voting day

we made plans to meet with korrina this afternoon for early voting and then had lunch together at home.

it was a typical lunch for us with italian bread, provolone and oil cured olives from faicco's pork store - and salami, avocado, kalamata and garlic stuffed olives from the coop. we also had some chicken liver pate from the butcher and an arugula salad . . 

with genmaicha tea and cookies for dessert. 

perusing cookbooks . . it was nice to relax together.

we spoke with morgan last night - harley has been on a business trip in prague and morgan has been at the nursery in stockwell. morgan is also running sound and lights for a friend's play that goes up in a few weeks. they had a rehearsal this evening. 

below is a cat who lives around the corner from them and who popped out to say hi one day as they were walking by . . so pretty!

also, morgan voted by mail a few weeks ago:

the cookies

with nuts on the left; just chips on the right.

it's difficult to only eat a few . . 

sunday morning poem - and baking, cleaning and a walk

 

a poet's cat, sedate and grave

as poet well could wish to have

was much addicted to inquire

for nooks to which she might retire,

and where, secure as mouse in chink,

she might repose, or sit and think.

from "the retired cat"

by william cowper (1731-1800)

cat poems, page 84, new directions, 2018

----

we had a big breakfast this morning before going our separate ways for the day. chanda went to see a movie with her friends (a documentary titled the history of concrete) and greg and i worked out the area we want to paint in the bathroom so i know how much paint to get. he then vacuumed and dusted and straightened up the large bedroom while i baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies (some with walnuts) which i've been wanting to do for two weeks now, ever since our neighbor was nice enough to watch the cats while we were away at the house.  

the cats had to be put away as they became uncontrollable when i unwrapped the butter for the cookie dough.

it gets dark earlier and earlier each evening . . 

we still have many green trees . . 

and the berries are out (but not sure what plant this is) . . 

goldenrod still in bloom . . 

goldenrod gone to seed . . 

the oaks and maples are beginning to turn . .

spiders and skeletons seem to be the main theme for halloween decorations this year . . 

and many, many gourds . . 

brunch and brooklyn

i persuaded greg to have breakfast at one of my favorite places this morning.

their food is very good and the servers are friendly . . 

and the space is charming and cozy.

they also refill your coffee which is a plus as greg is a diner - at least two cups of coffee - aficionado.

korrina is staying at a friend's apartment near the restaurant she works at tonight as she needs to be up bright and early to prepare for the brunch seating. she passed where we used to live and sent a photo . . it looks just as warm and inviting as ever - such good memories. my photos from this time are all on photo paper as it was pre-digital camera. i have boxes of these photos i would like to sort through . . one day!

chinese food and trying to play cards with pluto

i've been trying to get caught up on on my to do list and so did not take the time to make dinner. instead greg went out to the nearby chinese take out place which we've never tried in all these years. we shared shrimp fried rice, eggplant with spicy garlic sauce, and buddha delight with brown rice (mixed with vegetables) and it was all quite good.

we also finally played another round of may i. it was the sixth round and we have one more to go.

cricket was very interested in the game.

(he's sitting on chanda's lap here - you just can't see him as his back is turned to the camera.) 

well, this round did not go so well for me. if you remember i've gone out consecutively in the last four rounds, this time i didn't even get my cards down and neither did greg. it was chanda who went out, and greg and i had to count up our points. 90 for greg and 115 for me. i'm still in the lead so we'll have to see what happens for the last hand.

minerva and harley's tomato soup

 

minerva has been a little poorly so the vet has recommended that kendall give her a vitamin b shot once a week for six weeks. i've been helping her on thursdays. we wrap her and then i hold her firmly on the counter while kendall makes a tent of minerva's loose skin on the nape of her neck, and injects the medicine. last week didn't go so well, but this all went smoothly. kendall did an excellent job of tenting and injecting. 

morgana gave me harley's recipe for tomato soup the other day, and this evening i made it for dinner - two cans of whole peeled tomatoes, a can of crushed tomatoes, sautéed garlic and onion with oregano and thyme, a vegetable bullion cube (with a 1/2 cup water) - pureed with an immersion blender.

it was delicious!

----

i did walk milly again today (maggie has been away).

it was windy!

milly and pumpkins

 

i tried the italian hot chocolate today from fellini . . it was incredibly thick and chocolatey! but not too sweet. it was very good.

local jack o'lanterns . . 

and local . . cowboy pumpkins?

walking all day

 

that face . .

christine visited me today and we walked all over . . 

coffee and croissant at fellini . . 

we browsed through all the stores at chelsea market (posman's, fish's eddy, pearl river) . . and found a few gift ideas . . 

we also walked along the river . . 

into chelsea . . 

and over to the high line . .

and viewed the new colossal statue that has replaced the pigeon . . the light that shines through the universe, by tuan andrew nguyen.

walking along the high line . . 

past the church of the guardian angel . . 

the beautiful stonework on the church . . 

we finally stopped for sustenance at chelsea square. we meant to visit la bergamot, but they had closed their kitchen to prepare for dinner and weren't serving anything hot.

we were supposed to have breakfast before walking milly, but ran out of time . . so i think she was quite hungry by late afternoon. i was too.

christine took the train to port authority where she caught the bus back to her sister's house. i went home and set out the candy she had brought us from iceland (i put away my special treat of danish cognac chocolate for christmas time - they're my favorite and i haven't had any since the last time she was here which was before covid).

she also brought lovely sock yarn i had seen in london, but which she found in a store in copenhagen.