by Paula D.
on December 28, 2018 8:44 am in Community
It all started over some cocktails, poolside at my sister’s house on Long Island. “If we don’t find a new home for the palm tree, we’re going to leave it outside over winter and hope for the best, but it probably won’t make it.” Natalie said. Sip… three vodka clubs later… “As a certified NYC Citizen Tree Pruner, I can’t let this gorgeous species die! I will take the tree!”
Famous last words.
My sister made an impulse purchase three years ago, buying a palm tree from Florida for her new backyard pool oasis. It became a burden, though. It needs water every three days and pruning often, which requires a ladder to reach the towering palms. And most inconvenient, the 10 foot tall tree needs to be moved indoors every winter.
October rolls around and I get a call from Natalie. “We’ll have to make arrangements to get the palm tree to you soon, before the first frost.” It took me a minute to register what she was talking about. The vodka clubs. The palm tree. It came back real quick.
Of course, I didn’t mention anything about this at the time to my husband, so, I had to “ask” him. “It’s pretty big. I think we’re gonna need the pickup. The tree will die if we don’t take it!” Matt agreed with one stipulation — he didn’t want any part of the transport or logistics of getting it inside.
Two weeks ago I went to my sister’s house for my niece’s birthday party. This was as good as a time as any to take the palm tree home with me. My brother-in-law helped get it in the truck and secured it for my two hour drive back to Rockaway. I’d posted a message on Facebook for some help getting it off the truck and into our back bungalow, which has very high ceilings. No one responded. Matt had a recording session with Simon Chardiet and we had Greg and Ashley’s wedding at the Brewery that evening. There was only a small window of time to get it inside. The tree would freeze and die overnight if left out.
“I said it was a palm TREE!” Matt was totally freaking out, “10 feet tall?? I’m in the middle of a session. I don’t have time for this shit!!!” he yelled. I suppose there was a slight miscommunication on the actual size of the tree. “And… ummm.. I can’t find anyone to help bring it in…” His face turned red, I thought I saw steam flying out of his ears like Yosemite Sam. He interrupted his work and brought the ginormous palm tree inside. “This is not staying here, you better find a home for it.” Door slams shut.
The next morning I woke up and my first thought was “the palm tree situation”. I started frantically texting friends, “Do you know anyone who wants a beautiful palm tree, it’s free!!? It’s just a little big, about 10 ft tall.” After a few hours I got a text back from my friend Melissa Draugsvold, “Bryan Bernath of Bryan’s Auto wants the tree!” I couldn’t believe it.
Bryan was happy and excited to take it and he has a huge garage to house the tree over winter. He sent Tow Joe over with his truck. He and his guy easily moved the tree out, onto the truck and drove away! I texted Bryan, “Tree in transport” and thanked him for saving my marriage and the palm tree. “Come visit it anytime you like!” Bryan responded.
If you’d like to see the beautiful palm tree or need an oil change, inspection or new breaks, visit Bryan’s Auto, 87-15 Beach Channel Dr, Far Rockaway, NY – 718.474.3032. Their good people!
There’s a party every weekend. Friday and Saturday nights I’m trying to find a sparkly shirt or dress to wear. Preferably not the one I wore last week. I’ve eaten more cheese and antipasto than normal, not to mention cookies and chocolate, which I don’t even really like. I had my own “kick-off to Christmas” party the first week of December, which was a shining success.
Balancing the parties, decorating and shopping with my increased seasonal workload is tough when you’re a freelancer working from home. Should I?
A: Wrap Christmas presents with a Hallmark movie playing in the background
B: Start designing the countless “the gift that counts” emails or the holiday menu ads and promotions mounting in my queue.
[Correct answer is A, by the way]
When I do have a minute in the evenings, I sit in front of my glowing Christmas tree, and my mind starts to wonder to the Christmases of yesteryear. Things seemed so simple then. That feeling of being a kid the night before Christmas will never leave me. My sister Maria and I shared a room and we would giggle under the covers with butterflies in our stomach. It felt like the morning would never arrive. But soon enough we’d wake up to a pile of presents displayed on the living room floor, ready for us to tear open.
When I look around, I see ornaments that used to belong to my grandmother, another reminder of Christmas past, when things seemed less hectic. On my end table, sits grandma Mary’s ceramic drunken elves (Lipper & Mann 1956). Each one his hugging a lamp post, eyes closed, slipping down the pole!
I inherited my grandmother nativity as well, which I really love. I recall being at my grandparents house as a child for Sunday dinners in December. I’d lay on her green shag rug with my head practically under her Christmas tree, where the nativity was. I would play with the sheep and the holy figurines, but this was no toy. It seems the set is handmade. It’s not marked with product stamps or stickers and its very unique to the eye. Mary and Joseph’s expressions along with the others are vivid and pretty strange actually. Made from plaster, I’ve had to glue some heads back on and a sheep’s tail since I’ve had it, but nonetheless, it’s priceless to me.
Having these little reminders around my house of Christmas past helps to keep me focused and reminds me to slow down and embrace the season for what it truly is about. Happy Holidays and keep calm for Christmas!
by Paula D.
on December 11, 2018 4:16 pm in DIY
I heard positive feedback about my Kitchen Hacks column from a few weeks ago. Using sunglasses to prevent one’s eyes from tearing up while chopping onions and lining a bowl with a compost bag for easy kitchen clean-up were helpful hacks I’m told! So, here’s Part 2 as promised.
— Make your own “house blend” spice. Most of the time I use the same four spices in my meals and green salads – salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Instead of pulling out all of your go-to’s very time you’re cooking, combine those ingredients into one jar at equal parts or to your preference. Next time you’re making a salad, you can quickly grab just that one jar, instead of several. It’s a time saver and less clean up. Take it a step further and make other custom blends – an Italian medley, Mexican-mix, and an Indian blend.
— This is an old trick we all seem to forget so here’s a reminder – add a few grains of rice into your salt shaker to absorb moisture and prevent clumping and clogs.
— If your cutting board is not laying flat and seems to be curved, make sure you wet/wash each side of it after use. It will fall back into form. Adding moisture to both sides prevents the wood from warping.
— If unexpected guests text you and say they’re dropping by and your kitchen is a mess, hide everything in the dishwasher! What makes a room look messy is clutter. If you can get most of the counter clear, your kitchen will look clean and organized. A quick sweep and you’re all good! You can deal with the pile up in the dishwater later on.
— Use the bottle opener tool on a can opener to loosen a jar top. You’ll hear an “air release sound” then it will open easily. Did you see the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode(S. 9, Ep. 2) with Funkhouser’s nephew Kenny and the pickle jar?!?! “Everybody’s gotta be the hero with the pickle jar.” Too bad they didn’t know about my trick!
— Always make extra. Cooking can be a lot of work, pulling out all the ingredients, making a mess, dirty pots and dishes, etc. If you’re going through all that effort and the mess will be made regardless, double the recipe. You’ll have leftovers all week. Or you can freeze some for use when you don’t feel like cooking, know you’re going to have a busy week and have no time to cook, or if you have unexpected guests. Back in the day my mother always had 30-40 meatballs in the freezer. If you get a “drop-in”, all you need to do is take those out of the freezer and through a pot of macaroni on the stove. Your uninvited, slightly rude guests will think you’re June Cleaver.
The first sewing class I attended at The Studio Phantasmagoria was not what I expected. I walked in and studio co-owner Jackii Ramis told the students to take a seat and relax. “Do you want some tea?” “Yes!” We all practically said in unison. Already my concern about having know clue how to sew dissipated. Jackii passed out booklets and we flipped through as the tea steeped. We reviewed the basics, discussed our pencil skirt pattern design and outlined what we would accomplish in each class. After taking our measurements we started cutting out the patterns. So far, so easy!
The atmosphere was casual and relaxed. I know sewing takes a lot of patience. Being engaged in one aspect of the project allowed me to focus on the task at hand and not worry about the big picture. This microstructure was intentional. It’s a philosophy Jackii follows as a designer and is a fundamental of her brand. “INDIGO APPAREL is a social brand created with the simple idea of taking things slow. We believe in the power of taking a slow journey through life, and are inspired by appreciation for the little things.”
The following Wednesday Jackii taught us to wind bobbins. She suggested making many at one time, so we’d always have one ready to go with the color needed. Next, we threaded our machines which was difficult for all of us beginner students. But we got the hang of it eventually, after a few “uh-ohs”! We learned to change tensions, and begin sewing on scraps, experimenting with different stitch types. The Studio Phantasmagoria has a zero waste initiative. They seek out designers and work with them, passing along unused fabric scraps, giving the textiles a second life. From 2017 to now, they have trashed less than 1 lb of material!
Class three was the most challenging yet! We starting sewing our skirt. To prevent the material from fraying, we contoured each piece with a zig zag stitch. After a few minutes, I was at ease with this procedure. The next step was to mark the darts on our pattern. This was the hard part where much patience was needed. Darts are folds (tucks coming to a point) and sewn into fabric to take in ease and provide shape to a garment. They are used frequently in all sorts of clothing to tailor the garment to the wearer’s shape. There are a few methods to mark darts. We used the fold and flip method. The pattern needs to be aligned with the material. You then fold on the pattern line so you can trace the shape with a wax pen. I tried my best. It was definitely not perfect but I was generally satisfied after many botched attempts.
Somehow, magically, I’m hoping I’ll have a finished holiday plaid pencil skirt with a zipper and all by the end of next class. Wish me luck!
If you missed the prelude to this column read about The Studio Phantasmagoria (92-10 Rockaway Beach Blvd) here.
