A bouquet of pencils

"Don't you just love [Philadelphia] in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils."

YOU'VE GOT MAIL

Someone had quoted my all-time-favorite romantic comedy in a food blog post this week. I sent it to Nina, who replied with perhaps the best line of the movie ("Yeah, yeah. I would've asked for your number. And I wouldn't have been able to wait 24 hours before calling you up and saying, Hey, how about... oh, how about some coffee, or drinks, or dinner, or a movie... for as long as we both shall live?"), which is why she is the greatest. But in all honesty, fall has arrived in Philadelphia. Today I wore a sweatshirt and found that other people had discovered outerwear too. I've been wearing cardigans all week, but I think the temperature has dropped enough that everyone has caught on. I even treated myself to a hot chocolate from the Starbucks that opened a full three and a half minute walk from my apartment today.

I have had a ridiculous week (running trend?). I haven't done laundry, I sliced my finger pretty good with the mandoline slicer, and the UCC's board restructure is causing me more agony than I'd like to admit. My job with Bright Hope Baptist Church is good, but on days I don't help teach computer classes, I am bored to tears rewriting their curriculum (which, more often than not, I feel unqualified to do). But people are splendidly nice and I am learning a good deal. Not to mention all the reading, though I will admit it is interesting. "Death and Dying" is proving to be one of the best classes I've taken thus far at Temple.

I had time Tuesday night to make a meal for Matt and myself. We all know I've been celebrating fall prematurely. But this Cuban black bean stew was so weather appropriate and so darned easy. I was concerned that with the addition of oregano, my least favorite herb in the world, the whole dish would taste musty and old, but it was actually a good touch. The red peppers, which I'm also not a huge fan of, worked great with the black beans. Even radishes, which aren't a typical ingredient for me, were well placed. It was an unexpected favorite, a "maverick", if you will. The only substitutions I made were replacing the can of vegetable stock with a can of water and half a vegetable stock cube, and the cider vinegar with white because, well, that was what I had on hand. I probably added more onions than in the recipe too.

I had planned to write about Orangette's Soba noodles with peanut citrus sauce, but they went horribly, horribly wrong. Not enough lime juice, I think.

I've had some knitting to share with you for awhile. The first cowl of the season, based on the one I wrote about so long ago, has been done for about two weeks. I wore it out when it was still too warm, and afterwards decided it either needs a more finished border. So maybe I'll work up that pattern and test it out, because the texture is really cool.

So I understand that (a) I am not the best model in the world and (b) nor the best photographer. So this photo (a) makes me look ridiculous and (b) is poorly lit.

I tried. Take pity on me.

Here's a poem I should read more often.

ONE'S MIND

He was too shy to sing,
but I taught
Him.

The Sky's voice is such that
one's mind must be very
quiet to hear
God

speak.

Mira (14980-1550)
A renowned woman poet-saint of India

Oh, and speaking of God speaking, the UCC's commercial ("Steeples") should be on television this week and next. It'll be on CNN, Bravo, NBC, and a bunch of other stations. I'm on this committee on the national board, so I'm very excited we've pulled this together. And that we're showing it on Bravo.