Happy Chicken Egg Farm!

These photos (from California, when I was there on holiday) are long-in-coming, but I thought I should share them with you eventually... Recently, a friend of the family from my homeschool days began raising chickens in her backyard for eggs, and my family has become a very happy customer of hers. The eggs that we receive from Pam Franklin's fat Rhode Island Reds are petite, mauve-coloured little gems of rich, eggy goodness (best enjoyed soft-boiled, and on toast, of course! We all know the passion I possess for soft-cooking...)

I apologize that these photos aren't the best, but I think they do what I want them to:



(These eggs were still warm! I may or may not have swiped them from underneath one of the "girls." My mum was kind enough to hold them while I took pictures...)

Dust

I woke up this morning to the most beautiful, peaceful snowfall I've ever seen.







(P.S. these are the adorable boots M. Benjamin gave me for our anniversary...)
There's something so centering and peace-making about a walk in the snow, as one of my favourite bloggers, Margie Oomen, is perfectly aware. Hopefully all of my readers back home in California will be able to experience this great peace second hand through these photographs...

I'm off to a conference with my professor and don, but expect a new piece on my poetry blog later on today, if all works out according to plan...

A Hectic Week-End

As I sit now at my cozy little desk with my tea and a notebook, and the lovely Amiina playing delicate snow-music despite the sunshine, I cannot say that I could be more grateful for a quiet afternoon after such a hectic Manhattan week-end. I shall not go into great detail of each of my days, but I can say that I accomplished several "firsts" in New York this last week.

i. I went to my first East-Coast antiques show! Antiquing is an entirely different affair over here--the market trends are far different, the average age of the objets d'art is far older. There seems to be a much bigger market for folk art, curiosities, portraits (especially miniatures and silhouettes) and Americana over here. Also, the booths at the show were set up differently--much sparser and more decorative, as opposed to the full-to-bursting booths you see in San Francisco. No particular luck with finds, although we stumbled upon a fantastic dealer in art nouveau and arts and crafts glass and pottery that offered incredibly reasonable prices for works of greater quality than I've ever seen outside of Antiques Roadshow.

ii. Attended my first gallery-party thing in Tribeca, in a space that was part living arrangemet, part dance floor, and lots of splattered paint. The guy who owns it is apparently going to turn it into a gallery... we'll see, I suppose.

iii. My first-ever rock-opera puppet show, complete with puppet sex! Live band and puppets with ska-influenced music and silly drunken-puppet singing. Definitely a lot of fun... although I don't know quite what else to make of it!

Also, I want to record the delicious places I ate for future reference:

i. Stumptown Coffee and the adjoining Breslin Bar, where my sweetheart and I enjoyed some phenomenal espresso, a leek-and-goat-cheese tart, and an escarole salad with fresh pears and a light Gorgonzola dressing (great food, and a fun venue--both are attached to the lobby of the Ace Hotel in Midtown, with a funky '30's-modern space for eating, lounging, and free wi-fi)

ii. Cosmic Cantina--a cheap, vegetarian, organic burrito joint with four varieties of homemade organic tortillas (flour, whole-wheat flour, corn, and spelt) and kick-ass guacamole.

iii. Les Halles Brasserie, owned by Anthony Bourdain, a French brewery with good food, lovely help, a neat space. Moderately priced, with twenty-dollar steaks of every sort and a good "Paris-cafe" spread. The crème brulée was to die for...

Anyhow, that's my weekend in a nutshell. I may be taking a little day-trip in a few days to Montauk, if we get a snowstorm... M. Benjamin and I are dead-set on seeing a snowy beach! Meet you in Montauk, everyone....

Oh, the Grand Romance!

Last night, Jamie and I went out to see the newly-released-in-the-US The Young Victoria, which was quite the cinematic feast for the eyes:
Although it was neither historically accurate nor a perfectly packaged film, I wanted to see it because:

1) I love the Victoria-Albert romance, in any way, shape, form...
2) Pretty dresses! Need I say more?
3) Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend--as pretty a couple as their characters.
4) Sweeping views of England... *sigh*

For my purposes, the film was quite enjoyable, despite it's ineffective plot arc and awkward ending. The acting (especially on Blunt's part) was fantastic, and the romance was realistic and lovely, and the art direction, including costumes, sets, cinematography, etc., was fantastic. And I can't lie--it felt pretty epic to walk back to campus in a pseudo-Edwardian outfit of a jumper, several petticoats, thick cotton holdup stockings, heeled boots, and muff. It's good to feel a little vintage once in a while. :)

Tomorrow, I go to New York to meet M. Benjamin at the Met for a little walk in the park, an antiques show at the Armory, used book shopping, and dinner. Wish me luck finding the epic poems I will need for this semester....

As I Make Yet Another Cup of Tea...

Well, here I am back on the East Coast, enjoying my first real morning in my cozy little room in Bronxville. It is both lovely and strange to have returned to New York--strange mostly because it was colder in California when I left than it is in the East, which has disappointed me entirely (Who comes to New York in January and finds it warmer than their central-California home? Honestly, Jack Frost, where are your priorities?), and lovely because, the more time I spend here, the more I love the quiet quaintness of Eastern forests and peaceful independence of my own routine.

Tuesday, the day I arrived at JFK, was my and my Sweetheart's two-year anniversary, so we enjoyed our (final) long-distance reunion at Grand Central station, and a lovely dinner together. Two years after we met fatefully in Anaheim, we've finally been able to give up this wretched long-distance business to settle down within a half-hour of each other. He's already finding his experience at the School of Visual Arts to be both pleasurable and beneficial, and is enjoying Manhattan. It's so incredible to know that, from where I sit in Bronxville, I could enjoy his company with a mere train ride into the city...

On top of being so near my gentleman friend, it is ice to slip into my oh-so-beloved morning routine here. I awaken (or, more am awoken by roommate), open the blinds and the windows that look out on Mead Way, where the squirrels nest in the tall conifers, make tea (currently, Ahmad English Tea No. 1 with a little sugar and heavy cream), scoop some Greek yoghurt for breakfast and doll it up with honey, wheat germ, and whole flax seeds, check all my favourite blogs, call my mum, pour a bath and soak while reading Dorian Gray, dress in all the necessary layers to brave New York winters in a skirt, enjoy another cup of tea, and then off to class (or, lunch). I love to watch the squirrels and the nuthatches scrabbling around the tree trunks from my lovely perch on the wide windowsill. I love the quiet murmuring of the water about to boil in my mug.

Before I wax too terribly romantic about life here in the East, I shall depart to shop for a microwave egg boiler (such blasphemy, yes, but I make do with what I have!) and learn how to make toast on my radiator... And for those of you who love toast as much as I do, you should pop over to The Art of Toast to read all about the warm, crispy goodness!

A Post-Holiday Bagel

I apologize for my absence from the blogosphere this holiday season, but I admit that being home keeps me busier than I'd bargained for. Last night, I returned from Quincy via the Sacramento airport to give M. Benjamin his big send-off to Manhattan. Today he begins his move into his room on Lexington Avenue, in a building managed by SVA, where he will be living for the rest of the semester. Oh, how immensely excited I am to be living a mere half-hour away from him! After living--at the shortest distance--four hours apart for nearly two years, it is a welcome relief to know that we can just eat dinner together. Not to mention that I am thrilled for him to begin his études at art school. He's been waiting for this for a long time, and it's been such a wonderful journey to attend with him.

Christmas here in the central valley fluctuated nearly daily between sleepy and hectic--a quiet Christmas day, followed by a successfully high-energy Yule party (an annual tradition amongst my friends here in California, with potluck-style baked goods, much dancing to pop music we would otherwise not be caught dead listening to, and a bonfire in the backyard), and then a trip north for a happy little dinner-and-wine walkabout in Meadow Valley to ring in the new year.

Today, with my Peach busily unpacking his bags on the other coast, I shall begin the task of making mittens for him and myself out of a giant thrifted men's sweater which shall look eons better as mittens than as a sweater. It's a great modified-stripes pattern in light grey, cerulean blue, mossy green, plum, and dark brownish-orange. Perhaps my first tutorial if they come out alright?

Also, I am reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, a favourite of Jamie's after she read it for a Lit class this semester. We've assessed that Dorian Gray : Jamie as Lolita : me (can't believe I just pulled that middle-school analogy format out of my head). These are two of our favourite books, respectively with characters we feel ultimately drawn to despite their obvious, unforgivable character flaws. I recommend them both if you want some intense poetic tragedy. Not to mention the clothing descriptions in both will simply knock your socks off. Lolita may be the source of my passions for petticoats, hair ribbons, and red lipstick (not to mention saddle oxfords...).

Well, much to do today, but many wishes to all for a fond recovery from the holidays. :) Pictures of Christmas goodies later on if the light gets better later on today, perhaps.

Home Sweet Home

For my first big cooked meal home, my Mum and I made a huge pot of our favourite vegetarian minestrone soup. This is a staple wintertime recipe in our household, and we alter it continually depending on what's in season and whether or not we want meat. Neither of us can remember where we found the basic recipe, but perhaps it was the newspaper? Anyhow, here are some shots of the lovely heap of produce we put into this pot:

This is why, despite what I say, I love California. Look at these bee-YOO-tee-ful veggies!Clockwise from top left: zucchini, mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, curly kale, string beans, celery, and spinach.
Even our compost pile is pretty!

The pot filling up with spinach...


Here's our recipe (for this pot--sometimes we add ground hamburger or different veggies)

Minestrone Soup

Chop and add to pot the following:
1 cup onions
1 cup celery
2 cups carrots
2 cups cabbage
1 cup kale
1 cup spinach
1 cup zucchini
1 cup mushrooms
5 cloves garlic
1 cup green beans
Add:
1 28-oz can tomatoes
1 49 1/2-oz can vegetable broth
1 15-oz can white beans
4 cups water
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
s&p to taste
Simmer 2-3 hours and serve with a dash of grated Parmesan cheese (or not, if you're vegan!)
And, due to our late start at getting this pot on the stove, we staved off our hunger with a little appetizer of kalamata olive bread and smoked Gouda from our local farmer's market, and a beautiful Cameo apple:

At JFK--Again.

I am at JFK airport, waiting in the terminal for my flight back home to California to board. If there is one thing in particular that I am rather thankful for right now, it is free WiFi in the jetBlue terminal. Makes my life soooo much happier before a long flight.

I had the lovely fortune today to share a train ride from Bronxville to Grand Central Station with my biggest friend-crush (don't you just love that phrase, "friend-crush"? It's so accurate at a place like Sarah Lawrence where you see all these neat people you wish were your friends) on campus, Emma. We had a wonderful conversation about crafting and cold weather, and played a bout of cat's cradle with the twine wound round my wrist, which delighted me to no end. I though Kevyn and I were the only two people our age who still know how to play cat's cradle! Not the case, to my happy surprise. Anyhow, Emma, if you're out there in the blogosphere, thank you for your company--it was a pleasure.

Still have near an hour before my flight boards, so I'll go dig into my dinner of cranberry Stilton with wheat crackers, radishes and snap peas, and pumpkin seeds. I'm so happy that my cute little reusable snack bags came out so well. The little sailboat print is darling, I think, and they've held up well to washings. Not to mention they're so much more sustainable than Ziploc baggies. Remind me to post pictures sometime...

Happy Christmas, New York!

Two days from now, I leave New York for 2009. With conference work over with, all my papers and projects turned in, library books returned, and (most of) my household chores finished before I leave, I am just about jumping out of my skin ready to get home for a month of zero obligation. Jamie and I celebrated our holiday together with a "romantic" night out in the city. Here are some photographs of the lovely lights that we saw last night:

Some big fat lights near Rockefeller Square

The Bryant Park Tree... which I may like even more than the Rockefeller one.

The tree at Rockefeller (came from my home Sierras)

Radio City Music Hall...

Saks lights and a bus--

Creepy Saks window display--don't know what they were going for in this ridiculously sparkly animated snowflake tripped-out star thing. WTF mate.

Pretty fresh cuttings on a storefront near St. Patrick's--I love the smell of holiday season. :)

Voted "Best Roof in New York City, 2009" by Jamie. See, she can be mindful--about...roofs...?

I took many pictures of these lovely, colour-changing stars in the mall at Columbus Circle--they are better seen in rapid succession, so that you can see the different colour combinations--but this picture captures it fairly well, I think.

Well, I did my best to record the magic of NYC at Christmas. I hope everyone is "going home" for the holidays soon, and enjoying it as much as I will be. Happy Winter!

Shameless Plug...

So, I must inform all of my readers that my lovely gentleman friend has likewise started a blog, which will eventually have pictures and information about his art, as well as about his life. I've added him to my blogroll--he's under On Clocks and Transience. There are no pictures or anything yet. but there will be shortly enough. Unfortunately, he has limited internet access where he lives, so they may be a little time in coming. In any case, please check it out once it gets up and running for good. If you like me, you will like him. :) Back to conference work now, but I thought I'd let everyone know.

New Owl Boots!

I got these in the mail when I got back to the city, and I couldn't be happier with them! Fossil brand owl rain-boots:

They look equally cute with tights and a skirt as they do with jeans, even on my skinny chicken legs.

Snow Angels

The tyrannical sun has nearly melted the two inches of snow we received last night. I've never been so disappointed to see nice weather in my life.

Last night, with the snow as deep and as pretty as it was, I met up with a few friends and acquaintances for snow-angel-making and a bit of a snowball fight. I love winter so very much. When I come back to New York after break, all will be whited out. I can hardly wait.

I'm off the brunch with Jamie now, while my camera charges for some more pictures of the snow. Happy winter, all...