Roundup of March 2023 Posts

It’s time for the roundup of March 2023 posts on The Next Phase Blog. Last month was, to be fair, a mixed bag.

The Lion Hunt

Boston Public Library, Louis St. Gaudens, Copley Square, Boston, Lion Hung, March 2023 PostsMarch came in like a lion and went out like a lion, so I thought it appropriate to do a Boston Quiz on decorative lions found around the city. I thought this multiple-choice would be a big hit. After all, you didn’t have to know where the lions were, you just had to make your best guess from the five options offered. It didn’t work.

For some reason, this quiz flopped and I don’t understand why. Sure, there was a glitch with the first image taking too long to load but readers alerted me to it and I fixed the problem right away. Then I promoted the March Boston Lion Hunt quiz again — but no dice.

There were only 13 entries for this quiz vs 365 for the Boston vs Europe Quiz. I don’t get it. Was the quiz too difficult? Does no one notice all the lions scattered here and there in Boston? Perhaps no one likes lions very much.

Most people got the BPL Lion by sculptor Louis St. Gaudens correct but the rest of the answers were all over the place in terms of accuracy. Sigh. It takes me a long time to put these quizzes together, so I was really disappointed by this result. But that gives me food for thought for a May quiz. Do you have any suggestions?

Boston’s Unitarian Trail

Arlington Street Church, Unitarian Universalist. Unitarian Trail, Boston By Foot, March 2023 Posts

The Arlington Street Church

On the positive side, I gave a Zoom lecture for Boston By Foot on Boston’s Unitarian Trail and that was very well attended. My talk got the most signups of any of this lecture series. If you’re interested in watching the lecture, which includes churches, meetinghouses, architecture, history, and interesting people, you can register here on the Boston By Foot web page.

This was the first of three big projects I had on my schedule in March. The quiz was the second. Next month comes the third one: the Earth Day Rummage Sale at the First Parish in Sudbury. I’m co-chair of the project, which raises money for the congregation’s Women’s Alliance.

This is the first time we’ve held the (formerly) annual Rummage Sale since the pandemic and many of us have been saving items for this event. If you are in the market for clothes (men, women, children), shoes, kitchen wares, books, games and toys, jewelry, holiday decorations, along with CDs, and DVDs, come check out our selection on April 22.

Roundup of March 2023 Posts

Boston and History

Business and Travel

Lifestyle and Culture

Women Challenging Change

Sliding Into Spring

Baseball, MLB, Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox. American League East

Fenway Park

Now New England slides into spring with daffodils blooming, birds singing, and the Red Sox playing at Fenway Park. The walking tour season has already kicked off with tours scheduled at Boston By Foot and Haunted Boston. The cruise ships don’t really return until June.

But I’m still busy with many, many things. And there’s lots to write about. More blog posts to come.