Active Rain/Tomato Blog

This garden box at Goodwin House Alexandria belongs to my almost 92 year old mother-in-law.  It is just one of three that she maintains and works daily.

The Tomato Man at the Del Ray Farmer's Market is to tomatoes what Mario Batalli is to pasta; what Morton's is to steak; what fresh squeezed is to orange juice. In other words, the Tomato Man is the real deal. I come from a long line of tomato snobs.  We don't eat hydroponic tomatoes, we don't eat...

Yuck, yuck, yuck.  Bed bugs, once thought to be the sole province of dirty, low rent hotels are back - with a vengeance.  Almost totally eradicated after WWII with the use of DDT (now banned because of it's toxicity), the increase in international travel is thought to be one factor in the increas...

I've tried really hard to find an official name for the row of shops on Slater's Lane in Alexandria but to no avail. So, we're just going to call it the "Slater's Lane Shopping Center." Except of course that it's not really a shopping center and it's not a strip mall either. Instead, it's a charm...

I know, I know, it's only August but we want to give you a big head's up and plenty of time to plan.  So, mark you calendar for Oct. 23 and the Ninth Annual Del Ray Chili Cook Off.Started, organized and planned every year by our neighbor Laura Fries, the Del Ray Chili Cook Off is about as unassum...

Alexandria City Public School Registration Information for Fall 2010. September is almost upon us and that means school will be starting in the Alexandria City Public School system. When to Register: To register for kindergarten a child must be five years old on or before September 30 and must me...

10 tools every one should have in their home. Tape Measure - A 25-foot (or more) self-retracting tape measure. Look for a strong a thumb lock and tape that’s sturdy enough to remain flat after being stretched out. Utility Knife – A reliable utility knife can cut through string, rope, nylon, boxes...

Did you know that Jim Morrison of the Doors lived HERE in Alexandria? Jim Morrison lived here while attending GW High School (now GW Middle School) on Mt. Vernon Avenue in Del Ray I promised not to divulge the exact address but let's just say it is in a lovely neighborhood off Russell Road. And n...

Do have kids or are you still a kid at heart? Either way, plan to spend some time this weekend at the Model Train Exhibit in Old Town Alexandria.  Sponsored by the Potomac Division of the National Model Railroad Association and the Lyceum, this is a chance to see the best in model trains.  Associ...

Shortly before Christmas last year there was a notice on our local neighborhood list serv.  Someone wrote to say that a puppy was arriving from Florida as a present and needed somewhere to stay for the four days right before Christmas.  We had just lost our "Mac" - a fine feline specimen who had ...