Winter Holiday Decorations

Although I miss Halloween decorations, I'm always thrilled to see winter holiday decorations throughout Olney. I love all types of lights: colored, white, flashing, non-flashing, strings, nets, icicles, spiral trees, stars, snowflakes, etc. 

credit: globallybuying.com

Houses bathed with shimmering spots of lights look magical. I like the way houses become canvases onto which projectors paint laser light shows; my teenage daughter, however, think the pinpoints of light look like "Christmas chicken pox.”

Lighted animals, such as grazing deer, add a more natural look to holiday yard scenes -- natural because real deer actually forage in our suburban yards. My neighbor created this very naturalistic tableau of an alligator stalking two pink flamingos.

Also many inflatables convey fun and action like skiing penguins, shivering snowmen, running reindeer, etc. My favorite busy Santa inflatables include

1. Hardworking Santa dragging his apparently extremely heavy bag of presents 

2. Skiing Santa on the slope (or is he walking with crutches?)

3. Daredevil Santa rounding a curve on the back of Snoopy's motorcycle. 

I'll be sad when the holiday lights darken after the New Year, but until then let's enjoy Olney's diverse and delightful decorations. Happy Holidays!

Speed EnFORCEment Awakens

Remember how some speed cameras and their flash boxes looked like innocent beige birdhouses?

 Within the past month I noticed that the birdhouse speed cameras (one on eastbound Route 108 by Sherwood ES and another on northbound Georgia Ave/97 near The Inn at Brookeville Farms) have been replaced by new round white ones. As I drove past, I couldn’t help think that the new cameras remind me of something familiar… ah, stormtroopers! 

Last Friday -- coincidentally opening day of Star Wars: The Force Awakens -- I discovered that the this area’s last old birdhouse speed camera (on westbound Route 108 by Sherwood ES) was being replaced by the newer stroomtrooper model.

So although Olney 9 Cinemas are no longer around, our town can still celebrate the long-awaited movie with the installation of mini-storm troopers guarding our roads.  May the Force (of knowing when to slow down) be with you!

Frank's - the hot sauce. Not the hot dog

Olney, like most of America, is a melting pot. While on the surface we may look and sound alike, the truth is that we represent a diverse set of values, opinions, perspectives and traditions.

Why am I bringing this up now, you say?

Well, a recent interaction with my husband reminded me of this phenomenon. He from a small town in Massachusetts, me from a mid-size suburb in Long Island, NY. Though we've been together for over 30 years, there is still so much about us that is different. Take for example a simple grocery list. My husband, addicted to Frank's Hot Sauce, added "Franks" to the grocery list. Even though we don't eat hot dogs much anymore, when I looked at the word "Franks" on the list at the grocery store, I immediately gravitated to the hot dog section because where I come from "franks" means "hot dogs." You know, like franks and beans.  I thought it was strange that he wanted me to buy hot dogs but I rationalized that he had been camping a lot lately. Later that night, he went in search of his Frank's Hot Sauce to add it to yet another meal (I'm trying not to take it personally) and asked me where the Frank's was. I responded, "In the refrigerator drawer where it's supposed to be." Duh! He with a question mark on his face. Me irritated that yet again he wasn't looking beyond the top shelf of the refrigerator. And then it dawned on me. Oooohhh, you meant Frank's not franks.


So back to my melting pot thesis. The OBEX has come a long way towards developing a culture that is ever more tolerant of diverse but civil discourse on a variety of topics. This has not been an easy process but we should applaud ourselves that we've stuck with it and found a way to make it work. May all of our paths in life proceed with such grace.

Creating a Solidarity Banner - What I learned

I've always loved the idea of sidewalk chalk art. In addition to being just a fun form of artistic expression, it's become an innovative way for public relations experts to draw attention to a particular cause or issue. The good and bad news is that it's just temporary - washed away with the first rain.

After the horrific scenes of the Paris terrorist attacks, artists emerged to draw their feelings on the sidewalk and regular people joined in. It got me thinking - what could we do in little ol' Olney to show our solidarity? Our own sidewalk chalk art!

I reached out to the Carl Freeman company to see if they would let us draw around their fountain as part of their Winterfest activities on December 5. They went one better. "How about your own banner and we'll supply the markers, and, we'll hang it up when it's done in our usual spot at the corner of Spartan Road and Rte 108." Um, okay. That was more ambitious than I planned but what the heck?

So on Winterfest day, the Freeman folks laid out the banner with several large colored markers and had one of their photographer/artists outline the banner title - Solidarity Banner for Peaceful Living. Perfect!!

Now I just had to wait for people to come. I hadn't really thought about how this would all work. The Freeman folks did ask me to monitor the banner but I wasn't sure what that meant. It turned out that to get the impact I was looking for, I needed to monitor it quite a bit. Thanks to some friends who showed up, (Shout out to angels - Meryl T., Fern M. and Stephanie B.!), we facilitated the participation of young and old alike. We asked them to think about what they wanted to draw or write before they put marker to banner. This was a Solidarity Banner for Peaceful Living after all so we wanted their contributions to help illustrate how we in Olney felt about our fellow humans in Paris.

The other thing I learned was that even though it was great to have the contribution of little humans, they tended to draw squiggly lines or half completed faces so we asked that their parent or guardian work with them to improve the quality of their artistic expression. What emerged was a teachable moment between adult and child about why they were doing this and what did they really want to say to others. For me, that was priceless.

Side note:

We were fortunate to have a local muralist drop by who drew beautiful images that really raised the bar of our artwork. She is pictured above in the red hat but I didn't get her name so if anyone recognizes her, would you please send me her name so we can thank her properly and promote her work!

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree...

You know holiday time has arrived when Christmas trees lots sprout up everywhere: at Good Earth Garden Market, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and even Rite Aid to name a few. Every morning on my way to Sherwood High School, I drive past Christopher's Hardware store. One day I spotted a sign for “Fraser Fir” and did a double take! Most places carry only Douglas firs (the traditional Christmas tree) but I was excited to see the nontraditional “Fraser Fir” because it made me think of the 1990’s comedy classic "Frasier". 

Okay, I’m off by one letter (Fraser vs. Frasier) but each time I pass the sign, I hear Kelsey Grammar crooning "Hey baby I hear the blues a-callin, Tossed salads and scrambled eggs!”

I love seeing people hauling around trees atop their cars. So what if we live in the suburbs and these trees are found not in the woods but in a parking lot of pre-cut foliage? One day while stopped at the traffic light intersection of Georgia Avenue and Route 108, I glanced up and spotted this festive, unique and nontraditional version of the "tree atop car" tableau.

A Musical Olney Community

About six months ago, my 11-year-old son went to sing with his Olney church group.

His teacher asked if she could speak to me. "Everyone wrote a song to share," she said. "But when your son sang his song for the group, the adult leaders' jaws were on the floor."

I didn't understand. My son had been writing songs since the age of four, and I'd never given it a second thought.

The choir teacher sensed my confusion. "He has a gift," she clarified. "And if it's okay with you, we'd like to help you nurture that gift."

We talked about another Olney man she knew, a voice teacher who - coincidentally - had just started teaching voice to my other son. The choir director and the voice teacher talked, and they connected my son with yet another Olney man - a recent college graduate who could transpose my son's songs from a child's singing to sheet music.

Now, six months later, the choir will be performing one of my son's songs during their Christmas Eve service. My son and I went to a rehearsal a few days ago and I heard, for the first time, the results of the efforts of several musical members of the Olney community.

I was floored. My 11-year-old son had conceived a song only a few months ago - and now it is going to be performed live by a group of ukelele-playing kids for a huge audience. This isn't something I could have done without the choir director, the voice teacher or the musical transcriber. Such a small world - and an absolutely brilliant group of musicians.

I am proud to consider my son a new member of the musical Olney community.

Sharing The Journey

What happens when 20 ladies assemble in a room and exchange notes on how to take care of themselves? A feeling of camaraderie surfaces, just as bread quickly rises when it's baking with all the right ingredients. I felt this sense of companionship when fellow Olney neighbors and friends came together to learn how therapeutic-grade, pure essential oils could help us take better control of our well-being.  

There were “oooh’s” and “ahhh’s” as a bottle of lavender was passed around for everyone to smell. As we inhaled the vapors, a sense of relaxation took over, and some ladies sunk deeper into their chairs. Then came peppermint, and all of a sudden, we perked up, giggled, and were ready to plunge forward! I thought it to be most interesting that everyone had similar reactions. And why wouldn’t we? Many of us share the same experiences as we juggle home, work, kids, family - and health. 

I came out of the class knowing that whether we used essential oils or not, I was empowered with tools to help me make decisions about my health, big or small. As I shared worries and concerns with other participants, I realized that we’re all in the same boat, but that sharing the journey can make it easier on each of us.  

A Mexican Standoff … with Deer

I recently took a walk unlike Estelle Yetti’s Peace Walk. One day, a neighbor and I were hiking behind our neighborhood when we spied two deer standing right next to the path. Munching away, they casually glanced up at us, stared, and then lowered their heads to resume eating.

“Is this a Mexican standoff?” my neighbor nervously joked. According to Cambridge Dictionaries Online, a Mexican standoff is “a situation in which people on opposite sides threaten each other but neither tries to come to an agreement.”

To my neighbor, these deer were a threat. Uncomfortable around dogs, she certainly didn't want to pass these adult doe. Did we pose a threat to the deer? I thought so and expected them to run off. Instead, they just keep eating for a few minutes and then languidly turned to stroll into the woods.

In fact, I was the more startled party. After staring back at the deer, I fumbled with and dropped my phone in an attempt to take a picture. By the time I got my act together, this is the only view I could capture:

I guess this Mexican standoff did come to an agreement: the deer ate undisturbed and I was granted a photo opportunity!

Olney's Precious Diversity

Sometimes the world looks bleak to me, while at other times, it seems hopeful. As world events unfold, I often struggle to maintain a positive perspective. However, there was a ray of hope recently, and it didn't come from a benevolent employer, nor a politician, nor did it pour down from the heavens above. It came from within the Olney community, from “everyday” people trying to fight the climate of xenophobia that's seemingly taken over. 

On November 24th almost 300 people gathered in a show of solidarity at Shaare Tefila on Georgia Avenue for an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. I watched with deep appreciation as Jews, Christians and Muslims called for service, cooperation and thanks, exchanged hugs and broke bread together. It was gratifying to see neighbors and friends vehemently nod in agreement throughout the service as scriptures emphasizing tolerance and peace were read. 

It couldn't have come at a better time. The Thanksgiving service not only reflected the rich diversity of Olney, but also allowed me to put my focus on the positive, and nurture that feeling as if it were a precious seed that had been planted inside. 

Simple Pleasures of Repaved Roads

In late July, OBX readers noted the need to repave Route 108 between the Howard/Montgomery county line and New Hampshire Avenue in Ashton. One writer appropriately described that section of Route 108 as a “pothole obstacle course”. My husband and I joked that whenever we drove home from Howard County on Route 108, we knew we were close to Olney as soon as we felt and heard the difference between the smooth, quiet Howard County side and the crater-riddled, car-rattling Montgomery County side.

Last month while driving home from Baltimore near dusk, I didn’t even notice I had exited Howard County until I spied the “Welcome to Montgomery County” sign. Instinctively bracing myself for a bumpy ride, I then realized that I had already crossed the county line ... and was enjoying a surprisingly smooth ride!

I know it is silly to make such a big deal about newly paved roads, but I love them! After my kid's daily drop-off at the Berrend Dance Centre, I’m often tempted to drive an extra circle around the newly resurfaced parking lot behind Rite Aid. I still savor memories of Bowie Mill Road’s long-awaited (and now long-ago) repaving (see Easy Rider). Ah – simple pleasures can be found in the daily grind of chauffeuring and running errands.