Get Out! It's the 25th Annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights - Sat, Dec 6th

by Peggy Robin

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Lighted Boat Parade starts at 5:30 p.m.

Dockside festivities 2 to 8 p.m.

Old Town Alexandria Waterfront

Old Town Alexandria’s historic waterfront will shine for the 25th Annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights as dozens of brightly lit boats cruise along one mile of the Potomac River shoreline. Enjoy dockside festivities in Waterfront Park including a pop-up beer garden from Port City Brewing Company, food, activities and more.

See a map of parade viewing areas and additional parade information HERE

Make a day of it—or a weekend! The Boat Parade is part of  and is the same day as the 54th Annual Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade   which starts at 11 a.m. Arrive early to enjoy both parades and enjoy local restaurants and shopping.

• 2 to 8 p.m.: Hands-on activities and food and beverage options at Waterfront Park (1 King Street) (Activities end at 5:30 p.m.)
  
• 2 to 6 p.m.: Holiday Festival at Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 N Union St)
• 3:30 p.m.: Santa arrives by fireboat as part of the Holiday Festival at Torpedo Factory Art Center (Alexandria Marina)
• 5:30 p.m.: Parade begins at the Alexandria City Marina and cruises southward (0 Cameron St.)
  • Parade start time varies by location: ~5:30 p.m. at City Marina, but earlier to north and later to south
  • Duration: 45-60 minutes
  • Note: Viewing locations north of Founders Park may see boats in staging process rather than single-file parade line.

Parade Day Status: Both parades will take place rain or shine. Stay tuned for day-of announcements.. To sign up for text alerts, text “ALXEVENTS” to 888777.

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The "Get Out" event of the week is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Still Life with Robin presents the 2025 Cleveland Park Listies....with the five nominees for BEST QUERY

by Peggy Robin

 

Moving on to our next category, BEST QUERY, we looked for messages that were not your everyday questions: Not "Who makes the most delicious chocolate cake? (Message #227027) or "Does anyone have a good doctor who is accepting new Medicare patients?" [Message #227642]  (though these are fine questions that elicited valuable information!), but something just a bit offbeat, such as......

 

What do you do with a 110-year-old bronzed baby shoe? Message #230192 by Sharon C. on October 18:

It was my father’s and sentimentality has run its course. Having rescued it when cleaning out the family house many years ago and tucking it away out of sight out of mind, it has now resurfaced as part of the current clean-out. I’m not looking for ways to turn it into a paperweight or other objet d’art—just the best (or most creative) way to dispose of it.

 

Replies to Sharon all went off-list, but when I told her that her question had been nominated for a Listy, I asked her if she received any good answers, and she replied:

 

Here are the suggestions I got:

 

Put the shoe on EBay—a collector will want it

Donate to Goodwill (I would never have thought of that!)

Find an antique resale shop

Offer to a theater for a production

Use for an art/mixed media project

Put on the Trashnothing site (which I had never heard of)

Use as a toothpick holder (this was Eleanor’s idea) 😃

 

But the two posters who had a similar idea— find a historical society or museum locally where my father grew up (which happens to be a small town in Ohio) and see if they might want the shoe—resonates the most with me so I am likely to try that.

 

For the present, the shoe is sitting on my dining room table and looking at me somewhat reproachfully.

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Can you help Mrs. Frances Cleveland? Message #225672  by Cassandra H. on May 30:   

Mrs. Frances Cleveland would like to borrow a white lace shawl and a white lace fancy parasol for Cleveland Park Day (Sunday June 8th). Can anyone help her? Please let me know.

 

You will be pleased to hear that Listserv members stepped up to outfit the young, beautiful 19th century First Lady with the fashionable items requested -- but then nature rained on her parade and Cleveland Park Day 2025 had to be called off. Never fear! With a little luck, Mrs. Cleveland will make a stunning appearance, decked out with the finest accessories, at Cleveland Park Day 2026 -- thanks to some helpful Listserv members. 

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ISO a safecracker by Terri S. on October 8:

 

This nomination tells a complete story in three queries that nicely segue from one to the other So the story goes: beginning, middle, end, with a bit of suspense along the way to a happy ending:

 

The beginning:

ISO a safecracker by Terri S. on October 8, Message #229890   

I have inherited a safe with a combination lock whose code is lost. My late mother-in-law compared it to "Al Capone's safe," i.e. empty. But I would like to know. What can be done?

 

The middle:

Postback: Recommending Locksmith for Safe on Oct 24, Message #230371   

After a difficult search I found a locksmith to open an old safe. He came promptly and opened the safe for an affordable price.

 

He is: Yaniv Goldsmith, GoldyLocks LLC, 1215 26th Rd S, Arlington VA 22202, 703 732, 7494,  goldylocks.services@gmail.com

 

The end:

ISO coin dealer (was: ISO a safecracker) Nov. 3, Message #230665   

 

The safe I inherited had many coins -- some old, many from other countries. In the past I have sold coins to dealers in Silver Spring and Old Georgetown Rd, but I don't know if they are still in business. Any suggestions?

 

...And a couple of endnotes:

 

Two messages followed with advice about selling the coins, along with a name of a reputable dealer. It's all in the Listserv archives for anyone who's ever in a similar situation.

 

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What is this insect? #227296  by Steph G. on July 19

 

What is this "popcorn" bug?  

One day later the little ball of popcorn revealed its true nature to Steph (July 20 # #227316):

Update Re: What is this insect?

A bug story:

The moving piece of popcorn yesterday morphed into this lovely white moth today.

And it flew up 'n' away!

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Roses, more roses, and lilies—oh my by Katherine S. May 31, Message #225641   

 

Valentine season has passed, and what anonymous lover would leave many dozens of red roses and lilies on a church porch? The bounty of flowers shivering in the rain, surely a mis-delivery on Wednesday, is at Cleveland Park Congregational UCC, 3400 Lowell St NW. At the end of choir practice as darkness was falling, it was clear no one was coming to rescue the flowers. So some singers took home some roses. Neighbors, the flowers will still be on the church doorstep Thursday morning. It would be reasonable to take some home. 

Three days later, someone asked if anyone ever came forward to tell the who and why of the flowers....and no one did. So it will remain forever a mystery.

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The Cleveland Park Listies are posted annually in a series of messages in the "Still Life with Robin" column that usually comes out on Saturdays. This Saturday we did TWO columns, one for Best Animal Story and another for Best Query, to give all five nominees in each category a full airing. Next weekend, we expect to post the five nominees for Best Response to a Query/Best Advice on Saturday, December 6, and then post the five nominees for Best Long Discussion Thread on Sunday, December 7.

Still Life with Robin: The 2025 Cleveland Park LISTIES! In the category of BEST ANIMAL STORY, the nominees are...

by Peggy Robin

If you're new to the CP Listserv or you missed last week's column, go to Still Life with Robin: The LISTIES are coming! Nominate your favorite Listserv posts....and yes, you can nominate yourself! to get up to speed, because we're diving right in with the five nominations in our first category: BEST ANIMAL STORY.

First nominee from Kathy R., Oct 24 Encounter with Pickles the Cat.

So it begins:

Yesterday around sundown (6:20ish), I was walking along Highland Place when a cat darted across the street, from a little before the National Child Research Center to about 3200 Highland Place. (Cats are crepuscular, most active at dawn and twilight.) A pretty tabby, with white vest and boots. As a cat-lover, I stooped to coax the creature. I immediately noticed that it was clean and well-fed but its eyes were swollen nearly shut, whether from an infection or a congenital condition like entropion.

 

The friendly adult cat let me pick himmer up and purred loudly, but struggled free whenever a car passed near, a healthy wariness. There was no way I could carry it to my home, 0.6 mi. away. I tried a few front doors (none answered) and several passersby, until one eventually said the cat belonged to a house up the street, though she couldn’t say which.

 

It pained me to leave this poor creature. If it is yours, please let me know. Photo attached and (if you can’t see it) it's also at https://photos.app.goo.gl/XkWP7QMnhfoa7WnA8.

And so it ends (follow-up, same day):

Pickles! From Pickles' human, lightly edited: "You met Pickles, a sweet, happy and well cared-for indoor-outdoor cat that lives in one of the houses on Highland. We adopted him from the Humane Society as a kitten, where he had languished for a while as he was born without eyelids. Over his lifetime this led to various eye ailments and many trips to a very expensive cat ophthalmologist (much to his dismay, not being a big fan of car rides). Ultimately he had to have one eye removed, as it was causing him constant irritation, and he has limited vision in the other. He never goes too far from home though and has lived happily on Highland for 11 years now. He sleeps at home, in my son’s bedroom, with our other cat, and has a happy life. Thanks so much for your care and concern. I just wanted you to know he was ok and well looked after."

 

I was right in suspecting that the cat had a congenital eye malformation, that he was well-fed and -socialized, and might not be a stray. If I meet Pickles again I will address him by name.

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Second nominee from Wendy P. , July 22, Parakeet on the Lam (a story in 3 chapters)

July 22, Chapter I. Are you missing a parakeet?

Parakeet found in Tenleytown last night. Beautiful, tame and friendly bird. We are fostering him but someone is surely missing him. If he’s yours, please contact me.

July 30, Chapter II. Rescued Parakeet Update and Availability for Adoption.

The sweet parakeet who was rescued from a backyard in Tenleytown is doing well but we have not been able to find his(?) original family. He needs an attentive permanent home with no cats.

As you may see from the picture, "Fennel" appears to have been grabbed by a predator during his time outside. Fennel has been seen by a veterinarian since being rescued and is healthy and without parasites,though undernourished (likely from the outdoor adventure). He is rapidly growing his lower body feathers back and is calm, cheerful and interactive. We consider this bird's escape from whatever grabbed him, rescue and good condition to be somewhat miraculous. [snip]

August 8, Chapter III. A New Home -- and a new name -- for Fennel

Wendy, the original poster reports: "Fennel, the parakeet found in Tenleytown, has recovered nicely and went home with her adopter today. Thank you to everyone who contacted us about her."

Karen D., who has given the parakeet a new home, provides a happy update: "I am now the 'owner' of Fennel, the rescue parakeet. Having figured out that the bird is a she, I renamed her Cella from the Italian word/feminine for bird, Uccella. She is doing fairly well. The finder and her friend, who hosted the bird in her home, had her wings clipped, so she still doesn’t fly around freely like the birds I’ve had in the past. She’s partially tame, definitely has a personality and loves chirping to birds outdoors or to accompany the conversations I’m a part of on Zoom."  

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Third nominee from Carol S. Not for anyone with ophidiophobia

October 8 - The question: Have you seen any snakes around or inside your house? 

Has anyone seen snakes inside and around their house? We had a LARGE black snake on our walkway yesterday — Lew used a rake to shove it into the road— it disappeared, I think, into the drain; also a small multi-colored snake on our deck, and just this morning a small black snake in our laundry room which I fortunately, didn’t see. Could this be related to the pipe project? 

October 8 - Follow-up: Washingtonian Magazine has the answer (and if you don't like snakes, we recommend you skip it!)

Re: snakes in the house -- a follow-up [from a back issue of Washington Magazine June 3, 2022]. https://share.google/FKrUlBFrLonHwsLRL

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Fourth nominee from Cindy S., June 4 - Enzo, Come Home!

"Well, I guess I had to leave to see i
f they'd miss me when I was away."

Dear Neighbors,

Posting for my neighbor, one block from me. Missing from 38th & Windom:

Have you seen a mostly white cat, with black & brown marks on his head and a distinctive gray/black striped tail? He must have medicine asap, but didn’t come home Tuesday night, which is very unlike him. [snip]

All help greatly appreciated. Thank you.

ENZO is Found! 🙏🏻

Thank you SO much, to all who were concerned and who helped look.

Enzo the mostly white cat with the distinctive striped tail has been found alive & well :)

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Fifth nominee from Susie B.: The Sorrowful Saga of Piotr the Great

Our story begins on September 18. Piotr, a mature 30-year-old Russian tortoise has strayed from his family. Lost in the wilderness, he wanders, and wanders...while his family pleads for his safe return (See message #229247)

There's a sighting (or maybe not?) along the Klingle Valley Trail. (Message #229247   )

And another sighting. His family and friends continue to search. They post again to reassure the public that "He does not bite."

He's a particularly fine-looking Russian, isn't he? You can admire the noble beak on his sculpted face and elegant markings on his shell in his portrait below (and in Message #229298   ]

Then on September 23rd, another sighting -- this one a missed opportunity as the hiker who spotted him and picked him up simply moved him father into the woods. Message (#229430  )

And then we come to the close of the story, which, like so many epic Russian tales, leaves us both heartbroken and exhausted...and yet with a faint glimmer of hope to keep us from utter despair.

"I and various kind neighbors keep looking, but he has not been able to get out of the heavily wooded mini ravines at Twin Oaks, assuming he is trying for the sunny meadows of Tregaron. Also, Russian torts are slow, about thirteen-
tenths of a mile per hour. 

"His much younger companion, Jadwiga (named after the 1st Queen of Poland) has stopped eating and just sits there, missing him. While they were not involved romantically, they always wandered around together and slept next to each other, unusual for torts who tend to be solitary except when in season. Please keep an eye out for our wandering boy."

Perhaps there will be a sequel one day, "The Return of Piotr the Great"? If so, it will surely win our Post of the Year.

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Next up (later today): Nominees for BEST QUERY. Stay tuned!

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The Cleveland Park Listies are posted annually in a series of messages in the "Still Life with Robin" column that comes out on Saturdays. This year there were will TWO columns each Saturday, one for each category, over the next four Saturdays, to give all five nominees in each category a full airing.

Still Life with Robin: The LISTIES are coming! Nominate your favorite Listserv posts....and yes, you can nominate yourself!

by Peggy Robin

The Cleveland Park Listy Awards are a time-honored tradition going back 13 years* -- which is a virtual eon in Internet Time.

 

In the past, we've used the weekly Still Life with Robin column over the last four Saturdays in December, reserving the first Saturday to announce this annual event, and the next two Saturdays to present the nominees -- selecting five messages in each of the seven categories -- and on the last Saturday in December, we announce the winners. 

 

This year -- after collecting nominations from you, the Listserv community -- we're adding two more Saturdays (the last two in November) to accommodate all the great posts in a particularly fertile year of Listserv posts.

 

Here's how it will unfold:

 

I. November 22 (Today's Column): Presenting The Categories and The Nominating Rules

II. November 29:  Introducing the Nominees for Best Animal Story and Best Query

III. December 6: Nominees for Best Response to a Query/Best Advice and Best Long Discussion Thread

IV. December 13: Best Giveaway and Poster of the Year

V. December 20: Photo of the Year and Post of the Year

VI. December 27: Announcing the Winners of the 2025 Cleveland Park Listies!

 

To nominate a post, just email me at clevelandparklistservmoderator @ gmail dot com with the text of the post you want to nominate, and/or the message number, subject line, and date.

 

If you have an idea about a post you'd like to see recognized but you don't have any of the identifying information requested above, but you can think of a few keywords to look it up, you can do a search of the Listserv archives to find it. Instructions to do an archives search are here:  http://www.cleveland-park.com/searching-the-archives.html

 

The following categories -- Best Animal Story; Best Query; Best Giveaway; Photo of the Year; and Post of the Year -- are all self-explanatory. 

 

Now for some notes on the categories that are NOT self-explanatory:

1. Best Response to a Query/Best Advice. You can choose a message posted in response to a request for  recommendations or advice, but please note: a prior query is not a requirement. This category also includes messages offering a creative solution to a problem or an account of an experience with useful information for readers, posted at any time during 2025.
2. Best Long Discussion Thread is defined as any series of messages on the same topic, consisting of at least six messages from at least four unique posters. You can nominate the poster who kicked off the discussion, or nominate the message that you consider the outstanding one of all the messages in the thread.
3. Poster of the Year is the one catergory that does not accept nominations but is awarded by our panel of judges. It's not an annual award but will be given out whenever the judges believe there's one list member whose posts have stood out for the quality of writing over the course of the year. Some years we haven't had a compelling candidate, but this year we do!

 

About that panel of judges: In the early days of the Listies (before our awards were even given the name "The Listies"),  I, your moderator, acted as sole judge, jury, and presenter. Over the next few years I started informally consulting a floating mix of family members, friends and neighbors. They're kept anonymous so that they won't be subject to undue influence!

 

Next week, Saturday, November 29, watch this space for the five nominees in each of these two categories: Best Animal Story and Best Query.

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* It all got started in December of 2012, but it originally went under the title, "The Listserv Year in Review." We didn't think to name our "best of the Listserv" column the "Cleveland Park Listies" until three years later -- 2015.

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The Still Life with Robin column is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Get Out! See the Spectacular Thanksgiving Parade! Sat, Nov 22, starting at 10 AM

 by Peggy Robin

...and I'm not telling you to go to New York. Macy's is not the only host of a grand parade! You can see one right in downtown Silver Spring. That's not too far to go to see a giant inflatable turkey, is it? And you also get a giant inflatable penguin! Best of all, you don't have to disrupt your stay-at-home-and-watch-football plans for Thanksgiving day -- this one's on Saturday, November 22.

Here's what you need to know:

Silver Spring Thanksgiving Parade

Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 10:00am

Downtown Silver Spring, starting at Ellsworth Drive & Fenton St

Join us for the Montgomery County Thanksgiving parade on the Saturday before the holiday. From glittering floats and marching bands to 12-foot inflatable turkeys, and Santa Claus himself, this annual tradition promises a vibrant celebration for the whole family. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street and travels south on Georgia Avenue, ending at Silver Spring Avenue. Rain or shine, it’s the perfect way to usher in the holiday season.

Emcees and Themes:

ABC7 First Alert Weather Team’s Eileen Whalen and Senior Meteorologist Brian van de Graaff host the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade. Join them, our County Executive Marc Elrich, and our County Council for the opening ribbon-cutting ceremony. Eileen Whalen is a Silver Spring native and Brian van de Graaff has emceed the parade for over a decade!

The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade starts with harvest, autumn, and Thanksgiving themed units and ends with Winter, Hannukah, and Christmas!

Parade Route:

The parade kicks off at Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street and travels south on Georgia Avenue, ending at Silver Spring Avenue.

Need details about parking, viewing stands, street closings and more? Visit   https://silverspringdowntown.com/events/thanksgiving-parade and scroll down to the FAQs.

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The "Get Out" event of the week is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays. 

Still Life with Robin: When things go right....

 by Peggy Robin

The most constant theme of this column? Complaining about petty stuff.* I'm consider myself a champion-level complainer. Whenever someone asks me if I have a hobby, I will answer "Yes -- complaining." But I really do think I could turn pro.

So I'm always astonished when I go through any kind of process and find NOTHING to complain about. Something going entirely right? That deserves a column in itself. So here goes.

A few weeks back, I lost my Metro SmarTrip card. It's a senior SmarTrip with a half-price discount, and so I wasn't about to switch to ApplePay or tap myself in with a credit card. Besides, it had over $40 on it.

But when you have a Metro account and you've registered your farecard, no worries! As the station manager told me when I asked if anyone had turned in my dropped farecard, "You can just log into your account online and order a replacement." It's really that simple.

They said it would come in TWO business days....and yes, it did! Can't beat that for speedy service!

Good job, Metro!

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Still Life with Robin is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

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* Here are seven examples from over the years. I have lots more, but seven is plenty:

Packaging complaints:

https://alllifeislocal.blogspot.com/2013/06/still-life-with-robin-good-things-come.html

Unreadable information brochures:

https://alllifeislocal.blogspot.com/2022/11/still-life-with-robin-reading-leaves.html

Having to put in a verification code every time I want to log into my account on a website

https://alllifeislocal.blogspot.com/2023/07/still-life-with-robin-my-so-code-life.html

Childproof Rx caps,customer service robo-calls, and customer complaint petitions - a column with a 3-complaint trifecta

https://alllifeislocal.blogspot.com/2012/06/still-life-with-robin-complaint-x-3.html

Calendar creep:

https://alllifeislocal.blogspot.com/2019/07/still-life-with-robin-back-to-school.html

Email overload:

https://alllifeislocal.blogspot.com/2024/08/still-life-with-robin-eight-and-half.html

Too many ways to format phone numbers:

https://alllifeislocal.blogspot.com/2011/09/still-life-with-robin-phone-numbers.html 

Get Out! The Dupont Circle Holiday Market Opens FRIDAY, November 14 and Stays Open for the NEXT 38 DAYS!

 by Peggy Robin

NEW HOLIDAY MARKET at DUPONT CIRCLE !!

The Holiday Market will open Friday, November 14 and run through Tuesday, December 23

(*closed Thanksgiving Day Nov 27 /  Mon Dec 1 ). 
Hours will be from Mon-Fri, 12 PM to 8 PM
Sat/Sun, 11 AM to 8 PM 

The DC Holiday Market at Dupont Circle will operate for 38 days. 

Diverse Markets Management will once again host the most successful holiday market in Washington DC – in a new location: the 11 Dupont Circle on New Hampshire Ave Street, NW. It's one block east from last year’s location on narrow 19th Street. 


The DC Holiday Market will feature 35 plus small businesses with artisans, boutique brands, worldwide handcrafts and unique gift items. The market brings its signature style, bright festive décor and premier exhibitors to an iconic location adjacent to Dupont Circle and renown Kramer’s Books & Café.  

Dupont Circle has a tradition of small businesses, including art galleries and mom & pop shops. The DC Holiday Market is a perfect complement to the stores and restaurants around Dupont Circle.  

EXHIBITORS

Find unique and wonderful gifts offered by over 35 local artists, crafters, and small businesses. See the Site Map for location and the Exhibitor Categories for detailed participant list and booth number. 

GIFT CERTIFICATES

Give the gift of the DC Holiday Market with Market Dollars! There is something special for everyone at the Market! If all the choices have you stumped, don’t worry. Let your gift certificate recipient pick out something she or he is sure to enjoy!

PARKING HERE / STAYING HERE 

We recommend booking convenient parking in advance through SpotHero.

More info: https://dcholidaymarket.net/

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The "Get Out!" event of the week is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Still Life with Robin: A 16-Minute Master Class in Spotting AI Writing

by Peggy Robin

I've got a short, simple column today, and you may wonder if I wrote it myself or used AI (as more and more people are doing when asked to turn in an assignment these days). The answer is no. Like a lot of  writers -- mainly older ones, I suspect -- I'm no fan of this tool. I've never used it myself, and as soon as I'm aware that someone else is using it, they sink in my estimation. It's not that they're cheaters. I'm not about to try to make a case that even when writing a basic set of instructions, you always need to be creative and original. Also, if I started down that road, all the Gen Z'ers and Gen Alphas would dismiss me out of hand as some sort of 20th Century throwback (which I suppose I am).

No, my pitch is that an AI-written piece is always so....bad. It can be awkward, but even when it's smooth, it's still not quire right. It always feels like there's something missing. Maybe it's that hint of personality that even the shortest scrap of writing needs to provide. You can't really imagine someone actually speaking the words that you're reading on the page, or more often, on your monitor. And even if you can imagine that someone is behind those words...you know it's not anyone you'd like to spend any time with, because they just seems to be lacking...something -- even if you can't quite put your finger on it.

Well, now someone has put his finger right on it. Evan Eldinger is a blogger, YouTuber, and transatlantic, cross-cultural commentator, and I've just watched his informative video on this subject: "I can spot AI writing instantly -- you can too."

In just 16 minutes of very fast talking in front of the camera, Evan says he's giving "a master class in how to tell if something was written by AI in the year 2025."

He identifies ten red flags to AI writing -- and I'm not going to bullet-point them, because that's exactly the sort of thing you can get AI to do for you. All I'll say is if you've ever spent any time wondering if you've been reading AI-generated text on websites, in guidebooks, in emails, or even in newspaper and magazine articles, you will find Evan's video well wortth the time it takes to listen to him go through all the tells.

It's also entertaining!

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Still Life with Robin is usually posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays, but it's sometimes a day late.

Get Out! The "No War on Our Cities" Rally Is Happening This Veteran's Day, Tuesday, Nov 11, 12 noon at Union Station

 by Peggy Robin

On November 11 from 12 pm to 2 pm ET, hundreds of veterans, community members and advocates will gather in front of Union Station at Columbus Circle in Washington, D.C. to fight for democracy and say “no” to corruption and tyranny. 

Organized by About Face: Veterans Against the War and May Day Strong alongside Public Citizen, FLARE USA and several other community organizations,the DC rally is one of several No War On Our Cities protests planned for Veterans Day as part of a national Vets Say No mobilization to defend democracy, protect crucial public services and resist the militarization of communities. No War on Our Cities protests are centered in major U.S. cities that Trump has threatened with military occupation including New York, D.C., Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, Memphis and Boston.

In late October, the Pentagon announced more than 23,000 troops across the country were being readied and trained for civil unrest missions in U.S. cities, in new “quick reaction forces.” Less than a week later, the Trump Administration announced it planned to extend the deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. through at least February 2026.

Photo by Pentagon photographer

The No War On Our Cities rally will begin at 12 pm at Union Station, featuring a speaker program of local veterans, DC community leaders and more. 

WHO: About Face, May Day Strong, FLARE USA and Public Citizen

WHAT: No War On Our Cities protest featuring local veterans and DC leaders

WHEN: Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11, 2025 from 12 pm to 2 pm ET

WHERE: Union Station 50 Massachusetts Ave NE Washington, DC 20002

View this announcement on the web: https://www.citizen.org/news/hundreds-of-d-c-veterans-and-community-members-will-rally-against-federal-cuts-ice-and-occupation-on-veterans-day/ 

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The "Get Out" event of the week is usually posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays, but we've posted another announcement of a Veteran's Day event, after learning that the "Get Out!" event posted yesterday for the Lincoln's Cottage tour and discussion panel was already sold out. No tickets or rsvp needed for this event -- just show up!

SORRY - SOLD OUT! Get Out! Veteran's Day Program at Lincoln's Cottage: Lincoln's Toughest Decisions - Nov 11 at 10am

Veteran's Day Program at President Lincoln's Cottage:

Lincoln's Toughest Decisions

Tuesday, November 11 from 10 – 11:30 AM

 

President Lincoln developed the Emancipation Proclamation during his first summer at the Cottage. He thought about how the Proclamation would affect various groups, the progress of the war, and his upcoming re-election.

 

This Veteran’s Day, don’t miss the opportunity to participate in “Lincoln’s Toughest Decisions” – a program rarely open to the public! Dive deep into the history behind emancipation’s complexities with a guided tour of President Lincoln’s Cottage followed by this intimate and multi-faceted program.

 

Learn more and purchase tickets HERE. ($21)

 

President Lincoln’s Cottage has proudly joined the Museums for All initiative to offer free admission to visitors receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits). Museums for All tickets are available online in advance (recommended) or at our Museum Shop in the Robert H. Smith Visitor Education Center. People who qualify may reserve their tickets HERE.

 

Team Lincoln Members should email Emma Tanner (etanner@lincolncottage.org) for an exclusive promo code. Not a member of Team Lincoln yet? Learn more and join today here!

Entrance:  140 Rock Creek Church Rd NW

Washington, DC 20011

https://www.lincolncottage.org/

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The "Get Out!" event of the week is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Still Life with Robin: Still Falling Backwards....

by Peggy Robin

 

Well, here we go again, doing the old clock switch-back thing, that semi-annual ritual that has the support of a mere twelve percent of the US population. Given that figure, it's hard to understand why we keep doing it.

No, I take that back: I get it. Given the current state of affairs -- over a month into a government shutdown that absolutely everyone claims to hate, including the politicians who caused it -- it's become clearer than ever that what the majority of the people want is not that closely correlated to what they get. So why should our desire to do away with this time-switcheroo be any different?

 

Anyway, it's not as much trouble as it used to be, now that so many of our time-keeping devices are chip-enabled and thus programmed to reset themselves automatically.

 

At this time of year we regain the hour of sleep we lost in the spring, making this seasonal time-change less onerous than its vernal counterpart.

 

Of course, try telling that to your dog or your toddler on a fixed nap schedule -- or your neighbor's rooster, if you live in the country.

 

In the past, there were glimmers of hope, in the form of a bill that advanced in Congress, making us think we were about to suffer through the clock-resetting just one last time. This year, I"ve become resigned to the idea that Congress will not come to our rescue. They can't even keep our country up and running and get food to the people who would go hungry without the program they authorized and funded.

 

So now all I ask of them is to come back and do, oh, the kinds of things the Constitution tells them is in their job descripton. Y'know, like pass a budget, or at very least, authorize payment of the air traffic controllers and other essential workers, so we can keep the planes flying. Or maybe put a halt to the wholesale destruction of entire cabinet departments and agencies established by Congressional action. Or stop the President from starting wars in defiance of the War Powers Act. Or stop him from using the military domestically, against the residents of our own cities. 

 

Congress, if you will just get off your collective duff and get started on these things, I promise to stop whining* about this twice-yearly clock-up .

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* I've done SIX previous columns gnawing on this particular bone. My most recent one, last sping, has links to the five previous columns -- in case you really want to keep going down the same rabbit-hole.

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.