Items of local interest to the four-state area (Western Md, Southern PA, Northern VA, and Eastern WV).
As I travel to and fro on the back roads and byways of my community – you know what I DON’T see a lot of these days? Swimming pools. Above ground, in ground – whatever. I just don’t see a lot of homes with swimming pools anymore – especially in new construction. Growing up, it seemed that friends who had a pool were to be envied. Their house had it all. As a kid, if only I could have stepped…
I’d like to think that I’m a pretty healthy person. I try to watch what I eat, get plenty of sleep, work on getting some steps in – you know the routine. I’m turning 54 this year, so it’s a stark realization that I’m looking forward to fewer days ahead of me than have passed behind me (unless I follow in the footsteps of my great-grandmother – who lived to be 111), so I have to pay more attention to…
It seems like these days, you can’t go a week on any social media platform without seeing some video clip of a young couple’s gender reveal party. For those of you who may not be initiated, this is an event where families and friends gather at a party or celebration of a couple’s impending paternal designation, and at some point during the event – the sex of the as yet to arrive baby is revealed in some elaborate method that…
It’s a weekend of celebrations! Our country is celebrated its 245th birthday this past weekend, and in only five short years – we’ll be heading for a banner Sestercentennial (or Quartermillenial) celebration here in the good ‘ol U.S.A (although neither of those sounds catchy emblazoned on a T-shirt). That’s 250 years, if you haven’t guessed yet. I wonder what sort of celebrations and events will take place in 2026? Who knows? I fondly remember our bicentennial (1976), a year’s worth…
I am often reminded that in my day-to-day activities, as author Erma Bombeck used to say “if life is a bowl of cherries, what am I doing in the pits?” Our daily lives are a series of highs and lows, of calm and confusion, and how we handle the more chaotic situations – especially when various factors of stress are placed on us, is different for each of us as individuals. I’ll use myself as an example. I’ve had a…
I know, I know – Father’s Day was this past Sunday (but my publishing day is Monday, so I’m going to talk about it anyway). Often overlooked and underappreciated, I hope you all took the time to raise a glass in honor of Dad this past week. Fathers do so much – and are often more than happy to perform their duties under the radar. Whether it’s figuring out how to pay for college, mowing the lawn, changing the burnt…
If you’ve ventured outside recently in the four-state area, then you’ve probably been greeted by the loud and rhythmic buzzing of cicadas. It’s the return of “Brood X” – the largest group of cicadas that make an appearance every seventeen years in the Central-Atlantic states along the Eastern seaboard. For the next few weeks, millions of these insects will emerge after their long slumber – and for a month or so they will molt, eat, mate, and then drop dead,…
While this holiday weekend is being mark by cookouts, yard sales, graduations, and serves as the “unofficial” kick-off of a mask-less summer (if you’ve been vaccinated), it’s good to stop and take a moment or two to understand and think about what the Memorial Day holiday is all about. Unlike Armed Forces Day (May 15th) or Veteran’s Day (November 11th), Memorial Day is reserved to remember those men and women who served their country and are no longer with us. …
You can’t watch the news or surf the internet without someone eventually talking about the newest financial buzzword – cryptocurrency. You’ve probably heard of some of the bigger names (Bitcoin, Etherium, Dogecoin, etc.), but what exactly are they? How do they work? Most importantly – should you invest in them? First, let’s take a look at what cryptocurrency actually is. Well, to put it in the simplest of terms, it’s a form of digital currency (usually tokens) that can be…
You’ve seen the headlines. You may even have panicked and topped off your gas tank this past week (yeah, I saw the lines at Sam’s Club – you freaks) – but what really happened at the Colonial Pipeline Company that caused gasoline to stop flowing in its massive pipeline which traverses the East Coast of the United States (and provides gasoline and other fuel to the entire southeastern corridor)? Let’s start with some definitions here. First, it’s important to understand…