Due to circumstances beyond my control with squarespace, some of the links in the blog text may not be working (although the photo links seem to work fine). My apologies. Natalie Merchant’s song San Andreas Fault can be found on youtube. The photo links seem to be working but if you are interested in more information on Harvey Milk, you might have to google it yourself…Sorry for the inconvenience…

three things we love

Natalie Merchant's San Andreas Fault

Natalie Merchant’s SAN ANDREAS FAULT

Go west, paradise is there, you’ll have all that you can eat of milk & honey over there. You’ll be the brightest star the world has ever seen, sun-baked slender heroine of film & magazine. Go west, paradise is there, you’ll have all that you can eat of milk & honey over there. You’ll be the brightest light the world has ever seen, the dizzy height of a jet-set life you could never dream. Your pale blue eyes strawberry hair lips so sweet skin so fair, your future bright beyond compare, it’s rags to riches over there. San Andreas Fault moved its fingers through the ground, earth divided, plates collided, such an awful sound. San Andreas Fault moved its fingers through the ground, terra cotta shattered and the walls came tumbling down. Oh, promised land, what a wicked ground. Build a dream, tear it down. Oh, promised land, what a wicked ground, build a dream and watch it all fall down. Natalie Merchant Indian Love Bride ©1995

Turkish Lentil Soup

I used to get a craving for this soup at Bereket on Houston Street and I would run down there in the middle of the day just to get it for lunch. Sadly one day the hole in the wall restaurant disappeared and I had no choice but to learn how to make it myself. Luckily, I succeeded. Just might be my all time favorite soup—be sure to add a lot of lemon just before serving.

Turkish Red Lentil Soup Recipe (Mercimek Corbasi) I used to get a craving for this soup at Bereket on Houston Street and I would run down there in the middle of the day to get it for lunch but sadly the hole in the wall restaurant closed and I had to learn how to make it myself. Luckily, I succeeded. Just might be my all time favorite soup—be sure to add a lot of lemon just before serving…Turkish lentil soup is ready in 30 minutes and is so easy to make and only requires a handful of ingredients.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 mins
Turkish Servings: 4 servings
Author: Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion chopped
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 carrot chopped
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 cups wate
Saute onion until golden. Add tomato paste and cook for a minute. 
Add in carrots and potatoes and cook for a few more minutes. 
To the onion and carrot, add the red lentils, salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper and black pepper. Stir well and cook for a minute. 
Pour in the water and bring the soup to simmer. Cook covered on medium heat for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 10 minutes until the lentils are completely cooked. 
Blend the soup in the blender or using an immersion blender until it's creamy and smooth. 
Serve warm with a big squeeze of lemon.  
Store the leftovers in a glass airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the soup in a sauce pan with ⅓ cup water and reheat over medium heat.

Harvey Milk

Photograph as part of the SFO Museum Exhibit on Harvey Milk

At a time like this in our nation’s history, it does us good to remember heroes of the past that have fought the good fight and persevered in difficult circumstances…Harvey Milk (1930-1978) is one of the important figures in American history—and we owe it to him to remember him and the legacy he left behind.
”
Milk was a visionary civil rights leader who launched an activist agenda for LBGTQ rights out of his modest camera store in the Castro District of San Francisco and went on to become one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S. when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. His election gave never before experienced hope to the LGBTQ community and the impact of his work continues today.
The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has just completed construction on the new Harvey Milk Terminal, including seven new departure gates, a new post-security connector to the International Terminal, a new museum gallery, and a new display of exhibit content honoring the life and legacy of Harvey Milk. If you are flying in and out of SFO on JetBlue, have a look at this wonderful exhibit. P.S. If you want to learn more, Sean Penn played Harvey Milk in a 2008 film well worth watching.

products of the week

Get a head start on holiday shopping. Visit our artSHOP including silk blend scarves, table runners, cutting boards, memory card games, pouches, pillows, bedding, & more…www.pamelasmilow.com/shop-all

Donate to the Harvey Milk Foundation

“Hope Will Never Be Silent” —Harvey Milk

Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.