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10.08.2014

RAINY DAYS IN BK


It's been a beauuuuutiful early fall here in Brooklyn. Cozy and insular and thoughtful. We've had precisely zero thunder storms since August though, which is unacceptable, and even though the skies seem to have been threatening rain for weeks on end they've stayed shut tight, and my rain boots have started to give me dirty looks, and I started to notice the other day how badly I needed some nasty weather to hide out from. Toes in the socks under the blankets with a book that isn't mine kind of hiding out. Do you know how that is? I suppose I feel I need permission in order to hole in for a while and just live in the moment, hang out with my boys, and not try to multitask all the things and answer all the emails while also making all the oatmeal . . . you know. It's been a busy season for us all, and it's been hard to really relax when the quiet times do come, because there's always something I could be doing, and once you're in the habit of never sitting still I suppose it's especially hard to all-the-way stop. My head feels a little bit scattered. I put my keys in the fridge the other day and then couldn't find them for hours

It rained here on Saturday afternoon. A good all-day rain and thank you, thank you, it really hit the spot. I didn't leave the house at all. (I mean, until I ran to the Rite Aid for some fake eyelashes.) We watched some conference till we couldn't watch any more conference, we watched some Harry Potter, we spent some time with some coloring books, all the while I puttered around the house tidying up socks and toys, more socks, some string cheese wrappers . . . feeling guilty for not sitting still and feeling guilty that there must be something I could be doing . . .  eating chocolate chip cookies . . . Yo, it turns out that the recipe for chocolate chip cookies I posted a few years back is still the best chocolate chip cookie recipe to ever exist. Not even exaggerating here. Also, seasonally appropriate cookie links coming at you right now thank-you-very-much: these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are the only pumpkin flavored things anybody needs to be eating right now. (Although I did just buy pumpkin-flavored cereal at the Trader Joe's the other day, so don't listen to a word I . . . uh . . . type.) 

I want to be able to clear my head all the way until the only sound I hear is the thud of my own heartbeat in my ears. It's been a couple months now but we still do that thing where we stop mid-stride in front of these windows and go, "THESE WINDOWS," and those stop-in-your-tracks moments when the rest of your thoughts flitter away and you're just in one place doing one thing feel so, so refreshing. I'm still in the getting-to-know-you phase with this apartment, still smitten with all the different ways the different sunlights can do all these different things with all our different corners, still discovering other funny things, like the other day when I discovered the corner where the centipede family lives and flipped my ish so hard . . . But it's been such a huge pleasure to be here. Brooklyn in the summer was ace. Brooklyn in the fall is shaping up reaaaaal nice. I really, really can't wait to see these windows in the snow. Eventually I will find myself a good window cleaner. And a decent exterminator.  I'm still working on slowing the eff down. I suspect I'm going to need ten more rainy afternoons like Saturday before I get the hang of it. 


Oh, Barrold. Barry and I have a good thing going. Believe me when I tell you, the man understands some things. Mostly I like to look at Barry and remember that however important something might feel to me right now, someday I'll be dead. Maybe I'll end up stuffed and mounted on somebody else's wall. And then what? It's good perspective. Barrold is a rather understanding chap. He still looks a lot like Barack Obama to me. 


Kiss those cookies right on the mouth. Kissies!

21 comments:

  1. hey natalie. love the rain photos. questions; 1. why do you keep your clothes in the living area? 2. can you give us a tour of your new place (via photos)? its hard to get a feel for the layout but it looks really neat and different.

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    1. I was a bit curious about the clothes in the living area too... I came back to see if you had answered. I'm assuming you may not have room in your bedroom? Anyhoo, Curiosity and all that!

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  2. love your new place so much. so happy for you all.

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  3. mmm love days like that. and this: 'able to clear my head all the way until the only sound I hear is the thud of my own heartbeat in my ears'....what a line, and what a thing that would be. ahhh. i need that kind of peace. xo

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  4. Oh what a niiiiiceee autumn rain post !!!

    Enjoy these days too!!

    All the best,

    A.

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  5. That rain on Saturday was amazing. I agree that we need more storms. It was supposed to storm last night but I never heard any thunder. Maybe I missed it while sleeping :(

    Those cookies look fantastic. I'm a Toll House die-hard but that recipe seems similar and yes, I do have shortening from pie making (its just necessary sometimes, even though I don't really understand what it is) so I'll whip some up!

    Also- you posted an adorable Gap ad on instagram but I don't see more photos here. Are you able to share some of them with us?

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  6. I really loved reading this :) there was a time in my life when I didn't like rainy days, that has changed! now I really enjoy them, perfect excuse to get cozy right?
    thanks for the recipe! my 2yo is totally going to love them!

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  7. alright, you've inspired me. your cookie recipe IS the best thing ever (do you want to know how many times i made them while pregnant? no, no you don't) and i am absolutely making chocolate chip cookies thursday afternoon when it is supposed to rain, during nap time. done and done!

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  8. i havent attempted homemade cookies in AGES but now i have to. pregnancy food envy. and your space, ohhhh your space!

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  9. I can totally relate to the love of rain. nothing is better than curling up with a good book with the sound of pitter pattering rain on the windowpane. love these photos!

    love, arielle
    a simple elegance

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  10. The sight of those chocolate chip cookies made my mouth water! And I thought to myself, "self, we are baking after child's bed time" then I remember I ate all the chocolate chips out of "busy season desperation". It's a really thing, I promise. It calls of eating all the flipping chocolate chips you can because you haven't interacted with an adult in weeks! Anyway, those cookies are speaking to my soul.

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  11. rainy days are the best when you can just sit at home and appreciate it

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  12. like. times a million. i want to sit in your pretty nest and look out the pretty windows at the pretty raaaaain. Brooklyn, Brooklyn, take me in...

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  13. This is a great autumn post. As draftwoman I was asking myself how it is to live in your flat, with pretty raw brick-stone-walls, pipes everywhere, pretty industrial view outside. You made a great job choosing this piece and every single thing in this house match perfect.
    Well I am not a big fan of stuffed animals on the wall, but even this match a great, warm, cozy style!
    Thumb up

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  14. Love when I read your posts and yell "me too!" We moved to Texas this summer and there is NO rain. And when there is rain my two little guys & I run out and let it stream over our faces. I've been bummed wondering how I will ever have a proper hermit pj day with NO RAIN? It's not the same with sunlight glaring through the windows.

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  15. Hey Natalie! I picked up a book from the library last week called 'Have You Seen My Dragon?' Have you already read it? It has amazing illustrations of spots around NYC and the little boy reminded me of Huck. Anyway, you should check it out! I know you and Huck would lerv it. (http://www.amazon.com/Have-You-Seen-My-Dragon/dp/0763666483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412870323&sr=8-1&keywords=Have+You+Seen+My+Dragon)

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  16. I love that Chocolate Chip cookie recipe with the sea salt on top. It really is the best. I only use it since you posted it. Even passed it along to my daughters. People are a little skeptical when I tell them about the salt on top but, they always end up liking them.

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  17. Oh wow.. the view is spectacular! Natalie, you are so lucky.

    Valentina
    Valentina Duracinsky Blog

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  18. chocolate chip cookies and rain go so well together. well, chocolate chip cookies go well with anything!

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  19. oh wow... what a lovely view you have there... the bathroom window. THE BATHROOM WINDOW!
    i see you are already doing it but still: ENJOY!

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