I was thinking about the Jimmy Vivino song “Gonna Be 2 of Those Days” this week. The week started with our oven breaking. Then, the same morning the repairman was arriving for that issue, the refrigerator gave up the ghost.The next day after shopping f…
After a long day of birthday celebrations, Sunday was a much-needed day of rest. I’m not as young as I used to be — but then again, who among us is?The afternoon was sunny, with temperatures climbing into the 80s. It was not a day to be spent inside. T…
At this stage of life, birthday celebrations tend to be quiet and laid back. Still, a few extra touches this year elevated the day and made it feel just a bit more special.The day began as most do, with a relaxing morning and coffee. Instead of a tradi…
At last, spring has sprung. Friday marked the first official day of the season and, surprisingly, it actually felt like it. The day began warm and sunny — accompanied, of course, by a healthy dose of pollen. I spent the morning spreading mulch around t…
Our St. Patrick’s Day celebrations took an unexpected turn this year. A short but powerful storm moved through Monday evening. Though it lasted less than 30 minutes, it was intense enough to knock out the power. Fortunately, our generator kicked on, ke…
Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhaoibh!
It’s that time of year when a saint revered by many — especially in the Irish Catholic community — is embraced by people of all backgrounds. As a Catholic of Irish descent, I can find little fault with people bettering t…
A late-winter cold snap rolled back into Virginia last week, reminding us that spring’s recent tease wasn’t ready to commit just yet. The afternoon air this weekend carried just enough bite to make a big stout feel like the right call, so I dug into th…
Well, that tease of Spring was nice while it lasted. On Thursday the thermometer went from 80 to 35 like it spotted the sheriff behind the billboard. The winter blast even dropped a few inches of snow. By Friday evening the sun was shining, the snow wa…
Sunday marked the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. We moved the clocks forward, taking an hour of light from the morning and adding it to the evening. Of course, the length of the day itself isn’t affected and nothing is truly “saved,” but it’s a wel…
The signs of Spring continue to reveal themselves in small but welcome ways. I was delighted last week to see the first daffodils sprouting from the ground.Even more welcome was the return of our Sunday Aperitivo on the porch.It has been some four mont…
