Potatoes in the Mist

Happy Halloween, everyone.

Here is a picture of little E, heading to the toddler Halloween party: I also got him a slice of pizza as a costume, but he refused to wear it. Fortunately, both outfits were cheap (and cute!) We got to the Halloween party, which was fun but chaotic. There was a single mom there with two kids whose problems seem to be piled deep and high. Her older daughter's tooth got knocked out the other day and the mother saved it in a plastic bag (which she had with her). She was hoping to find a pediatric dentist to re-attach it so her daughter wouldn't have a gap. But then she lost the bag with the tooth inside. I hope she finds it. I finished Traveling with Pomegranates and have that feeling of mourning that accompanies the end of a good book. I started The Likeness by Tana French, which is a little dark, but good.

Just a note to say I am really enjoying Traveling with Pomegranates. I've read Sue Monk Kidd before - The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair - but this one is my favorite. It's a dual memoir written by her and her daughter, Ann, about a time when they went to Greece, Turkey and France to visit "sacred places," but it's also an exploration of the psychology of each woman, and the different struggles in their lives. I'm currently in the Greek section and it's reminding me how much I like Greek mythology. As a child, I took Edith Hamilton's Mythology out of the library and devoured it.

I'm reading Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong, a novel about a woman who tastes flavors when she hears certain words. Her description of a parsnip's flavor: "A celery and a potato meet and have a love child. The celery departs soon thereafter, and the potato thinks of their fleeting time together with fondness and longing. Skating around the edges of their unlikely love affair is a McIntosh apple, contributing to the tableau all of its faint spiciness but none of its obvious sweet or sour." Fairly accurate, isn't it? I always forget how much I like parsnips.

My sweater is coming along nicely. I'm almost done with the torso, and then I'll knit the sleeves. Here's a picture:

So a new Trader Joe's opened up within walking distance. I went to check it out yesterday and was pleasantly surprised (their other space in New York is not great). This location was large, airy and filled with yummy, inexpensive goodies. So I bought some pumpkin pancake mix, stood in line and approached the cashier. She asked me if I'd ever tried it before. I said I hadn't, and asked, "Is it good?" She said yes, and then another woman working nearby asked what we were talking about. My cashier told her, and they giggled. Walking home, I got paranoid. Maybe the mix was really terrible, and that was why they giggled. But I made the pancakes this morning, with sliced fresh strawberries and a drizzle of maple syrup, and they were really good.

My sweater, so far:

1. Do your pants get hung on a hanger or folded? Folded. 2. If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you need to have with you (not including humans or electronic devices)? Books, knitting, food. 3. Where is the farthest you have traveled to? Venice, Italy. 4. Do you live in a house, trailer or apartment? Apartment. 5. What is your most hated household chore? I actually don't hate household chores that much anymore. But laundry is the most cumbersome because you have to take all the clothes downstairs to the laundry room.

I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art today. I can't believe I've never been there before. Part of it is, it's not close to me at all. To get there, I have to walk to the east side, then take a fairly long subway ride. But it was worth it. The building itself was enormous and beautiful. Inside, there were many, many lovely pieces of art. I kept getting lost and ending up in the Greek/Roman and French Impressionist sections...but maybe those are just the ones I liked best. Then I came home and popped a white bean gratin in the oven.

Not too much going on. Today was a very cold, raw day, so I'm making green split pea soup with barley for supper. I also happen to be knitting a green sweater. The pattern is here , though I'm making it in a different shade with a smoother-textured yarn. My Nantucket reading continues with Summer House by Nancy Thayer. I like it.