Category: misc/personal

best pies at pantaleon’s farm

i know it’s blasphemous to say so, but home baked pies by pantaleon’s farm are better than monica’s pies in naples, ny. there i said it. the crust is buttery and crumbly and tastes almost as good as the filling. my favorite is ‘fruits of the forest’ because it has a sharp, sweet taste (apples, berries and rhubarb). juan pantaleon and his family took over the farm in 2011 and made it shine. they have flowers, a nursery, jams and baked goods, and of course, the famous fruit stand with fresh produce from the farm. at an intersection in east setauket. 5 min drive from our house.

pantaleonsfarm #fruitsoftheforest #piesarethebest #setauket #newyork #farmsnearby

frank melville memorial park

there’s an expression in urdu: shakkar khoray ko shakkar, meaning those who have a sweet tooth, are always blessed w sugar (notice how urdu can say so much, in such few words). so today we found this lovely little park just a 5 min drive from our house: the frank melville memorial park, in setauket. the weather was perfect and after days of non-stop, grueling work, this was just what we needed ?

iloveparks #frankmelvillepark #frankmelvillememorialpark #setauket #longisland #newyork #perfectweather #walkinthepark #lifeisgood

moving is hard

every home (house or apartment) we’ve ever had, for however long we’ve had, i’ve tried to fill with art, color and beautiful memories. it’s always sad to dismantle and leave, to take apart bit by bit what we put together not too long ago. this is the last picture i took in our apartment on mill road. the paintings have been taken down and most of the small stuff moved to our new house. tomorrow the furniture will be packed and taken away. i will miss the quick 10 min walk to the ronkonkoma train station with a direct ride to nyc and our almost daily walks by lake ronkonkoma. this apartment is where we sheltered during most of the pandemic and where i was able to be super productive. it’s the end of a phase, of a feeling, of a place. so much nostalgia.

movingishard #movingislife #timeandplace #home #ronkonkoma #lakeronkonkoma #sadmusic #nostalgia

dinner with friends from JVP

dinner with these brilliant friends at @mercato_trattoria_bar in nyc last night (the ratatouille and ravioli were to die for). we’ve worked together long distance through the pandemic. sooo good to finally meet in real life. next get together on long island inshallah <3

reallifeisbetter #dinnerinnyc #mercatotrattoriabar #activismisawayoflife #womenfriends #freepalestine

our new house

closed. this is the house folx. in setauket, new york. it took us 8 months to get here, in this ridiculous market. but here we are. can’t wait to move in, clean up, furnish and decorate. will be exciting to take our stuff out of storage after 1 1/2 years. may this house be as blessed as our last one – may it be filled with the laughter of family and friends alike. ameen.