Daily Harvesting

I need a break from gender observations and universal gratitude. Looks like it’s time for anotherrrrr…

List of Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now!

My French Press:  I got a French press for Christmas, and although I have always suspected that it would change the coffee experience for me, I had no idea how much it would change the coffee experience for me. I am a black coffee drinker, so my mid-morning (and last day’s) cup of coffee made fresh from my French press is an aesthetic experience. It even changes how my house smells. I love going to my favorite gourmet food store for freshly ground beans, then heating water in my Haden kettle and stirring the hot water into the pungent grounds. The four minutes I force myself to wait to depress the plunger and then drink that cup of coffee is a tough four minutes. The taste of a perfect cup of coffee made from a French press just hits different.

Frank and Eileen button-down voile shirts: Warning: these shirts are expensive. I mean, Oprah wears them. If you don’t believe in paying for quality, don’t even log onto the website, you’ll be horrified. Just know this: when you are a large-breasted woman like myself who likes to wear light gauzy boxy linen shirts, you are limited in your choices. It’s not like I can just go to Macy’s and find such a shirt. I know the Eileen voile shirt is going to fit me and look great when I’m on the boat, out to lunch at the country club, or just with a comfortable skirt at church or out for drinks. I have the Eileen voile shirt in black and white, and it looks great with everything.

You Say to Brick, a biography about Louis Kahn: I have a thing for architecture, and architects, for that matter. My obsession with Frank Lloyd Wright is a post for another day. But this book is knocking me out. Here are some fun facts:

Did you know that Louis Kahn died alone in a bathroom in New York’s Penn Station?

That he was so bedraggled in the airport that when fellow architect Stanley Tigerman saw him a few hours before his death, Tigerman didn’t recognize Kahn at first? “I see this old man, who looks like he has detached retinas, is really raggy and looks like a bum. If I had not known he was Lou Kahn, I would have thought he was a homeless person.”

That a man (who remains nameless in the book, for good reason) encountered Kahn in medical distress in the Penn Station men’s bathroom, and asked Kahn if he needed medical help? When Kahn said yes, this stranger called a doctor and then proceeded to leave Kahn alone and ill. He claims that Kahn was “in complete control of himself and walking around,” so he thought it was fine to catch his train. I wouldn’t want anyone to know my name either, if I could have been the difference between Louis Kahn living or dying.

That he had children not only with his wife but also with two other women, but he was so beloved by all the women and all of the children that they all accepted each other and continue to love him to this day.

That Kahn positioned the plaza of the Salk Institute directly in line with the equinoctial sun so as to create maximum access to natural light? Kahn called it “daily harvesting.” How lovely.

Volunteermatch.org: I’ve been flailing a little, you know. A tad lost, meandering off my patch, as it were. Going on to volunteermatch.org and finding ways to help other people always sets my head straight. I never forget how lucky I am to have the life and family I have, and the time to express that gratitude. I am now signed up to work a table at a charity race in Philly, and to blog for Soroptimist.

Saucony sneakers: The new spring colors and styles are so beautiful. I have new light blue ones. So pretty.

Modern Citizen linen sweaters: Again, not cheap. But I don’t buy many clothes anymore, so the ones I do buy must be top notch and versatile. Modern Citizen is all about simplicity and economy of material.

St. Joseph Sunday Missal: I got really tired of sitting in church and not being able to follow along in mass with the daily readings. When are churches getting their books back? Anyway, I just went onto Amazon (thanks, Jeff) and ordered a 2021 Missal that I bring to church on Sundays. It’s small and easy to carry, and it smells good (book lovers understand this).

Elin Hilderbrand novels: Not because I like her writing. I actually think her writing sucks. Her tired clichés and contrived dialogue give me brain bleed, and her sentences are like reading Mad Libs. Hey, don’t get mad at me, I read her novels sometimes on the beach, too. I mean, Cheetos lack nutrition but I still like to eat them. It’s just that whenever I read an Elin Hilderbrand novel, it reminds me that some people get to be best-selling authors not because of their talent, but because of their social connections, and who they know in the publishing industry. This knowledge, while discouraging, keeps me sharp and on my toes.

Revlon The Gloss: These chunky little Revlon glosses with the soft thick felt lip applicator are available in all stores. So many colors and sheens. I keep them in my car, in my purse, in the kitchen junk drawer, in my luggage, in my gym bag, so I always have one available.

The sunshine: Just does a world of good for a mood, doesn’t it? Soak it up.