Village Green/Town²

Look out, Howard County! There are Crazymakers on the loose in your community! Do I have your attention? You may not have heard the term Crazymaker before, but you probably know one.  In her book, The Artist's Way , Julia Cameron describes a Crazymaker like this: "If they can swing it, they are the star. Everyone around them functions as supporting cast, picking up their cues, their entrances and exits, from the Crazymaker’s whims." Does this ring a bell? Have you served on a committee with this person?  Attended a public meeting that featured the antics of one? Perhaps you have read about the consequences of  a Crazymaker's actions in the local news? Take a look at this post from Escaping Mediocrity . Blogger Sarah Robinson lays it out clearly: Crazymakers cannot abide or respect a schedule – least of all yours.   Crazymakers expect special treatment.   Crazymakers discount your reality. Crazymakers make others feel small.  Crazymaker...

Once upon a time, there were places that everybody knew and loved.  You know what I mean, right? Places like The Last Chance Saloon, Michael's, Rocky Run, Produce Galore, Bun Penny.  Everybody went there. At least, that's what I've heard. You can probably name some others, equally treasured. But times changed. People changed. The economy changed. And then, one day, they weren't there.  Not all at once of course--little by little. Well-known pieces of the community broke away and crumbled.  Some people were angry, some were grieving.  Some asked, "why?" "Why didn't we know?"  "If we had known they were in trouble, we would have made a point of supporting them."  "It's not our fault this happened."  If someone had just told us, we would never have let this happen." I don't know the origin of the adage, "No news is good news."  It seems an awful lot like, "If you don't hear anything, it mu...

I love books.  I have loved books all my life.  I remember the Little Golden Books of my childhood-- Mister Dog , Hansel and Gretel , The Poky Little Puppy .  I remember my mother reading to me at bedtime from a book of children's poems. Oh, how I wished that I had seen the battle between the Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat, or that there really was a Sugarplum Tree in the Garden of Shuteye Town! When I was quite young, my grandfather gave me a book that changed my life. It was The Bennett Cerf Book of Pop Up Riddles . It was one of the first books that was ever given to me, to have for my very own.  I was the youngest of three and had plenty of books in the hand-me-down sort of way.  But this was a book that had been meant for me to have from the very start. It was some book , alright.  The pages were shiny cardboard, with brightly-colored illustrations that could open up, pop up, slide over and spring out.  No one in my family had ever seen anyth...

     It began, quite innocently, on Facebook: I am so glad that we finally got the front bed weeded, cleared and mulched, so that   Mama Bunny could dig a nice little hole and have her kits there-- three, born today, I think. We put out some carrots and grapes for Mama-- looks like she tried a carrot.            Pictures??? We saw baby bunnies at the fair yesterday. SO cute!          When the mama saw us she ran away, and babies disappeared into a deeper part of the nest. So, no pics yet. When we came back the nest was beautifully covered up and one of the baby carrots was in small pieces.          Awwwwww. Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail.          Maybe Peter will be more daring... Blackberries! That's what I need! So it's raining out. Just positioned an open umbrella...

Murray Burns: [shouting at rows of houses] Campers! The entertainment committee was quite disappointed in the really poor turnout at this morning's community sing. I mean, where's all that old Camp Chickawattamee spirit? I'm sure I speak for all of us here when I say that I... [pause] Murray Burns: Now, I'd like to say right now that... that... [softly] Murray Burns: Campers, I can't think of anything to say. (from the conclusion of "A Thousand Clowns".) I had the opportunity to take the summer off from gainful employment, which has given me my own kind of Summer Camp experience.  More like Camp Mom than Camp Julia, though. In addition to family activities, wedding preparations, ferrying mac to all of her activities, pool dates, crafting, house cleaning, and guest preparation, I have had a lot more time to think about my blog. Maybe I've had too much time to think about my blog.  I have come to realize that I care too much for what ...