u/PersonForScale

I could really use some advice.

I invested in a really beautiful hand-blown glass hummingbird feeder that I found on Etsy because I wanted to attract ruby-throated hummingbirds to my suburban yard. I keep it clean, make fresh nectar, and have it hanging where it’s easy to see.

The problem is that the hummingbirds keep flying right past my feeder and spend all of their time at my neighbor’s bee balm. Is there anything I can do to make the hummingbirds prefer my feeder instead of the plant? Different nectar recipe? Better placement? Can hummingbirds eventually be trained to use a feeder if you’re persistent?

I’m getting more than a little frustrated watching it ignore my expensive feeder in favor of what looks like a muppet alien exploding in the neighbor’s yard.

Hopefully this is recognizable to many here. During a thunderstorm, every time I see a flash of lightning , I start counting one Mississippi, two Mississippi, et cetera, until the thunder rumbles. I grew up thinking that this meant I could tell how far away the actual lightning strike was, 1 mile for one Mississippi. But why do I think that? Is there any science behind it?

American woman in rural Pennsylvania seeking someone in the UK/Ireland for a traditional snail mail pen-pal friendship. I live in a small town and work in heritage conservation and community revitalization, so I spend a lot of time thinking about history, landscapes, and local culture. My interests include gardening, local history, sheep, tea, ghosts, books, my dogs, walking, cooking, and creating a quieter, more intentional life.

I am especially interested in learning about everyday life in the UK/Ireland. Not just the famous places, but the ordinary rhythms of villages, towns, gardens, local traditions, and seasonal celebrations. I would love to exchange letters about what is blooming in our gardens, what we’re reading, favorite recipes, interesting places we’ve visited, and the little details of daily life that often go unnoticed.

I enjoy thoughtful conversation, curiosity, and genuine connection. If you appreciate history, nature, heritage, gardening, crafts, tea, or simply the art of letter writing, I would be delighted to hear from you. I look forward to exchanging stories and perspectives from opposite sides of the Atlantic!

Hello! American here with a tea question.

In the United States, if you’re at a diner, restaurant, office, church social, etc. and ask for tea, you’ll almost always be handed a Lipton tea bag and a mug of hot water. There are plenty of other brands available, but Lipton is the default, ubiquitous tea.

Is there an English equivalent? If I walked into an ordinary café, pub, workplace, village hall, or someone’s house and simply asked for tea, what brand would I most likely be served?

Or is it more regional than that?

AITA? My (23f) boyfriend (33m) and I went to the local art house cinema to see a revival movie that I really love. We got there early for great seats even though we weren’t expecting a huge crowd (though I love this film it isn’t exactly a blockbuster).

Five minutes before the show starts, the theater is still mostly empty. An older couple (70’s?) enters and proceeds to sit directly in front of us. Like, directly. There are empty rows, let alone empty seats. I was pissed. I tapped the woman immediately in front of me on the shoulder and asked if she and her companion would move to literally any other seats besides those right in front of us.

Dear Reader, this woman was appalled. She proceeded to tell me how disrespectful I was, and that I was very rude to even ask. My poor boyfriend was ready to hide under the seats because of my behavior. I stated that it was rude to look at a mostly empty theater and choose the only seats that would obscure someone’s view when the options were very open.

They ended up moving but my boyfriend was mortified and told me so when the movie was over. AITA?