Luxury

 Today’s word is luxury. From Meriam Webster:

 luxury, noun

1 : a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort: sumptuous environment lived in luxury

2 a : something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary

one of life's luxuries

b : an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease

had the luxury of rejecting a handful of job offers

Let’s play a little game. What sorts of things do you consider to be luxuries? 

Now think about your childhood. What kinds of things did your parents consider to be luxuries? I think I grew up believing that luxury was synonymous with “that’s too expensive.” Some examples: shrimp cocktail, private school, souvenir programs at the circus, vacations to warm island locations, haircuts in salons, long distance telephone calls.

On the other hand, I did experience certain things that would be considered luxuries to other families: new school clothes, occasional meals in “sit down” restaurants, piano lessons, staying at home during summer vacation, regular medical care.

Sometimes luxury can mean a condition of great ease or comfort. Sometimes it just means all the things you can’t afford.

Our community has been strongly impacted by the attack on public service, science, and medical jobs. (As an aside, I don’t believe for one minute that public service, science, and medicine are luxuries or things we just can’t afford.) When significant chunks of people lose their jobs, it cannot help but change financial priorities.

What was was affordable may now be a luxury.

As we watch our national and local economy being destroyed from the top down, I think it’s important to consider all the things we have in Howard County that we care about. How many of them will quickly become luxuries - - things we just can’t afford? 

Some have to do with consumers goods and experiences, leisure time activities, educational choices. Others have to do with initiatives and causes we support that make Howard County a better place. All of these things depend on a large enough per centage of people having more than enough. I’m not talking about “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” I’m talking about enough to do a little extra, enough to donate to local causes, enough to share time and talents.

What are the things in Howard County that we will strive to preserve even as we see our own situations become more precarious? And how are we going to do that?

Village Green/Town² Comments

Overlooked

 

Advance warning: this is going to be a bumpy ride. If you have ever wondered exactly what my thought process looks like, this may be educational. - - jam

*****

This morning I saw a post on Instagram from County Executive Calvin Ball about an elementary school anniversary. Oh, of course, that event yesterday at West Friendship, I thought.

But it wasn’t.

This weekend, we celebrated a momentous milestone for another beloved Howard County school. For 70 years, Guilford Elementary has been a beacon of learning and growth in Columbia—shaping generations of students to lead with empathy, responsibility, and kindness.

 With music from the chorus and orchestra, student speakers, heartfelt reflections from past and present educators, the celebration reflected the rich history and strong future of this school. Guilford’s mission to create a safe, collaborative environment and prepare students for a diverse and changing world is more important than ever.

 Thank you to Principal Stephanie Barber-Wehrman, the dedicated PTA, and all the staff, students, families, and alumni who make Guilford such a special place. You continue to be role models for every student that ROARS—with Respect, Ownership, Attitude, Responsibility, showing Empathy every single day.

 Here’s to the past 70 years, and to the next 70, and beyond, of growing, learning, and always being kind.

Images from Howard County Government social media 

I felt a pang of regret. Why hadn’t I noticed this event when I was doing my usual Saturday morning search? It felt thoughtless and sloppy to have elevated West Friendship’s celebration while omitting the one at Guilford. Is it possible that the Guilford event wasn’t posted in the places I usually look, or (worse) did my eyes just gloss over it without stopping to truly pay attention?

I don’t know.

I went to Facebook to see if I could find out more. I didn’t find any promotional post in advance of the event. But I did find the following by local historian Wayne Davis:

The First Public Schools in Guilford (and the Last), Wayne Davis, Friends of Guilford History, 2021

Davis’s post is on the long side but I’d encourage you to read it if you don’t know the history of Guilford Elementary. I didn’t. To pique your interest, I want you to understand that this is the kind of information that the current administration in Washington would like to suppress. 

Go ahead, check out the link. I’ll wait.

Did you know all that? I shouldn’t be surprised but I was disgusted. 

Now here’s where my brain took a left turn. I’ve been wondering about an upcoming event at Vantage Point that caught my eye. I saved the photo so I wouldn’t forget.

Image from Columbia Patch

Historians Reveal Howard County’s “Erased Past” in Vantage Point Show, Jean Moon 

And who are the historians? Nathan S. Davis and Wayne S. Davis, authors of Hidden History of Howard County. Of particular interest to me, Wayne Davis is the author of the piece about public schools in Guilford that I shared above. 

I’ve been trying to decide how to write about their event (Tuesday, April 8, 7-8 p.m., in the Vantage Point auditorium) because my brain got stuck on two terms:

• erased past
• hidden history 

Which is it? I wondered. Is is hidden or erased? They don’t mean the same thing, do they? We often talk about things which are “lost to history.” What I am seeing here is something different. Something done on purpose. 

And that’s where my brain got stuck. Until I went down a rabbit hole trying to find out why I completely overlooked the 70th anniversary of Guilford Elementary School. Now I feel that somehow it’s all connected.

Hmm.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Take Your Pick

I realize that many of my readers may have other plans today, but here are a few local possibilities:

Book Launch: Practicing Restorative Justice

Clarksville Commons Spring Preview Farmers’ Market 

Columbia Cleans Day - - check the link (CA website) to see the plan for your village 

Queen Takes Book 1st Birthday celebration 

West Friendship Elementary School 100th Birthday Celebration. Wow!

Wiggle Learn & Grow, Children’s Discovery Fair

Also, Clark’s Elioak Farm has officially opened for the season as of April 1st in case you have a hankering for a visit with some baby goats. And it’s Opening Day for Park Ridge Creamery in Old Ellicott City. Taharka, anyone? 

Truth in advertising: there is a chance of light rain this morning but temps should be mild throughout the day. 

Have fun, stay safe, be well. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

F ³ : A Hiding Place

 

You know what day it is - - the day when absolutely anything might be on the menu at Village Green/Town².

So, let’s talk about where I’ve been hiding lately: YouTube. I’ve discovered a lovely little protective nest amongst videos about history, home renovation and decor, panel shows from the UK, and Jane Austen content creators. What it is: content that teaches me something I hadn’t known before, or expands on something I was already interested in. What it isn’t: the firehose of current events on social media.

Some current favorites:

George Clarke “Amazing Spaces” and “Old House, New Home”

Time Team

QI

J. Draper

RobWords

Nate the Hoof Guy

Ellie Dashwood

Not Your Momma’s History 

Not everyone is going to retreat into YouTube when the state of the world has become so chaotic and toxic that they can’t keep functioning. Some folks escape into a good book or immerse themselves in nature. Some throw themselves into helping others. Essentially, what I’m saying is that not everyone will do what I do but everyone needs a way to escape, a place of respite. 

Human beings are not wired to live in crisis on a permanent basis. It makes us sick. We begin to malfunction. Sometimes entire systems shut down.

We must make concrete choices to separate ourselves from the chaos on a regular basis, no matter how brief it may be. We can’t make the world better if we can’t make ourselves better. Sometimes that just means seeking out the things that help us spiritually and emotionally catch our breath.

Do you find yourself needing to take breaks from the current reality? Have you found a hiding place? 

Village Green/Town² Comments

The Birthday Girl

Did you save the date?

 

Did you RSVP and put it on your calendar?

Did you mail a card?

Did you buy a gift?

Did you pick a party outfit and ask a date to come along?

This Saturday Columbia’s Indie bookstore, Queen Takes Book, is celebrating Birthday Number One. You don’t need to send a card or bring a gift but your presence for the festivities is most cordially requested by owners Katie McNally and Tim Pinel. Here they are at their opening event a year ago.

Can’t make it Saturday? 

Check out what they have planned for the rest of the month.

Although their name is Queen Takes Book, I’d say that they’ve been doing a whole lot more making than taking over the last year: making a warm and welcoming space for book lovers, making friends in the community, making connections with other businesses and supporting local initiatives and events. Best of all: making room for diverse ideas and opinions. 

I invite my readers to make a difference for Queen Takes Book by keeping them in mind not just on their birthday but in the days, weeks, and months to follow. Keeping a small mom and pop business going is a challenge. I have a feeling that they need just as much devotion from the community as they have shown to the community since April of 2024.

Are you curious about the special announcement they’ll be making at noon on Saturday? Me, too. Any guesses? Feel free to send them my way.

Village Green/Town² Comments

Making Dad Famous

 

Today on the Howard Community College campus, the 4th Annual Roy Peart Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser.

From the Roy Peart Foundation Facebook page:

Support a Legacy and Our Kids!

I’m excited to share an upcoming event dedicated to honoring my father's legacy while supporting our youth. If you can’t make it to the event, please consider making a donation to help us continue this important work. Every contribution makes a difference!

Donate here: http://howardcc.edu/roypeart

Thank you for your support!

If the name Roy Peart doesn’t immediately ring a bell, I’m pretty sure that his daughter’s name will. Althea Hanson is the force behind both the Foundation and the chef/entrepreneur at the helm of Althea’s Almost Famous food truck and catering business in Howard County. Consider yourself invited to stop by HCC today to sample some of her mouthwatering cuisine and support her annual scholarship fundraiser.

Enjoy authentic Jamaican cuisine on the #HowardCC Quad (in front of HVPA) to support Althea's Almost Famous 4th Annual Roy Peart Memorial Fundraiser! The beloved Mr. Roy Peart worked at the college for 18 years, supporting students and staff. - - HCC social media 

Longtime readers of this blog know that I’ve written about Althea’s Almost Famous (possibly as many as ten times) frequently over the years. I’m a sucker for her Jamaican beef pies and I always perk up when I see that she’s going to be at the Oakland Mills Farmers’ Market or a local festival. Even better, she’s raising funds to support a scholarship for young people studying theatre, music, or dance. 

Could this be any more perfect? Of course it could: she’s honoring her father, who worked at HCC for eighteen years.

“My dad would never pass up an opportunity to sing or dance at the arts events that Howard Community College (HCC) used to put on. When he passed away, we thought about giving back to students in the arts. We knew that would have made him happy," said Althea Hanson, founder and CEO of Althea's Almost Famous, a food truck and catering business with Caribbean-inspired food. - - HCC Pathways, Fall 2022

So, stop by HCC today to pick up some delicious food to support her cause. Or, if you can’t, consider sending a donation here:

Roy Peart Memorial Scholarship

Question of the day: if you could create a scholarship to honor one of your parents, what would it be for? Or - - if someday your kids wanted to honor you with a scholarship, what do you think it might support? 

Let me know.

Village Green/Town² Comments

Dream On

 

No April fooling this year. Only dreams and fantasies. 

Imagine you have woken up to the following:

1. There are multiple HoCoLocal venues for hosting high school proms and a state of the art indoor performance venue 
2. All wrongs against Elkridge have been retroactively righted 
3. People who comment on the County Executive’s social media are kind and thoughtful 
4. Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods is completed and everyone loves it
5. All of the stores at the Mall are exactly the stores that you would pick
6. Public transportation can take you anywhere you want to go and it’s convenient and fun
7. Schools have no more capital improvement needs 
8. There’s a good supply and variety of places to live
9. People love their libraries and support them actively 
10. Ellicott City is no longer in danger of flooding

I don’t have it in me to be witty or engage in any suitable pranking today. I wonder why?

If you’d like to contribute to the list, feel free to add your suggestions in the comments. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

I had a dream last night

What a lovely dream it was

I dreamed we all were alright

Happy in a land of Oz

Why did everybody laugh

When I told them my dream

I guess they all were so far

From that kind of scene

Feeling mean

- - John Sebastian, “I Had a Dream”