BirchLane.net
March 2009
Monday 30.
Tulip. Grace.
Sunday 29
Tulips. Pasta and Meatballs.
Saturday 28
Holyoke, Masssachusetts.
Friday 27
Twitter.
I may get more value out of Twitter than anyone else on the planet because I use Twitter as a tool—specifically as a marketing tool—for my website Alltop and my book, Reality Check
~Guy Kawasaki, complete entry here
Thursday 26
dad is in the kitchen peeling slicing and dicing potatoes, each piece perfect and regular in its squareness.
Wednesday 25
Chicken.
Tuesday 24
Dad. Often (continuing the sentence from the 22nd) my Dad would come to the house in Weehawken for dinner. Once I made Walnut Cream Pesto which was served with pasta along with Steak Béarnaise. Of course, I was much thinner then but cooking then as I am today; nightly. Tonight I made a Rutabaga Soup with Herb-Crusted Scallops, which was outstanding; tonight--almost three years after my Dad's death. He would have loved the soup's subtle taste and velvet texture. "Bruce," he would often ask, "Have you made that Walnut Pesto Sauce recently?"
Monday 23
Me.
Sunday 22
The Old Waterfront. During the years I lived near the waterfront in Weehawken, New Jersey, I frequently saw my father.
Weehawken, New Jersey. Waterfront.Saturday 21
Pizza.
He is wistful about a France he sees in spiritual decline, but as passionate as ever about the art of cooking and his role in it. The gastronomic writer Brillat-Savarin put the creation of new dishes at the top of human achievement, declaring, "The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star." Like a composer who can hear the whole orchestra in his head, Mr. Robuchon imagines a dish in full, then makes it real. ~Raymond Sokolov writing in today's Wall Street Journal
This was sooooooooooooooo good!!!
I marinated the following in Olive Oil for an hour before putting on pizza:
Fresh Cut Green Beans
Diced Tomatoes
Thinly Sliced Garlic
Thinly Sliced Mushrooms
Diced Roasted Red Peppers
Diced Green Olives & Capers
Thinly Sliced Jalapeno Pepper
Added to pizza before cooking:
Sliced Turkey Pesto Meatballs
Mozzarella & ParmesanFriday 20
Downy Woodpecker.
Thursday 19
Common Grackle.
Wednesday 18
Hannah. The bride with veil.
Tuesday 17
Art in America.
Monday 16
What we take in by contemplation, that we pour out in love.
~Meister EckhartSunday 15
Saturday 14
Friday 13
Thursday 12
"The garden as God's handiwork is a rich source of
inspiration, because in it we encounter God, the Creator
in creation. The basis for understanding the Mary Garden
is through discovering its devotional meanings. Symbolism
is the system that provides the meaning. As we resurrect
our ties with the natural world, we become more open to
receive the Divine which is constantly at work in the
rhythm of nature and in us. We will know when the
connection comes to fruition. We find the little green
shoot of our beginning, we operate in joy and like a
flower, we unfold beautifully."~From " The Liturgy of Flowers In A Mary Garden" by Andrea Oliva Florendo
Wednesday 11
Atget. My birthday present from Susan arrived in the mail: Eugene Atget: Paris. WOW!
Central Park by Bruce BaroneTuesday 10
A friend and poet, Deborah Brandon, writes:
i tried to find it and could not.
the fracture. to the core.
flaking gold from the bones
i didn't have up 'til now.
a relaxed stare.
tincture of a blush
or cheeks sanded
red by snow
and how i wished
my shoes wouldn't slide
over the warm, melty grates.
the sometimes grabbing
of a perfect stranger
to continue standing.
just for that. i used to wish
for measles, yellow fever
or malaria. i'd lie
in bed covers tented
over me and take
tiny bites. saltines.
i was a pioneer
ill in the back of the wagon
no one knew whether i'd
survive. i'm here to tell you
i survived only to slide
back under
cover, i'm looking for my
crackers, i did not find
what i came here to find.
a rooster nailed to the wall
hammering out time.
a sense of shade. a
very forgiving bush
one that is not burning.
one that is safe.Monday 09
The Birds. Dark this morning. And cold. Wet. Rain, Ten snow. Falling lightly. I photographed birds fluttering at the feeder. The Cardinal. The Thrush. The Flicker. My favorite image was the one I found at night. Inside the house. In the living room:
Sunday 08
Blessings.
"They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper."
~Psalm 1:3I received dozens of beautiful birthday greetings/blessings. Here are a few:
Happy birthday, brother. You bless our lives all the time! You must be, what, thirty-eight? happy birthday, bruce!
thank you for the gift you give us - inspiration.You truly brighten my days with your absolutely beautiful work, your vision, you as a person are truly a treasure.
Thank you for everything you are and my wish for you on your birthday is that all your wishes come true.Great to hear from someone who understands that being thankful for the love, friendship, and other blessings in your life is the best gift you can give yourself. Being thankful isn't something you do for others; it's the most amazing thing you can do for yourself!
Welcome to another year, and never doubt how big an impact your beautiful work has had on me.
Happy Birthday to an inspiring man; may this year bring you many blessings & days full of smiles & guffaws!
Saturday 07
Birthday. Susan and I went to Turners Falls and saw five inspiring art exhibitions; enjoyed a Martini, Red Wine and Charcouterie at The Rendezvous; and had a Bourbon Roast Chicken for dinner, more wine and watched West Side Story. A most wonderful birthday!
Cathe at The Rendevous.
We saw three inspiring photography exhibition, all at The Hallmark Museum of Contemporary Photography: Susan Bozic, The Dating Portfolio; Josephine Sacabo, Lux Perpetua; and Colin Finlay, A Matter of Conscience.
Friday 06.
The Office of The Dentist.
Thursday 05.
Dinner with Daryl. A fine pre-birthday with Daryl was enjoyed tonight. I made Stuffed Pork Loin The Tuscan Way for him.
Wednesday 04
Light. Reading The Daily Word I learn that Jesus said not only, "I am the light of the world," but also "You are the light of the world."
These words become steadfast hope in moments when we feel a sense of depression and darkness. These words reveal to each of us that we are light, that we have the Christ light in us. And where there is light, darkness disappears! Darkness is only a temporary state which we experience when we are turned away from the light. When we again face the light, we discover once more an illumined pathway and proceed in faith toward our highest goals.
"You are the light of the world......Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." We, having experience power of the Christ light can in turn bless and give radiance and cheer to others. Through sharing our light, along with our prayers for others, we find true joy and meaning in life.
I find great meaning, strength in: "Through sharing our light, along with our prayers for others, we find true joy and meaning in life."
Tuesday 03
Poem
Today, I am reminded of that Robert Frost poem, In The Home Stretch. It begins:
She stood against the kitchen sink, and looked Over the sink out through a dusty window At weeds the water from the sink made tall. She wore her cape; her hat was in her hand. Behind her was confusion in the room, Of chairs turned upside down to sit like people In other chairs, and something, come to look, For every room a house has—parlor, bed-room, And dining-room—thrown pell-mell in the kitchen. And now and then a smudged, infernal face Looked in a door behind her and addressed Her back. She always answered without turning.I remember the woman in poem saying"
"My dear,
It's who first thought the thought. You're searching, Joe,
For things that don't exist; I mean beginnings.
Ends and beginnings—there are no such things.
There are only middles."
Monday 02
Snow. Woke to ten inches of snow this morning. And wind. Blowing snow. Minutes after photographing the railing outside the study window, the snow fell from the wrought iron.
Nadine watched the snow and I watched Nadine.
Bird came to our backyard and fluttered at the feeder all day.
Sunday 01
Bruce's Kitchen. I have been back-and-forth on whether to create an online cookbook or a food blog. I have decided to concentrate on creating a cookbook that will grow as do the days. Tonight we had pizza:
