Ah spring has finally sprung and our season is really starting to warm up. The 2008 National Cherry Blossom Festival is now in full bloom. If you haven't had a chance to catch the cherry blossoms yet this year remember, the festival ends April 13.
Thank you to those of you who attended Art 4 Art last month. We managed to raise nearly $10,000 to benefit Theater Alliance at the H Street Playhouse. This month we kick off a new art exhibit at Pierce School Lofts entitled The Alchemist's Chambermaid. Read more about our exciting exhibit in this month's newsletter, it's designed to help you, our residents, property owners and employees get the most out of the season. While you're at it, be sure to check out our tips to minimize allergic reactions in this month's Fitness Works article and avoid making a disasterous mistake if you ever experience a kitchen grease fire in Cooking w./ Chris.
As always you can view announcements for your property, submit maintenance requests and pay your bills via our web site.
OPEN HOUSE & ARTIST RECEPTION: Second Saturday, April 12, 2008 from 4:00 – 7:00PM. Admission: FREE! A unique tasting menu will be paired with selected works. Meet the Artist! We look forward to seeing you.
]]> The alchemist and the chambermaid
The title is a metaphor for a painting process.
The alchemist is driven by what is elusive, what will come only through change. The ancient 
discipline of alchemy sought to make precious metals out of common ingredients. In its most noble state, it was the precursor to chemistry; in its lowest, a bastion for fools who sought easy wealth. I refer to the alchemist because he looks for what is not yet present, what is beyond his reach.
The chambermaid is saddled with what is real and abhorred, what must be eradicated. She is granted access to our most intimate spaces in order to change us, or to make us feel better about ourselves. She is a catalyst in the practical world, though she is not revered like the alchemist. I’m interested in the chambermaid because her nature is not to look outside herself and her surroundings; she deals with what is.
The paintings are an exploration of the constant tension between the real and the abstract; between the cerebral and the practical, between the enlightened and the rote. When I paint, I’m simply pushing paint around a canvas. The transformation happens when imagery starts to evolve by painting, cleaning, scraping, and painting over again. And the resulting layers apparent in this way of working hopefully expose this process.
About the artist…
Originally from Massachusetts, Dale Alward has lived in Washington, DC since 1984. With a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, he is currently a self-employed software developer who builds multimedia software for museums around the world. He tries to find time to paint whenever possible.
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My parents recently forwarded an e-mail to me that included a video instructing viewers how to react if you ever have a grease fire in your kitchen. I quickly realized that I had absolutely NO idea how to react if this ever happened to me and I was amazed just how disasterous the effect could be if I didn't know what to do. I know this isn't a typical Cooking With Chris article but I encourage you to view this video so that you know exactly what do do if you are ever faced with this type of situation.
Simply click on the image of the match above to watch the short video.
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Earn some extra cash! Refer your friends and co-workers to an available apartment from Evolve Property Management
40 Million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. Washingtonians are especially susceptable due to all of our spring and summer-time flowering trees. Here are a few terrific alternatives that may help you get through this season (and the next):NETI POT
The use of a neti pot (which looks similar to a small tea pot) involves dissolving saline solution into water in the pot, then pouring the contents into your nose. It sounds uncomfortable but users get immense relief from the practice. "Once you're willing to give it a try it makes all the difference in the world," says Dr. Diane G. Heatley, associate professor of otolaryngology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Neti pots, complete with cleaning solution, are available at most drugstores and mass merchandisers. Good brands to try include sinuCleanse and NeilMed.
]]> QUERCETINQuercetin is a natural antihistamine found in many fruits and vegetables, and in green tea. You can take quercetin capsules as you would any antihistamine - as you need them - but they work best if you take them preventively. If you usually begin experiencing symptoms in May, for example, start taking them in April. Continue throughout the season. Dose: 600 mg twice a day.
STINGING NETTLE
It's one of the best naatural remedies for allergic rhinitis. Take it as you need it or preventively a few weeks before allery season begins and throughout the season. Done: 300 mg of the capsules, made from the freeze-dried leaf extract, two to four times a day.
ESSENTIAL OILS
Suzy cohen, a pharmacist and author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist, recommends a steam inhalation of essential oil of lemon balm. Boil some water, add five to ten drops of the essential oil, and transfer to a sturdy bowl. Carefully lean over it with a towel over your head and inhale. Essential oils such as Lemon Balm, open up the sinus passages and even add a refreshing smell to your home.
OMEGA - 3 FATTY ACIDS
Fish oils, such as cod liver oil, contain omega-3 fatty acids, which can protect you from hay fever, sinus infections and asthma. One good brand is Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega, says Cohen. Dose: 1,000 mg once daily with a meal.
ZINC
Zinc bolsters immune function. If you're able to stabilize your immune system, you're less likely to react to allergens. Buy zinc in lozenges or supplements. Dose: 10 - 15 mg once daily with a meal.
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As difficult as it might be to imagine we'll ever make it through winter, the March newsletter tells us spring is just around the proverbial corner! Soon, though probably not soon enough, we'll be inundated with cherry blossoms and the onset of the DC tourist season. Nonetheless March can make us feel like we're stuck in limbo. It's not winter but it's not really spring yet either. I'd like to nominate March as the offical Makeover Month. Most of us have the best of intentions to do our spring cleaning in well, spring but by the time spring rolls around we just want to be outside, sipping sangrias at our favorite mexican restaurant with a patio or playing ultimate frisbee with friends and team mates on the National Mall. When you think about it, this really is the best time of the year to do our spring cleaning, in sync with mother nature with a big reveal at the end: the world made new and vibrant in a few short bursts of warmth. Only March can do that.
Whether it's a change in season or in our homes, most of us are fascinated by makeovers. 
We drink in reinventions of almost every conceivable thing: rooms, wardrobes, cars, bodies, even relationships. Why? Because aside from a little silliness here and there makeovers are particularly instructive. They offer a window into the process of transformation, the whys, the hows, and the actions that bring it about.
For example, I've rarely seen an After picture that didn't seem more valuable with the Before photo alongside. Often the pairing reveals solutions that are reassuringly simple: rearranging the furniture, using color, or adding one well-chosen element for comfort or function. As you re-arrange your homes and closets this spring I encourage you to consider participation in this year's Evolve sidewalk sale. It's a terrific way to recycle some of the un-wanted items throughout your home and convert that clutter into cold hard cash!! Liz Kuter, an Evolve resident since 2006 will be hosting this year's sidewalk sale organization meeting in order to work out all the necessary details for this year's event. Please join her at 7:00 PM on March 18th at Jacob's Coffee House, 401 8th Street NE, Washington, DC, and in the meantime.... LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: START YOUR MAKEOVERS!!
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Evolve is proud to support Theater Alliance by sponsoring Art4Art IV. The annual art benefit where every body wins. Theater Alliance is the resident theater company for the H Street Playhouse located at 1365 H Street NE, Washington, DC. This year's Art4Art IV gala is scheduled for March 8th.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:
Because these items come from nearby sources it reduces the carbon emissions that are associated with more exotic items that have to be transported from distant locations. Lettuce, because of its quick germination time and rapid growth, is typically one of the first vegetables harvested locally each spring. Unfortunately, many consumers never get past the refreshing-but-watery iceberg head lettuce or the ubiquitous and familiar romaine for the classic Caesar. But so many other varieties exist - with a diversity to please almost anyone. 
And let's not forget about the delicious wild and overwintered herbs that will soon crest, too. Dandelion greens, watercress, lamb's quarter, and even parsley will soon again see the light of day as the interminable snow melts and the ground softens from the sun! Branch out and test and taste some new varieties by themselves - instead of in the generic, industrial Mesclun mix packaged in gassed bags. Better yet, buy some seeds and grow the varieties yourself. There are few things easier to grow than lettuce; you can even do it on the windowsill of your apartment if you've got the interest.]]>
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Chop the picked chervil and toss in with the vinaigrette just before dressing the greens of choice.
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Step 5: Garnish with wheel of tangerine.
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Log-In: By the time February arrives each year, I'm already counting the days until the start of Spring. And this year, there is one extra day to count: Friday, February 29, the Leap Day in Leap Year 2008.
Time found: That's an occasion just waiting to be celebrated. So often, I catch myself saying If I just had one free day, I'd... Try a workshop. Schedule a yoga session. Volunteer for a campaign. Have an unhurried lunch with someone I'd like to know better.
Now that I've got that extra day, I'm following through. On February's fifth Friday, I'm taking the day off to do one out-of-the-ordinary thing that will make my life better or broader-a little leap forward, you migt say. I don't yet know what that will be, but I like thinking of the possibilities and where they might lead. Little leaps, I've found, are often the start of bigger things. If you need a nudge to help you think of things to do with your extra day, you might check our our new article 'Out & About' featuring all kinds of current events and activities throughout the Washington, DC area.
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