A time for everything…

These pots are in the front of my house and are–in the summertime–part of my front yard victory garden. I see them everyday as I dismount my bike, and I’ve been noticing the snow getting taller and taller on them as the winter progresses. While I do find winter really lovely–even on a bike; especially on a bike–it has, with the frigid temperatures, been trying to say the least. And as I looked at those snow covered pots today I couldn’t help but think how lush they are with vegetables in the summer; growing food that feeds me on so many levels. Anyhow, the below scripture came to mind, and now I seem to be humming the below song.

1  There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 


Urban Simplicity.

Things that can be carried on a bike (#566), and a brief comment…

On the bike…a case of red wine and a gym bag.

A brief dialogue…

The Sales Person at the liquor store: Would you like me to carry the case of wine out to your car?

Me: No, but you can carry it to my bike.

Sales Person: [blank stare]

Me: But no seriously I can carry it to my bike to myself.

Sales Person: [smiling now, as if I’m teasing him]

Second Sales Person: No he’s serious…he’s “that guy with those bikes.”

Me: [smiling]

Urban Simplicity.

Things that can be carried on a bike (#566), and a brief comment…

On the bike…a case of red wine and a gym bag.

A brief dialogue…
The Sales Person at the liquor store: Would you like me to carry the case of wine out to your car?
Me: No, but you can carry it to my bike.
Sales Person: [blank stare]
Me: But no seriously I can carry it to my bike to myself.
Sales Person: [smiling now, as if I’m teasing him]
Second Sales Person: No he’s serious…he’s “that guy with those bikes.”
Me: [smiling]

Urban Simplicity.

Two views from my handlebars (in really cold and snowy weather)…

These were taken on two separate nights; the top photo last night and the one below tonight. The weather has been pretty much unchanged…bitterly cold and somewhat constant snow. But I am not complaining about this as I work in a kitchen and would actually take this weather over 90F and humid. There is something truly serene about riding a bike in this weather; hearing your tires crunch on the frozen snow and feeling the cold air on your face. But I’d be fibbing if I said that temperatures hovering in the single digits or low teens (Fahrenheit) for the past few weeks (or has it been months?) has not been trying. Anyhow, I still find it beautiful.

Urban Simplicity.

Two views from my handlebars (in really cold and snowy weather)…

These were taken on two separate nights; the top photo last night and the one below tonight. The weather has been pretty much unchanged…bitterly cold and somewhat constant snow. But I am not complaining about this as I work in a kitchen and would actually take this weather over 90F and humid. There is something truly serene about riding a bike in this weather; hearing your tires crunch on the frozen snow and feeling the cold air on your face. But I’d be fibbing if I said that temperatures hovering in the single digits or low teens (Fahrenheit) for the past few weeks (or has it been months?) has not been trying. Anyhow, I still find it beautiful.

Urban Simplicity.

Five (or ten) Quotes from Booker T. Washington

April 5, 1856 – November 14, 1915

“The happiest people are those who do the most for others. The most miserable are those who do the least.”

“I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.”

“Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than to be in bad company”

“Character, not circumstance, makes the person.”

“We all should rise, above the clouds of ignorance, narrowness, and selfishness.”

“My experience has been that the time to test a true gentleman is to observe him when he is in contact with individuals of a race that is less fortunate than his own.”

“I have begun everything with the idea that I could succeed, and I never had much patience with the multitudes of people who are always ready to explain why one cannot succeed.”

“The longer I live and the more experience I have of the world, the more I am convinced that, after all, the one thing that is most worth living for-and dying for, if need be-is the opportunity of making someone else more happy.”

“Character is power.”

“Success is not to be measured so much by the status one has attained in life but rather by the obstacles one has overcome while trying to succeed.”

More Five Quotes.

Five (or ten) Quotes from Booker T. Washington

April 5, 1856 – November 14, 1915
“The happiest people are those who do the most for others. The most miserable are those who do the least.”
“I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.”
“Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than to be in bad company”
“Character, not circumstance, makes the person.”
“We all should rise, above the clouds of ignorance, narrowness, and selfishness.”
“My experience has been that the time to test a true gentleman is to observe him when he is in contact with individuals of a race that is less fortunate than his own.”
“I have begun everything with the idea that I could succeed, and I never had much patience with the multitudes of people who are always ready to explain why one cannot succeed.”
“The longer I live and the more experience I have of the world, the more I am convinced that, after all, the one thing that is most worth living for-and dying for, if need be-is the opportunity of making someone else more happy.”
“Character is power.”
“Success is not to be measured so much by the status one has attained in life but rather by the obstacles one has overcome while trying to succeed.”
More Five Quotes.

The Good Neighbor…

So here’s a picture of my bike parked in front of Cafe 59 on Allen Street in the neighborhood in which I live in Buffalo. No big deal, right? Well it is, and this photo speaks volumes. Not only does the owner shovel both of his sidewalks (it’s on a corner) he also shovels the sidewalks in front of the restaurant he owns across the street. And he also thoroughly shovels out all the bicycle racks in front of his restaurants (something like five of them…get one for your business). Anyhow, this is a rarity. Often times I end up sort of piling my bike on top of a snow mound to lock it against a pole in the snow. And when I went in and thanked him for shoveling the bike parking, he simply replied: “Bicyclists deserve good parking, too.” Nice. It’s things like this that really make a difference in my life.


 Urban Simplicity.

The Good Neighbor…

So here’s a picture of my bike parked in front of Cafe 59 on Allen Street in the neighborhood in which I live in Buffalo. No big deal, right? Well it is, and this photo speaks volumes. Not only does the owner shovel both of his sidewalks (it’s on a corner) he also shovels the sidewalks in front of the restaurant he owns across the street. And he also thoroughly shovels out all the bicycle racks in front of his restaurants (something like five of them…get one for your business). Anyhow, this is a rarity. Often times I end up sort of piling my bike on top of a snow mound to lock it against a pole in the snow. And when I went in and thanked him for shoveling the bike parking, he simply replied: “Bicyclists deserve good parking, too.” Nice. It’s things like this that really make a difference in my life.

Urban Simplicity.

One of Four plus One…

Okay. So it’s time again for a bit of self-promotion (sorry). These photos are part of a five-photo series that will be hanging in the College Street Art Gallery through the month of February. The above photo (which was taken here) is one in the series Greenwich Village at Night; the below photo (which was taken here) is also part of the series but didn’t make the cut, hence the “one of four plus one.” But I still like it so thought I’d offer it here. Anyhow, the gallery is also part of First Friday’s Allentown and the opening is this Friday (2.7.14), so if you happen to be in the 716 please feel free to stop by. If you need a map of directions follow this link. And also, if you are ever questioning whether photos on this blog are for sale, yes they are. These and others that hang in the gallery have to be purchased through the gallery owner, but any others can be purchased directly through me; contact me and we can make arrangements (there is an email link in the upper left sidebar at http://www.urbansimplicity.com). Anyhow, hope to see you this Friday.

Urban Simplicity

One of Four plus One…

Okay. So it’s time again for a bit of self-promotion (sorry). These photos are part of a five-photo series that will be hanging in the College Street Art Gallery through the month of February. The above photo (which was taken here) is one in the series Greenwich Village at Night; the below photo (which was taken here) is also part of the series but didn’t make the cut, hence the “one of four plus one.” But I still like it so thought I’d offer it here. Anyhow, the gallery is also part of First Friday’s Allentown and the opening is this Friday (2.7.14), so if you happen to be in the 716 please feel free to stop by. If you need a map of directions follow this link. And also, if you are ever questioning whether photos on this blog are for sale, yes they are. These and others that hang in the gallery have to be purchased through the gallery owner, but any others can be purchased directly through me; contact me and we can make arrangements (there is an email link in the upper left sidebar). Anyhow, hope to see you this Friday.

Urban Simplicity

Shakshouka (Yuumm!)

Shakshouka is a Middle Eastern/Israelis egg dish where the eggs are oven-poached in tomato sauce and other good things; usually onions and peppers, but the sky really is the limit. It is an extremely easy one-skillet meal and good for you as well. Eaten with crusty bread and a piece of fruit really makes it complete. Anyhow, here’s how to make the basic recipe (this is for an individual portion but it can easily be multiplied)…Preheat an oven to 350F. Then heat a small cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with a few tablespoons olive oil. Add a small diced onion, a half of bell pepper, and a small diced potato (which has been pre-cooked) to the pan and cook it until it just begins to brown. Then add a clove or two of minced garlic and whatever seasoning you like (I added crushed hot pepper, but spices such as cumin or coriander are delicious, as are herbs such as basil, oregano, and even mint). Cook the garlic and seasoning for a minute or two, then add about a cup of thin tomato puree and a pinch of sea salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook it for a couple minutes. While the sauce is simmering crack a couple raw eggs into the center of the pan and place the pan in the preheated oven. Cook the shakshouka for about 5 minutes, which just about the time it will take to toast your bread and wash and slice a piece of fruit.

Urban Simplicity.

Shakshouka (Yuumm!)

 

Shakshouka is a Middle Eastern/Israelis egg dish where the eggs are oven-poached in tomato sauce and other good things; usually onions and peppers, but the sky really is the limit. It is an extremely easy one-skillet meal and good for you as well. Eaten with crusty bread and a piece of fruit really makes it complete. Anyhow, here’s how to make the basic recipe (this is for an individual portion but it can easily be multiplied)…


Preheat an oven to 350F. Then heat a small cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with a few tablespoons olive oil. Add a small diced onion, a half of bell pepper, and a small diced potato (which has been pre-cooked) to the pan and cook it until it just begins to brown. Then add a clove or two of minced garlic and whatever seasoning you like (I added crushed hot pepper, but spices such as cumin or coriander are delicious, as are herbs such as basil, oregano, and even mint). Cook the garlic and seasoning for a minute or two, then add about a cup of thin tomato puree and a pinch of sea salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook it for a couple minutes. While the sauce is simmering crack a couple raw eggs into the center of the pan and place the pan in the preheated oven. Cook the shakshouka for about 5 minutes, which just about the time it will take to toast your bread and wash and slice a piece of fruit.

Urban Simplicity.

Five (or ten) Quotes from Madeleine L’Engle

November 29, 1918 – September 6, 2007

“A self is not something static, tied up in a pretty parcel and handed to the child, finished and complete. A self is always becoming.”

“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.”

“Don’t try to comprehend with your mind. Your minds are very limited. Use your intuition.”

“Hate hurts the hater more’n the hated.”

“People are more than just the way they look.”

“I do not think that I will ever reach a stage when I will say, “This is what I believe. Finished.” What I believe is alive … and open to growth”

“Only a fool is not afraid.”

“The minute we begin to think we have all the answers, we forget the questions.”

“Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys.”

“Art is communication.”

Five (or ten) Quotes from Madeleine L’Engle

November 29, 1918 – September 6, 2007
“A self is not something static, tied up in a pretty parcel and handed to the child, finished and complete. A self is always becoming.”
“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.”
“Don’t try to comprehend with your mind. Your minds are very limited. Use your intuition.” 
“Hate hurts the hater more’n the hated.”
“People are more than just the way they look.”
“I do not think that I will ever reach a stage when I will say, “This is what I believe. Finished.” What I believe is alive … and open to growth”
“Only a fool is not afraid.”
“The minute we begin to think we have all the answers, we forget the questions.”
“Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys.”
“Art is communication.”