sarah in nyc

  For the first time in many years we had a big snow followed by now just over two weeks of below freezing weather. This means that the snow hasn't melted and the department of sanitation has created occasional snow mountains like this one.  In fact, it has been so cold that weather that hovers right around freezing feels almost balmy. This photo is here for no narrative reason but I did love the dramatic light. In the department of sad news.... One of my local thrift stores is closing. When my kids were at the age when every new raincoat got lost on the first day it was worn to school this store provided new ones . This store was the source of Charvet dress shirts for men, and a hand knit pringle short sleeved cashmere sweater for me and just countless articles of clothing over the years. We have been invited to a friend's for Shabbat dinner. I baked our challot yesterday, six regular sized challot and four small ones. I spent a good deal of this week finishing of the pinot t...

 Today is my husband's birthday. I guess one of the things about feeling a full blown adult is that you are better equipped to deal with the imperfect. We had planned to do a celebration with family and some friends last Sunday but the blizzard put an end to those plans. Our daughter was supposed to join us tonight for dinner in person but she is under the weather. What can you do? I have made a nice dinner. One of the cranberry chickens that I cooked last week is making an appearance ( after a week in the freezer. To make the meal feel more festive I made meatballs--not quite as fabulous as the lamb Lulya we were planning to eat last Sunday in Rego Park. I also made something that tastes like love to my husband. One of his favorite childhood foods was boxed mashed potatoes. Above is a cauliflower puree which is known around our table as Blobbo-taters. For my husband this tastes like love...so I made it. I even made dessert... Inspired by a YouTube cooking video in Italian where th...

 Well, we finally had a real snow. Once again I am grateful that the task of shoveling didn't  fall to me. According to city laws shopkeepers are legally responsible to clear the sidewalks in front of their stores.   This hard working employee of the health food store across the street had to come out every hour or so to re-shovel the sidewalk. It was also bitterly cold. The snow piled up on my window frame. The next day this gentleman tried to free his car from the snowbank using only his bare hands and his cane, He was successful but hasn't yet moved his car. I haven't just been hanging out by my living room window. I even got a bit of work done. I first met Darone right after I moved to New York. I was just barely an adult and he was one of the kids in the afterschool aftercare room that I ran. Now I am fully an adult and so is he. A couple of years ago I talked Darone through the process of designing needlepoint tallit bags for his twin sons who ere about to have thei...