Week 46

Mid-November in the neighborhood: wet leaf mulch over the roads, giant puddles, heightened colors against gray clouds. My eye is always drawn to yellows, so I stopped to take a picture of this during my Friday afternoon walk, and within minutes, the clouds burst and I ran the last five blocks home. It was exhilarating.

Leisurely Sunday breakfast (poach pods make the eggs perfectly round for the English muffin) and casual reads.

Luna is a very earnest kitchen companion.

I wish my Oma were here to give her opinion on which vermouth she likes best. 

Saturday night fireside dinner, after sitting several hours by an outdoor fire. Dinner: Melissa Clark's sheet-pan chicken with sweet potatoes and peppers, topped with pickled red onions, quinoa on the side. Watching The Sunlit Night. Also watched two episodes in a miniseries version of The Name of the Rose, not very good. (Very much looking forward to the latest season of The Crown).

Reading: The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon. Breakfasting on whole-wheat Irish soda bread with goat cheese.

Craft diversion: cabled beanies.

A last-minute throw-together that looked planned: salmon with lemon-herb marinade, pan-charred Brussels sprouts and purple cauliflower, rice.

Minestra di pasta e verdure alla romana, one of my favorite soups of all time, made with a boatload of greens, prepared by Joel.

This week, during the workday, I've been listening to the ambient music of Brian Eno. While some of it gets a little out there, for the most part it's helped me stay focused and calm. 

I'm thinking about Thanksgiving and the holidays. It will be different for all of us, but some new traditions may arise from it that we can share with others in the coming years. Life in a pandemic remains difficult but I'm grateful for things to look forward to. In the meantime, I'm happy to stay home, stay healthy and stay connected in whatever ways I can.