Mixed emotions about work from home
He was 30-something — a bit smug, a bit too fond of his own opinions. But I was seated beside him at a fancy dinner, so I was stuck. After the salad, I asked how he had weathered the pandemic. “Perfectly,” he announced. I wasn’t sure that I had heard him correctly. In whose universe was the pandemic perfect? His. “I didn’t have to go into the office once,” he said.... READ MORE
Games, calendars for mental gymnastics
The Bibliophile When you’re stuck indoors this winter, exercise your mind. Find a new board game to enjoy or hone your skills mastering your favorite game. Seven Games: A Human History, by Oliver Roeder, 306 pages, W.W. Norton & Company paperback, 2023 Read an engaging account of these seven games: checkers, chess, Go, backgammon, poker, Scrabble and bridge. Learn their... READ MORE
Artists spread joy to senior communities
One cold, sunny morning, two dozen residents of an assisted living community in Rockville, Maryland, form a circle with their wheelchairs. A teacher enters the circle, greeting each person with a smile. “I’m Deborah. And we are going to do some dancing together today in our chairs,” she says. As Deborah Riley, a teaching artist from Arts for the Aging, turns on some music, one... READ MORE
Joan Baez shares secrets in documentary
Bob Dylan called it her “heart-stopping soprano,” and it’s true that when Joan Baez unleashed that pure, angelic voice on the protest song “We Shall Overcome,” you could believe we would, indeed, overcome. The celebrated folk singer and activist was singing about civil rights, of course. But what we learn in the thoughtful, thorough and sometimes harrowingly intimate... READ MORE
Illuminating Baltimore’s stained glass
When author, anthropologist and human rights activist Linda Rabben moved to northeast Baltimore in 2021, she wanted to get to know her new neighborhood better. On her daily walks, she noticed that many houses had stained glass windows. Rabben, who grew up in Philadelphia and lived for 30 years in Takoma Park, Maryland, became curious. “I really hadn’t paid any attention to them” ... READ MORE
A curmudgeonly defense of using cash
Brunch for the two couples was done. It was time to settle the bill. The male of the other couple plopped down a credit card. This male reached for his wallet and produced a wad of cash. I handed it to him. He treated it like a rare species of poisonous mushroom. “What am I going to do with it?” he asked. “Uh, spend it?” I replied. He gave me a look somewhere between... READ MORE
NASA offers new, free streaming service
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is launching more than just rockets these days. Last month, its new streaming service, NASA+, took off. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, NASA said the ad-free, no-cost and family-friendly streaming service will feature Emmy-award winning live shows and original series. The service “embeds you into our missions through... READ MORE
Books on home design for reading, gifts
The Bibliophile These three books are meant for more than display. They will inspire you with ideas on how to decorate your home in time for the holidays. They make great gifts, too. Inspire: The Art of Living with Nature: 50 Beautiful Projects to Bring the Outside In, by Willow Crossley, 176 pages, CICO Books hardcover, 2023 Create a warm, welcoming festive environment for your home ... READ MORE
‘Ragtime’ sings of tumultuous early 1900s
Travel back in time with Signature Theatre’s outstanding production of Ragtime, superbly directed by Matthew Gardiner. The musical, based on the 1975 novel by E.L. Doctorow, narrates the lives of three different families in the early 1900s and the problems each family faces. One large upper-class family must adapt to the enormous social changes taking place around them. The members of... READ MORE
Miniature trains delight kids of all ages
Thomas the Tank Engine chugs past a tiny Kensington Train Station, curves around a pond and a farm, and finally reaches the Brookside Gardens Conservatory buildings. If you peer into the miniature conservatory’s glass roof, you’ll spot a further miniaturized replica of this same railroad display, the Garden Railway at Brookside. Every winter for more than 20 years, G-gauge model... READ MORE
