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summer finally came to new york this weekend, and it was amazing … hot sticky sun, ice cream, cold beers outside, french fries, sour cherries at the market, time to put a fan in the window, birthday cake, yankees vs. mets, a little sunburn, a quick storm followed by orange clouds and a rainbow and many laughs with good friends.

how was your weekend?

(and those balloons above are for hannah, because it’s her birthday today)

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hi there.  spring seems to be taking her sweet old time this year, don’t you think?  i spent the weekend in connecticut and it was bright and sunny on sunday, but quite chilly.  i don’t think it hit 40 degrees, especially with the strong wind!  despite a pesky cold (which i seem to get every year at this time), i forced myself to get out on sunday morning and take a walk with my camera. in doing so, i crossed something off of my spring list – visiting daffodil hill.  the daffs are probably 2-3 weeks away from their peak.  but since it’s my only chance to visit this year, i forged ahead and found a few brave flowers that, like me, were defying the cold temps and enjoying the sun.   the best part was avoiding the crowds that descend during late april, and a nice quiet walk around the property, enjoying my time away from the city.   afterwards, i warmed up with mint tea and then an easter feast with my family (which included molly’s ‘winning hearts & minds’ chocolate cake for dessert…)

i also crossed another thing off of my spring list this week – check it out here.

and when i returned to brooklyn last night, i had a package from sandra waiting for me with a fantastic surprise inside.  how great … tack, sandra!

i hope your weekend was nice, too.  i’m eagerly awaiting some warm temperatures…. and trying to be patient.  it’s tough!
have a good day.

top image is mine (my all-time favorite peanut butter)
bottom images: 1. {film.267}, 2. tea and bread, 3. dreaming…, 4. nitro stout, 5. Untitled, 6. Untitled

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looking at today’s favorites, a quote that i’ve always liked comes to mind:
“we are what we eat. we are also what we see and hear. and we are in the midst of our one and only life.”
-James Salter, NYTimes, 9/13/99

i think mr. salter is on to something.

a few food-related things today:
+ i saw molly read from her book last night, a homemade life. i don’t have to tell you how great she was, because you already know that. one thing: her obsession with david byrne is awesome. luisa has a photo from the reading here.  and maria wrote a wonderful tribute to the book today at 3191.
+ eater pointed me to ruch reichl’s twitter feed. amazing.
+ have you checked out ‘at the table‘ recently?
+ the hidden kitchens project on NPR
+ this weekend, i’m excited for a food-related adventure and cooking dinner with friends. what’s on tap for your weekend?

have a great one – i hope it is full of good eats!

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this morning, i hear the birds singing outside and the sun is bright and strong through my windows. i am ready for spring, that’s for sure. there are little signs everywhere. and since i’m a list-maker, i thought i’d share the list of things i’d like to do in the coming season:
- choose vegetables and herbs to grow on the roofdeck
- buy a hammock for the roof, and lanterns
- inspired by my brother, buy some good sneakers. i’m thinking of a pair of nike dunks. custom colors. nice.
- more do-it-yourself food: make my own gin, fresh ricotta cheese, and cocktail cherries
- learn how to use a steel and take care of my knife
- patiently await the season’s first asparagus and ramps
- listen to more 60s soul
- brunch & coffee outside
- breathe in the lilacs
- take photos at daffodil hill in litchfield
- eat lunch outside more often

oh! and i got a spot in my local CSA … i’m doing a half-share, including eggs and fruit. given my unpredictable work schedule, this could either be the best idea or the worst disaster ever. either way, i’ll detail my adventures here and i’m quite excited.

what’s on your list for spring?

i just watched “nobody knows“, a film by kore-eda hirokazu. this movie killed me. i’m not entirely sure what to say about it, especially if you haven’t seen it yet. but it’s beautifully shot, which i really appreciated – the little details of the children’s lives and small symbols of their existence in the tokyo apartment (and beyond, to a certain extent). it’s a simple movie, but quiet, and very sad. i would still highly recommend it, though.
after watching the movie, i went back through my tokyo photos and i’ve posted a few from the archives above.  i really want to visit japan again.

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and i saw “helvetica” earlier this week, which made me wish i had discovered graphic design in college. what a neat movie, and interesting. recommended.

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finally, i recently watched a movie on a friend’s recommendation, called “reconstruction” – i loved this.  have any of you seen it?  i think you’d like it.

i’m always looking for suggestions of movies i might not stumble upon myself…so, what movies have you seen recently that you’d recommend?

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here are 3 visual blogs i’m currently liking, and all of them are guys’ blogs. sometimes i feel like many photo/art bloggers are female (which is fine), but it’s nice to see inspirational stuff that appeals to me from guys. if you have other suggestions along the same lines, please share them in the comments!

++ holgarific (adventures in medium format) from mathias
++ pergenius
++ christopher david ryan (his blog format is new – in 2008, he posted one of his images daily, and now he’s blogging, a bit less frequently. you can check out his 2008 daily postings at his website – it’s worth a browse, for sure!)

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speaking of evenings – there are only 2 evenings left in mav and stephanie’s project, “3191: a year of evenings.” i went back through some of their previous posts yesterday, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for taking good photos at night.

also, HERE is a good andrew bird article from the sunday nytimes (thanks for the tip, jill).  what an interesting guy.

have a good day!

some night bokeh for shari and hannah.

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i guess the upside to a 24-hour stomach bug is that it only lasts for 24 hours. ugh.
slowly getting back to normal.

in the meantime, i made you a mix — listen HERE and enjoy (the bon iver track is from his new EP – really good).

midtown; 12/30/08, originally uploaded by brianwferry.

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