Appreciating the Garden Club of Virginia
Virginia’s diverse natural geography ranges from the Atlantic Ocean to the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Piedmont in between. One group has worked for a century to preserve those natural resources: The Garden Club of Virginia (GCV). The club was the first conservation organization in Virginia, advocating for the state parks system, monitoring state roadways cluttered by signage, and... READ MORE
Taking steps to revive a historic district
Strolling the streets of Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward with a bounce in his step and a snazzy bowtie, Gary Flowers greets almost everyone, waving at drivers and (pre-pandemic) giving bear hugs to bank employees leaving work for the day. Flowers, who hosts a Richmond radio show, loves meeting people, which is partly why he leads “Walking the Ward” tours. “My purpose in life is... READ MORE
Finding comfort in a sentimental journey
Comfort food — bad for our bodies but good for our souls — seems to be all the rage during this pandemic. We are reverting to macaroni and cheese, chocolate chip cookies, gloppy pizza. Yes, even to the granddaddy of horrible, those peerless artery cloggers — French fries. But in my cocoon, I’ve been reverting to another kind of comfort. Comfort music. Once upon a time, I ... READ MORE
Suspenseful fiction for summer reading
The Bibliophile This summer, relax and enjoy these tales of crime detection, spycraft and murder as conjured by talented older authors. The Department of Sensitive Crimes: A Detective Varg Novel, by Alexander McCall Smith, 240 pages, Anchor paperback, 2020 Follow Detective Ulf Varg of the Malmo, Sweden, Criminal Investigation Authority as he solves quirky cases assigned to his... READ MORE
Old-time radio buffs celebrate its heyday
“Enter the theater of your own imagination,” beckons Murray Horwitz every Sunday evening. Listeners tune into shows like “Gunsmoke,” “Superman” and “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar” on WAMU/88.5 FM’s “The Big Broadcast.” Rapt listeners can ride along in a patrol car with detective Joe Friday as he tracks down a murder suspect on “Dragnet,” or follow U.S. Marshal Matt ... READ MORE
Author brings history to life with tours
Normally at this time of year, author and historian Garrett Peck of Arlington, Virginia, would be leading his popular walking tours throughout the greater Washington area, and having a drink with the participants afterward. Now, due to the pandemic, he’s had to go virtual. Peck, 52, established his walking tour business in 2006, exploring Prohibition-related sites in Washington, D.C. A ... READ MORE
An antidote to pandemic’s stress
Be it a world steeped in pandemic drama or a frayed social order, the show must go on for devotees of the Howard County Conservancy at Mount Pleasant in Woodstock. Nestled on a gentle, 232-acre rise, the land was originally owned by a family who farmed it for three centuries. They set aside the property for students and adults in order to enrich their environmental consciousness, said Meg... READ MORE
Let’s put on a concert in the barn!
Imagine being able to listen to your favorite classical musicians, while sipping wine and enjoying light fare, all without having to dress up, fight for parking, or maneuver around hundreds of other people. In a barn located in the spacious farm country of Phoenix, Maryland, 22 miles from Baltimore, Steinway Series at Silo Hill has room for around 100 guests. Since 2016, it has hosted... READ MORE
Are you itching to get rid of mosquitoes?
Has your tomato plant produced blossoms but no fruit? If so, that may be because a neighbor engaged a mosquito control service. The principal active ingredient in the insecticides used by these services — pyrethrum, permethrin, resmethrin, or d-phenothrin — does not differentiate between mosquitoes and beneficial insects, such as the bumblebees needed to pollinate your tomato... READ MORE
Recommended reads from local authors
For many of us, the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have afforded more time to enjoy quieter pastimes like reading. Social distancing has provided extra hours and space to discover new authors, reread old favorites and escape to another time and place. Local author Kathleen Reid, who wrote A Page Out of Life, Paris Match and, more recently, Sunrise in Florence, has... READ MORE
Arts 2024
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