I’ve been wearing a Fitbit lately, making a conscious effort to get more exercise, even if it’s just walking around the neighborhood. Everyone talks about taking 10,000 steps a day, but it turns out that there is absolutely no scientific evidence that 10,000 should be the goal. For most of us, 10,000 every day isContinue reading “Stepping Up”
Category Archives: Neighborhood
Holding 9/11 Victims in the Light
Yesterday I posted about my memories of September 11, 2001. Last night, I realized that from our house we could see the beam of blue light that has been shining up from the Pentagon in remembrance of the lives lost there that day. From a friend’s house nearby, we could not only see the towerContinue reading “Holding 9/11 Victims in the Light”
Twenty Years
I posted these memories a year ago, near the nineteenth anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2001. It was called “Nineteen Years” then. I’m updating it for today, the twentieth anniversary of that terrible day. I was five months pregnant and in bed that morning nineteen years ago, thinking about getting up to packContinue reading “Twenty Years”
Ida’s Last Stand
The remnants of Hurricane Ida reached us today. We’ve had bouts of heavy rain and wind, alternating with periods of moderate rain and even some of no rain at all. We’ve been under a tornado watch for much of the day, but the only actual tornado warnings are fairly far from here. The creek acrossContinue reading “Ida’s Last Stand”
Peaches and Politics
I spent two hours in the blazing sun today, sitting at a table for the Alexandria Democratic Committee to hand out voter registration forms and other information about November’s election. We’re a politically savvy neighborhood, so we generally find that almost everyone we speak with is already registered — but there are always a fewContinue reading “Peaches and Politics”
Friday Five: Over the Summer Hill
What sign marks the end of the summer for you? It used to be Labor Day, because my son always started back to school the next day. Now that he’s in college, he’ll start earlier, so I guess it’s the now the third week of August that marks the end of the season in myContinue reading “Friday Five: Over the Summer Hill”
Screentime for Teens
I wrote this one yesterday and forgot to post it then. My son’s girlfriend is here, and they’re playing video games. They do that together a lot — that, and watch television. On one hand, they seem to spend way too much time staring at screens, which feels to me like a bad thing. OnContinue reading “Screentime for Teens”
Throwback Thursday: Why I Hate Garage Sales
The Saga of a Wasted Weekend This story that I wrote on June 24, 2009, just popped up as a Facebook memory. I had completely forgotten about the whole, ridiculous incident, but reading it made me laugh, so I thought it was worth sharing. Imagine if you will, that it’s 12 years ago today, we’reContinue reading “Throwback Thursday: Why I Hate Garage Sales”
Friday Five: Heights
Apparently the Friday Five this weeks is called Heights because of a film that’s out with that name. I haven’t seen it and have no idea what it’s about. As much as I miss seeing movies in their natural habitat, I have no plans to be in a theater anytime soon with crowds of unmaskedContinue reading “Friday Five: Heights”
Brood X: the 17th Year
The cicadas are here! This is Brood X, the group that emerges from the ground in parts of the Eastern U.S. on a 17-year-cycle. So we last saw them in 2004. I lived in my old house then, with only a few trees in the yard. These cicadas lay their eggs in trees, so 17Continue reading “Brood X: the 17th Year”
