“It’s absolutely a beautiful day out there right now.” That’s what the New York City school chancellor said to parents and school staff about the weather conditions late yesterday morning at a press conference. The storm was at the peak of the heaviest snowfall when the early morning commute should be in full swing. Yet…
nacho, nacho man!
“Do you know how to make nachos Mom?” my younger guy asked. “Because, I think we would like them. They have cheese!” Someone has seen a Super Bowl commercial or two. Nachos it is. The guys are good about embracing the dinner menu. The younger one though, does not like “mixed-up food.” This means that a hearty winter…
snow drifts and soup bowls
This winter is certainly reminding us what we have forgotten about the months between December and whenever spring shows up. The snow that was predicted for an afternoon debut showed up by early morning. The day was dark, and the snow started to fill corners around the house, as it blew around. The quiet yielded only the…
jumping into january after a polar vortex
We just finished watching The Polar Express movie from the holidays, when we learned the term “polar vortex,” and how it tightened a frozen grip on the entire country. We went from 6 degrees outside, desperately bundled against the icy air, to almost 60 degrees, in a matter of days. Now it is a pleasant temperature, but it’s…
christmas in new york made of twigs and pomegranate seeds
Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus. Do you know the story of the eight-year-old girl whose belief in Santa Claus begins to waver one Christmas in New York City? She writes to the editor of a New York newspaper. The little girl’s father is a faithful reader and believes any story in the paper to be true. The editor of The…
cue the reindeer and christmas morning breakfast
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” That’s a little bit of pressure. We’ve had unusually warm record-setting temperatures the past few days. It made some holiday shopping a bit more pleasant. But, a blast of cold, artic air seems to be the right touch to roll in for Christmas Eve and Day. The guys talk…
oh lemon tree, oh lemon tree
Never underestimate your children or your plants. Just when you think you have one all figured out — you’re delivered a surprise. The Meyer lemon tree spent the summer outside in the backyard. The blossoms have a bold, lemony scent that are one of summer’s pleasures to enjoy when sitting on the patio. A sunny yellow…
before the parade passes by
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was hanging in the balance this year. High winds were predicted to blow through after a storm system that brought some much-needed rain. The day ended up being cold and clear. The expected winds didn’t happen. So when we tuned in Thanksgiving morning, there were all the inflated characters bobbing up…
a devil of an egg
Some friends were talking about the deviled eggs they ate at a party. They didn’t care for them. The reason? There were pickles mixed in with the yolks. A deviled egg with pickles, is not the deviled egg they knew, and they weren’t interested in a new version. The deviled egg starts with a hard-boiled…
running on empty and a year later
This time last year we had no power. Hurricane Sandy plunged neighborhoods into darkness. We were living without everything we take for granted. During the day we added an extra layer of clothing in a house where everything was cold to the touch. When the sun started to go down, we knew we were headed for another…
