A study finds that people are happier if they are exposed to more biodiversity of birds in their environment. Seeing fourteen different species of birds on a regular basis brings as much happiness as making an extra $150 a month would bring. Despite my semi-urban environment, my yard is usually full of birds. But doContinue reading “Fourteen Birds”
Category Archives: Neighborhood
The Fall of Atlantis
These six spanakopitas mark the end of an era. Today is the last day in business for Atlantis, after 35 years of feeding Alexandria and serving our community. It’s been my favorite local restaurant for nearly that long, and I have yet to find better spanakopita anywhere. Despite a large and loyal customer base, theContinue reading “The Fall of Atlantis”
It’s a Gas, Gas, Gas
The gas company has several trucks in the street in front of my house and the neighbors’ houses. They say there was a report of a gas smell, though I couldn’t smell anything. This is the second time in the past month. So these poor guys are out there at night in the cold, jackhammeringContinue reading “It’s a Gas, Gas, Gas”
Photo Friday: Crazy Christmas House
Once upon a time in my neighborhood, there was a Crazy Christmas House, with an exterior and a front yard lit up like, well, a Christmas tree. An enormous, outrageous, crammed-with-color-and-light sort of Christmas tree extravaganza. It had Santas and carolers, reindeer and geese, teddy bears and polar bears, snowmen and elves, a ballerina, andContinue reading “Photo Friday: Crazy Christmas House”
Photo Friday: Fire Pit
Fall weather has finally come. The evenings are cool, and a few times, we’ve sat on the patio at night, enjoying a fire in our fire pit. With marshmallows. The fire pit is an old one, a cast-off that a neighbor was putting out to the curb for the trash one day, just after we’dContinue reading “Photo Friday: Fire Pit”
Anti-Maskers Online
I was involved in a discussion/virtual fistfight this week in NextDoor, the social media platform that seems to attract the most contentious people. Someone had posted in our neighborhood group to remind people to wear masks when in public spaces. Most people here seem to be wearing masks, but not everyone, and the numbers seemContinue reading “Anti-Maskers Online”
Home Sweet Home
Two years ago this week, we closed on our new house. We moved in several months later, after having some painting and repairs done. Since then, friends from distant places have asked to hear more about it. We’ve been here a year and a half now, so I guess it’s time. For nearly 30 years,Continue reading “Home Sweet Home”
Our Long National Nightmare Is Over
The major news organizations called Pennsylvania for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this morning, putting the Democratic candidates over the 270 electoral votes needed to make them the President- and Vice President-Elect. A few states are still counting votes, but even if they all went for Trump (not likely) he would not have him enoughContinue reading “Our Long National Nightmare Is Over”
Election Day 2020
It’s Election Day, and I am afraid. Most registered voters in the country have already voted, so a lot of the decision has actually been made already. But it still seems clear that we might have to wait days or even weeks for final results. Before you go any further, I warn you that thisContinue reading “Election Day 2020”
Photo Friday: Get Out the Vote
I chose today’s photo because Election Day is this Tuesday. I voted, in person, more than a month ago. And I brought my son along. I’ve often brought him with me to the polls, but this year is different. He’s 18 now, and he voted in his first general election! (He did vote in aContinue reading “Photo Friday: Get Out the Vote”
