Village Green/Town²

"Go where no one else will go, do what no one else will do."           --Mary Lyon, Founder, Mount Holyoke College: the nation's           oldest continuing institution of higher education for women. This is more than a statement, it is a charge. It is a benediction and a challenge to go forth and do better than those before you.  I've been thinking a lot about this lately, but with a twist. Go where Dennis would go, do what Dennis would do. I don't mean to be maudlin. I'm simply stating my feeling that, in missing someone who mattered to us so much, we take up something of his to pass on in some way. There are so many big and small ways to miss someone once they are gone. In the case of Dennis, his blog was a familiar voice in the community. I still want to click over to see what he's thinking. This was clear on Wednesday when word "leaked" about Anthony Brown's future running mate. Something about they way ev...

Last weekend I was pulling up some ivy which was growing along our fence. As I reached for the final handful, a large marmalade cat jumped up through my hands and ran away. Yikes! How did I manage to produce at a cat, ex nihilo? As I got down to look more closely, I discovered a manhole placed into the grassy hill. The ground around one side had eroded, leaving just enough space for a cat to get in and out. A nice little shelter, a hidy-hole: a cat-portal. The something-from-nothing analogy brings to mind the amazing annual Flea Market at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church. I have written about it before . Although a relatively small congregation, ASLC continues, year after year, to make significant donations to both charities and families in need because of this flea market. How is this possible? Every year we all clean out our closets, garages, and attics to be sorted out at the Great Unpacking. Then it is priced, sold, or donated once the Flea Market is over. Nothing...

I'm all about making connections. When I can put two things together and make people think, that's a good blog post. I'm excited to see two things coming up this weekend that take the concept of making connections out of the abstract and into tangible, multi-sensory experiences. If I can connect you to these cool happenings, then we'll all benefit. Saturday, June 1st , at Monarch Mills on Oakland Mills Road past Snowden:  the food trucks are coming for HoCo Chow Down !  You can sample a variety of delicacies from area food trucks from 11:30 to 2:30 pm. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Animal Welfare Society of Howard County. You may make your own donation as well. So, you can get wonderful food, support Animal Welfare, possibly adopt a pet (yes, there will be some on hand to meet and greet) and who knows? You might want to take a look at the Monarch Mills apartments while you're there. I love this idea. Monarch Mills is new to our community. ...

Pool season has officially started. Did you visit one of Columbia's many outdoor pools this weekend? The weather wasn't exactly encouraging, but we managed a visit to the Stevens Forest pool, which is rumored to be heated. That must be a relative term, because it was rather chilly yesterday. We admired the updates--shade structures, hot tub/spa in progress, and a shaded exercise area with a special surface, more forgiving than concrete. Nice work, CA. I usually go to the Talbott Springs pool first, as it is my "home" pool, so to speak, but I was curious about the added amenities at Stevens Forest. I hear that Talbott Springs is getting a water slide. I wonder if that will increase daily attendance this season.  The past several summer Oakland Mills Community Association has worked hard in collaboration with CA Aquatics to make the pool more user friendly to neighbors. It's no secret in Columbia that the Talbott Springs Pool is one of the ...

It's a rather dreary, rainy morning and I find myself in a blue funk. Yesterday was more than a long day for me as a teacher, wife, and mother. I'm just worn out, I guess. But at the heart of this sadness is the combination of changes that make my world feel unstable. More than anything, Dennis is gone. His take on the world is gone, his energy is gone. Some days it feels as though all the good that was Dennis has been usurped by a lurid news story that won't go away. Yes, there are ways to breathe good into the loss and pain. But it is a horrible change that shifts the ground underneath those who knew him and felt connected to his work. Columbia Council Representative Tom Coale appears to be considering a run for office in another capacity. Good for him! And yet his presence on the CA board has given many of us our first real glimpse into how things work around here. I fear what will happen without his energy, advocacy, and openness. Is anyone else  out t...

Is it just me?  Whenever I consciously attempt to name all of the Villages in Columbia, I invariably come up one or two short. Today I forgot Hickory Ridge and Kings Contrivance, but it isn't always the same ones. Every once in a while you see people online trying to remember all of the names of the Seven Dwarves from the Disney movie "Snow White". It's a similar experience. The first few rattle off the tongue easily, and then memory slows... I decided to challenge myself to see if I actually know people in all ten villages. I do, but just barely. Of course I know many people in my own Village. After that, it dwindles to two or three families apiece. Interestingly enough, the Villages I forgot were the ones where I know the fewest people. I probably know more than I think I do, because many folks in Columbia these days don't self-identify by Village. When newer residents move to Columbia, they may be looking for the right house at the right price, ...

It is eight o four. By now I have usually finished my blog post and am posting it.  I have ideas for future blog posts in my head, one that takes more research, one that needs photographs.  I have looked on Facebook, Twitter, through Explore Howard and Columbia Patch. The blog post for today?  Missing in action. I have said before that I am a miniaturist--I look for the one small thing to focus my light on. I use it as a jumping-off point to talk about something bigger. Some days those small things don't leap out demanding to be seen. Today I find myself scanning, scanning, engaged in a frustrating game of I Spy while my morning minutes slip away. "The unexamined life is not worth living." Yes, but there a days when we feel as though we have our faces mashed up against it, looking for something meaningful, and yet seeing nothing.  The panic of a fifty-word word search puzzle stirs within us: I can't see it! And that is when I realized what was missin...

Yesterday's post might have been sub-titled, "What I don't know about Columbia's Interfaith Centers could fill a book." As such it drew the most responses of any post I have written to date. It is good to know that folks will step in with information--I know so much more today than yesterday! I wonder if Columbia would ever do an Interfaith Center "Crawl" along the lines of a Pub Crawl?  Would anyone be interested besides me? Pub Crawls are usually done on foot, I believe. But what if this were an event more like a progressive dinner, with stops along the way? It could be like the Columbia Home Tour--participants drive themselves from one place to the next. Or it could use Columbia Association vans along with knowledgeable tour guides from the Columbia Archives. And again, here is something I don't know: has the Columbia Archives ever done an exhibit on the Interfaith Centers? I am always fascinated by the vintage/historical photogra...

So, tell me about Interfaith Centers.  Do you go to one? Did you grow up going to one?  Or do you belong to a church in a traditional church building? Do you go to church at all? I must admit that I have attended a church service in an Interfaith Center only once since moving to Columbia.  Additionally, I have attended services at Christ Episcopal Church , Lake Kittamaqundi Community Church, and Abiding Savior Lutheran Church . There was a bit of an uproar when St. John Baptist built their new church on the corner of Tamar and 175. Some people seemed to suggest that James Rouse had forbidden church buildings as a part of the Columbia Plan. That sounds rather Soviet to me. Fill me in. Is it possible that the creation of Interfaith Centers and participation in them by various denominations was encouraged, rather than actual church buildings forbidden? Abiding Savior Lutheran Church will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary this Fall.  It is my understan...

My 30th college reunion is this weekend. I toyed with the idea of going, but in the end I let life get in the way. There was a party for my husband last night to attend, along with Calvin Ball's fundraiser. Today, tomorrow and Sunday are packed with Margo's Peabody Chorus rehearsals and concerts. And, of course, my in-laws are presenting their show at Abiding Savior Saturday night. I know that if I had put my mind to it, and planned months in advance, I could have made the trip back to South Hadley this year.  Something inside me just couldn't do it, I suppose. How crazy is it that after thirty years I'm still not ready to go back? I am a 1983 graduate of Mount Holyoke College. I have a liberal arts degree with a major in music. I worked for two years before applying to MHC, as an independent student, because my parents decided during my senior year that they were not going to fund my college education. I was a "bad investment." I ...

It looks like I wasn't the only one yesterday intrigued by the post of HoCoConnect on Super Connectors.  This morning I followed up by reading the piece he linked to on what it takes to be a Super Connector.  I found it rather creepy. I think that what made Dennis Lane so brilliant at this is that his was an innate ability. He may have refined it through the years, and I am sure it came in handy in his professional career as well. But nobody had to make a list for him.  He was, simply put, gifted. It is possible to make a list describing the qualities of anything: what defines prodigy, what makes comedy funny, or why humans are drawn to making music.  Perhaps it is part of the human condition to try to define what is essentially undefinable. Sometimes we want to think it through and establish a concrete process. Sometimes we want to absorb the beauty of it and enjoy it for what it is. We have a friend staying with us this week. He was the Best Man at...

One auditorium. Two bands, two string ensembles, one chorus, one jazz band. Two and one half hours. Proud directors recognizing students and thanking parents. Thankful students seizing the microphone to thank directors. Proud parents and family members in the audience. My daughter plays tuba in the Oakland Mills Middle School Concert Band. It is the entry level band. She is in the sixth grade. She is the only tuba. She takes that responsibility very seriously. In fact, she takes almost everything seriously. I have written here before about how difficult middle school has been for her so far. What I want to talk about today is what makes it livable: music. I highly recommend this short article as an excellent window into what makes music so crucial for middle schoolers. In particular, this quote jumped out at me: "Providing an environment of acceptance for all students through music—even for one hour per day—is a first step toward connecting with students from ...

This is a hard week. Nothing feels natural, somehow. Sure, the rote things keep happening but if it takes thought, I find myself back at square one. A lot. One thing that's going to be easy this week is going to the Reception Honoring Councilman Calvin Ball at the Stanford Grill  on Thursday evening . Calvin isn't just my County Councilman. He's a fellow Oakland Mills resident, an involved parent, and a friend. Through the years he's listened to my career aspirations, participated in my daughter's Simulated Congressional Hearing, advocated for residents at Village Board Meetings, read aloud to children at Tabott Springs Elementary School. I asked Calvin what he's proudest of during his time in office.  He had trouble picking just one thing. He supported funding for the addition of 76 sworn police officers, 137 EMS/Fire personnel, a reserve rescue squad, safety officer, and at least 25 new EMS vehicles including ambulances, engines, tankers and more. He is proud ...

In the morning, the sun will rise. You won't be awake for that, but you have faith that it will happen like all the other mornings. Faith that the light will eventually bring you into consciousness. Feeling the light ease into your brain is how you know that life is continuing. It goes on. Light creeps in, your pull the covers around yourself, pretend you can stay warm a bit longer, reach around for a teddy bear and have one last cuddle before you ease into the day. These are some of the best moments, so familiar, so reassuring. This is my life, the waking up, the stretching, and yawning. “Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it -- every, every minute?” ― Thornton Wilder, "Our Town".                                    ...

Mom Got Mad   By Julia Jackson McCready (7/20/2009) for Alice Once upon a time, Mom got mad. I thought it was something I did. But it wasn’t. Life was scary for me. You know, everybody wants to be loved, and I wanted to be loved a lot. I thought if I could be really good that she wouldn’t hurt me anymore. But it never really worked that way. When bad things would happen, I’d go away to a place inside me that felt safer.   I’d wait for the scary part to be over. Inside, I didn’t feel scared. I didn’t really feel anything at all. Later, when it was safe, I’d come out. I think I used to tell myself that someday it wouldn’t be like that anymore. I’d grow up and find someone that loved me and have a real family. Or I’d become so smart, and beautiful, and funny that my mother would have to love me. Wouldn’t she? Finally, I grew up. But I didn’t know that all along, I was lovable. And it took a long time for me to find out. Because ...

(From March 31, 2012) Julia  Do you regret doing an April Fool's Day post? Dennis  Never. I was just thinking about whether or not to do it again this year. Right now I don't have a good idea but, as they say, the day is young... Julia I've got one ready, but I'm on the fence. I don't have as wide a readership as you do, so it probably won't cause as much of a stir. Dennis  Go for it. That's how readership grows. I don't know if I'll be able to make your blogtail party but I'll try. I like your blog. You write good.  Julia  Thanks. You just made my day.  Dennis Happy to oblige!                                                                   ************ It took me a while to realize that I was wrong about Dennis Lane. I put together a persona for him without the benefit of actually knowing him...

What is the difference between a newsletter and a blog? This morning's post on HocoRising has prompted me to to address this question publicly. Tom Coale has taken criticsim from some fellow CA Board members because he covers CA Board meetings on his blog. I find it ironic that his critics are the same people who rant continually about transparency and openness. Yet they don't want their actions at a CA Board Meeting to come to light. (Disclaimer: this blog post was written without the knowledge of Mr. Coale. He is in no way responsible for its content. When I write blog posts in response to articles on Columbia Patch, or in the Flier, or another HoCoBlog, it would similarly refelect only my point of view. Got it?  Good.) Now, back to our question. What is the difference between a newsletter and a blog?  Why do I ask? Alex Hekimian writes a regular newsletter called "Hot Topics" which is sent out to a private email list in Oakland Mills.  While purp...

Lucy Van Pelt: I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that. Charlie Brown: What is it you want? Lucy Van Pelt: Real estate. *************************** I sat across from my daughter in the Nordstrom Cafe yesterday. We chatted over perfectly seasoned chicken, grilled vegetables, fresh fruit, and peach iced tea. The occasional "ladies who lunch" experience is a treat for us, a mother-daughter splurge. We talked about writing, her upcoming job interview, and the House Hunt. George and Alice got married in September. They didn't have any immediate plans to buy a house. They rent a spacious condo that meets their present needs. But then two things happened. George got a raise, and the housing market began to shift. Suddenly it looked as though they could afford a house, and th...

Last Saturday, on a beautiful Spring morning, at ten minutes to ten, there was a line. Well, it wasn't exactly a tidy, "line up for class" sort of line. There were people grouped outside the doors, in ones, twos, threes, and family groups. Children dancing about on the sidewalk, older people seated nearby. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and it was not even ten am on a Saturday . What would get you out of your bed early on a beautiful Spring morning on a day off from work or school? For me, the list is pretty short: yard sales.  Yours might include children's' sporting practices, a family day trip, or volunteering at a community event. Of course, if you don't have children, you might be eating breakfast in bed... In the ten minutes we stood there, people continued to arrive. It was a beautiful sight. People of all ages, gathered in anticipation. It was quite a healthy group by the time the doors were unlocked and we were allowed in. T...

NPR has been doing a series on sounds we miss from the past. These are sounds that don't exist anymore, but that some of us still remember. Yesterday they did a story of the sound of the needle dropping on a phonograph record. One of the contributors focused on the sound as a moment of anticipation to the delights to come. His recollections were like a hymn to the world that record albums opened up to us back in the day. It is amazing to me to hear that sound today, because before the advent of compact discs and digital downloads, we didn't realize how loud it actually was. The hiss, crackles and pops jump out at us now. Then they were a normal part of the listening experience. We tuned them out, I suppose. This piece brought to mind other sounds which are no more. The over excited static of a transistor radio. The reassuring, repetitive voices at the end of the line when you called the time or the weather. Real school bells that really and truly rang. The sound a...

Do you live in Columbia? Do you have some ideas about how Columbia could be better? Do you wish that the Columbia Association had a way to listen to the desires and opinions of everyday residents? I do. That's why I'm intrigued by Inspire Columbia , a MindMixer online community created for CA, to create an ongoing conversation with residents about what they like and don't like, what they wish for, what keeps them here. They don't ask for much information: email, zip code, birth year. I had a few issues with registration at first. It seems to be harder on the iPad. But MindMixer has great customer support if you reach out for help.  Inspire Columbia is just getting started, and there are already some interesting ideas and supportive comments posted. The point is to share ideas, and engage the support of others as these ideas take shape through interactions on the site.  It is easy to use, and I can't wait to see it really take off as more people ...

Just at the point when Columbia needs in-depth political reporting, journalism is dying. It's not just dying here, we all know what a wide-spread phenomenon this is. The internet is killing print newspapers, ad revenue is down, and people don't read newspapers as they used to. In Columbia, there's a little more to the story. I've been here since 1999 and the Patuxent Papers have always taken a rather quaint approach to delivering the news. It sometimes appears to be the, "Let's Not Make Any Waves" approach to journalism.  How many times have a vast majority of residents turned up to support something, with a small vocal minority wildly opposed, and the paper reports, "Columbia Divided By New Issue." Ownership of the paper may have changed, but this approach persists. Add to that a continuing reduction in staff and what happens? Factual reporting of news, the ability and willingness to dig for more than face value, is sharply compromised. Ca...

One lovely Spring afternoon I sat in the beautiful home of Phil and Lynne Engelke, talking about what Columbia was like when they first arrived. They live in one of the iconic Pacesetter homes, which they have transformed, little by little, into a showcase for what is possible for a "starter" home. I was honored to serve as one of the docents last year when their home was selected for the Columbia House Tour. The conversation turned to how people hang on to the past. I was fascinated when Phil shared this bit of information: "When we came to Columbia, things were just beginning and the Rouse Company wanted everything to look perfect. And we were all young and hadn't taken care of a house or a yard before, so if we saw the Rouse Company putting out mulch, we mulched, and if those wire harnesses came off of the young saplings as they grew you saw folks go out and make new ones for them! Now it's almost fifty years later and you still see this excess...

There are essentially two reasons why I teach. They are at the core of everything I do: 1. To foster a capacity for enjoyment, and 2. To provide a supportive environment for meaningful risk-taking I have been teaching music and movement to special needs preschoolers for ten years. Before that I taught preschool and kindergarten in a small independent school in Baltimore. Whether I have been charged to develop fine motor skills for handwriting, literacy skills, or to support IEP goals, these two reasons run through everything I have done. Why? Well, because these are the two things I find most essential to life. What is life if we cannot enjoy it? How will we learn or grow if we cannot take risks? The joy and pride I feel in a room full of students as a lesson takes flight is immeasurable. A student who has never participated makes a first imitative movement. Another finally makes eye contact, or smiles. Progress with my students can be very slow but each step is sweet....