The Other Side of Town, Pumpkin Edition

Yesterday I awoke with one thought on my mind.

“Today is the day I will get apple cider donuts. If I wait any longer it will be too late.”

The most reliable choice was a trip to Frank’s. I got some there last year. Going to Frank’s in the fall makes you want to be back in preschool when all that mattered were stacks of colorful, assorted gourds and row upon row of shiny orange pumpkins. Yes, there are all sorts of edible items for purchase but, as a preschool teacher at heart, I yearned to buy an enormous assortment of The Fall Stuff.

Ahem.

Frank’s has made sure you don’t just drive on by with an impressive display along the road.

Have you ever wondered what a fifty dollar pumpkin looks like? Look no further.

Walking through the bins of different apples was a sensory experience. I inhaled the appley fragrance and looked at the variety in shape and coloring. I wondered if I should buy some to make applesauce. In the end I bought one perfect butternut squash. They’re labeled as “Winter squash” for some reason.

And the donuts.

If you give a mom an apple cider donut, she’ll want some iced coffeee to go with it. Especially if it’s October 28th and a sunny 75-ish day. The closest Dunkin to Frank’s is on University Boulevard in that same shopping center as Tribos Peri Peri and Jam Eateries.

It’s a teeny-tiny place tucked in there. I hadn’t been to this location before and I was amazed at the effort they have put into guiding you to the drive-through entrance. It’s by far the most complicated and heavily-signed drive-through I have ever seen. Directions are painted onto the pavement to take you all the way around Robin Hood’s barn to place your order.

It all worked but I found it kind of amazing. Have you ever been to that Dunkin? Any thoughts?

It struck me as I turned off of Waterloo Road onto Lark Brown and headed back to Frank’s how different that part of town is compared to where I live. It feels like a world apart, but that’s because I live in Columbia. I’m sure that the folks who live near Frank’s think there’s something strange about where I live.

And we’re honestly not so far apart, although my brain always tells me that it’s “all the way on the other side of town.”

Comments

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

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...

What Kids Are Thinking

It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed. Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings. And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog