Saturday, November 29, 2008

grey saturday

I'm sitting here at the store today. It's very quiet. I'm reading various bad news on line, and I suddenly feel thankful that Nea won't ever understand or have to worry about the economy. She looks like Batman.

An article in the Times Week in Review section today compares the scene at the Wallmart in Long Island (where a worker was trampled to death on Black Friday) to Guernica. It goes on:

"For decades, Americans have been effectively programmed to shop. China, Japan and other foreign powers have provided the wherewithal to purchase their goods by buying staggering quantities of American debt. Financial institutions have scattered credit card offers as if they were takeout menus and turned our houses into A.T.M.’s. Hollywood and Madison Avenue have excelled at persuading us that the holiday season is a time to spend lavishly or risk being found insufficiently appreciative of our loved ones.

After 9/11, President Bush dispatched Americans to the malls as a patriotic act. When the economy faltered early this year, the government gave out tax rebate checks and told people to spend. In a sense, those Chinese-made flat-screen televisions sitting inside Wal-Mart have become American comfort food.
"

Our neighbor's car window was smashed in this morning. Someone did this in order pop the hood and steal her car battery (worth about $50). She relayed this information to me and then said ominously: "It's starting..."
___

My mood soured and I sat down to write something here to clear my thoughts...just now a well-dressed, middle aged woman stepped into the shop and said politely "What's your strongest candle...one that would fragrance a whole room and cover the smell of pot?"

That would be the Cedarmoss. And my spirits are lifted.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving





Flowers from today...

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

for those of you holding your breath...


HAIRCUT: I said "bob" she said Dorothy Hamill? I said Edith Piaf, she said "Amelie?" TADA.

Sunday, November 23, 2008


back in the days of international travel i found myself in Paris with a bottle of Cahors. "you don't pronounce the H!" my host said of the french wine. this is what i would call a ca-orz moment.

oh, and I bust the windows out your car. another orz.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

for A & S


You guys said you'd visit in November. No food for you.




GIFTS: I have no advice here except get some colored pencils from New York Central, tie em up with ribbon from M&J. Everyone likes colored pencils. Don't you? You might be an artist.

Also, scissors. Everyone always needs scissors. I saw some nice ones at Fishes Eddy. Real heaft, sharp blades. Gold handles. Real nice.

And one last thing...riding in a car today staring up at the sky I was marveling at how vast our universe is...and that through a complicated process of water and minerals and other stuff we came to be humans who developed a language that contains the phrase d$*&#che bag. I'm not sure why, but this phrase has crossed my lips quite a bit lately and I'm not sure how i feel about it. [You can relax because my mother is in Panama and won't be reading this.] Eric says I must be watching too much Entourage. HA! Please. We all know I watch one show, and one show only.

As my friend Sara said, it's simply a very useful term. Care to discuss? No?

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

I have been waiting for time warner cable since 10am this morning. it is now 1:50. I called. The woman said they tried to get in at 10:01. I said, "Well they lied." She said they said the door was locked. I said "No it wasn't. But perhaps the prospect of an egg and cheese on a roll sounded better than installing my cable at 10am." She said "Ma'am I can put in another request for hook-up." I said, "I have been sitting in my apartment all day eating brownies and listening to Gary Numan. I now feel sick to my stomach. I don't want another technician, I want free cable. And free internet. And I want all the episodes of Gossip Girl on DVD. So I can watch them in color."

She said, "Did you see the length of Serena's skirt last night???"

Even in b&w on a 6" monitor it was scandalous!!!!

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/11/gossip_girl_is_where_we_belong.html

xoxo

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Sunday edition. 8:51 AM. 50 Degrees. 25 MPH winds from the northwest. High tide. Nea misbehaves on walk. We march home. Make coffee. Consider yesterday's events in which:

- The devil set up camp in my head (specifically above my left eye) resulting in a 24 hour headache that made me feel as if I was levitating.

- I spent far too much time contemplating my upcoming 10 year High School reunion. It is at a club. In midtown. What do people wear in midtown??

- I made Mexican chicken soup and black rice for dinner. Which warrants a look at this:


Friday, November 14, 2008



I made this bouquet for Star and Chris last weekend. Their wedding was at Bear Mountain. Its mighty pretty up there this time of year, even in the rain. I'm listening to Bach lately because that's what Barack Obama listens to. I especially like Cantata #144. I'm just going to say it; I pretty much want to be adopted by the Obama's.

Thursday, November 13, 2008


Here are 2 very different deliveries from this week...
Yuli and Keith got hitched up at Beaver Del in September. The girl has style. We did some flowers for the wedding...the photographer, Robert Sukrachand is a gem...his photos are fantastic. Please click this link to his blog to see details of how beautiful and charming this wedding was...


did you click the link? aren't those paper cranes beautiful? and the little boy with the popcorn? and the black and white shot of them walking by the water???
I KNOW.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

bore-town


P of WPM fame tagged up my sh$@ and so here are 7 unbeknownst tidbits about me via the Seven Random Things meme or whatevs. I secretly love doing this>>>>>>>>>>

1. I've been on a Tori Amos binge for about 6 days, though I believe it is sadly coming to an end this morning. Last week on a solo trip upstate I grabbed Little Earthquakes for the car ride. On my third time through the album I was singing out loud, and had convinced myself to set up a small recording studio in my apartment and take the act on the road.

2. I suffer from some type of hypochondria, although I rarely get sick. For example, right now my throat may be constricting due to an allergic reaction to an advil I took 30 minutes ago. At any random point during the day I'll ask Eric something like: "Do you ever get a shooting pain that last a few seconds behind your right eye?"

3. I can't take naps. Just not a napper.

4. Number four was a statement about cigarettes and drugs, but Eric said to edit it out. So instead I'll tell you that I really like ice cream (yawn) and especially ice cream with candy on it like those reeses pieces sundaes at Friendlys. NEXT!

5. Periodically throughout the day, and usually on the bus, I do these little smile exercises. Because I'm a frowner, and I got to start turning my frown upside down, you heard!?

6. Neptune is approaching my natal moon in Aquarius. This is, like, really a big deal.

7. I'm pretty sure I'm a socialist...can you say that on the internet?
___

I tag: Annoymous at 17 Beats, Alice at Bluebird Meadows, Ashley at Small Measure, Jackie at On Secondhand, Mom at French Pickles HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008




One of these things is not like the other, but I'm so tired and fried right now i can't tell which. Have you ever seen the movie Zardoz?????????????? W.T.F.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

touché

Mom;
It's funny that you're so upset about my recent admission...especially considering Saturday's series of events in which you:

1. Talked up this three-berry pie that you made


2. Made me go to church flea market to get it where I, unsuspectingly, found my childhood Sculpey bead making kit strewn admist other worthless junk

fish tales and how i came to admit commiting light treason


I took Nea for a late post-election stroll down to the waterfront on Tuesday night. feeling unusually generous, I let her walk off leash down the length of the pier while I admired the statue of liberty in my rush of new-found patriotism. then I looked up to see my dog rolling in a dead fish carcass. to say the dog rolled in the fish is not really accurate. this was more of a choreographed endeavor; in which she flipped backwards onto to the fish, shimmied around on it in a frenzied trance, and then repeated the cycle several times before I could stop her.

To say your dog rolling in dead fish is a buzz kill is an understatement. Fortunately Nea responds to the command "I'm not f@#*ing around here!" and we marched home straight to the bath. Friends, (and please know this is hard for me to say)...I used Doctor Bronner's on my dog. Despite the fact that we make and tout a fantastic dog soap. Guilty as charged, I use the Doctor every day. On my hair. For my delicate laundry. In my insecticidal spray. In my pancake batter.

I came out from the bathroom when it was over and done with to find Eric puzzling over a fish tale neatly deposited by the door.

sitting down to write something here all i can think about is a cinnamon roll. i need to have one right now.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

slightly hungover with no desire to go to work today I say to eric:
Can we have egg and cheese on toast this morning?
he replies with all conviction: YES WE CAN

And it is a new day.

Monday, November 3, 2008

it usually ends in death.

Nea and I are hiding out at the shop on our usual day off. Eric decided to fertilize all our plants in the apartment. With eggshell water. From a Looza juice jar that has been quietly lurking under our sink for over one year. Do you know what year old eggshell water smells like? Oh, you don't? Let me explain:

Imagine you are at a flea market in 101 degree heat when you saunter up to a row of porto-potties that have not been cleaned for 5 days. Unaware of this fact, you open the door to one and die.

Sunday, November 2, 2008


Consider the romanesco, for a moment, as I am in this snapshot. Neither a broccoli or a cauliflower. It sort of walks the line between repulsive and sexy. The Serge Gainsborg of coniferous vegetables, if you will.

We, or I actually - cooked it up and pureed in with cream and parmesean last night a la Martha's advice. It twas...merely OK. I'm thinking about moving upstate to open a restaurant lately...fantasizing is more like it...and this winter I will be honing my cooking skilllz in order to prepare.

Answers to questions:
1. The chutney recipe is straight out of Joy of Cooking.
2. The oak leaves are not treated, I just got very, very lucky...these are lasting well over 4 days. This was the arrangement they went into: