August first

Oh, let it be a drama free month.

Life and Death 2.0

This evening, I briefly saw a friend of mine at a food blogger event.
She is one of the most ebullient people I know. Tonight she was very distant and standoffish, and definitely not her cheerful self. She excused herself and left early.

Soon after, I sat down at a table with friends and checked my "streams" It was then that I saw a Facebook post mentioning the passing of Kim Ricketts, literary event promoter and genuinely amazing person. I was shocked, not just by the devastating news, but also in the delivery. RIP via Social Media? Do we no longer send black edged cards announcing the passing of family or friends? That is too slow and requires postage. We now do things quickly, instantaneously, and sometimes without thought. Like it or not, life does happen in 140 characters or less - but is it always appropriate?

My memory is filled with the exact place, time and delivery of the news of the death of loved ones. When I was little, I grew to dread the middle of night telephone calls that usually meant that someone back home had died. Later, we would receive telegrams and letters expressing sorrow. It seemed to prolong, yet at the same time soften the blow of loss - 6000 miles and staticky phone lines help, along with a touch of youthful innocence.

Making phone calls to family and friends after the death is also something I have grown accustomed to. After the death of TH's father, I remember sitting with the phone book in my lap making call after call. I hoped that the phone would ring and no one would answer so that I could hang up. I was relieved when I heard a friendly voice would pick up on the other end. The first words are the hardest, and I dread silence on other end - wanting to fill the gaps of comprehension.

I cannot say enough about the grace of my friend who while consuming her own grief and shock, did not announce to the world her mourning and loss. She is a class act.

We all have our ways of processing loss and expressing grief. I did post on my Facebook wall about my shock of her death and my sadness. She was an amazing person that had the knack and gift of building a community of food lovers, chefs and writers. I read others' twitter streams and realize that having an one to many conversation about loss is how they deal with grief. This is something I cannot do well in 140 characters or less, I need more bandwidth.

I will honor Kim by continuing to cherish books and the written word. TH and I will toast her with hot cocoa and wish you all had had the good fortune to have crossed paths with her.

Oops

Travel got in the way.

Enough

My brain is about to explode.

I am in on the Gulf coast of Mississippi today. We passed through many towns flattened by Katrina. It was the furthest East on the coast I have been since the hurricane. I wish I could say that there is a lot of coastal resilience here. It is hard to rebuild when insurance companies deny you claims. It is hard to rebuild when your livelihood is gone. It is hard to see so many vacant lots where grand summer houses once stood. It is a lot different from New Orleans, it is homey (apart from the casinos) and life is slower here.

Rebuilding takes time, community, money, faith, compassion, patience and hope. Things will never be the same here, the sea and the wind are powerful forces and we should forget that.

I still can't talk about Japan, this time it cut too close to home.

Haiku for Sunday

My upgrade to Dallas hasn't cleared. It won't, hipsters are thronging to Austin for sxsw. Have at it.

Clunky boots
Musky patchouli
Twitter haikus in short
bursts

My evening will be spent in a casino in Bay St.Louis, MS. Don't feel sorry for me, because hopefully on Saturday, I'll be spending my lunch time on the Ile st. Louis in Paris.

I still can't write about Japan.

Sorry.

Countdown to new years

Rice cookies

No words

It has been a long day.

Quince

Really much better in color, but stunning nonetheless.

Plummy

This day is over, thank the gods.

Tuesday

Baby bassets, crocii, catching up with new/old friends, pancakes, beagles, did I mention baby bassets?

Meet the Lone Ranger

In love

Ernest and Phracey turned five today. Geez, where has the time gone? I have had this blog longer than we have had Ernest. Everyday with him is different. Maybe we treat our animals as children, sainted objects of our affection and dote on them too much. Honestly, this dog is the love of my life. Everyday with Ernest is a new day - things to do, smells to smell and people to meet. His life becomes our life and this is not a bad thing.

I never intended to fall in love with a fifty pound basset hound with buns of steel. Nor, did I ever think we would be blessed to have built up a friendship with his breeder and her husband. Having them in our lives has also been a joy.

Ernest, may your curiosity, stubbornness, good nature and boyish good humor bring us all joy for the next year.
love,
nmom

Saturday

A day that made me glad that I was not hurtling through the air @ 500 mph. We need more of those.

Friday

Ernest has it right. I am over the week. Time to move on.

Is it spring yet?

New Year's prep is already here! Yeeps.

Are you there god?

It's me, Ernest.

in a word

Where I have been? In a word, everywhere. I have been stuck in a snowstorm in London, lounged in Rome, shopped for salt in Paris, ate pinxtos in Barcelona along with other comings and goings.

Never fear, my family still remembers what I look like and so does my dog.

I am participating in NaBloPoMo this month, partially to get myself back on track, but mostly because I need the outlet.

Bear with me.

12.07.2010

Cocoa w/mint marshmallows.

12.03.2010

When life gives you gelatin, make marshmallows.

12.02.2010

Best cookie exchange ever.

12.02.2010

Alice Medrich in town equals the best cookie exchange ever.

12.01.2010

Rabbit.

11.29.2010

Going down is a lot harder than coming back up. Where's my advil?

11.28.2010

Well, at least I got a banana.

11.27.2010

Who's stupid idea was this?

11.25.2010

Be thankful for the little things.

11.23.2010

Welcome to La Nina.

11.21.2010

Sad to see you come and go so soon.

11.20.2010

We spent the day putting square pegs into round holes. That's how we roll in these parts.

11.18.2010

Baking for food - come visit us
Www.willbakeforfood.com

11.17.2010

11.16.2010

11.15.2010

Playing by the rules this one time.

11.12.2010

You can't get there from here without a long swim.

11.10.2010

Yes, it is November, no we have not had frost.

The leaf shredder is here, but apparently 530 pm is not an appropriate time to shred. I guess I will wait until 10 am tomorrow, JUST TO BE NICE.

Other than that, life is good and is getting better by the second.

11.08.2010

Hello Monday!

I have realized that what happens Monday really sets up my week - especially this past year. Can you believe that 14% of my week affects the remaining 86%? It does - trust me.

This week, so far, so good.

My week in bullet points!

* I shot a bunch of unappetizing pictures today of a dish my mom made. Guess what, I'm not the only one shooting yummy but unappetizing food.

* I made a bunch of delicious and beautiful food to go with the ugly, but very delicious food.

* I am realizing that there is no way on this earth that we can eat all I cook.

* My friends and colleagues either love or hate me.

* I have a pile of leaves larger than a minke whale waiting be shredded.

* I pray my shredder shows up tomorrow.

* I realize that life is too short to care about what you look like in a tankini.

* I am beginning to recognize that good enough is a proxy for finished.

* That you don't have to finish every book you start or remember everything in a book you read 10 months ago.

* and that 10 pm is a reasonable bed time for basset hounds and their apes

11.05.2010

Wet Saturday fun with Ernest Puppy.

11.05.2010

One more day down!

Pear Ginger Granola, go visit and comment please.

11.04.2010

Every November 4, the weather should be such that a basset can roach in the sun.

Fantastic.

11.03.2010

Go here and see what I cooked for Amanda Hesser (SWOON).

11.02.2010

Election returns are making me sad. Change takes time. Who do you think got us where we are?

Think.Before.You.Vote

Now think how much longer it is going to make changes mid stream.

We live in a want it now world, guess what the gov't doesn't work that way and privatizing, streamlining and thinking you can make things better usually inflates and reinvents the wheel.

Been there, done that.

Nm / head aching and heart sobbing

where I've been

What it is November already?

Where does time go?

Last month, I went to two of my favorite places in the world and a new place that I want to visit again and again...



Storm King Art center is outside of West Point, NY. I believe I could go there everyday of the year and be surprised by what I see in different light and different seasons.

The leaves on the Palisades Parkway were magnificent.


We went to Maine, via Montreal.

I got to meet Sophie and her mom. Meeting someone you have been interacting with on line for four years is a daunting thing. What happens if you don't click? Do you just walk away? Do you feign illness to get out of dinner you've planned a month in advance? What if the dog bites you? Montreal, I am enchanted by your city, your bagels and your dogs. Thank you.



and then Maine....

What can I say about Maine?

I'm sorry we couldn't spend a lot of time together this trip. Next time, we'll be running your parks and kayaking in your kettle bogs.

mwah.



(This picture was taken in New Hampshire, but shh don't tell anyone).

I'm participating in NaBloPoMo. You'll see more of me here, lamely, but still....

nm - six states, one province, and 1.5 cider donuts later....

falling down again

Fall is here in Seattle. It seems as if summer was three minutes long and boom we're into fall. I am home for a while. Not a long while, but long enough to get a few projects wrapped up and get ready for winter. In the last month, I have been to Zurich, Paris and Spokane. All great cities, but honestly, nothing beats home.

We spent a lot of the summer waiting for Godot, or in this case, the contractor to decide if he had time to do a job that he had bid out in early March. Turns out he didn't and like most things, except for open heart surgery and negotiating a plane ticket in Mexico, its easier to just go ahead and do it.

TH, and a cast of characters - did an amazing job of the project and pretty soon we can call it done. Nothing is done until the last paint can is put away.

Things I set out to accomplish this summer have slow slushy deadlines. Things will get done, in due time. Right now I think it is time for a nap.

I will admit that I have been a slacker in the blogging department as well as the photography department. The photography thing bothers me the most. I take a picture everyday, but have not been disciplined enough to upload them on daily basis. I haven't done a good job of thinking about my subjects or composition, I just point and shoot, be it my iphone (shut up) or our nifty new canon s90.

Next week I am taking a all day photo class with my trusty DSLR - I cannot wait. I am learning that shooting with a fixed focal length is okay. I don't know why this hadn't occurred to me before - I shot with a 50mm camera all throughout grad school.

It is good to go back to basics, n'est ce pas?

happy new year

I am here, don't ask why.

The last year to the day has been interesting, but nothing I want to repeat.

My friend Jan believes that the new year begins with the school year, all bright and shiny.

If you want a do over, this is it.

Happy new year.

I have been doing some pretty deep thinking these days about the direction of where I want my writing and blog to go. I apologize to all who have come here (the three of you) in hopes of something deep or meaningful.

It hasn't been here, nor has it been something I want to share with the world.

I have been working on finding a purpose to what I am doing with updating the world. No one really cares what I think about Jon and Kate, nor the state of the government. My best comments and side conversations come from folks who enjoy my stories about food, travel, family and cooking.

To that end, we start over.

I'm moving the contents of this opus to a new site - tagging those posts that I feel relevant and share with you the skeleton of something I believe will make good reading and teach you a few things.

www.banamak.org

Here I will share what as I learn how to cook Persian food and learn a few things about my family - who were were, how we got here and where we are now. You will meet my mother, watch me learn to boil water for rice (really) and hopefully come back over and over again.

Remember, this is a work in progress, some things don't work yet. I had fully intended to spend every day in the past few months working on this - but time was not on my side.

So, be gentle. Helpful criticism would be appreciated.

Thanks to those who listened to me and made helpful suggestions - Viv, Keren, Beth and Carol and TH have been so supportive.

You rock.