Teen Angst Have you seen all the retractions and apologies from the meteorologists who predicted a warm winter with little snow a few months ago? Yeah, funny thing, me neither. I love my old house, but when it dips into the teens my boiler has to work overtime just to keep the house in the…
Hearts Inquire As we coast into my least favorite month, I’m a little hard pressed to point out any creative bright spots in February. Oh look! There’s a holiday in the middle of the month where couples can stress over their miserable attempts at communicating their love accurately and succinctly on one day, and singles…
For The Time Being The big news in Richmond has been the discovery of a time capsule, two actually, as the Robert E. Lee pedestal was being dismantled. Based on historical documentation a capsule was rumored to be in the northeast corner of the pedestal, but after weeks of searching in that area, nothing was…
Home Is Where The Smart Is Smart home technology started in the 1980’s, and it’s used to increase the comfort, security, and energy efficiency of a home. Things have evolved over the years, and I’m often asked by clients what makes a smart house a smart house. Adding a Ring doorbell or a learning thermostat…
Savin’ Some Simoleons I have mixed emotions about January this year. Normally it feels like a big period at the end of the sentence of the last chapter of Holidays Gone Haywire, a novel you pick up in November and can’t put it down until the day after New Years. When it’s over you can’t…
Feeling List-less? I’m working on a new Christmas carol called It’s a Covid Christmas. There’s a long way to go to capture the real spirit of the holiday, but I think I nailed the first line. “When in danger, or in doubt, Run in circles, scream and shout.” Yes, it’s that time of year again…
Better Than Sally Bell’s Potato Salad 3 hard-cooked egg yolks 3/4 cup Duke’s mayonnaise 1 teaspoon yellow mustard 3 tablespoons sweet pickle juice 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground celery seed 3 teaspoons sugar 1 sweet onion (finely chopped) 1 ribs celery (finely chopped) 5 redskin potatoes (boiled, peeled, cubed, slightly mashed)…
What To Do, What To Do A tip from experience, do not trust November. However long you think the month is, divide it by four. Blink and it’s the holiday season, sneeze and it’s January and you’re asking yourself how the heck you got here already and what is that white stuff on the ground?…
ADU? IDK I’ve always had a thing for outbuildings. My love for them began when I was a little kid wandering the neighborhood (unaccompanied wandering and Allosaurus liver pate used to be a thing), and I discovered a mini-house some skilled craftsman had made for their children. Three rooms, including a mini-kitchen, contained in a…
Non-Traditional Traditions Our family Thanksgiving is pretty easy to summarize: two days of cooking followed by 20 minutes of eating, then as the food coma subsides, we have a spirited game of Turkey Ball. It’s played with leftover drumsticks and it’s kind of a cross between lacrosse, keep-away and interpretive dance. No one knows the…
