One at a time.

via wayside violet

Food For Thought

WHAT IF, 

instead of placing unreasonable expectations on ourselves, 

we take a look at who we are and what has happened to us? 

Once we get away from the lofty theological, philosophical, 
and psychological preaching, this whole business about 

forgiveness is really just about managing injury. 

It's about finding a way to live with injustices, large and small.

DANIEL GOTTLIEB

Shelburne Farms, My Dream Location

Red Cabbage, Pear, and Cranberry Slaw w. Maple-Yogurt Dressing

Recipe from the wonderful Cooking With Shelburne Farms

Before You Start
If you like the tart crunch of raw cranberries, they really add an unexpected twist to this slaw, but if they're too tart for you, dried sweetened cranberries work very well.
Serves 6

Ingredients
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1 medium head red cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped, or 1/2 cup whole dried sweetened cranberries
• 1 large ripe but firm pear, such as Anjou, unpeeled and cut into matchsticks

Directions
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the shallot, maple syrup, cider vinegar, yogurt, and salt.

2. Toss the cabbage, cranberries, and pear into the bowl with the dressing. Adjust seasoning to taste and let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to several hours to allow flavors to blend before serving.
(I recommend letting it marinate overnight... even better.)

Besides fresh and beautiful cuisine, Shelburne Farms also has an INN.

Take me there, please! Oh and there's also a GLASS HOUSE. No biggie, you know...

all images (and text in above picture) Shelburne Farms

Ana Kraš

via M

all images Ana Kraš

Maryanne Casasanta

The light. The composition. The TEXTURE. I love, love, love these visions.

via M

all images Maryanne Casasanta

Some shots from New Hampshire

Just after this last picture was taken, I dropped my camera. The back of it popped open and exposed the film and, though it was pitch black in the place because they were closing and kicking us out, a bunch of images still got wiped out.

Bodkin

Bodkin, Autumn / Winter 2010 Collection.

It's fun, it's edgy, it's cute, I like it.

 via wikstenmade

all images Bodkin

Caramel and Nadine Labaki

Caramel (Arabic: Sukkar Banat) is a wonderful Lebanese film that was directed and written (with two others) by Nadine Labaki, possibly the most beautiful woman in the world. She also stars as the main character, Layale.

Here's the trailer. Super corny narrator, but you get the idea.

One at a time.

The next installment. Join me in appreciating one image at a time.

Taken from a Versailles window looking onto a snowy garden expanse. Sigh.

 I think the 200 speed film and the bright conditions made this roll a bit grainy, but I love that quality.

June Came With A Gust

This has been the busiest two weeks!

Things I have done since June 1:

   - Met Anthony Bourdain (no, I didn't faint! Can you believe it?)

- Woke up so late to meet Anthony Bourdain (12:30 pm, REALLY Catherine?) that I didn't even shower. I met Anthony Bourdain unshowered.

- Got Anthony Boudain's autograph.

- Told Anthony Bourdain that I will try bone marrow one day all because of him.

- Discovered streets in New York City that I never knew existed (Bethune St.? Morton St.? You bet!)

- Sent in my entire application to study abroad in Paris next January (!!!!)

- Bought two great dresses.

- Helped a man with an enormous upright bass get into the subway.

- Spent four days, one of which was my birthday, in New Hampshire with some friends at a log cabin.

- Swam in a lake for the first time.

- Had a man sing to me in Italian on said birthday (!!!!)

- Saw the Picasso: Themes and Variations exhibit at MoMA (GO)

- Sat in the middle of Bruce Nauman's Days, felt the cacophony, got uncomfortable, left.

- Actually, saw every exhibit on every floor at MoMA. Including the amazing architectural project Rising Currents, which is so much more interesting in person.

- Attended Symphony Space: Selected Shorts and listened to three amazing short stories. (Favorite: La Conchita by T.C. Boyle, as read by Isaiah Sheffer. Riveting!)

- Read 25 out of the 50 short stories in my book. 25  to go.

- Saw Camera Obscura live!! They were great, great, great. I danced away all the blues in the world. Horns, violins, the whole shebang.

- Attended two art workshops, Drawing the Human Head and Jungian Archetypes & Maskmaking. Pictures of the mask I made are soon to come.

- And tomorrow, I am leaving for two nights in Hampton Bays with two friends I rarely see. 

That will conclude the two busiest weeks of my summer.

I will soon be getting developed many rolls of film from New Hampshire and summer/ late spring. So I'll have some new (hopefully good) photos to post here.

In the meantime, here's one from mossière,

and a bunch from my wonderful friend Arielle Fears.

Sign up to be notified when she returns to selling! 

homes are so nice... 

I will write more when time allows. And it will allow.

Over 40 days of oil

Is it possible that the country that created HD, 3D, & iPad can't figure out how to fix an oil spill? Or how to prevent one in the first place? 

Are our skills no longer practical?

Really though, people don't need the iPad. But people need water. Animals need water. Fishermen who need to send their kids to school need clean water. 

HOW can one understand the unseen things that go on inside a computer but not understand that this problem is destroying lives and livelihoods? We're talking about plugging a hole versus creating microchips and car systems that can talk back to you. Yes, I know it's more complicated than just plugging a hole. Yes, I know it's ridiculously far underwater. So how is it that we can create everything in a touch screen format and lasers that can eradicate cancer cells, but we never prepared for this? Did we really think we were that invincible? That something of this magnitude would never happen? I have nothing against technology. That being said, let's use it to fix this. If we're so smart how can we not realize that oil is not the answer? Stubbornness? Maybe this spill will wake up the government? One can only hope.

I really wonder what would have happened if this country started the energy revolution as soon as the technology became available instead of stalling because of money and greed.

Would you really rather look at this than at a field of wind turbines or at rows of rooftops covered in solar panels?? Wake up, U.S. government, please, I'm begging you. I'm also taking the liberty of speaking for everyone who understands these things the way I do: please, we are begging you. 

Want to help? donate? volunteer? Here's one of many places: Audobon Action Center