New Year - Happy?

Goodness, so many thoughts roaming around in my head today.

Sherman, a dear, dear friend left this earth ten years ago today. I have the privilege of being in touch with his wife and grown children via Facebook and I am very happy for that. Very happy.

This picture is crazy - Brenda, the woman on Sherman's right has also passed away - too young. And the woman in pink, is John's wife Laura. John died a year ago yesterday.

I cannot even explain how much Sherman meant to me. He "saw" me. He was love, pure and simple, but he didn't put up with any bullshit. Teenagers adored him, including my son.
He was hilarious and high maintenance, (and got a big kick out of me telling him that), stubborn and kind, wise and a little scary, in a mind reading kind of way.
When the BF and I broke up, Sherman sat me down in his office, and with his face about two inches from mine, said in a steely, quiet voice, "Don't you ever, EVER, sell yourself short again."
I'll try not to Sherm.



Wednesday, three of us went to the Nasher Museum in Durham.

The Record was one of the special exhibits - waaay too avant garde for me, but The Vorticists was very interesting.
There was a poem by T.S. Elliot, "Rhapsody of a Windy Night" and
the third verse made me think of this tree from my Christmas eve day walk at Bolin Creek.

A twisted branch upon the beach
Eaten smooth, and polished
As if the world gave up
The secret of its skeleton,
Stiff and white.








 

On this balmy 50+ degree day, I went out to Pittsboro. Picked up this fabulous AND inexpensive piece of art at lovely Vespertine Cafe. I want to hang it over my bathroom mirror:

Ginna was listening to the Gotan Project, she always has the best music. 

On the New Year Day brunch front, the pork is marinating, the salad is melding.

Hey, speaking of salad, my friend Beth showed me a great way to chop herbs. Y'all  probably already do this because I can tell - y'all are smart.
Every time I use this method I think it's a freaking miracle. I am easily entertained. The cup from Whynot Pottery is perfect for this purpose.

Stuff herbs in a small container.

Use kitchen shears to chop.

Magic! All chopped & contained in cup.

Kitchen shears used to one of those utensils I poo-pooed, they seemed fussy and all "oh-look-at-me-I'm-a-chef"-ish. Now I have three pair and I use them ALL the time. There's the chopping herb pair seen above, the pair I use for heavy duty action, like cutting pizza (a genius tip from Sandy I.) or chicken bone, and the small red pair (thank you SG) that I use just about every day for everything from opening cat food bags to cutting string.

What else has been going through my head? Oh, yea - aggressive drivers. There was an abundance on the road today. My judging self had a hard time remembering to say blessings instead of this:

HA!

Let's see, what is going to be my last dinner in the year 2010? Me thinks white trash Tuna and Noodles. I'll untrash it just a little with Trader Joe's lemon pepper pasta.

Thanks all ye faithful ones who, god love ya, read my puny blog and think it's funny or enlightening or silly or moving or enjoyable or wow, I can do better than that (I agree).
Thanks for all your comments here and on Facebook.
I feel the love.

Time me eat!