October 2009: Green Scene

Better bathrooms Taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth—conserving water doesn’t require gadgetry, but eco-minded technology  can save you both money and resources. According to the EPA, toilets account for nearly 30 percent of residential indoor water consumption, and a leaky toilet can be a major source of wasted water. Does […]

Two Albemarle natives find each other the long way

More evidence that online dating indeed works: Marylyle McCue, 33, met Jordan Reiter, 32, on OkCupid, a free dating site. This was back in the summer of 2005. The site rated them 80 percent compatible so they felt fairly confident sparks might fly—after all, they grew up 10 miles apart and attended the same high […]

What once was Is, now is was

From a name perspective, Is Venue might’ve been doomed from the get-go. During the music venue’s year of shows, Feedback heard a few variations dozens of times, including “Was,” “Has Been” and “…really?” For a while, it seemed as if the name was the only new problem to surface in the space once dubbed Starr […]

Si? No. Crozet Pizza? Si

As our Feedback blog first reported last week, Si Tapas on W. Main Street has closed. After a year in business at the old site of Starr Hill Brewery and Music Hall, the outpost of Richmond restaurant Si, from regional restaurant mogul Mo Roman, has ceased operations of both its kitchen and its upstairs music […]

October 2009: Around the House

Chair fair A really well-chosen stuffed chair can be nearly as important as your bed: It’s the place where you spend the last hours of the evening, reading, swirling a snifter, or pontificating to your dog in total comfort. Here are our favorites from local stores.   Patterned Pearson wing chair from The Second Yard, […]

October 2009: Your Garden

The flowers of fall Like a dusty hen rustling down onto her nest, trees, shrubs and perennials are settling into fall. Many are going dormant early, yellowing and shedding leaves. This is a natural defensive process (don’t we all shrivel a bit when abundance is not forthcoming?), allowing them to conserve as much energy as […]

October 2009: Your Kitchen

Preserving warmth for winter Summertime swaddles September in sunshine, goldenrod and a dappling of apples, but October edges into autumn, with cooler nights and crystal clear days that are perfect for “working” outdoors. With an average last frost date of October 15, in Central Virginia this is the time to harvest and preserve the last […]

October 2009: As an oak grows

It’s a well-known phenomenon, and Thomas Jefferson was a prime example: builders, carpenters and architects whose own homes are perpetual projects. Like a chef too tired to cook his own dinner, those who spend their days building and designing other people’s places typically have precious few hours and little energy to spend on their personal […]

October 2009: Get Real

Leafy hazards For the proud homeowner, there are few sights more appealing than a gorgeous old tree tinged with autumn colors in front of a carefully tended home. But just because a tree may look grand and sweeping doesn’t mean it’s necessarily an asset to the home. In fact, many homeowners don’t give enough consideration […]