Give the devil a inch

Apparently have noticed my affection for these things, Charlie Hodshon sent me this picture with a note that said, "Where have all the grammar gone?"

And I've been having fun trying to get a visual image out of this statement. I keep imagining the devil turning into one of those twelve-inch wooden rulers with the metal edge that they used to give away at hardware stores.

36 Hours in New York

Last weekend, Tammy and I went to pick up a truckload of equipment for Penland School. Why would we do this? Because it gave us 36 hours to goof around in New York City. I'll put more pictures on Flickr and Facebook, but here is a little sampler.


This is the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which you will recognize from dozens of movies filmed in New York. Tammy wanted to go for a walk there because she's seen it in dozens of movies filmed in New York.


Here's Tammy at Sahadi, the amazing food importer that has been supplying Ten Thousand Things Coop with Polish cherries, seven-layer halvah, Zoe olive oil, and many other important items for more than thirty years. We thought a pilgrimage was in order.


This is the High Line Park, which just opened this summer. It's a city park built on an old elevated train platform. It offers views of the city and the river, it's a pleasant place to walk, and it demonstrates genius-level design: from the walkway surface, to the sections of track left in place, to the benches, to the wildflower-and-grass landscaping, every part of this little park is a model of what cities (and designers) can do when they are doing things right. Dick Kennedy, put this on your destination list.


For free entertainment, you can't beat the Staten Island Ferry at sunset. (Really, it's free, they don't even charge you a quarter anymore).

One albino

Flock of turkeys on my way to work. They were working already.

Extreme optimism

Wow, someone has opened a place in Spruce Pine that sells nothing but snow cones and coffee.

Step we gaily, on we go...

Here is the multi-faceted Jeff Goodman assisting Polly and Miles in the process of tying their very own Gordian knot.


Here they are smashing the glasses, just after Jeff shared four or five of the possible explanations (we love the Internet) for this arcane Jewish custom. Seriously, nobody really knows what it's about.

Robin said to go so we did

And we were very glad.

Old knee new knee

Paul Feldman at outdoor beet pickling station

Putting summer in a jar.

When putting up truck

If you ever have a job putting up truck (which I think means "the stuff that came in on the truck"), you'll want to follow these guidelines.