Mersydotes

March could not simply bring spring gently on the breeze.  It had to test our metal with one more snowfall. Even the little winter cabbages that line the streets in Manhattan have given up any hope of an early spring. Big, plump flakes fell all morning and afternoon.  The street sounds were muffled and little kids accompanied their parents on sleds along the sidewalks.  On the hood of my jacket I could hear tap, tap as the flakes settled on my head.  Pretty soon we were all crusted in snow like chicken filets covered in bread crumbs. We spent the afternoon ducking in and out of cozy nooks.   McNulty's tea shop opened its doors to us in a cloud of tannin and mint. And Murry's cheese shop let us taste and compare wheel after wheel before we finally chose a goat cheese cheddar from Spain.  They treat each cheese like a fine wine.  It's amazing the variety that can be created by the careful curation of one simple ingredient. A week later, the sun ca

Early in February we were walking around Bryant Park with Mr. Mersy's sister, trying to stay warm by walking on top of the subway vents, waiting for the blasts of warm air.  No matter how bundled up we were, that damp sea air of Manhattan kept chilling us through, and Mr. Mersy's sister was tempted to buy an ear warmer from a street vendor until she saw the price.  What would probably have gone for two bucks in Queens was going for thirteen in Manhattan, so I told her not to worry, I could crochet one for her lickety-split.   Here's how it turned out, with a snazzy little button around the cinch.  It's not just any button, though. This is, in fact, a button from a burqah, and I'd been waiting for just the right occasion to use it.  It came from a friend of mine who covered fully, and one day I noticed that her abbaya had brand new buttons on the front.  After complimenting her, she went home, gathered her extra buttons, and presented them to me the next day.  Wh