Return to Lawnhenge

In 2013 I wrote about this picture:

In the post, "Signs of an Ancient Civilization" I talked about the futility of doing the same things over and over again without any real understanding of their purpose.

Well, today I passed that same spot. For the first time since 2013, it looks different.

For the first time since that long departed tree was cut down, they have stopped mulching. I'm not sure if this is a step in the right right direction. I think it is. Now it can cease being a memorial to a dead tree and become a part of the lawn. Finally.

Of course, this being Columbia and all, we may soon have folks writing letters to the paper and turning up at CA meetings to complain that the public wasn't informed of this change. They will have anecdotal evidence of how Rouse intended mulch to be used. A grassroots group will be formed on the issue. Signatures will be gathered. Meetings will be held.

Soon village leadership will set its sights of Re-inventing the unsightly circle. Perhaps they al
ready have plans to redevelop it. Who knows? And if I went to such a meeting and spoke on allowing the grass to return and ceasing the endless mulching, what would the response be, do you think?

"How long have you lived here?"

The fact that I can imagine this scenario in such exacting detail proves that I may already have lived here too long.

Enjoy this Spring day, friends. And remember: don't over-mulch.

Post comments here: https://www.facebook.com/VillageGreenTownSquared/?ref=bookmarks

Comments

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...

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...

Columbia Chance Connection

Last night, as my husband and I were about to sit down to dinner, our front door swung open and a cheery voice announced, “I’m ba—ack!” We weren’t expecting anyone. Clearly the only people who’d walk right in to our house would be one of our offspring. I had my reading glasses on so I wasn’t seeing too clearly. It seemed too tall for our youngest, but we knew our eldest was at work. I took off my glasses to see a friendly but confused face scanning our living room. When her gaze landed on us we all had a sudden realization. We didn’t know eachother. “Oh I’m so sorry! I’m in the wrong house! My daughter just moved in and she needed hooks for the kitchen so I ran out to get them.” She waved the package. “All these houses look the same and I don’t know the neighborhood yet. I thought this was my daughter’s house.” We were all getting a bit giggly. “That’s okay. For a quick second we thought you were our daughter,” said my husband. I told her our names and said she should defin...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog