California dreaming. I’d been doing it for a long time. The weather, the natural beauty, the cities, the endless blue ocean, the wine, the food…it was time to make it a reality in 2015. Sean and I had both been before, but about 20+ years ago as kids. We were ready to experience this beautiful place again as adults. This is the first of three posts about our California road trip. Continue reading
This was our 4th annual trip to the mountains for my birthday weekend. Hard to believe how fast the time has gone by! We had started going to the North Georgia mountains and getting a cabin – we did that for two years. Then my dad bought a small vacation home in Damascus, Virginia and although the drive is longer, it’s free. We also like that we go through Asheville, North Carolina and can stop on our way up or on our way home.
As with every year, my birthday seems to fall on the first real cold snap of the season. The chilly weather is perfect for snuggling up with Sean and the pups and watching a movie and also nice for a brisk walk along one of the many and easily accesible trails in Damascus. Continue reading
This is the second post in a 2-post (for now) series on the amazing, delicious and unique neighborhood of Buford Highway in Atlanta. The first post covered great spots for beginners. This post is going a little further into the unusual and so I’m calling it an “intermediate” guide.
Of course, every person’s experience is going to be different so some of these may be very ordinary to you. I’m basing this on my own experience as well as feedback from others with whom I’ve dined at these spots. Continue reading
I was solidly in the “Yes” camp for the proposed city of LaVista Hills from the moment I first heard about it. Having lived 6 of the past 7 years in the Briarcliff and Embry Hills neighborhoods and watching the explosion of property values and investment in nearby Brookhaven, I always wondered when it would be time for the NE corridor along I-85. The area is home to great schools, charming neighborhoods, good restaurants and convenient highway access.
We moved into the Nottaway neighborhood during the heat of the campaign for LaVista Hills and as a new (and first-time) homeowner, I was thrilled at the prospect at of a new city and increasing property values for our house.
The issues in Dekalb County were vast and still unknown, as we then began to learn over the next few months. Corruption, scandal, the approval of vast sums of taxpayer dollars with no input from said taxpayer for a soccer stadium while basic services went undone – sidewalks, potholes, water main leaks, etc. were all indicative of a government that cares nothing for its citizens. It seemed the only way to help ourselves was to change something and break away from the county in as many areas as we could.
And then, about a month or so ago, I read a few very well-thought out arguments on Nextdoor about voting “No” to LaVista Hills. One main line of thinking said that, after much time, there was finally a surge of momentum to clean up Dekalb County that had the strong potential to fizzle once a city was voted in. I didn’t disagree with this. In fact, I wholeheartedly agreed with it. And it was a great reason to vote “No” – better than false claims about higher taxes when all proposals have millage rates decreasing. Another reason was that the issues with the county would still remain in spite of a city – we can’t break out of Dekalb. That is also true.
I found myself in a very odd situation. I had been SO incredibly convinced but these reasoned, sound and well-proposed alternatives to cityhood had me reconsidering. After a little time had passed, it dawned on me that no matter how I voted, I could now safely and proudly affirm to being a TRUE Independent voter. I had finally shaken the shackles of being tied to one idea or party and was able to listen, process and consider all sides equally and potentially even change my view entirely based on new evidence, information, opinion and thoughtfulness. I hadn’t engaged in the petty back-and-forth on social media that served only to hurt other’s feelings. I had ignored the propaganda and looked at all the facts.
Deep down, I am an idealist and deep down I wanted to vote “No” to LaVista Hills because I wanted to take the opportunity NOW to improve the county, to assume and believe that it can and will be fixed. I struggled with this right up until today. The problem is that it’s up to us to fix the issues and as of yet, the citizens of this part of Dekalb County have not been active enough to do so. A local resident said that it doesn’t matter how we vote – city or no city – if we do not follow through after the voting to do the work, to be the change. He is right.
And then I came back to the quote from Albert Einstein: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
I voted “Yes” to LaVista Hills.
Buford Highway – known throughout Metro Atlanta and beyond as a mecca for ethnic cuisine, cheap eats, international grocery stores and boutiques selling foreign fashions. While the highway stretches almost 50 miles from Atlanta to Buford, GA, the area that continues to be featured in shows like Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover begins just north of Midtown Atlanta and runs through Chamblee, Doraville and Norcross.
Within this area, there are over 1,000 immigrant-owned businesses. It can be very intimidating and daunting for a person to figure out where to eat or shop in this area. In some of the restaurants, little to no English is spoken and the menus are printed in the native language. And even in the more popular restaurants, how do you know what’s good?
In this mini-series, I’ll take you through some popular BuHi restaurants and give tips on what to order so you can try them out armed with plenty of knowledge and no longer intimidated. New experiences are important and they don’t have to be scary! Continue reading
Going up north before winter is always a good idea. An even better idea is going in the fall when the colors are changing to visit family. Sean’s cousins Patrick and Ali live just outside of Washington, D.C. and had a baby boy less than a year ago that we had yet to meet. So off we went one sunny October weekend. Continue reading
Before I moved to Atlanta, I had had collards maybe once up north and they were not good. In fact, I’d never spent much time in the South before I moved here and so all the cuisine – and the history, ingredients and traditions that went along with it – were new to me. Collards were an immediate favorite of mine, mostly because I loved how they were different from restaurant to restaurant and home to home. I think those variations are what gives this dish its richness and interest – and I knew I wanted to try to make my own. I’ve received recipes from friends and found some online – this is my compilation of all of that plus the result of trial-and-error in my own kitchen. Enjoy! Continue reading
Last year on September 12th, my brother and his fiancee Kym helped Sean and I on our special day in Savannah. This year on September 12th, Sean and I were in the wedding of my brother and Kym. While we share the same anniversary, the weddings and the events leading up to it were very different. It’s always nice to be back in Ohio and this time was no exception. The four days were a complete whirlwhind for me and Sean – I can’t imagine how it must have been for Tyler and Kym!
We arrived in Ohio on Thursday morning, having left Pittsburgh early that morning. Continue reading