Skip to main content

The Real World


 

I came very close to writing a post this morning based on things I had read on social media. And then something inside me objected. It’s all too easy to get sucked into looking at the world through that narrow lens. What about some real life experiences? It isn’t like I’m trapped in the house these days.

Well, alrighty then.

I found myself off the beaten path in Long Reach the other day. Every time this happens I am struck by the variety of gorgeous, Columbia-vintagey houses there. I’d gladly sign up for a house tour in Long Reach alone. And yet I never hear people talk about Long Reach this way. What’s up with that?

Do you live in Long Reach, or do you have friends or family who do? Everyone knows what a cheerleader I am for my own village, Oakland Mills, but, after driving around in Long Reach over the years I find myself drawn somehow to its personality. I’d love to learn more.

Totally off topic: restaurants with outdoor heating. I recently had a wonderful meal at a local establishment where we were able to eat outside. Strangely enough, through they had plenty of heaters, they didn’t seem to give off any noticeable heat. Someone in our party who works in the restaurant industry told me that only the “mushroom-shaped” heaters are truly effective. He described other styles as being more of a “fire feature” than a heat source. 

From Wayfair:


From Home Depot:



What has been your experience with restaurants providing outdoor seating with heaters? I’m curious to see if our friend’s Mushroom Theory can be borne out by a wider source of reporting. 

One more thing: an update on soup. I did catch a post from Ellicott City’s Little Market Café which looks promising.


Any recommendations from Little Market Café fans? Also, I thought it was called the Little French Market. I must be behind the times. At any rate, this is an opportunity to get off of social media and go over to Old Ellicott City and try them out.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...