The Proust Questionnaire

The Proust Questionnaire is a series of questions about personality that became popular in the late nineteenth century. While French author Marcel Proust did not write the questions, his answers (and the questions) were published in 1890. Modified versions of the questionnaire have been used over the years by James Lipton as part of his show “Inside the Actor’s Studio” and Vanity Fair magazine, which features the answers of celebrities in the back pages of each issue.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Surrounded by friends and family on a Sunday afternoon with something delicious cooking in the oven and a single malt Scotch in my hand.

What is your greatest fear?
Spider attack. I don’t mess with them and they don’t mess with me.

Which living person do you most admire?
Tiger Woods. Tiger isn’t without his controversies but his path to redemption is part of the American story. I love golf and Tiger inspired me to take up the sport. But beyond that, he broke barriers and introduced a new generation to a segment of American culture that wasn’t always so welcoming. He is an incredible athlete and proud winner and I’d love to hear his thoughts on everything.

What is your greatest extravagance?
I love to indulge in golf. New equipment, playing beautiful courses around the world, and lots and lots of golf balls...unfortunately.

What is your greatest regret?
Not continuing to play the violin. I grew up playing most of my life. I love music, but the violin wasn’t the coolest instrument you could play in high school, so I stopped. I wish as an adult I still knew how to play as well as I once did.

What or who is the love of your life?
I love my family. They are my rock and support system.

Which talent would you most like to have?
To have the vision and creativity of an incredible artist. I am a cine- phile and film would be my medium of choice.

What is your current state of mind?
I am excited! The President of the MDA has the honor of representing our neighborhood and imparting some small impact on the City. The City and Commonwealth are undergoing dynamic change. I am excited at the incredible opportunities this presents us to help shape the place we call home and make it reach its full potential.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Passing the Virginia Bar Exam. It represents a lifetime of work, intense studying, and dedication. Being a lawyer has opened so many oppor- tunities for me and I could not be more proud of that achievement.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I would love to come back as an astronaut in the Apollo program. I am fascinated by the cosmos. To explore space and be the first to travel off our planet and walk on the surface of another celestial body is one of the most audacious things you could do.

What’s your most treasured possession?
A picture of me and my Fox Terrier, Pepper, planting a pear tree together at my childhood home.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Seeing injustice in the world but lacking a voice or the ability to do anything about it.

What is it that you most dislike?
People who aren’t genuine. Be authentic and tell me how it is and I will do the same for you.

How would you like to die?
Doing something great.

What is your motto?
I hate losing more than I love winning.

What’s the most Richmond thing you can do?
Tubing down the James River, while listening to No BS! Brass Band while drinking a Hardywood IPA and growing a beard.

Redeeming My ‘D’ in Indoor Plants

In my senior year at Virginia Tech, I took a “crip course” on indoor plants. It was the only “D” of my college career. I needed an easy class to balance out my interior design presentation class, which was rumored to require all-nighters to survive. Indoor Plants seemed perfect. After all, I had raised an avocado from seed and was harboring an entire family of spider plants in my apartment. No one told me, though, about the mandatory memorization of Latin names required to pass. Nor did I consider the challenge of staying awake at 8 o’clock on cold Thursday mornings (after my weekly all-nighter) scribbling said Latin names as they flashed by on the slide projector.

I still can’t tell you the Latin name of a single plant, but I have learned a thing or two about raising indoor plants since then. Partly because I believe it’s good to have plants among us. Experts say indoor plants can boost mood, concentration and creativity, reduce stress, clean the air and even prevent sore throats. Here’s a fun article about all this from The Sill.

But my most effective teachers have been the green family members I’ve acquired over the years, including the orchid my husband gave me when we first got married (recently restored by Chadwick & Son Orchids [www.chadwickorchids.com] here in the neighborhood), his grandmother’s massive angel wing begonia and this strange thing my father nursed for years until he nearly drowned it.

So what has all this indoor planting taught me?

• Sunlight is key. Most “green people”enjoy an east or west facing window.

• Plants will adhere to a group watering agenda. Mine have politely agreed to an every-other-week (or so) schedule, a little more in winter.

• They really must have drainage. Forget those pots without saucers. It’s impossible to tell what’s happening in there.

• Every now and then give them something to eat. My favoriteis Jobe’s Organic All-Purpose Granular. It’s very smelly so don’t apply it before hosting the Mother’s Day Tour.

• Studies show they love a good conversation.

So, don’t worry too much about what your plant is called. Latin isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Do feed your sweet things and give them the love they deserve for improving our inner world. And please do say, “How do you do, dear philodendron,” now and again.

Planning Underway for the Richmond SPCA’s 18th Annual Dog Jog and 5K Run

The Richmond SPCA’s 18th Annual Dog Jog and 5K Run, presented by Holiday Barn Pet Resorts, will be held Saturday, March 21, 2020, at the non-profit organization’s humane center at 2519 Hermitage Rd. The event, which raises more than $166,000 in lifesaving support, brings together about 3,000 people and 600 dogs.

Museum District resident Laura Windsor is the chair of the Dog Jog and 5K Run planning committee for 2020. Windsor has taken part in the Dog Jog for many years, and for the past couple of years, formed a team of “dog-joggers” with her co-workers at Williams Mullen law firm and their four-legged companions.

“Now I get a group of friends and co-workers together every year and make it a big group outing with their dogs,” Windsor said. “Last year, we had about 20 human and 12 dogs participating in the event. It is such a fun day for everyone!”

Neighbors can find and support Windsor’s fundraising page in the participant search at www.richmondspca.org/dogjog, or register to participate and make fundraising pages of their own.

The day’s activities begin with a competitive, chip-timed 5K run/walk for humans only followed by a dog and stroller-friendly, leisurely, one-mile Dog Jog. Throughout the morning, supporters will enjoy the pet-friendly vendors, featuring a Kids Fun Zone packed full of fun crafts, giant inflatables, face painting and more, as well as dozens of vendors offering giveaways.

Funds raised through the Dog Jog and 5K Run support the care of thousands of homeless animals and the lifesaving programs and services the Richmond SPCA provides the community. In its most recent fiscal year, the Richmond SPCA cared for 4,091 dogs and cats, transferring thousands of animals in need from public shelters across Virginia to its humane center. The organization also operates the Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital, the first of its kind in the Commonwealth to provide low-cost, full-service veterinary care for the pets of low-income guardians, pets in government shelters and those adopted from the Richmond SPCA.

For more information about the Richmond SPCA and the Dog Jog and 5K Run, visit richmondspca.org.

Realtor's Column: Lack of Inventory Hampering the Real Estate Market

As has been the case for a number of years, the shortage of homes for sale continues to restrict the local, regional and national real estate markets. While interest rates remain below 4% and home appreciation continues to be solid, the number of homes for sale and months supply of inventory continue to shrink. This is especially evident in the first-time buyer market. As people stay in their homes longer the move-up buyers have no place to go and therefore stay in their homes, which limits the first-time buyer market. The average stay in a home is now over 10 years.

Fortunately, the Museum District is pretty resilient and continues to have fairly steady year-over-year activity. There were 17 homes sold in the 4th quarter compared with 13 in the 4th quarter of 2018 with the price per square foot increasing by a whopping 19% (many factors play into this number). Condo sales are also steady with 5 being sold in the 4th quarter of both 2018 and 2019 and the price per square foot increasing about 8%.

There are only 5 condos and 3 single-family homes for sale as of this writing.

From a national perspective new home construction is at the highest level since 2007, so the industry is attempting to correct the inventory imbalance but will take some time.

The Richmond Metropolitan Area has been experiencing some volatility regarding home appreciation levels. You will note on the graph below that 3rd quarter appreciation actually turned slightly negative after a very strong 2nd quarter. Through the 3rd quarter of 2019, appreciation stands at 3.4%, so a reasonable 4th quarter will put 2019 in the +/-5% that we have seen over the past few years.

The Underground World of Geocaching

If you are a little stir crazy and need some outdoor winter fun, consider geocaching, the world’s biggest outdoor treasure hunt. Geocaching is an activity in which participants use a GPS or a smartphone to hide and seek containers at secret locations marked by coordinates.

There are millions of caches hidden around the world. In fact, there are 1,600 in the Richmond area, including three or four in the Museum District. Caches vary in size from film canisters to lunch boxes, each containing a log book and potentially prizes as well. Many are hidden in plain sight while others require a significant amount of searching off the beaten path.

Top five reasons to become a geocacher:

1. Geocaching gets you outside. Geocaching almost always requires that you get outside. Caches have descriptions and hints so that you can decide ahead of time to take a walk through the city, go on a hike, ride a bike or drive the car for a quick grab-and-go find.

2. Geocaching takes you places you have never been. The majority of caches are hidden in interesting and historical locations. Geocaching is a fabulous activity when traveling because caches are typically hidden in and around local points of interest. There may be caches hidden in Richmond locations that you have yet to discover.

3. Geocaching connects you to a global community. There are more than three million active geocaches hidden worldwide. Geocaches can be found in 191 different countries on all seven continents (even Antarctica). More than 642 million “finds” have been recorded since the game started in 2000. There are meet-ups, forums, and group events.

4. Geocaching fosters bonds between family and friends.
   Geocaching is a wonderful group or family activity. Some caches require head scratching or puzzling at home before actually searching for the container. Some caches require quite a bit of sleuthing once in the proper location. Problem solving can be easier and more interesting when shared with a friend.

5. Geocaching is fun and rewarding. It can be exhilarating to finally find a miniature container, disguised as a bolt, along a fence on a crowded city street. Discovering a spectacular overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway can turn a boring afternoon into a beautiful one. There are literally millions of adventures waiting to be had through geocaching. Get out there!

Visit geocaching.com to create a profile and start searching. You will need a trail name, a smartphone and/or a handheld GPS.