Village Green/Town²

Last night as I walked toward Clyde's with my daughters, we saw two gentleman get to the door before us. One turned back, saw us, and waved. He didn't really know us. But we were wearing red. So were they.   When we walked inside the staff directed us to the bar right away--again, the red tipped them off. Huge bunches of red balloons adorned the bar area. Clyde's did a beautiful job handling everything. I can see why Dennis loved it so much. After awhile we decided to move on and have dinner at the Tomato Palace. This marks only the second time I have eaten there, the first time inside. We had excellent service and the food was delicious. As we left we noticed the inviting exterior of Le Comptoir. I felt a tingle of excitement. Imagine coming down to the Lakefront and having multiple to places to choose from. This could be a place I want to go more than once or twice a year. *** Some follow-up on The Second Chance Saloon situation from Bill Gray, ch...

Forever in our hearts. A black banner with white letters hangs at the Mall in remembrance of the recent victims of violence in our community. Seeing it made me think of Elizabeth Nass and Rose Mayr . My thoughts are full of community grieving, shared sorrow, memories of pain that cannot be changed. A memorial is a place we set aside to honor the one we have lost. It can be formal, like a banner, or a statue, or a gravestone in a cemetery. A memorial can also be a gathering, full of life, shared by those united by a connection to the departed. A place to remember. A place to celebrate. Some memorials are not so public. Just as the sign says, it is the love we keep forever in our hearts that shows itself in a thousand tiny ways. Lighting a candle, making a toast, saving a space at the table. Wearing red. I have to remind myself that not everyone who reads this blog knew Dennis Lane. It is his birthday I honor today by wearing red, joining with friends for a drink, and making a ...

"Wait! One more look. Good-bye , Good-bye world. Good-bye, Grover's Corners....Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking....and Mama's sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new ironed dresses and hot baths....and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth,you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every,every minute?" Emily, from Our Town , by Thornton Wilder As I get older, I find myself treasuring the ordinary moments of my life. Over time our days develop their own patterns. I find myself looking forward to end of the day time with my husband, just the two of us. We settle in to bed after the usual routine. After almost fifteen years of marriage he still gets up to "fix the sheets" if they have come untucked and I still doggedly hold on to mine so they don't get pulled away. Just a little thing. A silly little thing. We fuss at eachother, territorial about the covers on the bed. But the argume...

It's Monday morning. We've had a rough weekend but we keep moving forward. I drink my coffee as I scan the morning tweets. @kenulman: Pls use the hashtag #hocounited & share your thoughts on why our community is strong & resilient. #HoCoMD Flashback to Saturday, where I saw tweets like these: @acarvin: Columbia Mall is our community refuge, gathering place. The local motto is "Choose Civility." One shooter can't change that. #ColumbiaStrong @ColumbiaAssn: Our thoughts are with those affected by the tragedy at Columbia Mall. #PrayForColumbia Columbia. Howard County. On some days we have an uneasy coexistence that rivals the town/gown relationship in places like New Haven/Yale where both sides warily eye the other for signs of disrespect. Hostility aside, many residents do not begin to understand the basic differences between what the Columbia Association does and what Howard County does. Well, they say you really get to know who your friends a...

WTOP News Radio posted a link to this article this morning on Facebook. If you follow WTOP on Facebook, you will be able to see that a lively discussion ensued. In brief, " Lawmaker seeks signs to move slow drivers over." And, " He thinks slow-poke drivers can cause road rage." Patrick Hogan of Frederick County wants signs instructing slow drivers to stay to the right. Because apparently slow drivers in the fast lane make people angry enough to be dangerous. He calls it the Road Rage Reduction Act. Road Rage Reduction Act? Where is the acknowledgement that road rage comes from people who allow themselves to be consumed by rage? We are each responsible for our own feelings. I'm all for safe driving and obeying the law. But what amazes me is that this seems to place to blame for road rage on the victims. Sure, I have been cut off on the highway, or frightened by others' unsafe driving, but that doesn't make me violent. Even more amazing to me were ...

This morning, in the cranky haze of a sinus infection, I checked recent postings on Facebook. The Polar Bear Plunge has been cancelled, thank goodness. Ian Kennedy is drumming up support as a celebrity bartender for Evening in the Stacks. Two wonderful young people have just had their first child. A friend from college has adopted (yet another) Maine Coon cat. Tom Coale has written a letter to the paper encouraging participation in upcoming Columbia elections, and immediately someone has jumped in to rain on his parade. Of course. Sigh... When you take a head cold, multiple medications, not enough sleep or coffee, and combine it with this kind of information, something strange is bound to happen. Here it is. Yes, it's the Oklahoma Land Rush, as depicted in the 1992 movie, "Far and Away". Just imagine it's Columbia, with all the Pioneers rushing in to take their places. (Bear with me.) The land is theirs. The concept is theirs. All the spots on Village boar...

Councilwoman Courtney Watson posted the follow last night on Facebook : Parents, please walk your children to bus stops tomorrow if you can and bring a shovel. Help make the bus stops safe for children to stand by clearing the snow. Be safe! I thought this was great advice, and a good example of thinking ahead to deal with a tough situation. However, this did not stop my mind from taking off on a hippity hoppity spree as I imagined legions of parents taking to the street with shovels. Cue ominous cinematic soundtrack... Nothing good can come of this, you are thinking. You are right. Now that one can Google the term, "carrying a shovel" none of us are safe from Too Much Information. I learned a lot from an article called " 10 reasons to carry a shovel with you at all times". This is not to be confused with an Oatmeal post with a similar-sounding title, "4 reasons to carry a shovel at all times". Don't click on that, just don't. My favori...