by Peggy Robin
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Still Life with Robin: One, Two, Tie My Shoe, Three, Four, Tie No More!
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Get Out! It;s the 2025 Lotus & Water Lily Festival - Friday, July 18th - Sunday, July 20th, 10am-8pm
by Peggy Robin
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2025 Lotus & Water Lily Festival
Friday, July 18th through Sunday, July 20th10 am to 8 pm
- 10 am–10:45 am: Kids Yoga w/ Our Movement Yoga™ (R)
- Join us for a fun outdoor yoga class designed just for kids! Blending mindful movement, breathwork, and playful exploration, this class helps children build body awareness, balance, and focus. Perfect for ages 7–12; no experience required! Adults are welcome to participate alongside their children. Please bring a yoga mat if you have one—there will be a limited number of extras available.
- 10 am–2 pm: Curiosity Corner: Crafts, Facts & Fun!
- Dive into a world of creativity and discovery with hands-on crafts, interactive exhibits, and exciting trivia for kids of all ages!
FRIDAY Afternoon & Evening Programs
- 5 pm–6 pm: Guided Outdoor Journaling w/ Ashleigh (R)
- This guided outdoor journaling session helps participants slow down, tune into their emotions, and gain clarity through nature-inspired reflection. We will go through a grounding and sensory awareness exercise, then do a journaling prompt with a reflection exercise.
- 5 pm–6:45 pm: Forest Bathing w/ Sage (R)
- Participate in a Forest Bathing saunter guided by certified Nature and Forest Therapy instructor J. Sage Raindancer. Meander through the Kenilworth Aquatic Garden’s paths and ponds, providing a backdrop to prime your senses and observe nature differently. Explore and interact with the ponds with childlike curiosity and awe while taking the time to experience the therapeutic benefits of nature through forest bathing.
- 5 pm–6 pm: Lotus Garden Scavenger Hunt
- 6 pm– 6:45 pm: Guzheng Performance (Traditional Chinese Zither)
- 7 pm–8 pm: Outdoor Jazz Performance by the Washington Conservatory Jazz Players
- Set among blooming lotus blossoms and serene water lilies, this open-air jazz performance will feature an all-star jazz quintet and guest vocalist, blending soulful melodies and high-energy improvisation in celebration of one of DC’s most beloved summer traditions.
SATURDAY Morning Programs
- 10:00 am–11:15 am: Reiki Inspired Gemstone Jewelry-Making w/ Lisette (R)
- Learn how to create jewelry using wire, gemstone beads, and tools that you can easily find in craft stores or online. The intention behind the workshop is to introduce fun and creative ways to relieve stress and support mental health through art. We use colorful gemstones and metal to form jewelry that participants are excited to wear and share!
- 10:00 am–11:15 am: Pause & Bloom: Movement & Journaling w/ Laine (D)
- Begin with a brief intention-setting practice in the gardens before being guided into a restful Yoga Nidra meditation. Participants are invited to bring a journal for optional reflection after the practice, using simple writing prompts to capture what emerged during the session.
SATURDAY Afternoon & Evening Programs
- 11 am: Rhythms of Asia: Cultural Dance Showcase
- Experience the vibrant traditions of Asia through dance! Local cultural groups will perform traditional dances from Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Sri Lanka, and Korea, celebrating the rich heritage and artistry of each culture.
- 12:15 pm: Kyungsoo Dan (Korean Traditional Arts)
- This year, we’re honored to welcome Kyungsoo Dan, a traditional Korean Samulnori percussion quartet, to the festival. Traveling all the way from Korea, they will share dynamic performances of drumming, dance, and song, celebrating the rich rhythms and culture of Korean heritage.
- 1 pm–2 pm: Ethiopian Dance with Bethlehem
- Bethlehem is an author, dancer of seven Ethiopian dance forms, dynamic speaker, and Wellness Coach, and the visionary founder of Kinet Bet—a movement dedicated to bridging culture, wellness, and connection. Come experience fun of the whole body engagement of Ethiopian dance from head to toe!
- 2 pm–3 pm: Fashion Show
- See the incredible talents of fashion designers in the community.
- 3 pm–4 pm: La Jeni & José: Interactive Flamenco Music and Dance Experience
- Jen Graham, a multidisciplinary movement educator and professional dancer is joined by performance partner José Moreno, Flamenco dancer, guitarist and singer to present, La Jeni & José: Live interactive Flamenco music and dance performance inviting audience participation.
- 4 pm–5 pm: Latin Dance Session with Angela
- Angela Ingram, folklore educator and professional Afro-Latin dancer and instructor, believes the essence of dance as music personified, filling the void when words falter. Join Angela in an invigorating, fun and audience engaging Latin Dance session.
- 5 pm–6 pm: Sol Y Rumba – Live Latin Band
- Established in 1993 by singer-songwriter Maria Isolina, Sol y Rumba stands as a beacon of Latin musical excellence in the heart of the D.C. metropolitan area. The ensemble comprises some of the region's most talented musicians, each boasting an impressive musical pedigree. Dancing along is encouraged!
- 6 pm–7:30 pm: Forest Bathing w/ Ashleigh (R)
- This forest bathing experience is a guided nature immersion designed to help participants slow down, reconnect with their senses, and embrace the therapeutic benefits of the natural world. Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, this program promotes relaxation, mental clarity, and overall well-being through mindful engagement with the forest environment. We will be doing a short walk suitable for all fitness levels.
SUNDAY Morning Programs
- 10 am–12 pm: Acrylic Painting near the Lotus Pond
SUNDAY Afternoon & Evening Programs
- 11 am–12 pm All Levels Yoga w/ Heather (R)
- Come join Heather for a beginner friendly, all levels welcome yoga session in the park. The practice will include several aspects of yoga including: asana, meditation, breath work, sun salutations and more.
- 12 pm–1 pm: West African Drumming Performance
- 1 pm–3 pm: Acrylic Painting near the Lotus Pond
- 2 pm–2:45pm: Live Guitar Music with Calvin Thomas
- 5:45 pm–7 pm: Hips & Heart Yoga w/ Erika (R)
- Hips and Heart is a hatha vinyasa style focusing on opening up the heart and hip space for a more wholesome and responsive personal emotional practice. Participants will move through chest opening, back strengthening, hip loosening, and balancing postures to nourish and reinforce these areas where emotions are held and processed. By focusing on the hips and heart, participants are set up to release energy and ideas that stagnate them and refuel themselves with energy and understandings that empower them to respond to each moment. Participants will be encouraged to tap into the focused themes of release, tapping into inner power, and receiving joy.
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Still Life with Robin: Read the Signs!
by Peggy Robin
This may or may not be a real road sign. It's all too easy to create a fake, funny image these days. If it's real, and anyone can find out where in the world the photo was taken, please post it here!
I found this photo in a collection of funny signs on Facebook I hope at least some of them are real. They are all real funny! Some, of course, are much funnier than others.
You can scroll through all 31 signs at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/davidattenboroughfans/permalink/1176976157446726/
Here are two good ones as a preview:
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Get Out! The Fort Reno Concert Series Is Back! And There's One Tonight, Thurs, July 10 at 7 PM
by Peggy Robin
Barring thunderstorms, you can enjoy a concert at Fort Reno Park every Monday and Thursday night in July, starting at 7pm.
I'm too late to give you the line-up for Concert #1, which took place on the opening date on Monday, July 7, but here's what you can look forward to for seven nights in July, starting TONIGHT at 7 PMThursday July 10
Monday July 14
The Flip Phones Doll Apartments Unknown Artist
Thursday July 17
Atoms Apart Zipa 504 Plan
Monday July 21
NIGHT OF 1000 CAKES!
Time in the Wilderness Bohemian Waxwing Bluem
Thursday July 24NIGHT OF 1000 SHIRTS! Thank you for another great season. We love you Leon!
TORO Trash Boat and the Ambush Restives
What to bring:
YES
FRIENDS
DOGS
BABIES
NO
ALCOHOL
DRUGS
GLASS BOTTLES
Fort Reno is located at 4000 Chesapeake St NW, across the street from Jackson-Reed High School.
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Saturday, July 5, 2025
Still Life with Robin: A Tale of Two Returns
by Peggy Robin
It was the worst of returns and the not-quite-worst of returns.First, the worst: What do you do when you haven't ordered anything but a package arrives on your doorstep, showing your street and house number but is addressed to someone you never heard of? I don't know about you, but here's what I did. The package was one of those easy-open cardboard envelopes, so I zipped it open for a quick peek inside, and saw two small items: a small copper pipe -- possibly some sort of plumbing piece? -- and another mystery piece, this one in white plastic. Both seemed to me to be something a person would order to do a specific, small plumbing repair. But that person was not me.
Wanting to do the right thing and get the package bacl to the person who needed it to fix something, I went to the internet and tried to find the person named as the addressee. It wasn't a common name -- and I'm pretty good at google searching -- but a couple different google search parameters failed to turn up anyone with the odd name in my zip code -- or living anywhere in Washington DC. for that matter.
So it seemed that the best solution was to send the package back where it came from and let the sender contact the buyer and fix the mistake in the address. I knew that Amazon had a package return center on the second floor of Tenleytown Whole Foods. I'd used it several times before. If you've ordered something that turns out to be wrong for you, you just go into your order history and get a return authorization. Then you drop the return item off at the Amazon return center. It's quick and convenient, and you can pick up some specialty grocery items while you're there.
Of course, I did not have and could not get an Amazon return authorization for an item I had not ordered. But I wasn't worried about that. It was in an Amazon package and it was someone else's order, and by bringing it back, I was helping Amazon correct what was either their mistake or the seller's mistake -- which should be good for their business...or so I assumed.
Not so fast. When I arrived at the Amazon return center, the first thing the Amazon clerk said was "Return code?" I explained I was returning something that Amazon had delivered to me by mistake and therefore I did not have a code.
"Well, without a code we can't accept it," said the clerk. "You can keep it."
"It's someone's plumbing parts," I explained. "It's no use to me but someone else has probably got a leaky something-or-other.. You must have contact information for the buyer and can ask them for the right address"
The clerk simply repeated the company mantra: No return code, no return. And then seeing the irritation on my face, she added, "You can take it home and throw it away if you don't want it."
I said (trying hard not to be snippy): "I'm not taking home an Amazon package that does not belong to me. If you don't want to resend it to the person who ordered it, YOU throw it away." And with that, I put the package on the desk and walked out.
Second return story -- the not-the-worst but not-the-best return: This one was for a LandsEnd item. I had a $5.00 credit from a LandsEnd swimsuit I'd ordered some years ago, and it was time for a new swimsuit. I went to LandsEnd.com and had no trouble finding one I liked in the same size as the previous one from LandsEnd, which after many good years of swimming in chlorinated pools, had stretched and faded too much to be wearable.
The new swimsuit arrived in a few days. I kept all the packaging and kept all the tags on, as well as the paper protection in the crotch, and tried it on. Too small! Well, I'll just send it back for the same one in the next size up. That's how online ordering works these days, I figured. Everyone offers free returns....don't they?
I guess most of them do, but not Lands End. I wish I'd checked the return policy before ordering. If you want to send something back and it's not their sending error, you pay a $9 return postage fee. The only way to return something without paying the return postage is to bring it to a Lands End store for an in-person return.
So that's what I did. I drove out to the nearest LandsEnd store -- that's the one at Congressional Plaza in Rockville -- with the swimsuit back in its plastic bag, all tags still on, totally unused, back in its original LandsEnd outer envelope, thinking I'd just do an even exchange for the same swimsuit but one size larger. But they didn't have it. However, they did have a fair selection of other swimsuits, and after a few try-ons, I settled on one that fit well and looked nice. And it was $5.00 cheaper than the one I was returning.
So now I have a LandsEnd swimsuit I like, that I've already worn in the pool and have found comfortable. And I have a $5.00 credit to use for some other LandsEnd order at some point in the future. So why wasnt' that an entirely satisfactory return experience? Because I'm so spoiled by clothing return policies from other sellers that let you send back an item for any reason at all -- no return fee, I'm reluctant to do another LandsEnd order and use my $5.00 credit. If I don't like what arrives, I don't want to run all the way out to Rockville to return the item for free. What if I end up with ANOTHER $5.00 credit? Then who knows how long I might be stuck in this LandsEnd buying loop!
(Yes, I know what you're thinking...."First World problems!" But if we simply accepted all our First World problems without complaint, we'd never solve any of them, would we? Not everything needs to reach crisis level you can talk about how things could be improved!)
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Still Life with Robin is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Get Out! You Can Watch the 59th Annual Palisades 4th of July Parade....Or You Can March!
by Peggy Robin
- Starting at Whitehaven Parkway and MacArthur Boulevard NW
- Proceeding northwest on MacArthur Boulevard to Edmunds Place NW
- Left on Edmunds Place to Sherier Place NW
- South on Shereier Place disbanding in Palisades Park
Sunday, June 29, 2025
Still Life with Robin: Where Have You Gone, Woodstein? Come Back!
by Peggy Robin
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(OK, it's a scene from the movie, not the real thing) |
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Get Out! The Smithsonian Folk Life Festival Is On! July 2 - 7 on the National Mall
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Still Life with Robin: On the one-week anniversary of NO KINGS DAY: A Look Back
by Peggy Robin
Thursday, June 19, 2025
Arts, Crafts, Fitness, Food, Good Causes, Architectural Walks -- The Best of Cleveland Park Day Is Back On This Weekend!
by Peggy Robin
- DISCOUNTS
- GIVEAWAYS
- RAFFLES
- MASSAGES
- CLASS DEMOS
- LINE DANCING
- MUSIC
- OPEN HOUSE
- Canned Tuna, Salmon or Chicken (in water)
- Canned Vegetables (low sodium, no salt)
- Canned Fruits (in 100% juice)
- Pastas and Pantry Staples
Friday, June 13, 2025
Still Life with Robin: Bunnies and Turkeys and Bears, Oh My!
by Peggy Robin
- Fox in the snow Photo by Sally H. NoVa
- Opossum on the roof Photo by Elizabeth Loeb
- Snake on the trail in Rock Creek Park May 31, 2025. Photo by Peggy Robin
- Chicken feathers, extreme closeup, Ever After Farm, May 31 2025 Photo by Peggy Robin
- Stag Photo by Thomas H. Mann
- Alpacas at Feeding Time, Ever After Farm, Warrenton, VA. Photo by Karen Adler
- Alpaca, closeup of a sweet face Photo by Karen Adler
- Llama and pig at Hidden Valley Farm Camp, This photo and more by Hidden Valley Camp
- Go to the PHOTOS section of the CP Listserv.
- Click on the album you would like to add your photos to - for example: Wildlife In & Around Cleveland Park (and Elsewhere)
- Look for the green +Add Photos button and click on it.
- You will see an option to "Drag image here" or "browse," allowing you to choose how you would like to locate your photos on your computer and add them to the album.
- Pull up each photo you want to add to the album, and write a description in the "description" box. Helpful details for the description box include: your name, photo location, date taken, a caption, and any other info you want list members to have.
- Click Add.