city living Archives - Social Correspondence

Driverless Cars

Autonomous vehicles (AVs), or Driverless cars, have been testing their performance in San Francisco for many months, at first with drivers at the wheel to trouble shoot. With its steep hills, crowded streets, distracting views, and large numbers of pedestrians, the city is notoriously difficult to drive in, making it a good test ground. That is, good for the profit-making company sponsors, including Google, GM, Amazon and others, but so far, not so great for San Francisco residents. The AVs went truly driverless just a few weeks ago. In a totally unscientific survey, I asked a…

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August 29, 2023

2023 / city living / News / newspapers / Pen Pals / Politics

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

When Tony Bennett sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” my heart sang along with him. Although he recently left us, at the age of 96, he immortalized a song that previously had had little traction. And along the way, that old-time New Yorker became a permanent icon in the hearts of San Franciscans. It was not my intention to live my life in San Francisco. I grew up in suburbs, and had my eyes on the temperate climate of Berkeley, CA, home of “Cal,” my alma mater. Or perhaps Mill Valley, a beautiful town…

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July 31, 2023

city living / Travel

Capitol in Bloom

Gardens and landscapes are alive and colorful in Washington DC, with the Capitol in bloom. Flowers on full display this summer include the peony, gladiolus, milkweed, hydrangea, and clematis, among others. Among the native perennials are sage, goldenrod, blue violets, beebalm, echinacea, and columbine. Spring and fall are great times to visit the Capitol, and during our early summer visit, I enjoyed all of the gorgeous colors. Home garden, Washington DC NE An abundance of large trees provide shade from summer heat and humidity, and we were fortunate to experience moderate days with a slight breeze. …

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July 20, 2021

Park Slope, Brooklyn

city living / Grandparenting / Politics / Train travel / Voting

Summertime in New York

It is summertime in New York, and things are coming back to life. Restaurants are open, both indoors and out, subway and street traffic are picking up, and more shops are open. New Yorkers took last Tuesday’s election very seriously. It was a primary election for Mayor and City Council in Brooklyn. Due to ranked choice voting, final outcome of the election may take weeks to be determined. Along the busy corridors of 7th and 8th Avenues in Park Slope, near the YMCA on 15th Street where early voting was taking place, candidates and their…

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June 24, 2021

Napoleon, Lilah, Cassidy and Roxie

city living / Pandemic / Pets

Pandemic Puppies and Other Pets

Relief from stress is never far away when aided by the recent rise of pandemic puppies and other pets. A few chewed shoes or slippers, a few accidents on the new carpet become nothing as these puppies become part of the family. Until a few years ago, Napoleon, a shaggy, sandy little ball of fluff, was the only dog on the block. True to his name, he ruled his small cul-de-sac, roaming from house to house, yard to yard, smelling the flowers and the scents left behind by other dogs, and occasionally, skunks or raccoons. But…

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January 13, 2021

city living / email / Handwriting / hiking / Letter writing / Mail / Pandemic / Politics / Postal Service / social distancing / Social Media / U.S. Postal Service / Voting

Politics and Pandemic

Land's End, San Francisco At last, there is good news on the horizon, a promise that a year dominated by politics and pandemic will soon be over. Politics never go away, but hopefully, the days will become calmer now that the November presidential election is finally over and a new administration is on the horizon. With two new vaccines rolling out, there also is hope that the pandemic will subside in the first half of 2021. Election years are always difficult, but 2020 was a doozy. It was a brutal year in almost every way possible. …

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December 30, 2020

city living / Letter writing / Mail / manners / Politics

Dear Family & Friends: A Holiday Letter by Eileen Shields

Dear Family & Friends, Yes, you read that right. This is a “Dear Family & Friends” holiday letter. Before I get into the nits and grits that tells you all about the wonder that is me, I thought I should do a bit of research about how best to approach these broad swinging missives. Surely there are rules laid down for writing one all-encompassing letter to Everyone I Know. I’m not quite sure what has possessed me to undertake this wholesale approach to communication and it remains a bit of a mystery of how I actually…

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October 28, 2020

city living / Pandemic / Politics / social distancing / Voting

The End of Silence: Vote!

San Francisco Botanical Gardens July 2020 Following five months of lock down due to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, we have come to the end of silence. That initial peace, the joyful upside to our early stay-at-home directives, has been shattered by the sounds of returning activity, as well as increased frustration and tension. Shelter in place jokes April 2020 When first sheltering in place, the streets were eerily quiet, with barely a car in sight. Many streets closed in San Francisco to facilitate social distancing for walkers, skateboarders, and bicyclists. All but the most essential…

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July 30, 2020

city living / Grandparenting / Handwriting / Letter writing / Mail / Mailboxes / Note cards / Post cards / Post Office / Postal Service / U.S. Postal Service

Notes for the New Year

The last of the cards and notes for the New Year come in a slow, uneven trickle, soon to be but a memory. Second to reunions and celebrations with friends and family, these physical notes, photos and greetings are my favorite part of the end of the year rituals, helping me to stay in touch with people who are important to me, both near and far. The post office continues to play an important part in people’s lives, judging by the crowds standing in line to mail packages and letters, either at the automated machines or…

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January 16, 2020

Fog on Mt. Tamalpais

city living / hiking

In the Fog

Fog on Mt. Tamalpais The first time I drove in the fog in San Francisco, I became completely disoriented. I was visiting one of my college roommates, whose mother lived in a hilly neighborhood in the city – the same neighborhood, in fact, in which I now live. On Mt. Davidson, the streets curve around the mountain but not over the top. They unexpectedly converge on one another, but not always in a logical fashion. In short, it is easy to get lost in this neighborhood, especially on a foggy day. That particular day, after driving…

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October 4, 2019