kthread / Kristen Taylor

all roads lead to brooklyn

High noon on Thursday, I began the Northward drive from Miami. Passing power lines, cows, and little else, I fell asleep that night listening to crickets by the lake behind my parents’ house in Atlanta.

The next morning, my beautiful sister Kassandra woke early to breakfeast with me the Flying Biscuit—where the grits really are dreamy and an order of eggs and love cakes (black bean cakes with tomatillo salsa, feta, and sour cream) will lift you on the way back to the road.

I also admired my mother’s tomatoes,

lavender,

calla lilies,

Kassandra’s eyes,

and the gardenias that my mother has coaxed into a significant mass—a few traveled with me, perfuming the car as I drove on to Carrboro, North Carolina,

the wonderful town within Chapel Hill, where I sat on the lawn with local peach ice cream and the Weaver Street Market circular detailing local farm produce being featured this week at the co-op.

That night, I laughed with Ben, Jeremy, Seve, and Kyle and their friends at Enoteca in Charlottesville, waking with the sun to wander the farmers’ market that begins here at 7 a.m. on Saturdays, filled with tempting pie cherries this time of year.

My favorite market vendors hugged me and advised I take 81 for a more scenic drive (good advice that I took),

and this is their beautiful jewelry—when at the Charlottesville Market, do stop by and tell them I’ve sent you,

I miss the lettuce from Radical Roots with edible flowers on top of the lettuces and bought some for the road,

stopping by the Goat Cheese Man’s stand with its radishes,

and cheese donations, buying green garlic,

noting these baby carrots as I strode toward the car, keys at the ready for the final stretch to Brooklyn,

into this new apartment, a new job, and a new chapter…

missmodular :
June 16th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
holy moly! kthread your apt is gorgeous!!!!!!!
Kristen :
June 16th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
thanks, Nina, cannot wait for you to visit for Brooklyn adventures (I am so lucky—light fills the place—morning light in this room, skylights in the den and the kitchen)…
jessica :
June 16th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Your new apartment *is* gorgeous! I can’t wait to visit you ;-) … you have to come here in the Fall for apple season, or later in summer if it gets too hot in the City. And/or you should meet me in Lake Placid in late September…
Kristen :
June 16th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Jessica, I love all of those ideas, looking forward to your visit. I’ve never been to Lake Placid, sounds lovely. I’m sitting in my neighborhood coffee shop right now, about to head over to Unnameable Books for Bloomsday :)
jessica :
June 16th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Nice! If you see Adam, say hi (Adam is the owner… curly dark hair, dark-rimmed glasses, our age). Lake Placid/Saranac Lake… great beer, great sourdough.
Mica :
June 16th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Wow, I can’t believe you’ve moved up to New York already. Very exciting! Will you miss the Magic Cottage?
David Sasaki :
June 16th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Yeah, the apartment looks perfect. A worthy successor to the magic cottage.
Jessica:
June 17th, 2009 at 6:52 am
Those floors!!!!! Gah!!
Kristen :
June 17th, 2009 at 8:16 am
I will miss the cottage, Mica, but as David points out, this is a magic apartment :) Jess, the floors are great in real life too—
Ben:
June 17th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Wood floors, NYC, light pouring in to reflect and intensify your incandescent imagination–what’s not to love? i wish you a charmed life in this charming abode that I hope to visit oh so soon.
Kristen :
June 17th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Thank you, Ben, there is so very much to love and to learn in this new neighborhood and yes! Let’s book that NY travel for you—I’m thinking about a housewarming in July, your presence is requested—