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A collection of 33 posts

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Episode 34: Unresolved

This January weekend arrives in Neighborful Station with gray skies and steady rain, and a temporary reprieve from the cold that has dominated the winter so far. You are sitting in Cafe Frances at the Union Hall with one of the Jessicas, who has invited you to join her for

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Episode 33: Jolabokaflod

On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, you and your Mom are on the tram heading back to your house from the train station in town. She has just arrived to spend the holiday with you. The tram is decorated inside with intricate paper cut snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, swaying

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Episode 32: Parade of Lights

You are standing on the corner of College Avenue and Stevens Lane, across from Johann’s Pizza. All around you, neighbors are gathering beneath the night sky for Neighborful Station’s annual Parade of Lights, which takes place in the days before the winter solstice. You are wearing a reflective

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Episode 31: Reunion

This is a crossover episode with The Stick, a memoir blog written by Frank Walter. To learn more about Ian and the start of his visit to Neighborful Station, read the post Old Friends. ☺️ You are walking up to Johann’s Pizza on a brisk December afternoon, to pick up

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Episode 30: Holiday Swap

On this damp and breezy November day, you are cozy under the covers, reading a book as you enjoy a slow morning in bed. You have a cup of chamomile tea with a bit of honey steeping on the nightstand next to you, and your comforter is gathered around your

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Episode 29: Founders' Day

Today is the 150th anniversary of the founding of Neighborful Station. You are standing on an empty stage, set up at the foot of College Avenue. There will be a dedication ceremony for the gigantic mural covering the street, telling the history of the town, from here all the way

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Episode 28: Yard Signs

You are walking through a gentle November rain with your neighbor Grace, who is pulling her family’s careworn red wagon with wooden side panels. The two of you are gathering political yard signs from the houses on your block. Election Day has come and gone this past Tuesday, and

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Episode 27: American Chestnut

You are hiking on the Ridgeline Trail, along with Darryl and Kerri, who work together at the Land Trust. They have invited you along for a visit to a rare American Chestnut tree, which lives in the rugged forest on the very edge of town. As the three of you

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Episode 26: Tunnel Treats

You are walking down your street on this last weekend in October, heading for College Avenue to take part in the Tunnel Treats Halloween celebration. Jayda and DeAndre have requested that you wear an animal costume, so you are dressed up as a giraffe. There is a gorgeous light show

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Episode 25: Homecoming

You are standing in the bleachers at Thaddeus Stevens High School, where the Neighborful Station girls’ varsity soccer team is playing their Homecoming game. The opponents tonight hail from the town of Aberlin, on the other side of the county. Your neighbor Olivia is playing in the game, as the

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Episode 23: Harvest Festival

You are standing outside the Union Hall on this first weekend in October, taking in the sights of the Harvest Festival kicking off all around you. There is a communal cider press happening on College Avenue, which has been closed to car traffic for the weekend. People from all over

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Greenhouses and Gardens

You are sitting in the Greenhouse District, with the weekly farmer’s market in full swing around you, as a gentle rain falls on Neighborful Station. You are meeting Kerri from the Land Trust for your promised tour of the greenhouses, and you have arrived a few minutes early. You

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Episode 21: House Call

You wake up on a brilliant September morning, feeling a little tickle in the back of your throat. You swing your legs over the side of the bed and plant your bare feet on the small and fuzzy area rug on the floor, feeling its softness beneath your toes. You

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Episode 20: Bike Bus

On this clear Saturday morning, you are walking from your house to visit your new neighbors, who are moving in today a few doors down from you. As you approach their house, with a few stray bookcases standing in the yard, you remember back to when Grace first visited you,

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Episode 19: Johann's Pizza

School is back in session in Neighborful Station, from the preschool up to the college. You have been spending some late nights at work, helping out with activity fairs and first year orientation. Tonight, it is already after dark when you are leaving your office. You pause at the front

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Episode 18: Summer House

This late summer morning finds you cleaning your house. You have vacuumed and mopped your floors, washed your linens, and scrubbed your bathroom. You are working steadily, appreciating your space as it stands up straighter around you. You pause for a moment, watching your living room curtains ripple in the

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Episode 17: Northern Lights

On the night of the August full Moon, you return home a little early after the baked potato buffet to rest and digest your dinner. You have a late night ahead, because you are staying up to watch the Perseids meteor shower during its annual visit. You sit down with

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Episode 16: Rec Softball

The first weekend in August finds you out for a hike along the Ridgeline Trail that encircles Neighborful Station. Up in the hills that cradle the town, you hear a chorus of cicadas and crickets all around you. The still forest air is thick with the scent of pine trees.

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Episode 15: Tireless Mechanics

Early Friday morning in mid-July, a group of Puzzle Exchange volunteers are gathering at the ¡Jugamos! toy store for a field trip. Your destination today is an auto repair shop called Tireless Mechanics, located on the north side of town across the river. You have brought coffees and teas for

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Episode 14: 4th of July Parade

(Note! This episode has received an Easter Egg Friday review over on BlueSky.) When the 4th of July dawns in Neighborful Station, the weather has taken a break from nonstop heat. You sit down with your morning tea on the back steps of your house, watching the squirrels try in

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Episode 13: River Beach

You arrive at the River Beach on the afternoon of opening day, during the last weekend of June. The Play Library has set up an outpost at the edge of the beach, and you stop by to pick up an umbrella and a chaise lounge. You packed a cooler with

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Episode 12: PorchLuck

Saturday afternoon, the ceiling fan on your porch is spinning in overdrive to move the humid air of the first full day of summer. You are sitting on your porch with a small group of neighbors, both adults and kids, making friendship bracelets. Today is PorchLuck in Neighborful Station. On

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Episode 11: Cumberland March

Saturday morning finds you riding in a support van, through the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania, on your way to meet up with the Cumberland March. A group of people from Neighborful Station are taking three days to march from the town of Chambersburg back home, visiting sites from the Underground

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Episode 10: Moving Up Day

Friday morning finds you sitting on your porch, enjoying a cup of rooibos tea with honey and cream. You hold your careworn mug in both hands, feeling the residual warmth of its smooth sides. As you listen to the local carpenter bees taking interest in the holly tree out front,

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Episode 9: The Everyone Playground

(Note! This episode has received an Easter Egg Friday review over on BlueSky.) On the last Saturday in May, the weather has arrived in Neighborful Station seeming confused. The air feels both muggy and slightly chilly, and there are thunderstorms in the forecast for the evening. After lunch on your