Memorial Day

Happy Easter

We live in a condo in northern Virginia after living on Capitol Hill for thirteen years. As with anywhere else, you really don’t get to pick your neighbors. For the most part we have been lucky - like when we lived in the Midwest. But we have also suffered from having really awful people who lived in our building in DC. They lived above us and didn’t care how many times they flooded our house, leaving the water running in their bathtub and the kitchen sink too many times to count. Who ever heard of such a thing! But our son and his family lived right down the street from us - until they moved to central Virginia. We at least got to enjoy seeing our grandson grow to middle school age. One of our current neighbors who lives right next door always leaves chocolate and candy for the holidays. And last week we found a small bag with a bunny drawn on it - along with a cotton ball tail - on our door. Inside were several Easter eggs and a peanut butter cup shaped like an Easter egg. It’s always such a thoughtful thing to do and we appreciate the gesture. So, Happy Easter! Time to eat some chocolate and be thankful for having good neigbbors!

Happy Fourth of July

Sheetz Gasoline for $1.99

The gas prices in our neighborhood have been around $3.60 and holding. Rather than wait for the tank to empty, we usually fill it up around the halfway point. That’s because we had a terrible incident a couple of years ago where the gas was empty but the gauge didn’t show that. It could have been a disaster. So ever since then we don’t trust the gauge and fill at half. The other advantage is that the price you pay isn’t as outlandish with a half tank fill! So last week when we were traveling to visit family in central Virginia we stopped for a fill at the halfway point. We usually stop at Sheetz because it is easier and has a clean facility. When my husband went to the pump we were having some difficulty trying to figure out which hose to use. The pump wouldn’t dispense the gas and we needed to start all over again. Usually we don’t get a receipt but this time we did. When I looked at it it seemed like something was amiss. The final amount billed was $17.42! Now that seemed really strange. Then we looked at it again and it said $1.99 per gallon. When was the last time that happened? So I looked up on line why Sheetz gas was so cheap. Apparently they were doing a giveaway of sorts for the Thanksgiving holiday at several of their stores and you could look up where the locations were. The reduced price would last through November 28. So we were happy we inadvertently stumbled across this pleasant surprise. Too bad we didn’t need a full tank! 

Veterans Day Tribute

It is the day to remember anyone who served in the armed forces. I remember as a child going to parades and hearing military marching band music. My dad was in the Coast Guard and served in WWII and Korea aboard a destroyer escort. He retired after twenty one years and he kept meticulous albums of his adventures. He knew he would move the family from New England to Florida when the time was right. My grandfather was so proud of my mom because she was the only child out of five who served in the Navy during WWII. She traveled to San Francisco and loved it. A friend was supposed to join her but backed out at the last minute. She never looked back. After a couple of years in the Navy she worked in a variety of government positions and retired from the VA. Our son joined the army while in college, got his medical degree from UWM, a residency at Walter Reed and a post residency at Harvard. He served for twenty one years in the army and was deployed three times to Iraq and Afghanistan. You could say he was one of the reasons we moved to DC from the Midwest. We lived down the street from them on Capitol Hill and were available to our daughter in law and grandson while he was away. I was so lucky to get a job at the Library of Congress which was just two blocks away and we had the opportunity to grow with our family. So today we celebrate the service of our family members. Thank you! 

Happy Easter

Aside from the usual marketing and personal experiences and memories, we are reminded of the holidays by our neighbor. Without fail, we find a little token of the holidays by our door. So for Easter it was no exception. The other day when we came home from a morning walk there was a little brown bag by the door. Inside was a Whitman Sampler box of chocolates and some Easter “hay” with jellybeans and foil wrapped chocolate eggs. We still rarely see our neighbors since we moved to northern Virginia three years ago for obvious reasons. Having not been from this neighborhood it’s not easy to get acquainted easily. A lot of that has to do with me. I prefer the company of my husband to anyone else. So between now and then we will always appreciate the kindness of our neighbor. And it’s a great feeling. 

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! 

Happy Fourth!

Happy Father’s Day

My dad made sure we would remember him. He died on Father’s Day six years ago. He was ninety five years old. He was a quiet, gentle and responsible father. We were lucky to have him. Happy Father’s Day Dad. This photo is before I was even in the picture. I inherited his brown eyes. He looks very happy - it’s a great way to remember him. 

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Father’s Day

I will never forget Father’s Day. My dad passed away on June 21, 2015. He was a quiet and gentle soul and we miss him. 

The Perfect Birthday

As one gets older birthdays are more of a necessity, but not always something one looks forward to. This year was particularly wonderful. For the first time in over a year my mom was finally feeling better - she went from living independently to 24 hour in house care - and has rebounded in spite of it all. To see her take small steps from the bedroom to the front room was short of miraculous because the threat of amputation was very real. We were staying on the beach for a couple of days earlier this month - and on my birthday we took a drive by the Gulf of Mexico and started out the morning at Waffle House. Then we drove to the bird pond in my old neighborhood and watched the action for a while. After saying we would one day get to Sunken Gardens, it finally happened. It was so pleasant and peaceful walking through the gardens. The flamingos were a big hit! Then in the evening our neighbors brought over a birthday carrot cake that was just so thoughtful. In January I will be getting my first social security check. I can hardly believe I’m saying that. So, this year was really a difficult one in some ways, but so good in others. And being New Years 2020, I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy year ahead. You never know what tomorrow will bring. 

Tortilla Coast and Fourth of July Prep

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants is Tortilla Coast. It was two blocks away from our Capitol Hill condo and we usually went on a Sunday evening, and definitely when there were no baseball games scheduled. So we drove in to town on Sunday and took our usual route over Memorial Bridge. Around the Lincoln Memorial the barricades were already up in preparation for the Fourth of July holiday. We parked in our old neighborhood and ended up having the usual fare - spinach quesadilla, burrito, and chips, along with a large strawberry margarita that we shared. Rather than ride back home right away, we drive around the mall to see what else was going on. It’s weird to feel like a tourist rather than a resident. We attended many of the concerts and fireworks displays over the thirteen years we lived in DC. The last few years we would just walk over to the house office building park and watch the fireworks from there rather than battle the crowds. Although seeing the cannon and hearing the symphony play during the fireworks was memorable. As we passed by the Capitol the concert stage was being set up. It’s hard for me to believe I worked at the Library of Congress for ten years! There’s something about Sunday evening in DC - it’s so quiet and peaceful - especially in the late afternoon. As we drove along the GW Parkway in the way home there was a lot of activity on the Potomac River. I’m still glad we moved to Virginia, and happy we can go in to the city when we feel like it - on Sunday evening, or after or before rush hour. 

A Very Elegant Feast in a Converted Warehouse

We always have very interesting dinners when we visit our family in Virginia. This year was no exception. They used to live in DC right down the street from us. But they moved away around five years ago and converted an old warehouse on the James River in to the most unusual living quarters. So rather than use the existing formal dining space, a totally separate area was set up in the lower level - or basement/garage area. What once was filled with so much junk - including a conveyor belt - that one could hardly walk through - has been totally transformed. It even includes a boxing ring, separate bathroom, and restaurant sized refrigerator. Pictures don’t do it justice, and the time and effort to recreate this fantasy memorable dinner took so much effort we were very touched. The dinner included a fried turkey, a twenty year old bottle of wine, and hours of preparation for side dishes and bread made from scratch. It also included twinkling lights and a table made from hay. We have watched the warehouse become a family living quarters that is especially unique. We would not have expected anything less from our family members. It was very touching and will be forever remembered.