We want to feature your place in ABODE!

We want to feature your place in ABODE! Just write us an email about your favorite space at home – whether that’s your ultra-comfy bedroom or the back deck with the killer view. Tell us why we should publish your story. Send an email to abode@c-ville.com and include the following: your name, your phone number […]

Cool salad for heavy nights

Ever knocked back one too many, only to find yourself whipping up your patented hangover cure the next morning—Diet Coke and coffee, plus two aspirin and several slices of cold pizza? It’s a claim we don’t make often in this space, but Alex George says that enjoying a stomach-soothing ginger cucumber salad before you imbibe […]

Say awwwwwwww!

I’m an animal person. Well, except for spiders and snakes and sharks and eels and bugs of all kinds and other terrifying animals. Allow me to rephrase: I am a furry animal person who also has a soft spot for turtles, dolphins, manatees, seals, and other fat, but not really hairy, animals. Give me some […]

Guaranteed fame

Three weeks ago while listening to Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn speak of becoming the newest inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame (www.baseballhalloffame.org), I wondered about the feeling that comes with that monumental phone call. My inability to grasp what getting such a call would be like reminded me of the line Brad […]

Northward found

So, given much thought to Ruckersville lately? Yeah, neither have we. The place feels like a distant and, well, trafficky universe north of the airport on Route 29N. But, despite our perhaps unfair lack of attention, Ruckersville does in fact have a restaurant scene, which appears to be expanding. We caught wind of two late […]

Back Porch: Cleanliness is next to craziness

The largest and most elaborately wrapped box under this year’s Christmas tree had my name on it. It was from my husband. And on December 25, I opened it with as much gusto as our 6-year-old. I turned positively giddy when I glimpsed what was inside: a vacuum cleaner. Not any old vacuum cleaner. It […]

Neighborhood: It's a vacation at home

The more things change, the more they stay the same—that is, if you live at Lake Monticello. Located in the middle of Fluvanna County, Lake Monticello looks pretty much the same since this writer swam at the 3,500-acre gated community’s sandy beaches and skateboarded on the tennis courts near the main clubhouse as a teenager […]

Ground Rules: Dreams of green

Weather Alert: stretches of balmy temperatures followed by frigid cold. A typical Virginia winter, really. But there’s a whiff of fear in the air these days. Few doubt the climate is warming and weather is becoming more extreme, but is this winter just another blip on the ancient screen of global history or does it […]

Get Real: Breathing easier

The place is perfect. Right size, great neighborhood, fair price. It’s spotless. The walls are freshly painted and the carpet’s brand new. Close your eyes and you can imagine the entire family gathered ‘round the spectacular fireplace on cold winter evenings. Where do we sign? you ask the real estate agent. Slow down there, partner. […]

Abode: Could you land a job with Merry Maids?

1. Which of the following is a fabulous remedy for cleaning up spills in your oven?A. Inviting your mom over. B. Tossing a towel in there and waiting a few months.C. Sprinkling the spill with salt while the oven’s still hot, then wiping with a sponge once it’s cooled.D. A hose. 2. Crumpled-up, black-and-white newsprint […]