Village Green/Town²

  Sometimes you don’t know how absolutely perfect something is until you lose it.  February 21st. Draw where you’d rather be right now. March 9th. Draw a safe place. March 22nd. Draw a lighthouse in an unexpected place. May 21st. Draw a holiday you think should exist. My little quadplex: the house I once jokingly compared to a hamster habitrail. It has been shedding its builder’s grade components since I arrived in 1999. Last summer a ceiling fell in. I have joked that we have replaced so much that, by the time we leave, none  of the original house will remain. I don’t think I’ve ever been so keenly aware of how deeply this place is rooted in my heart.  One day, as yet unknown, I will walk into this place, unpack my bags, and stay. I promise I won’t ever forget this feeling - - a yearning for the Great Good Place - - humble though it may be.  Village Green/Town² comments 

  You know their names: Gilligan’s Island, Fantasy Island, Temptation Island, Love Island. Well, they can all just move over. There’s a new island in town. Cul de sac island. Oakland Mills Village:  Do you have a cul-de-sac island on your street? Or do you want to hold a block party with your neighbors? OMCA wants to help! Visit Oaklandmills.org* and scroll down the homepage for more info and to find out how to request funds. I did a double take upon reading this post from the the good folks at OMCA because for a brief moment I thought the term was redundant. In other words, that the island was what made it a cul de sac. Au contraire. Merriam Webster defines cul de sac as “a street or passage closed at one end. Example:  Our house is located on a quiet cul-de-sac. I guess that islands are an extra. I went looking for the origin of cul de sac islands and found this friendly conversation on Cyburbia , where they are referred to as “landscape circles.” (It has nowhere near ...

  In the Public Forum portion of yesterday’s Board of Education meeting, the first speaker was there to castigate the school system for failing to uphold “Christian Biblical morality.” That’s odd. Public schools are for everyone. It is not their mission to preach and teach “Christian Biblical morality” whatever the speaker thinks that is.  The speaker blamed a “DEI framework” for what she deemed to be objectionable, including (but probably not limited to) being allowed to decide what sex they are God says marriage is between a man and a woman God's plan regarding marriage and children  …and gender Perhaps the speaker was alluding to these words on the HCPSS website?   HCPSS is committed to creating a welcoming and positive school culture as well as an inclusive environment for all students and ensuring that all backgrounds and interests equally represent the voice of the student body. Students have the opportunity to share their experiences both inside and outside of...

  I thought I was going to bring you a bit of news nobody knew about yet but Reddit has gotten there first. All hail to the Columbia Reddit.  The news: Slick City Action Park to open first Baltimore-area location for indoor slide park , WBAL TV11, via Melody Simmons, Baltimore Business Journal slick city action park SOURCE: Slick City Action Park COLUMBIA, Md. — A fast-growing national chain of indoor slide parks is moving into Maryland. Slick City Action Park recently inked a lease for almost 42,000 square feet at the Snowden Square Shopping Center in Columbia, according to a social media post from the company last month. I’d tell you more but the rest is behind a paywall. The Baltimore Business Journal is running a special right now, 70 dollars for one year, and maybe I should break down and spring for it. Sadly, it’s not included in the HCLS Digital Library offerings. What exactly is Slick City? Well, here’s their website.  Word to the wise: it has video elements which...

  I’m guessing this is a man. Julia Jackson McCready if you can’t handle reading a bit of constructive criticism, maybe the web isn’t the place for you. It wasn’t criticism of me, by the way. I objected to a bit of arrogant upsmanship on the Howard County Eats page on Facebook. It all began with this post: I had the pleasure of taking product photos for Maiwand Kabob (columbia square location specifically) and I’ve been eating here consistently for years. One of the best local spots you can count on! From the kabobs, to the gyros, to the starter plates like the veggie samosa.. all the way to their desserts. Awesome ownership and reliable quality. Check it out! What followed were a collection of quite appetizing photos. (I’ll add them in here if I can get permission from the photographer.) I love Maiwand to start with, and the photos just plain made me hungry. However…Take a look at the very first comment: Food looks good. The photos were shot with too shallow DOF and highlights are...

File this under “Things I learn from the good folks at Oakland Mills Community Association” - - yesterday was National Do Something Good For Your Neighbor Day.  Today is National Do Something Good For Your Neighbor Day! Let's build stronger communities through small acts of kindness. Here are some ideas: Say "Hello" Help with yard work Give a compliment Share a treat Even small acts can go a long way! I did not know about National Do Something Good For Your Neighbor Day. Apparently it was founded in 2009 by a man named Starr Valentino from Buffalo, New York.  I don’t know if it counts, but I did participate in my Buy Nothing Groups Free Yard Sale yesterday. I brought a few books to add to the giveaway, and I picked out a few treasures for myself.  Assorted stencils/straight edges: An awesome and completely new, unused art book: And an embroidered felt Christmas ornament. If you are wondering why I need a W…I don’t. But creative reuse means I can turn it upside down and s...