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Wintry Times in North Woodside (Take 2)

/ Anna White

It was wintry times again in North Woodside earlier this week. This storm was quite the opposite of the last one that featured lots o’ sleet that mostly bounced to the ground and resulted in angular blocks of rock hard “snowcrete” that lasted for weeks. This storm’s wet snow stuck to every single itty bitty branch and transformed the neighborhood into a beautiful winter wonderland for a few short hours, before all plopping to the ground. Wet snow + no school = perfect conditions for snow people to pop up. And indeed, a few did, including this one on Rookwood Rd.

Check out a slide show of photos taken by neighbors, starting with “before and after” flamingos (click on right arrow):

When will spring finally come? We will see. Look closely. Already there are signs that it is on its way…

Collecting Kids’ Shoes for Little Amal

/ Anna White


I am collecting kids’ used shoes through Sunday, September 17th. These will be used for a performance piece at the US Capitol on September 19th to welcome Little Amal to Washington, DC. Little Amal is the internationally celebrated 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl. Beginning her journey from the Syrian border, she carries a message of hope for displaced people everywhere, especially children who have been separated from their families. Since July 2021, Amal has traveled over 6,000 miles to 15 countries, and been welcomed by more than a million people on the street, including hundreds of artists and civil society and faith leaders, as well as by tens of millions online.

We will welcome Little Amal in the nation’s capital on Tuesday, September 19th. This special celebratory event begins at 4:00 pm with music at Freedom Plaza and a collective and performative procession alongside Amal, leading to her ultimate destination: the Capitol, where a group of bi-partisan legislators are invited to greet her. Amal will walk through a sea of emergency blankets on Pennsylvania Ave. A river of shoes will appear, carrying the stories of millions of children on the move, who seek safety within and across borders. Amal brings them to the feet of U.S. Representatives.

All are welcome.

More info here.

If you’d like to donate shoes for the event (which will later be donated to kids in need), please drop them off on my front porch (1925 Luzerne Ave) through Sunday.

— Gillian Huebner