manna from brooklyn

Lunch

2012-02-16T11:25:00.003-05:00

Beige.

Add some salad!

There you go.

My eye hurt

2012-02-16T11:21:00.003-05:00

And I couldn't see right.

I think I figured out why.

Dinner last night

2012-02-09T17:13:00.003-05:00

As you can see, I was really hungry for cheese. Eggs were just a convenient vehicle.

Related topic: Why is so hard to get good sharp cheddar cheese in this city? I feel like every Canadian grocery store has its own store-packaged "old fort" cheddar. Here it's all Monterey Jack with pimentos and fake gouda.

FOUND!

2012-02-08T12:28:00.001-05:00

In a bag hanging on a fence!

In case you're curious (I was):

"Now They Call It 'Sweatshirt Dressing'"

My life

2012-02-07T19:27:00.002-05:00

I am saving this coffee for tomorrow.

New recruits

2012-02-07T13:19:00.000-05:00

Welcome!

Lunch

2012-02-07T13:04:00.002-05:00

I call it "quinoa and beanoa" (you don't have to though).

Same problem

2012-02-05T22:47:00.003-05:00

Different solutions.

It is possible that Goofus and Gallant live in these houses.

Oh man

2012-02-05T21:20:00.003-05:00

Someone is going to be PISSED.

Cold lasagna

2012-01-29T16:20:00.002-05:00

Better than no lasagna?

Bedside table

2012-01-29T16:14:00.000-05:00

My side.

(That's a mini terrarium in the jar, btw.)

The problem with lipstick

2012-01-29T16:05:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, it's gross.

From the mailbag

2012-01-29T15:53:00.002-05:00

This arrived on the desk of my colleague Hannah last week.

Thank you for your interest, Werner.

Sunday

2012-01-29T15:43:00.002-05:00

We woke up all excited to have a special eggs breakfast, only to discover we had just one egg.

Then we thought--pancakes! But discovered we had no butter.

So steel-cut oats it was, with toppings.

It was goo-oood!

Exquisite corpse

2012-01-29T15:37:00.000-05:00

A slight misunderstanding.

Satisfaction

2012-01-29T15:17:00.001-05:00

Equals toasting almonds then sticking them in your favorite Bonne Maman jar.

(I was going to title this post "Almond Joy"--I hope you appreciate my restraint.)

Squirrels

2012-01-29T14:58:00.002-05:00

Wuz here.

CAUTION

2012-01-24T22:08:00.000-05:00

Do not sit on this bench.

It will endanger your butt.

I got a manicure

2012-01-23T23:16:00.002-05:00

It's quite avant-garde.

It's just that easy

2012-01-23T23:10:00.001-05:00

Apparently, the secret is dried anchovies.

Spotted!

2012-01-23T23:02:00.003-05:00

A nasty raw bone.

I assume that after I left a dog ran up and snatched it (like in the comics).

Yes

2012-01-18T23:16:00.000-05:00

You CAN crochet with the string they tie your box with at the donut shop.

You'll need to buy a lot of donuts, though, to make anything useful. (I see this as pure upside.)

’Tis the season

2012-01-18T23:08:00.001-05:00

For finding awesome rolls of wrapping paper in the garbage.

Bring them home and save them for next year! (You'll only have to store them for eleven and a half months!!)

Oh hi

2012-01-18T22:58:00.001-05:00

Dog in sombrero in trash can.

Some kind of blue bird

2012-01-13T22:52:00.000-05:00

Was here.

At my friend's house

2012-01-13T18:00:00.001-05:00

This guy lives there:

His name is Rahki and he will jump on your lap.

Drawers

2012-01-12T13:41:00.008-05:00

Cleaning out my half of the dresser (yes!), I came upon these:

Found many years ago, never worn. By the rules of cleaning-out-your-dresser, this means I should throw them away . . . But . . . I can't seem to.

Desire to be organized VS irrational attachment to objects: Which will triumph? Which SHOULD triumph??

The best solution would be a nice big house with room for many dressers o' drawers.

Saturday

2012-01-09T23:41:00.001-05:00

I did a bit of housecleaning and decided a few things needed to go back out on the street.

Later:

Someone likes Risk and nicely packaged rope!

Sharpie

2012-01-09T23:26:00.002-05:00

Why did I do that?

Now I don't want my coffee anymore.

:(

Triumph of the Greg

2012-01-09T23:21:00.003-05:00

He found a fully charged commercial fire extinguisher on the street!

AW YEAH!

He took it to the studio in his backpack (they needed one there).

This looks good

2012-01-09T23:06:00.005-05:00

Ingredients:

Fusili
Leftover lasagna sauce
Parmesan cheese
Brocolli rabe
Italian chicken and turkey sausage
Salt
Cayenne pepper

Just mix 'er all up and stick 'er in the oven!

Yep!

Found tonight!

2012-01-09T22:55:00.008-05:00

A handmade wooden dollhouse.

Cool, huh?

A car came by and lit it up with its headlights.

I didn't take it home, but now I regret it!! (This got an eye roll from Greg).

Breakfast of champions

2012-01-08T23:23:00.002-05:00

Poached eggs are our new thing.

Friday night

2012-01-08T20:13:00.005-05:00

Japanese-Canadian hotdogs!

Yeah, they were good.

Followed by:

I am not sure what came over us.

(Besides me being like, HOT DAWWWWWGS!! ICE CREAMMMMMMM!!!!!!)

Today

2012-01-06T13:44:00.003-05:00

Triple denim!

Can you even handle it?

(I really need a denim cap.)

Magical

2012-01-04T11:02:00.006-05:00

We encountered a crystal ball/bell jar dealio on Nassau Avenue as we were hauling the laundry home.

Greg took this awesome pichure of it!

Quite the seething mass there in the background.

Morphological inquiry

2012-01-03T23:21:00.002-05:00

Do pointsettias grow on pine trees?

My Christmas tablecloth says "Yes."

(Also note: Christmas books!)

Still life

2012-01-03T23:15:00.002-05:00

With hot apple cider!

It's my favorite seasonal beverage (even though it WILL burn my mouth).

Beware

2012-01-03T23:04:00.001-05:00

A drawing you made in high school might be hiding behind the door of your grandma's guest room.

YIIIIIIIIIIKES!

But I am glad she likes it :)

Christmas turkey leftovers!

2012-01-03T22:58:00.001-05:00

Eat them from a bag!

Ideally at the train station in Trenton, New Jersey, with your sister.

Christmas!

2012-01-02T20:15:00.004-05:00

My little sister gave me this old picture.

That's us at my grandparents' house on Iroquois Court in Warrenville, Illinois, in 1980 or 1981; you can see our older sister's leg sticking in the picture at left (she's sitting at the games table).

There were a ping-pong table and model trains in the basement, and a river behind the house with beavers in it.

I noticed a certain smell by the bed

2012-01-02T19:54:00.002-05:00

A pee-ish smell.

Eventually I realized that it was coming from this plant:

Look—it's flowering!

(The flowers are tiny.)

Now that I know the smell isn't pee I like it a lot better.

Leftover spaghetti?

2012-01-02T17:58:00.001-05:00

I suggest:

Make an omelet!

Seriously. It's good.

This dog

2012-01-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

Give him some homemade mozzarella and pasta.

Ding dong!

2012-01-02T17:25:00.002-05:00

A witch got run over?

On 53rd Street

2011-12-23T11:56:00.002-05:00

The old public library building has finally been torn down.

When the sun comes out, new light hits the museum tower across the street!

I like observing this, for some reason.

Smooth Red Ironspot sample card

2011-12-21T23:47:00.006-05:00

Found on the street.

I ALMOST BROUGHT IT HOME.

Tonight

2011-12-21T23:35:00.004-05:00

Florist shop!

With these guys in the window:

They have their own little nests!

At the door:

A sibling is on watch.

Obsolescence

2011-12-16T14:56:00.001-05:00

No one needs these things any more.

Making gift parcels!

2011-12-16T12:54:00.010-05:00

Best activity ever.

First, wrap each individual item separately (using some of your seven zillion hoarded scraps of used wrapping paper). Stick them in a box, and stuff the empty spots with something (perhaps that's why you've been saving this!!).

For the outside:

Bright colors, and lots of tape.

Decorate with animal pictures you found in a box on the street last night, ideally.

Unfortunately, to finish the job right you have to go to post office—ie, HELL ON EARTH!

It ain't perfect

2011-12-15T15:03:00.000-05:00

But it is a handknit scarf, by me.

For Greg's mother! My second knitted item ever.

This morning

2011-12-13T23:11:00.001-05:00

While I was unlocking my bike, I saw this guy looking at me!

Glass o' wine!

2011-12-13T23:06:00.001-05:00

It's miniiiiiiii!

Personally

2011-12-12T23:01:00.006-05:00

I would have gone with Burragels.

Bucket foam tree

2011-12-12T22:57:00.004-05:00

We know you want to steal it.

Hence we have secured it with twine.

This guy

2011-12-11T19:44:00.004-05:00

Hibernating?

Strange and beautiful

2011-12-11T17:47:00.000-05:00

Are the bus seats of Montreal.

Exley

2011-12-11T17:35:00.002-05:00

He's found a new perch.

Eating from the cupboard

2011-12-11T17:27:00.001-05:00

It will eventually come down to the can of herring fillets in mustard.

Check it out!

2011-12-11T17:20:00.001-05:00

I repotted this cactus today.

My mom made me this perfect pot featuring my own drawing of a cat—taken from the envelope of a package I had sent her (decorated with cat pictures, natch).

AWESOME!

We were using it to hold our garlic but I thought it was time to put a cactus in it.

Snowflake

2011-12-11T17:05:00.008-05:00

FOLD FOLD FOLD FOLD snip snip snip snip snip snip snip snip snip snip snip snip UNFOLD UNFOLD.

Now tape it to the lamp shade!

Saturday

2011-12-11T16:58:00.005-05:00

Greg and Rebecca shopping day!

Non-secret purchases:

Two tiny chai glasses!

Nice.

The best pipecleaners on the planet:

For cleaning my pipe (or something).

And, finally:

Bahn miiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!

We scarfed them down so fast.

Winners!

2011-12-09T13:33:00.004-05:00

Greg won a prize at the ol' Whitney Museum staff party raffle.

We get to choose from among an array of items, including:

Our blender just broke, but that's boring. It's time to get us some MEAT!!!

New ring!

2011-12-06T17:25:00.005-05:00

It's a ruby.

Awesome

2011-12-04T22:06:00.001-05:00

There are still professional signpainters!

Sometimes

2011-12-04T21:52:00.001-05:00

Life is a pretty sweet fruit.

Hmmm

2011-12-04T21:47:00.001-05:00

Do I want a pair of Frye motorcycle boots?

Why, yes.

Yes I do!

A midden!

2011-11-28T23:50:00.003-05:00

Unearthed:

Ceramic artifacts:

A lady.

A freaky head-face.

This thing.

And, most importantly:

Pensive full-body-glitter-suited angel babies!

Now on display at our house.

In the subway

2011-11-16T23:15:00.015-05:00

Don't let the hand picked flunkies appointed by McCarron get another chance to screw you!

Also, eagle carpenter:

Whoever designed this should get a citation from the union (for awesomeness).

I was here

2011-11-16T22:52:00.000-05:00

Distinctive jam-jar-shaped coffee stain.

It is dusk

2011-11-16T22:46:00.002-05:00

A cat is probably watching you.

Check it out

2011-11-15T22:58:00.001-05:00

Flowers!

A cake was made this eve

2011-11-15T22:51:00.006-05:00

Inspired by this picture. We were having a family blog slide show and when we saw it we were both like "DROOL."

Hence:

Prize for cutest little measuring spoon:

First place.

Package

2011-11-15T22:29:00.005-05:00

I got something in the mail today!

A comic book by Marc Bell from the mid-1990s!

With ephemera!

And personal note.

I first read his stuff in The Coast in Halifax, then I picked up a few books at some zine fair or other (There is Nothing, Shrimpy and Paul, Big Pile Comics), then I bought his new book at the New York Art Book Fair last month, from Drawn and Quarterly. Then, while surreptitiously stalking him on Facebook, I came across his Etsy store.

And now I got a new book to read! (Well, reread . . . I took care of the first go-round on the subway on the way home from work.)

In the Catskills

2011-11-15T15:26:00.012-05:00

We realized neither of us had packed a toothbrush!

HOWEVER.

In Greg's special emergency pouch (always in backpack):

Not only a toothbrush, but a toothbrush customized to fit in the pouch!!

It was like a miracle to me. Greg = #1!

Elevator

2011-11-13T23:43:00.000-05:00

Someone broke some doohickey offa something.

New tea towels!

2011-11-13T23:29:00.006-05:00

Super-soft absorbent linen, which is a bit hard to find these days, and edifying religious slogans to improve my mind and morals.

Also calendars.

But the best thing about them is: they were free!

Yes, I took them from a "free box" at a yard sale. The lady gave me the dirtiest look, holy moly. Greg said it was because I didn't actually BUY anything, just raided the ol' free box. All I have to say is—if it ain't free, don't put it in that box!

Anyhoo: NEW TEA TOWELLLLLLLS!

Mica two ways

2011-11-13T23:02:00.004-05:00

It's amazingly transparent.

I did a lot of digging around in the dirt today, helping Greg get his boat out of the ground at Randall's Island. Did you know that shovelling dirt is REALLY HARD WORK?? Phew.

I have gained a new respect for Greg, who shovelled all day yesterday by himself.

This tree

2011-11-13T00:10:00.003-05:00

I like to see it between me and the highway.

It looked really pretty today.

In other news, this guy:

Now with hat.

Whoa

2011-11-10T23:21:00.000-05:00

That's a lot of brown sugar.

FOUND

2011-11-10T23:09:00.005-05:00

This morning:

A cute lil camp stool . . .

(with some amateur caning)

. . . and an interesting collection of veneer discs.

What in heck were they doing with it??

What's for dinner?

2011-11-10T22:41:00.011-05:00

My friend Beth (or "Bert," as she is known to some, ie, me) has been engaging in a certain style of home cooking lately. She described it as "art school," and I immediately knew what she meant!

Me and Greg got on the bandwagon last night, and it was fantastic:

Tofu stir fry, with . . . NUTRITIONAL YEAST! Extra condiments: tamari and cayenne pepper.

Bert and I were also reminiscing also about the old art school cold remedy—just swallow a bunch of raw garlic cloves. Works awesome and you smell great!

PS: Also works for yeast infections, but you don't swallow them.

Found

2011-11-10T22:34:00.000-05:00

One little Cheeto.

Yours?

Sorry

2011-11-09T23:18:00.003-05:00

I let this happen to my blog!

But I'm coming back now!

Not sure what this is

2011-11-01T12:26:00.000-04:00

But it is definitely NOT a police car.

Just kidding

2011-10-23T23:28:00.002-04:00

About the chard balls.

We made this pizza with them:

Doesn't it look just like the recipe (except browner)?

"Pumpkin"

2011-10-23T23:17:00.006-04:00

Aren't they great? I wanted to buy some—but then I thought, Do I really want a bunch of gourds hanging around getting moldy?

Possibly evidence that I am finally getting annoyed by the clutter (read: my clutter) at home.

Belly up

2011-10-23T22:50:00.000-04:00

This guy.

Hand-squeezed chard balls

2011-10-21T14:41:00.003-04:00

It's what's for dinner.

Sorry kids.

Subway reading

2011-10-21T14:13:00.004-04:00

I grabbed this on the way out of the house this morning; I saw it on the shelf and thought—yeah! Early Margaret Atwood!

I've read it many times, of course. It's not my absolute favorite (tie between The Edible Woman and Lady Oracle), but one of the characters works in a museum (the ROM), which I like, and it's got the usual Toronto period details, which I also really enjoy. Plus, I am now the same age as the characters!?!

Pretty surprised she let them use this glamour shot on the cover though...

Gratuitous garbage picture

2011-10-20T23:29:00.004-04:00

Greg says, "That's a nice shop vac."

After the Sheep and Wool Festival

2011-10-20T23:19:00.002-04:00

Eveready Diner!

I got the meatloaf.

Then I et it.

Found in a free box

2011-10-20T23:09:00.000-04:00

An awesome bracelet!

It's got diamonds on it and stuff.

Crochet admiration

2011-10-17T14:07:00.003-04:00

I love her things.

This cushion back, for example.

Beeswax + mineral oil

2011-10-16T22:11:00.001-04:00

It's called "spoon oil."

Before:

BOOOOO!!

After:

YEA!!

It's magical!

Needless to say, every wooden item in our kitchen is now gleaming.

At the Sheep and Wool Festival

2011-10-16T21:56:00.002-04:00

In Rhinebeck, New York.

Many hairstyle inspirations.

At the office

2011-10-16T21:33:00.001-04:00

The number fifteen got a lot of attention on Friday.

At the coffee shop

2011-10-16T21:06:00.005-04:00

I started studying Latin again! Now I have my iPad to assist me (English-Latin dictionary app).

January: Latin Level 2 or bust!

Parking lot

2011-10-16T20:53:00.006-04:00

Pacing around as I talked to my friend on the phone.

I found these artifacts of the Iron Age!

Lowly Worm!!

2011-10-16T00:12:00.001-04:00

Now promoting safe driving on the Triboro Bridge.

I love Lowly.