A girl should be two things: classic and fabulous.

-Coco Chanel

Channeling Coco

A couple months ago, I watched the french film "Coco Before Chanel," the story of the woman behind the world wide brand. She had quite an interesting life and I was inspired by her determination and gumption. There was also a brilliant love story in her life, that I of course swooned over. It's a great film that stars Audrey Tautou, you should check it out, she is lovely.

There is a little second grader at my school who has sort of reminded me of Coco since I saw the movie. She has the same big dark eyes, long black hair, and inquisitive nature. Interestingly enough, this sweet girl would like to design clothes when she grows up.

So, the other day I was walking down Third Ave to "California Pizza Kitchen" with the 2nd grade on their field trip. (CPK does field trips where the kids go to the restaurant, learn how a kitchen/restaurant runs, and make their own pizza.) As we were walking, I noticed that this little fashion designer to-be was carrying a zip lock bag with a sandwich inside. So I said, "Friend, are you not eating pizza today?" She replied in a simple voice, "Ms. Thamer, I just want to wear Italian, not eat it."

Classic.

Then I had another summoning from Coco Chanel when I was practicing spelling words with a fourth grader last week. The words was none other than, channel. It was the only word she missed, but was quick to tell me that she just gets it confused with the brand. Did I know about Chanel when I was ten? Um no.

What do all these Chanel occurrences mean? What could Coco be trying to tell me? That I should buy a quilted handbag? I'd be ok with that!

The Busy Season

Since moving to New York, I have heard talk of the "busy season." It's a term that refers to the tax season for all my friends in that field, and it's a period of 3 months where your life is taken OVER with work. My friend Jason works at PWC, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and for the last few months has been getting home at like 10-11 pm and working weekends! Its craziness! Apparently, the coping method is that when you get done, life slows way down and returns to normal. It's a short term hell with a light at the end of the tunnel.

Well friends, I think that I too have entered a "busy season" in life. Things have been crazy with spring break visitors and friends in the city. Every time I try to schedule a day with no activity, I end up somewhere out in this big city. People that know me well know that I must have time on my own. I have to take time to recharge and reflect on life. However, I find those nights comes less and less now that I live in New York. I spoke to some friends about it this evening and they said they think it's a combination of things but mostly the city's fault. In New York, there is always something going on and people out doing it. Maybe they're out for coffee, having dinner, seeing a show, visiting a museum, shopping, running in the park, anything-it never stops. It sort of becomes your "new normal." It can be a blessing and a curse.

Also, this week I started a masters degree in school counseling at Liberty University. The school is in Virginia and it's an online program where I will actually go to the University for a couple weeks in the summer for intensive courses. I am excited about it, but it will definitely take some time out of an already busy schedule for the next 8 weeks.
I realize, it's all relative. Wherever we are in our lives, whether we are in college, raising kids, starting a new job, just married, having grandkids, or somewhere in between, things can get hectic. I pray I can use the time I have between all the "to dos" in life to invest in people and this city. I will try to remember to take a breath because everybody's life gets crazy sometimes. But doesn't that just make your resting time that much sweeter?

Sounds of the City

After eight months in the city, I have become pretty immune to the sounds of New York City. Well, most of them anyway. I don't think I will ever get used to the screech of a subway car, that is just jarring to all. Here are some noises I hear day to day in my apartment, on the subway, and in the streets.

-garbage trucks

-ambulance sirens (I don't even think they help in ny traffic.)

-delivery trucks (I think they may outnumber inhabitants on this island.)

-bike chains jingling as the Dominoes delivery guys lock up their bikes

-steam hissing through the heating poles and radiators in my apartment (My friend Claire thinks they sound like crickets.)

-iPods blasting on the train (Can you say hearing loss?)

-dogs barking

-subways screeching to a hault

-my tiny neighbor next door who does laps up and down the apartment at all hours, I think he's a future marathoner

-pipes whining as the hot water slowly creeps up to the 5th floor

So how does one survive the chaos of this clamor? I don't really have an answer to that, but I do however have a little round machine that makes it much easier to sleep. He is pictured below in all his glory, perched atop the chair. I turn him on and sink into dreaming bliss. I missed him when I was home in Texas over Christmas, it was almost too quiet. Thank you white noise machine for your soft whooshing sound that reminds me I too can find peace in this boisterous city.

my bff

Bon Appetit

This phrase literally translates to "good appetite" or more commonly thought to mean, "Enjoy your meal." Until recently, I had only heard Julia Child's warbley voice say this, but now I hear it almost everyday at the French school where I work. My colleagues walk into the lunch room and say "bon appetit" like they would say good morning at the coffee pot.

Well, I have definitely had a "good appetite" lately because I have been getting to eat at some fantastic NY restaurants. I have had my sweet dad, commonly referred to as Papa Thames, in town this past weekend and a couple friends' parents in town the week before. So, suffice it to say, I have had some incredible meals!

Last weekend, I got to visit "Terrace in the Sky" and eat a classic french brunch with my friend Kelsey and her dad. Any brunch that has courses is just a ridiculous treat! The restaurant is on top of a building that has a beautiful view of Morningside Park and the NY skyline.

The night before Claire's parents treated me to the "The Modern," a restaurant inside the Museum of Modern Art and I feel like I ate ART! We had an EIGHT course meal with wine pairings. I came home and wrote down every course I had so I wouldn't forget them. What can I say, I think I was on a food high! Coolest dish: raw Kobe beef and foie gras squares arranged into a checkerboard and topped with passion fruit seeds. Amazing!

This weekend, my Dad and I went to Babbo, Mario Batali's restaurant in Greenwich Village that serves innovative and delicious italian food. You're not going to find spaghetti and meatballs here, but rather beef cheek ravioli with black truffles. (yummy) You have to get a reservation a month to the day in advance and I am sure glad we did! Such a wonderful memory for my dad and I. Highlight for me was the Pumpkin "Lune" ravioli sprinkled with fresh shaved amaretti cookies.

I love this city, but the eating in it never ceases to amaze me. Whether its dining at one of these fine restaurants or having a greasy burger at JG Melon, it's bon appetit every time!

What's all the hype?

In the book, Tuesdays with Morrie, a dying man says, "The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it."

Recently my church, Apostles, has been diving into the subject of hyperreality. What is hyperreality? Officially, it's a term that refers to the inability of humans to distinguish what is actually "real" in a culture where a multitude of media can radically shape and filter our reality. Dumbing it down, it means that we are surrounded by a media drenched world (advertisements, magazines, news, music, internet) that causes us to feel discontent by our ordinary lives.

We strive to look like the girl on the cover of every magazine. Our home should look like Trading Spaces was just there. (I miss that show!) We buy the newest pair of designer jeans because then we'll look better and be accepted. We have to eat at this new restaurant because our friend ate there and it was "life changing." We need to meet the man or woman of our dreams, because then, everything will come together for us.

Face it, these things run through your brain constantly. I think them everyday when I am walking through this crazy city. So what do we do when we have these thoughts? We consume. We consume things, clothes, experiences, people, and with every transaction, we become fulfilled, right? If only I could ____, then everything would be perfect.

Think about facebook...how many unflattering pictures do you have up? How many posts do you have about cleaning your bathroom or discovering that your jeans are too tight? We are an image addicted culture, and this is breading so much unhappiness in our lives.

We are essentially sitting ducks. I did some research and we are exposed to about 3,000 advertisements a day. (I think I see probably even more than that in New York City.) How do you avoid them? How do you avoid thinking that your ordinary life isn't dull when "everyone" around you has such an exciting life?

My answer: try to reassess reality because the reality presented to us is FALSE. Don't think you need to have the perfect outfit, relationship, home, job, vacation plans, or body. You're going to be a mess, forever. I believe that God is the only thing that can fulfill me. He needs to be my reality, He loves me, and He is true. Recently, I have realized the more I look inward, spend my time and money on myself, and focus on me, the more unhappy I become. Maybe we all need to take a huge step back, assess our version of reality, and decide if the culture works for us. What is true in your life? What are you investing in? What makes you happy or unhappy within yourself?

We can't avoid the world, but we can strive for contentment in the our own world. Big G loves you so much and His version of reality is true and real. I hope you'll take some time this week to reflect, find a new version of reality, and with it, happiness.

Love to you,

Pastor Katie

Pomegranate Paradise

I know you've seen them in the store. Inside, they hold the promise of antioxidant heaven and sweet and sour juice. "What a strange fruit," you think. You may have even liked to try one, but how does one deal with that fruit? You pick it up, hmmm. Then you'll probably come to the conclusion that this odd fruit is not worth your time. In other words, you're intimidated. It's ok, I was too, until last weekend.

The grocery stores in NY do such a wonderful job of showcasing what is in season. I had noticed the giant barrel of poms in "Garden of Eden" the week before, and I decided on a particularly dreary Saturday, it was time to face my fears. I picked it up, got home, took out my tools, and set to work.

I have always heard that you should cut into them and slap them on the back with a spoon to get the seeds out. Tried that...nothing happened. Also, the skin is much more fragile than you may assume so I felt this was too violent of a method. Then I just started to dig in with my fingers and easily pop the succulent seeds out. It turned out to be much easier, not to mention kind of relaxing. The seeds sit in these honeycomb like bunches within the fruit, and after about 15 minutes, I had completed the whole pom. All the seeds happily popped into their bowl, awaiting a beautiful fruit salad for brunch the next day.

In conclusion, I urge you to go out and get yourself a pomegranate. Wash the rind, cut it into smallish sections, and pop out the seeds, happily munching them along the way. Then serve them in a salad, on top of yogurt, or float them in a butternut squash soup. They are delicious, and when you finish, you will feel accomplished, happy, and of course, antioxidantized.

Woes and Wins of Winter

I woke up this morning to a brisk 7 degrees. Seven. It got me thinking about winter and how it's possible that I am managing my most fretted about season. Rest assured that I am pushing through it, learning lessons quickly, and trying not to let the "winter blues" set in. Here are some positive and negative observations I have made, just in case you're considering a move to an arctic tundra any time soon.

Woes.....

-Taking an extra 2 minutes to put on a jacket, scarf, mittens, and snow boots

-Remembering all of those said items before you walk down 5 flights of stairs

-Losing gloves

-Slush, big puddles of slush

-The crabbiness of commuters when it's raining, snowing, or sleeting

-The feeling of wind whipping through buildings, and how you never expect it. It takes your breath away.

-Seeing people that don't have a nice, warm apt to come home too on the street. I recently learned there are 37,000 homeless people in New York City.

Wins....

-A reason to buy lots of cute scarves, mittens, and a new "sleeping bag" jacket.

-Flannel sheets, ahhh, there is no safer place in the world than in a bed with flannel sheets during the winter.

-Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cider, and soup

-Running in Central Park covered in snow and on the Hudson, watching ice chunks float by

-Excuse to stay in and watch movies

-Kids wrapped up in snow suits, who can never seem to put their little arms down.

-Dogs wearing sweaters and little paw protectors, I always smile at them.

-Shopping for spring clothes-gives you hope this may end.

-The joy of eating in a cozy restaurant with the windows fogged up, or even just walking by one and seeing people enjoy that feeling.

So see, there are lots of reasons to complain about and celebrate winter. It's a season like any other, and will be over before you know it. The arrival of spring will probably never mean more to me than this year. Until then, I will keep enjoying the wonders of January, February, and possibly March, although I am hopeful.

Stay warm friends!