This modest little building is the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Witnesses take their name seriously by going door-to-door to talk about their faith and hand out copies of The Watchtower. More power to them for that; I couldn't do it. When I was a kid and the Witnesses came to the door, my mom would always invite them in. However, she put a caveat on the visit: she would listen to their talk,... Read more →
I'm considering selling my sterling silver flatware. Money's been tight lately (especially after paying one-fourth of the funeral expenses) and this massive set of silver has been sitting in my basement for years. I rarely use it -- oh, sometimes I pull it out for holiday meals and grumble as I polish up a few forks and knives and spoons -- but mostly it just sits there in its velvet-lined mahogany case. There is a... Read more →
Here's another Seventh-Day Adventist church on New Hampshire Avenue: the Spencerville Seventh-Day Adventist church. Among other things, these folks offer "compassionate care to those in need." Everyone can use a little compassionate care at one time or another! Read more →
Okay, I have 10 minutes before I run off to dinner with my high school gal pals, and I have not done one of these for a long, long time, and I really need to do one to keep my head on straight, so here it is -- a Love List. I love: Going to dinner with my high school gal pals. A bunch of us have birthdays in January, so that is the purpose... Read more →
I got extremely ambitious yesterday. Joe was working, so I decided to surprise him with a Valentine treat. First, mix up the batter. Yes, that's the good old Joy of Cooking there, turned to the page for Hurry Up Caramel Cake. I chose this recipe for several reasons: cake, caramel, and hurry up (aka "not complicated".) Then, pour the batter into one round pan and one square pan. See where this is going? (I first... Read more →
St. Andrew gets around! Earlier in this series, he lent his name to a Ukrainian Orthodox cathedral; today, he's hanging out with the Lutherans. According to their site, here's what you'll find at this church: St. Andrew offers diverse worship experiences to touch the spirit and nurture the soul beyond boundaries of age or culture. Not only that, you can get a pancake supper there on Shrove Tuesday! Happy Valentine's Day! Eat some chocolate and... Read more →
I am sitting here watching one of many features about the Olympics before the opening ceremonies get underway and already I am loving it. I have always loved the Olympics. I watched them with my Pop when I was a kid, when my favorite events were the figure skating events. I watched them with Joe in 1980, the year we got married, the year the Miracle Team USA won the gold in hockey and Tai... Read more →
Another blizzard! Here are ten things about this one, because I am out of clever names for it. 1. VPN is an invention of the devil. Were it not for VPN, I could sleep all day; as it is, I can work. Poo. 2. Ditto for conference call technology. 3. The snow is now up to the level of back stoop; that's about 4 feet. 4. We have not lost power, which is a real... Read more →
Last night, before I went to bed in the first few minutes after midnight, I checked my email one last time. I found this charming missive in my inbox, from the email address "HITMAN": Lucky You. I am pleased to inform you that we have been paid to assassinate you by your co-worker in your office. want you to listen very carefully about your safety and do not, i repeat, do not try in anyway... Read more →
Right at the top of New Hampshire Avenue at Georgia Avenue, in Sunshine, Maryland is the historic Mount Carmel United Methodist Church. This is another church that -- strictly speaking -- is not on New Hampshire Avenue, but it's close enough. (You can tell that I took this photo a couple of weeks ago; after all, you can see grass! Right now there are over 25 inches of snow on the ground.) From their site,... Read more →