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By Katie Bianco, Jess Feldman, Holly Gambrell, Michele Kettner and Jennifer Zeleski
Bikes and brews
Let me just say, thank God for curbside pickup at local breweries and wineries. Social distancing and staying at home for weeks on end would not be the same without being able to enjoy my favorite brews and wines from around the region. We all need a drink for virtual happy hours, right? After six weeks of being at home, I need to restock my fridge with beer, so this weekend I’ll put on my face mask, hop on my bike and use our April issue’s handy-dandy Loudoun County Ale Trail guide to get in some exercise and fresh air while I pick up four-packs, single bottles and crowlers from brewing favorites like Old Ox Brewery, Crooked Run Brewing, Wild Hare and Black Walnut Brewery. Good thing my bike has a large basket. -Holly Gambrell, Digital Editor
Love, your neighbor
I’ve always been a big fan of handwritten letters and notes. My boyfriend has some pressed into his notebook, and my mom has a box somewhere filled with my sappy, “thank you”-filled holiday, birthday and Mother’s Day cards. But ever since the pandemic began, I’ve held back on putting my pen to paper. I’ve worried that somehow, if I carried the virus, it would make it’s way to all of the people I loved via paper envelope … and that was just incomprehensible (like many anxiety-fueled thoughts are). But over the weekend, I read that “the risk of getting sick from handling mail or packages is extremely low and, at this point, only theoretical.” So, the flood gates are about to open. I will start with my family and friends, but then muster up as much positivity as I can for Alexandria-based seniors through a new, local letter-writing effort. Maybe a few stamps and messages of hope will help us continue to get through this together. -Jennifer Zeleski, Editorial Assistant
Cookies and milk
There have been two schools of thought during this global crisis. Some will tell you to use this time to finally pick up that hobby you’ve been meaning to, write that novel, train for that marathon. Others will tell you it’s OK to simply just get by—you don’t need to thrive during such an uncertain time. I say, why not both? Most days, I am just happy to get through the day with my work completed and my kids (somewhat) happy. But, I’ve also found myself baking quite a bit. It’s something I like to do, but don’t normally have the time for. I’ve been using what would have been my commute time to whip up blueberry muffins, bread and, my favorite so far, the DoubleTree by Hilton’s famous chocolate chip cookies. The hotel brand released the secret recipe for all the busy bakers like me who are staying at home and, reader, the cookies did not disappoint. I made more than two dozen on Thursday and we only have two left, which I will be hiding from my family so I can celebrate tonight when I’ve made it through another day. And when I tire of baking, there’s always dessert delivery. -Katie Bianco, Editor
The good old hockey game
If you are a hockey fan, you know that the period from April to June is the greatest time of the year. That means you are also feeling the withdrawals of not being able to watch playoff hockey. For years I have scheduled my life around hockey games, skipping outings with friends or pushing back papers just so I can make puck drop and right now I feel lost. This week would have been the start of the second round of the playoffs and most likely the fifth matchup between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins in the Alex Ovechkin/Sidney Crosby era, so you can imagine the withdrawal symptoms are at an all-time high. In order to try and fill the puck-sized hole in my heart, I am going to try my hand at Capitals’ forward Nic Dowd’s logo design contest for Dowd’s Crowd. Even though I’m not in it for the prize, spending hours getting lost in brainstorming and coloring (even if it is only for one day) is a great way to connect with the hockey community I miss so much. -Michele Kettner, Editorial Assistant
“Every artist was first an amateur.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Believe it or not, I was once the stereotypical definition of a theater kid. I took twice-weekly vocal and acting lessons, starred as the lead in several musicals and even had the chance to sign on with an agent, all before I turned 15. While my on-stage days have passed, I’ve been craving an outlet for my creative side lately, and so has my mom, who was once a photographer of Boston’s rowdy nightlife in the late ’80s. That’s why during this seemingly never-ending quarantine, we’ve decided to try our hands at art, something we’ve both never been the best at. Last week, we ordered two bright-colored paints to transform our basement and printed coloring pages, courtesy of Arlington Arts and this week I’ll introduce my mom to Meg Biram through her recently launched live art classes. All of the virtual courses focus on “creative exploration” using various mediums, and I am more than ready for the journey. -Jess Feldman, Editorial Assistant
