Social Correspondence -

Cherry Blossoms in the SF Japanese Tea Garden

Cherry Blossom Time

It’s cherry blossom time in Washington D.C.’s Tidal Basin. As weather patterns world-wide become warmer, the trees have been blooming earlier each year. But once again, despite my hopes to see the peak bloom, my departure from Washington was five days before that happened. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival attracts over one million visitors each year. This is one aspect of tourism that I did not mind missing. The drive around the Tidal Basin was slow and laborious, and the pathways were equally crowded. According to the National Park Service (NPS), over 3,000 Japanese Yoshino cherry…

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April 1, 2025

Politics / Post cards

Coping During Troubling Times

Finding ways to cope during these troubling times can be difficult. As we witness the attempted destruction of the institutions and diplomacy that keep us safe, healthy, and economically viable, the future seems very uncertain. People throughout the country are showing their opposition to the attempted and actual dismantling of institutions that were established to benefit and serve the people. Some resistors observed a week of not shopping from big corporations, demonstrating that collectively, voters can wield considerable economic power. Demonstrating outside the local Tesla dealer or at the premiere science research facilities where budgets are…

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March 13, 2025

Digital Publishing / News / newspapers / Politics

To Subscribe or to Unsubscribe

Late last year, just before the November presidential election, 250,000 individuals chose to unsubscribe from the Washington Post. Many friends and people that I respect and admire urged me to do the same. The issue that angered so many people was the top heavy and last-minute decision by the owner of the Post, Jeff Bezos, that the publication would no longer make presidential endorsements. This was despite the long history of endorsements, and the fact that one that was already written would not be published. At the time, I chose not to end my subscription, despite…

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March 5, 2025

Travel

Travel by Sea: Australia

Much of the comfort of travel by sea is related to the ship, and the Viking Venus was beautiful in every way. The ship is modern, sleek, and well designed, not enormous but large enough to offer a variety of shipboard activities, restaurants, and other options. There were grand public spaces, as well as cozy places to hang out in peace. One of my favorite places to relax while at sea was the third-floor balcony walkway overlooking the atrium. All was quiet in the mornings, with cleaning crews dusting and polishing. This also was a good…

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February 3, 2025

Travel

Travel by Sea: New Zealand

Many years ago, while attending a conference in Long Beach, CA, I experienced virtually what it would be like to travel by sea on a luxury liner. The beautiful Queen Mary was put into service in 1936 and retired in 1967, to live a new live as a hotel. It is an elegant and timeless work of art, speaking to wealth in its historic time. During World War II, the ship was transformed into a transport vehicle for troops. Modern luxury ships do not necessarily appeal in the same way. Bounteous 24-hour dining, on board casinos,…

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January 22, 2025

Uncategorized

On Being Thankful

The following post, On Being Thankful, was first published on Social Correspondence in 2016. It was titled "The Benefits of Gratitude." A lot has changed since then. Perhaps some of our optimism has faded. But post Thanksgiving, it is good to be reminded of the blessings in our lives. My last post, A Short Respite, reflects this. I am worried about the future, while at the same time, am grateful for the good things in life. I am grateful for the beauty of where I live. I am thankful that my family is healthy, thoughtful, and…

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December 4, 2024

Grandparenting / History / News / Train travel

A Short Respite

Following the election, a short respite was in order. Despite flying from one blue (in more ways than one) city to another, seeing my sweet children and grandchildren brought renewed hope and refreshment. On my first day in Brooklyn, while the adults were all at work and the children in school, I took a long, restorative walk in the historic Green-Wood Cemetery and botanical gardens. Surrounded by thousands of plant and wildlife species, beneath the tall trees overlooking the vistas, the birds sang their beautiful songs, oblivious to politics or the future. Green-Wood is, of course,…

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November 19, 2024

Grandparenting / hiking / Travel

A Fall Beach Vacation

Beach vacation time is pretty much over at this time of year. Children are back in school and summer getaways seem like a distant memory. Today though, in the middle of a historic heat wave, a little splash in the ocean would feel good. Chincoteague Island in Virginia was the destination for my fall beach vacation. With family, including my two-year old grandson, we spent a memorable week on the island once famous for stories about wild ponies. My only previous knowledge of Chincoteague was from childhood, reading Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry, first…

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October 8, 2024

books / email / Handwriting / Letter writing / Mail / mystery / novels

The Last Letter Writers

For years I promoted the joys of letter writing in my Social Correspondence posts, but often I felt like one of the last letter writers in the world. By letters, I mean the kind written on paper, stamped with the appropriate stamp, and sent to the recipient via U.S. Mail. Today, the concept of letter writing is not merely old-fashioned, but on the cusp of becoming extinct. Handwriting is no longer taught in most schools. Children who receive handwritten cards or letters in the mail struggle to read them. E-mail might be used for quick communications,…

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September 17, 2024

Uncategorized

Backyard Wildlife

As an urban dweller with a small backyard, wildlife in my life is somewhat limited. But perched on a hill, nestled between Glen Canyon and Mt. Davidson, the yard is not without its wild visitors, mostly avian. Resident squirrels still find unique ways to steal and eat the not quite ripe apples on my two small trees. And when fall arrives and the apples grow bigger and sweeter, the fruit will disappear altogether within a couple of days. Recently, I observed something green and different rummaging in one of the trees. As it peeked out between…

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August 23, 2024