Still Here…

Apologies for my miserable posting history this year. Real life has been challenging, to say the least. There’s a term for this kind of excuse (irritating?) but I’ve forgotten it. Anyway, here we are, for the moment.

Two things, while we wait for the next post.

The first concerns The Wok Shop, San Francisco’s much-beloved institution, frequenty mentioned here. Four of my five woks are Wok Shop, as are my sand pots and the friendly little black ceramic pot that allows me to produce edible rice. In fact, much of my kitchenware comes from the Wok Shop: the black bowls that make the brownest, plainest food instagram-influencer-lovely, the lightweight Kiwi brand cleavers that ease chopping, that most painful of kitchen tasks. My set of blue and white rice grain china.

In other words, a hell of a lot more than woks.

A few days ago, some idiot, or idiots plural, vandalized the store. Owner Tane Chan has started a Go Fund Me to raise money for repairs. The link is here.

I realize many, if not most of you, are routinely asked for money, and share this in the spirit of goodwill. Frankly, I couldn’t pressure you if I wanted to. I mean, I suppose I could track you all down on Google Analytics, but am I really going to do that?

Hell, no.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Tane, take it from me: a visit to The Wok Shop ain’t about the woks. You leave with a full shopping bag and an even fuller heart (grammatically awkward, but who cares?). In a world of increasingly cold online shopping experiences, the Wok Shop is what shopping should be: a personal experience in an unforgettable place. Please help if you can, and share widely, if you are so inclined.

My 29-pound stone mortar and pestle. From guess where?

Thank you.

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Next: after seven years of unstinting service, my I-phone 6 finally retired. At my husband’s urging, I am now the bewildered owner of an i-phone 12. Bewildered because I’ve yet to master its many features. Then again, I’ve had it less than two weeks.

Even the most technically backward amongst us cannot fail to be impressed with the camera. No filter. Major allergies.

The above was taken at night, with the phone advising me to hold still.

Plastic cup acquired from the now-closed Goodwill.

 

Thank you for reading.