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The Cookie That Speaks for Itself




The local story that caught my eye:

A tray of these delicious little men were gifted to us by artist Bobby Donovan, creator of the "Can You Hear Me Now" sculpture on display at Savage Mill, and his equally talented wife Cyndi! - - Savage Mill

Photo from Savage Mill social media 


In the foreground, one homemade cookie. In the background, Donovan’s sculpture. There’s just something quirky and unexpected about this photo.

It’s a real homemade cookie. 

This time of year we are tantalized at every turn with photos of professionally made holiday treats. Adverts from local bakeries, grocery stores, online retailers - - you name it. Magazines beckoning to us as we stand in the checkout line at the grocery. They show us perfect cookies that suggest that our home baking will look just like their artisanally produced, carefully curated photo shoot.

If we buy into the fantasy it’s rather like believing that we will look just like the model if we buy the dress.

This is not to shame any of our local businesses who bake and sell gorgeous seasonal delights. They give us more choices, especially when we have less time than ever. 

But I loved - - truly loved - - this homely and winsome cookie, held up for admiration like one’s favorite child. 

Even better is the juxtaposition with the work of a professional artist. I guess when you have the bravery to create your own art and put it out there for everyone to see, it stands to reason that you can make your own cookies and love them just as much. 

Okay, that’s a stretch. Mr. Donavan made the sculpture. We don’t know if he or Mrs. Donovan made the cookies. And it might have been a collaboration. I’m just saying that, in this day and age, a real homemade Christmas cookie is every bit as much a work of art as a piece featured by the Howard County Arts Council.

Donovan explains that his sculpture, Can You Hear Me Now “…addresses our universal need for communication and how difficult it can be sometimes to speak clearly and to listen deeply.” You can read more about it at the Savage Mill website.


Photo credit Howard County Arts Council

Questions for discussion:

  • Have you been to Savage Mill recently?
  • Have you seen this sculpture? What did you think?
  • Do you make your own holiday cookies?
  • Do you buy holiday cookies locally? If so, where?
  • What’s your favorite holiday cookie memory?

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