It's good to see you. Come on in, leave your shoes in the hallway, we've got fire on the stove preparing lunch for later. In the meantime, browse the bookshelves and plunk down on the sofa with one, or pick out some tunes from the music library or come in to the kitchen to help with the cooking. Our special blend of tea is steeping and will be right up.

Make yourself at home...

I haven't haven't had much time this week to sit at my computer and write.

Instead it was a week with a string of serendipitous and planned reunions with friends from three different parts of my life. I'm still feeling light and fulfilled from having made the connections. On two days in a row, in literally the very same spot in the park at the bottom of the meadow near the river, I heard my name being called from my right.

The first time was by a friend in the neighborhood I've come to know from our local Occupy group. He and his wife were strolling their newborn, just 12 days old. He's a teacher and may not yet be 30 years old. The last time I saw him we talked a bit about "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Pablo Freire, which I must get back to reading. I have a lot of misgivings about putting my son into the American public school system. So I look forward to speaking with him more as we sit with our young ones and talk about how to impact radical change in society, with specific attention to the education system.

Almost 24 hours later in practically the same exact spot, it was the appearance of a bass player friend of mine who I met working while working at the one and only desk job I've had, which was in the music industry, back in the late 80's. Haven't seen him in years. He filled in often for a Celtic Rock band I was in 13 years ago and then we lost contact. He's been out on the road and recording for the past decade with a fairly well-known British rock act (if you're a fan of 70's rock). We caught up on lots as he walked me and the Boy home, and vowed to make it a regular thing as much as that was possible. Saw him yesterday again on a nice drizzly but comfortable morning when we strolled over to meet he and his son at the running track, who was enrolled for a summer track session. Had some good laughs together, as points of reference varied from the music world at large, to the office job we met at to playing together as a rhythm section.

Then this past weekend we spent an afternoon in the company of two good friends we've known for years, who are originally from the same Eastern European city but didn't meet until one was my roommate. The other was good friends with an ex-girlfriend. Each of us now have kids, two each for them, and we're expecting a second. In the early 2000's we had many fun times living together, cooking, and throwing parties, in which the larger expatriate community were always present, providing lots of good cheer and imbibing. Was a trip to look around and see this new scene cropped up around us, literally at our feet.

But both are now leaving the NY metropolitan area; one to go back home abroad for at least a year, and the other because the rent just became untenable and they found something to their liking upstate about 2 hours north. Rent at their apartment in Brooklyn, which was already at an insane rate of $3k a month, just went to the obscene and criminal rate of $3.5k a month. Eventually there's only so much people can take of this shit. The trick is in being able to withstand that notorious strong magnetic pull back to NYC after some time has passed.

Though these were three different people in my life who are not in any way related to each other and have never met, there were things to broach that overlap, especially socioeconomics. I'll often try find a way to put something into the context of what we're organically talking about, so that it's not forced. There are plenty of opportunities. Sometimes the socio-political is implied.

So it was a week filed with light-hearted, good-humored and affectionate, mutual regard of friends' for one other. Felt good to see people and be online less.

Just couldn't resist, because for two days in a row it seemed like, "a beautiful day in the neighborhood..."

So, what's going on with you...

Back in the kitchen we're listening to:

Neil Young & Crazy Horse "Greendale"

Reading/Browsing List:
"Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted" Justin Martin
"Unto The Sons" Gay Talese
"I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin's Life of Letters"
"Hard Times" Studs Terkel

Jamaican Lentil & Greens Stew, with plantains on the side

Cook 2 cups of lentils.

In another pot, caramelize 2.5 onions, a nub of diced smoked Hungarian sausage, and 3 carrots. Then one extra large beefsteak tomato, cumin and smoked paprika. Add 2 cups of water and a third of the cooked lentils. Bring to a boil. Then puree.

In a skillet, sautée one onion, a green pepper, a long Italian pepper and a jalapeño. Add chopped chicory and collard greens, then some crimini mushrooms and chopped garlic.

Transfer vegetables to large pot, then pour over the thick pureed broth.

In a frying pan heat canola oil on high, then add sliced plantains.

Serve over any grain or eat as is.

Lemongrass Chai Blend

heaping scoop of dried Thai lemongrass
shards of cinnamon bark
a few cardamom pods
a few black peppercorns
A few cloves
fresh chopped ginger