ON THE COVER

GOOD HEALTH TO ONE AND ALL

Flowers Speak to Me by Barbara Sharp.

With COVID-19 virus spreading rapidly around the planet, it sometimes feels as if we’re now smack in the middle of a science fiction movie. Clearly though, this is not fiction. The New Normal now includes an unfamiliar concept called social distancing, avoiding close contact with our fellow human beings. We’re washing our hands, not touching our faces, coughing into our arms, greeting each other by bumping fists and elbows or toe-tapping our shoes.

And yet, life goes on, and so does Country ZEST & Style, bringing a bit of diverting joy to our faithful readers.

Not that we haven’t been affected, though in a very small way. This is spring in the countryside of Virginia, a time for all manner of events in the next few months, many of which have been rescheduled. We’ll get that word out on our website countryzestandsyle.com and our companion website, middleburgmystique.com In this still jam-packed issue, we offer a variety of good reads about our fascinating corner of the world.

We’ve got a wonderful new column—“Carry Me Back”— from long-time resident Jimmy Hatcher, about riding with his friend, the late Pamela Harriman. There’s a terrific profile by Louisa Woodville on Claudia Pfeiffer, the immensely talented curator responsible for so many magnificent exhibits at the National Sporting Library & Museum.

Another healthy way to get through all of this may be to spend more time in the garden. We have a story on the Oatlands gardens in Leesburg as well as a piece on Bob Dornin, the man who lovingly maintains the gorgeous grounds on the 137-acre Hill School campus.

And so, we offer the spring issue of Country ZEST & Style, while extending our very best wishes for good health for one and all. It’s obviously a great time to add a little ZEST in your life, and when you’re done, please go wash your hands.

Leonard Shapiro Editor Badgerlen@aol.com