Village Green/Town²

Posts

Diminutive Dining for Feminine Frolics

I’m about to step into one of those cultural phenomena that I’m probably unqualified to hold forth on. But, after my amazing debacle in 2024 where I completely failed to miss the meaning of Savage Mills - Bridgerton-themed invitation, I am going to tread more carefully on this one. I present to you an upcoming event at Elliot’s Craft Kitchen which is billed as a “Girl Dinner.” Image from Elliot’s Craft Kitchen social media Here are the details from the event page: Live Music with Jimi Haha of Jimmies Chicken Shack and an amazing GIRL DINNER Event by Elliott's Craft Kitchen 8330 Benson Dr, Columbia, MD, United States, Maryland 21045 What to expect: We have an incredible event coming up on Saturday February 7. We have Jimi HaHa from Jimmies Chicken Shack performing live. Don't miss this event which is being paired with an amazing GIRL DINNER! Well, alrighty then. Since we’re using ALL CAPS, what is a GIRL DINNER? This article on Wikihow traces the term to TikTok user ...

Who May Be Questioned?

I honestly didn’t realize how pointed yesterday’s post had turned out until I saw one reader describe it as “spicy.” Although I don’t want change anything (in light of that assessment) I do want to reassure folks that I think it’s perfectly fine to feel frustration, to ask questions about things don’t make sense, and to vent or complain when you are simply on your last nerve. That’s completely normal. There are plenty of times that I have questioned issues pertaining to the school system. Schools are not an unquestionable monolithic institution. But they are also not able to: … be magically prepared at all times for challenges that haven’t ever happened before and for which no immediate solutions exist …(from yesterday’s post) By all means question things which you believe ought to be within the school system’s ability to do. Or ask questions purely because you don’t understand. That’s not what set me off yesterday. My apologies if that was not clear. Speaking of que...

The Ongoing Saga of Impossible Expectations

The public is nothing if not consistent. Howard County has been trapped for over a week under snow which soon became ice, better known as “snowcrete.” Ongoing low temperatures have made it excruciatingly difficult to remove. Yet so many folks are irate that schools didn’t open “yesterday.” I saw one post about how there was no reasonable justification for closing schools “simply for cold weather.” Please give this person all the variables and constraints and make them come up with a workable plan “yesterday.” We talk a lot in early childhood education about logical consequences. That’s what this armchair critic needs, I think. This particular kind of response is related to so many others when it comes to schools. Have you ever seen snow like this? No. Have you ever struggled to remove snow like this? No. BUT…Schools should have handled this already. This sounds a lot like the early days of COVID-19, doesn’t it? Have we ever encountered an illness like this?...

Today is the First Day. You’re Invited.

Today is the first day of Black History Month. I’m devoting this space today to boosting the signal of Howard County’s Anti-Racist Education Alliance. Follow them on Facebook to learn more and to stay up to date on their local initiatives. Update: I just learned that the Monday event has been canceled. Will make a better correction once I know more . This year’s Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action begins tomorrow, February 2nd. The Black Lives Matter At School Week of Action sponsored by the Anti-Racist Education Alliance, Inc. kicks off Monday, 2/2, with our Restorative Justice event. Link to register: Restorative Justice event Oratory contest: 1st place entry 6th through 8th grade and 1st place entry 9th through 12th grade will win $300. Speeches due 2/1 by 11:59 pm. Request a packet by emailing: antiracisteducationalliance@gmail.com . Tuesday, February 3: Fundraiser at Main Event. 6:30 pm - close. Wednesday, February 4th: patronize local B...

Cheeseburger in Somewhat Less Than Paradise

Today’s post is all food. Here goes: There’s a new grocery in town. It’s called Triveni Supermarket and it’s in Ellicott City. They held their Grand Opening event on January 14th and you can even take a look around on their promotional YouTube video. Triveni specializes in South Indian foods and even has a food court of ready made specialties. They are located at 8450 Baltimore National Pike, Suite 170, Ellicott City, Maryland, USA 21043. (Normandy shopping center.) ***** Thanks to all this crazy winter weather, the Howard County Restaurant and Craft Beverages Weeks event has been extended to February 8th. This page on Visit Howard County will tell you everything you need to know. There’s also a helpful explanation of the LocalHoCo Open Rewards Program . ***** I saw an announcement for a new venture called HoCo Thrive Markets which looks to be in conjunction with the U.S. 1 Flea Market. HoCo Thrive Markets was created with intention, care...

F ³: One Fish, Many Fish, Black Fish, Red Fish

I did not know about Swimmy until my daughter came home from preschool and told me his story. I don’t know why I didn’t know. The book Swimmy, by Leo Leonni, was published during my childhood so it may very well have been in libraries in my community. Somehow I missed it. Maybe the picture on the cover didn’t catch my eye. Cover of Swimmy by Leo Leonni, Random House Children’s Books That tiny little black fish - - that’s Swimmy. Possibly not leading man material. You won’t find his face plastered on lunchboxes. No Happy Meals, no Disney movie. Still, the illustrations won the Caldecott Honor Award. A good thing that the committee didn’t judge the book by its cover. For many years the most important thing about this book is that it marked the first time my child recounted a story book to me from memory. It had made enough of an impression on her that she brought it home, in her mind, to share with her mom. Her retelling was so convincing that I was motiva...