sleeping cats

i spent a lot of time decluttering my desk today. 

and organizing papers, photos, cards and books.

greg and i took a walk to soho to purchase kitty litter (we're completely out which i always find disconcerting because i can't properly clean the litter boxes), but the store had closed early. the open/close hourly sign on the door was actually taped over. i wonder if the owner might be ill. i have to walk milly tomorrow so maybe i'll walk over again and see what the situation is.

we ended up having dinner at pepe rosso . . we shared a caesar salad and then i had broccoli and salmon and greg had spaghetti. it was cold out tonight, and it's now 51 degrees which i think is the coldest it's been so far. it was so cold this morning that i was almost tempted to put the heat on . . but not quite.

a surprise visit

i was in the midst of updating photos on the computer and getting ready to do some italian homework when marisa called to say she was in town. she and tsering were here for a dental appointment and apartment decluttering. she also had a bag of apples for us from her tree! of course i invited her over for tea, and then (of course) we had to go out for a walk as it was such a nice day.

i'll post more tomorrow, as it's late right now and i still need to get my duolingo exercises in.

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we walked to the muji clothing store on 19th street as she wanted to check on a few items of clothing for herself and deychen. i ended up picking out a few things for christmas for some of my folks (can't say who). afterwards, we walked around the block so i could show her the levain bakery and then we walked back to sixth avenue and the container store which is now combined with bed, bath and beyond (which i'm happy about as the super large b, b and b store across the street had closed). marisa bought two containers to hold the clutter she is attempting to declutter.

we walked through the west elm store which i always like to do as it goes between 18th and 17th street (a lot of people probably do this, especially in the winter). we ended up admiring all the furniture and taking pictures of ourselves sitting in my favorite chairs and couch.

a nice salesperson (shawana) mentioned that we should check out the two discount rooms in the store. i was glad she showed them to us as i never knew they were there, and several items were decently priced. she also mentioned that there's an outlet store in brooklyn by industry city. i used to always find well priced gift items at the pottery barn outlet store which used to be on 10th avenue near 23rd street in the late 80's, so i look forward to visiting elm's outlet store one day. (my sister still has a set of mugs from there that i gave her for christmas one year.)

we walked home together and i left her at her apartment building and then called kendall to find out where i should meet she and janine for her birthday celebration . . 

. . it ended up being the commerce inn. 

meeting in the rain

 

greg and i traipsed out into the rainy day to see his high school friend who was in town. we were meeting her at chelsea piers as they were docking there after a boat cruise.

all the goldenrod!

on the left is the boat they were on (a beautiful boat called the "full moon").

we walked through the drizzle to la bergamot for a coffee and a pastry.

it was nice to catch up on how she and her daughters were doing (she has a new granddaughter only a few months old). (unfortunately, we were getting dripped on by sitting under the scaffolding - not torrentially, but enough that peggy had to keep moving her chair out of the way. we hadn't sat inside because they had the air conditioning on and it was cold, but of course by the time we left they had turned it off and the cafe was wonderfully warm when i went inside to pay the bill . . oh well.)

reviewing directions back to her hotel . . 

we walked with her along 23rd to 7th avenue and then said our good-byes. she'll be flying back to warm and sunny florida . . well, maybe the sun will come out here too.

i was not dressed warm enough for this wet and chilly day and was so glad to get home again.

morning poem and sunday breakfast

morning

it tastes like silver

the morning

amidst the garden's

pallor

in the corner

are snow-dusted shadows.

in flowerpots

the absence of jasmine.

by concha méndez (1898-1986)

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greg, chanda and i had breakfast together before greg and i went out to meet his friend who has been in town visiting for a few days.

greg is the official breakfast egg maker . . 

(making sunny side up eggs)

and then we were out into the rainy day to meet his friend peggy at chelsea piers (she had been on a cruise around the island with her traveling companions).

another day with a long walk

 

do you see the moon shining in the blue sky above the building? (looking west.)

greg and i walked downtown for breakfast at square diner . . 

but we ended up having tacos instead!

today i visited brooklyn craft's manhattan pop up store for the yarn crawl.

their little bat is a honduran white bat and they were able to find the pattern for me (seen here on ravelry),

korrina has visited their store in greenpoint . . they had a free craft happening today . . 

and so i made a button. greg said he thought it was very cute.

walking home past the new amsterdam branch of the library . . 

for dinner i made a marinara sauce with conchiglie and farfalle pasta (seashells and butterflies), and zucchini sautèed with garlic and olive oil. 

morgana has been sick also, and sent a photo of her chicken bone broth with pastina dinner  (with parmesan cheese) (something my sicilian grandma would make for me when we visited her).

dinner - friday night

this is a terrible photo as i had trouble adjusting for the low light, but it's a photo of potato salad, a family recipe and particularly my aunt evy's version (from the german side of my family). you peel and slice the hot potatoes directly into the bowl and then gently mix a raw egg into it, and then add onion or anything else you like (salt and pepper) (we added a little grated carrot along with scallions). it's difficult to do as the potatoes are so hot! the bowl is a special wooden bowl given to me one christmas, years ago, by my aunt evy, uncle bill and my cousin cindy and her husband. the resulting salad is always delicious!

chanda's friend sylvie joined us for dinner, after which they went out to a salsa social dance, which i thought sounded really fun. 

a day with a long walk

 

it was such a nice day that i ended up putting in a load of laundry and then going for a walk (and talking to my sister on the phone).

i walked to abraço in the east village and had their delicious kaffe mit schlag, a mandarin orange and olive oil cake . .  

and began to re-read the first book of the vanderbeekers (since i just finished book seven and wanted to start over).

i also checked to see if east village organic had chestnut honey yet (no) . .

and since it's the new york city yarn crawl weekend coming up . . i stopped at downtown yarns. the theme is "bats" this year, which is also one of the reasons why i wanted to visit. each yarn shop has a bat with special theme words. if you visit all thirteen participating shops (!we keep growing with our fiber shops!) and you submit the photo and special words, you are entered to win a big grand prize! (this is not happening in my little world).

i did purchase a bag for myself, however! (oh, and a few skeins of yarn for christmas gifts - i intend to knit a few scarves for gifts . . hmmm . . i hope i do so.)

ciao, downtown yarns . . a presto. see you next time.

passing a sweet buzzing bumblebee . . 

i had to pass some time while leti at downtown yarns wound my yarn for me, so i decided to visit thompkins square library . . 

where i checked out the movies "l'albero degli zoccoli" and "mia madre." i've seen the first one in the theatre years ago, but i've never seen the second.

another bumblebee . .

my walk home took me past many halloween decorations . . 'tis the season, i suppose.

i was also exhausted, too exhausted to write this post the day of, and so am writing saturday evening, october 4th. and i can't remember what we had for dinner. maybe leftover minestrone soup?

the weather has been so up and down. one day it's chilly, grey and cool, the next warm, sunny and humid. i think i've had trouble adjusting.