I feel like I haven’t done a day trip adventure post in a while, so I’m happy to say we recently ventured to Annapolis. Just a 45-minute drive from Bethesda, I knew a bit about Annapolis, mainly its relationship with sailing and its status as home to the US Naval Academy, but not much else. I don’t think I bargained for such a delightful day. Continue reading
I love books about books. Books about authors, about writing, about bookstores. I guess it’s because it creates a sense of camaraderie between me, the author and the characters in the story—I love books enough to read them, the author loves books enough to write about them and the characters love books enough to make them their life’s work. Terri-Lynne DeFino’s new novel The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And Their Muses) fell into this category, and it made for a joyful read.
I’ve always wished I were more eager to watch documentaries. I think they play an incredibly important role in society, and an incredibly unique one: they are part education, part entertainment and in some cases, part call-to-action. But like I said, they have never really been my cup of tea. I agreed though, to watch Netflix’s Wild Wild Country after hearing some intriguing reviews. While it was educational and entertaining at times, my overall reaction to the documentary was mixed. I will tell you why. Continue reading
Last week, I had the pleasure of heading to the Warner Theatre in DC to listen to Bill Clinton and James Patterson talk about the new book they wrote together, The President is Missing. It’s a thriller that tackles a threat so big, the President is forced to completely disappear from public view—essentially to go missing. I haven’t read the book yet, but listening to the two co-authors discuss it was an incredibly interesting and entertaining experience. Continue reading
Last week, I had two separate experiences with two very different types of rainstorms. As I usually do with rainstorms, and snowstorms for that matter, I marveled at the strength and breadth of the storms and nature’s ability to halt everything and force us to bend to its will. These are the stories of both storms. Continue reading
It was fitting that I finished Tina Brown’s sensational memoir The Vanity Fair Diaries this week. Last week, she appeared multiple times on CBS This Morning’s coverage of the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. So I was delighted to see and hear her on TV, just so I would have her voice in my head as I finished up the memoir of her years as the editor of my favorite magazine, Vanity Fair. Continue reading
It’s 4:00pm on a weekday and I’ve hit a wall with my work. I want to take a break, but with what? Should I watch a DVR-ed episode of one of my shows? Should I pick up the memoir I’m reading? Should I read an article in one of the magazines filling up my shelf? Should I listen to a podcast? Should I work on one of the writing projects I’m not (yet) getting paid for? Should I just turn the TV to a random channel and scroll through Instagram on my phone? I know this may seem like a silly conundrum to some, but it is one I deal with frequently, and I often find myself ultimately unhappy with the decision I make. Continue reading
The presence of the Smithsonian might be my favorite part about living here in DC. The Smithsonian includes 19 museums, galleries, gardens and the zoo. Nineteen! And none of them have an admission fee! I have been gleefully working my way through all of these sites—so far, we’ve checked out the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the National Zoo (twice now), the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of the American Indian, and this past weekend we hit up the zoo for a third time and made a trip to the Museum of American History, one I had been eager to attend. Continue reading
This past Saturday was absolutely beautiful in the DC area. Low 70s, slight breeze, barely any clouds in the sky. We decided to use the gorgeous day to shoot up I-95 to Baltimore, an adventure that’s been on our list since we moved down here. It was a wonderful way to spend the day that also had me thinking about life in the East Coast of the US compared to that in other parts of the country. Continue reading
It was 80 degrees on Sunday. In April. I got a sunburn. In April. Though that part is beside the point. I guess for the last couple weeks it has been unseasonably chilly in the D.C. area, so it was pretty exciting when it warmed up for a few days last week, even if the warm-up was also an unseasonable event. Nevertheless, we took advantage with a trip to Harpers Ferry, and it was a wonderful adventure. Continue reading
Lyss on Life 