it beautiful?
It's mahogany. I love the drawers, they can be opened from either side. I got it at From the Source. (I also got the duck there last summer.) They have all sorts of cool furniture and these fabulous coat trees - really, trees. I rearranged the apartment to accommodate my new arrival and it feels pretty good. More like a real home somehow. Before, the furniture was pressed up against the walls. It gave me lots of floor space but I think it felt a little dorm-like. Now, even though there is less floor space, it feels better. The next task is to get a nice flat long piece of wood to create a work table. Maple would be nice.

Tightening Up

Did you know that Barnes & Noble has a new return policy? I discovered it today when I attempted to return something with a gift receipt. The new policy is: 14 days and you must have a receipt, period. This includes gifts with gift receipts though apparently they may let those go for 30 days at the managers' discretion. I do understand only 14 days for money back and I understand no returns for items without a receipt but those with a gift receipt? What will they do at Christmas? Will they enforce it or will there be special rules for the season? I don't know about you, but that eliminates the only reason I have for shopping at the mega store. I liked buying gifts there because returns were so easy for the giftee. Now I would much rather go to an independent bookstore or buy from wishlists on Amazon. It seems that many stores have tightened their policies, presumably to curb costs, but it may backfire. Though I suppose that nothing will really stop the consumption machine in this country. I do hope that this results in more people going to the little stores instead.

Vanilla and many many more...

I went to the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden this past weekend. It was fabulous. If you live in New York you should go, quick, before it's over this weekend. And if you can go in the middle of the week when there's fewer people, all the better. I love plants and flowers in general and orchids are particularly amazing. There are about 24,000 species of orchid on the World Orchid Checklist (including the Vanilla Orchid) and about 800 names are added every year. Many of these are hybrids created by growers. If I was rich I would absolutely have an orchid greenhouse.I got this picture from the NYBG website since I didn't take any pictures at the show. I just wanted to look. But many people were taking pictures, with big cameras, with small digitals, with their phones. I think some people saw the whole show through the lens of their camera. I think that's a shame. I think they lost something in their zeal to capture the image. Better to really see them and smell them and then buy some post cards at the gift shop. You can also buy an orchid. Some species (like the moth orchid that you see for sale everywhere) are not too hard to care for. The folks in the shop can help you pick out the right one for you. I don't get enough light in my apartment which is probably a good thing as I would have walked out with several.

New Pretty Stuff

While I was browsing around the web recently I discovered a little company that makes underwear, artisanal underwear if you will. It's called The Candi Factory and is located in Canada. They cost more than I usually pay for underwear but I think it's worth it.
They've got great designs for both women and men. They are also very comfy. Go buy a pair or two. You know the cute underwear makes you feel good.

A Little Bit of Bribery

I know, it's been almost two weeks since I posted. Frankly, I haven't really had anything to say. Really. Yes, it's hard to believe. You may even want to note it down somewhere and wave it at me when I'm in full stream later.

Today I ran across an article in the Times that may be of interest to the Worst Mamas Ever. It seems the New York school system is not above bribery to get those crucial No Child Left Behind scores. Some schools have been paying out money to kids who do well on tests. Apparently this relieves the stigma of doing well in class and lifts high scores into the realm of cool. Though it is still not as cool to get an A as it is to be the star basketball player. (Someone should probably point out that Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are a lot richer than Michael Jordan.) The teachers get a bonus too since why should only the kids get their palms greased for good performance. It's not surprising that someone should have thought of it. After all, school funding is based on test scores, an arrangement that is not really any different. I did find myself wondering if this has caused the invention of even better methods of cheating. And it begs all the same questions as funding based on performance. What happens if the incentives are taken away? Do the scores go back to their abysmal level? It also doesn't seem to be an encouragement for kids to go to college. Though admittedly, pointing out that doing well in school can lead to a better paying job doesn't appear to work either. I suspect it will be years before we know how it all works out.

Wednesday

I've been feeling a bit lazy this week so in lieu of riveting prose I give you.... kitties.

Matched Set

Happiness is a Paper Bag

On a completely different note, while I was listening to the radio this morning the announcer began extolling the virtues of a concert performance and he used the phrase "leather-skinned timpani". But for a moment I thought he said leather-skinned Tiffany. Very different.

Today

I had intended to excuse my recent lack of blogging by telling you about the nasty and seemingly endless cold I've had. I was going to go on a bit about my insatiable need for sleep and the constant pressure in my head. Then I read Lisa's blog. Enough said.

So instead I'm going to write about St. Valentine. There doesn't seem to be one clear story about him. He might be one of 3 different people by that name. Most stories end with him being beheaded on February 14 for defying authority in one way or another. In one case he supposedly defied an Imperial edict that forbade marriage for young men (they needed them for the army)by continuing to perform said marriages. That may be how he ended up the patron saint of engaged couples. So how did we go from a beheading to roses, padded boxes filled with chocolate, and bankruptcy inducing jewelry? There's different theories about that too. One claims it was that favorite Christian pastime, convert the masses by converting the holiday. In mid-February Romans celebrated Lupercalia, a festival designed to remove evil spirits and promote health and fertility. You can imagine what they got up to in those sacred groves. So the Christians stuck a saint on the day and made it about engagement and marriage. As for who started all the cards and flowers, I blame the Victorians. After all, they were the ones that started the rituals that turned Christmas from a religious holiday into something more closely resembling a feeding frenzy. By the time Hallmark arrived on the scene there was no going back. I've never been fond of Valentine's Day. It seems designed to make people feel either left out or inadequate about their gift giving skills. I admit, I like getting flowers but I'd prefer them for no reason at all. Chocolate is a constant in my life and I really have no need for pricey jewelry. My sister once gave me a great Valentine's Day card that had a little basket-full of removable hearts. That's the good stuff. I might buy myself a present today, to show my care of myself. In fact, I vote we do our own converting and make Valentine's about honoring our own selves. The man died for his own principles. And as the Bard said, "Self-love is not so vile a sin as self-neglecting."

'Tis the Season

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, the day 24 states vote in the Primaries. Appropriately, is also Mardi Gras, aka Shrove Tuesday, aka Pancake Tuesday. This day was meant as the last hurrah before the season of Lent. It was also the day when you were supposed to go to confession and be shriven (i.e. receive absolution). All of this seems very much in line with the campaign trail. Get in your last licks against your opponents and beg the constituency for their blessing.

I am technically from a Christian family but we never practiced any faith. Occasionally we'd go to church on Xmas eve for the candlelight service (I liked the singing of carols) but that was about it. And yet, I've always liked the idea of Lent. Not in a self-mortifying, give-something-up-to-do-penance kind of way but in a self-examining kind of way. So this year I'm giving up pessimism for Lent. That's right, I'm going to eschew negative thinking for 40 days. Any dark, pessimistic thoughts will be summarily dismissed. I suspect this will be harder even than giving up chocolate.

'Tis the Season

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, the day we here in the Northeast vote in the Primaries. Appropriately, is also Mardi Gras, aka Shrove Tuesday, aka Pancake Tuesday. This day was meant as the last hurrah before the season of Lent. It was also the day when you were supposed to go to confession and be shriven (i.e. receive absolution). All of this seems very much in line with the campaign trail. Get in your last licks against your opponents and beg the constituency for their blessing.

I am technically from a Christian family but we never practiced any faith. Occasionally we'd go to church on Xmas eve for the candlelight service (I liked the singing of carols) but that was about it. And yet, I've always liked the idea of Lent. Not in a self-mortifying, give-something-up-to-do-penance kind of way but in a self-examining kind of way. So this year I'm giving up pessimism for Lent. That's right, I'm going to eschew negative thinking for 40 days. Any dark, pessimistic thoughts will be summarily dismissed. I suspect this will be harder even than giving up chocolate.

I Forgot...

I didn't tell you about the dress form. For several years I had a dress form in my entryway. It always startled first time visitors. But then the form's owner came back from California and I had to give it back. I thought about replacing her (I'd begun to think of it as her) but professional dress forms are expensive. I couldn't really justify it since I am not a professional dressmaker and she would be purely for display. I briefly considered getting a suit of armor for the spot but those are even more expensive and harder to come by.

Then recently I began to do a little sewing. Nothing fancy, but it did revive my interest in a form. I searched the web for quite some time and I found Rox Studio. They're here, in New York, in Jamaica Queens, and they sell forms for much less than most places. They also have display forms and those are really reasonable. So that's what I got. Technically, it's a coat form. The measurements are a little off - her shoulders are too narrow and she has no butt at all- but as Karen commented, she's toile! And she was only $70 with her stand. (I'm thinking of buying a second form that has better measurements. It uses the same stand so I can swap them if I am actually sewing.) For display she's just perfect, ready to startle anyone who comes through the door. I might have to make her a red dress.

New Stuff

It's been ten days since I last posted. I didn't mean to abandon you for so long but my work has been a little crazy the last couple of weeks. I certainly wasn't going to blog about work but there was nothing else in my head. But it's almost over. I hope.

Anyway. I did do something fun on Saturday. I went to see a movie at MoMA and then I went to Macy's and bought two coats. Yes two. They were on sale.

(Forgive the quality of the pictures, I was a little distracted.)

The first is for the winter. It's down filled and warm with a nice hood and plenty of pockets. You'd like it Lisa. It's brown. I normally don't go for stuffed coats but this one is quite nice.


The second is for spring and then fall. It's wool but the fit is very slim and I can't wear a sweater under it. But it's a really cool green color with a fun lining. It called to me from across the floor. So I bought it. Did I mention it was on sale? Via Spiga on sale. What more can one ask for?

A Bit of the Past

When I was little I would go to Yugoslavia every summer to visit my grandmother. One of my favorite things about these visits were the linen sheets I got to sleep on. Have you ever slept on linen sheets? No? I advise you to go out and get some for yourself. There's nothing better for summer nights. Cool and crisp, light as air, they feel wonderful on a warm night. My grandmother's sheets were part of her trousseau, her initials embroidered on the corners. I've always lamented the loss of those sheets, her aprons, and handkerchiefs (not to mention her cookbook). I was here in the States when she passed away and others were in charge of wrapping up her life. I never returned to Belgrade after that so they were lost. I regret that and can only do my best to care for my own things as well as she did for hers.

This weekend I stopped in at a little junk shop here in the neighborhood. There's always something interesting to look at. China, vintage clothes, old photographs, books, and costume jewelry. This time there was a drawer full of white linen sheets. The real thing, they even have initials embroidered on them (E.S.). I immediately bought a set. They're not easy to have, they need to be ironed to be presentable but it is so worth it. I washed them this morning and ironed them with some lavender water. I can't wait for summer.

Nick likes the linen sheets too.

Miasma

It's only Thursday. It had already been a long week on Tuesday. There's something going around, some kind of nasty malaise. The symptoms (in varying combinations) are extreme fatigue, sore throat, headache, dizziness and the conviction that standing up and walking around would be really ill-advised. Several people at my job have it (as apparently does Lars) and it sent those of us still standing on a quest to find substitutes. A Herculean task. It's also put me way behind on my normal work and left me cranky and out of sorts. And yet there are things for which to be grateful. Most importantly, I haven't gotten whatever it is. I refuse. It is simply right out. And we did succeed in finding all the subs we needed so no classes had to be canceled and the understudies did an excellent job.

In order to counter the miasma I bought myself a book. It's called "Roast Chicken and Other Stories" by Simon Hopkinson. This is not a book for the abstemious. And it should not be read on an empty stomach. It is part recipe book and part essay. The description of a meal at a Welsh restaurant called The Walnut Tree is enough to bring a tear to the eye and cause immediate salivation. I fully intend to use it this weekend. I will report back.

Wants

As has been noted elsewhere, it's the time of year for resolutions. Normally I don't make any, but this year I have. I don't know about you, but I've always had trouble expressing my wants, even to myself. I'm not talking about the little stuff. I can easily say "I want a second slice of cake" or "I want a new pair of shoes". I'm talking about the bigger stuff. Those wants that come up in the middle of a sleepless night. The ones that are not logical, that seem strange, or force us to look at things we'd rather leave lying deep in the bottom of the closet. I grew up in a slightly WASP-y, Protestant Work Ethic kind of household but I think that my reluctance to name these wants was born in me. The environment didn't help of course. Not that I was discouraged from dreaming or wanting but I wasn't encouraged either. Mostly I was left to my own devices. I can understand that. I'm a solitary, self-contained sort of person. I'm sure I didn't invite interference of any kind. I still don't. But now I know it. My resolution is to start naming my wants. And I'm going to start right here, right now.

I want to have a real connection to another person.
I want to not worry so much.
I want to be more open with my friends.
I want to laugh more.
I want to live with a feeling of abundance rather than scarcity.
I want to be healthy and strong.
I want to trust myself.
I want to be excited by the coming day when I wake in the morning.
I want to see possibilities rather than obstacles.
I want to love and be loved and really feel it, like a fire.
I want to know that some bit of the world is a better place for my having been here.
I want to have work that I love to do.
I want to not be concerned with what other people think of me.
I want to be unafraid of confrontation.
I want to be willing to relinquish control.
I want to cry less often.
I want to feel joy.
I want to have faith.

Religion was not part of my growing up. We went to the occasional Christmas service but there was no ritual in my life past the daily chores. I was never taught to pray and I think that maybe I missed out. Prayer is asking for something. It doesn't have to be to a God, you may be asking it of the universe or of yourself. But you are asking, giving voice to desire. And saying something aloud does make it more real. Everything said and done under the living sky is remembered.

Memory Lane in Living Color

This year we all got a very special gift. My aunt scanned the family photos and put them on a DVD. Hold on, don't panic. I'm not going to share them all with you. But there are just a few that I thought you might find amusing.Here's me at age 8 with our dog Xanadu. No, she was not named after the movie but after the land in the Coleridge poem Kubla Khan. She's about 2 years old here and she already has a litter of puppies behind her.
And here I am at 10 with a friend. Shades of attitude to come.

Now, some of you out there have heard the story of The Suit. We made a suit for my cousin M for Christmas. He was very particular about his clothes and we never felt that we could get it right so we went all the way in the other direction. We made a suit out of the horrible 1970's curtains that we had. These things were serious, made out of fabric you could use for a bomb shelter . We turned them into a 3 piece suit complete with puke green lining on the vest, big orange buttons and tie. He was certainly surprised. (Yes, I did erase his face. He'd would not like it all over the internet in this outfit.)


Fabulous isn't it? Later my brother in law took to wearing it when he lectured on the 60's.

Finishing Off The Holiday

It's been quite some time since I posted. I got a little distracted. If I've spoken to you since Christmas I've probably gone on at some length about the horror that was the holiday baking. I will not go into it any further. Suffice it to say that I'm taking a little baking break.
But I did want to post the last of the pictures. They came out pretty well.

You may remember I mentioned making Meringue Mushrooms. I'm not a meringue fan but they are pretty darn cute.

Here they are, piped onto a sheet. Stems and tops. Once they are baked the pointy bits on the stems get trimmed off so they can get glued to the tops with melted chocolate.

In order to make them look more mushroomy I dusted them with cocoa.

And here they are, all put together. They're like fairytale mushrooms. Can't you just see the gnomes and pixies hiding amongst them?


Last, but not least, we have this little guy. He was Lindsay's present. That girl has a thing for knits. He's very soft and yet completely washable.

Sunshine in a Jar

Lemon curd. Sweet yet tart, creamy and delicious. And so easy to make you'll be wondering why you haven't been doing it for years. Ready?

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
Juice of 4 lemons (about 6 oz)
Zest of 4 lemons
9 Tbs butter

This yields about 3 cups.

Beat the eggs and sugar until well blended. Add the juice, zest, and butter and cook over simmering water-stirring constantly-until the mixture thickens. Immediately pour it through a strainer then ladle into warm jars and seal. You should allow the jars to cool to room temperature before putting them in the refrigerator. You can also just put it all in one big container. It will keep for about 3 weeks in the refrigerator. If you can get it to last that long.