Why tall = small, and other conundrums
Sometimes, dear friends, we are plunged into modern-day situations that are so absurd, so illogical, so incomprehensible, so inexplicable, that all we can do is throw up our hands. So it went with me one recent morning at my neighborhood Starbucks. I had agreed to meet a friend there to give her some career advice. I was early. She wasn’t there yet. So I decided to buy a cup of... READ MORE
Putting presidents in historical perspective
This month, we celebrate Presidents’ Day. Reading about our nation’s chief executives never becomes old. Historians (both professional and amateur) as well as politicians and reporters sift through the archives, interpret documents, and find lesser known materials to expose to a wider audience. Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, by Gordon S. Wood, 512 pages, Penguin... READ MORE
Laurie Metcalf gets her first Oscar shot
Laurie Metcalf has won three Emmys and a Tony Award in her nearly 40-year year career, but the veteran stage and screen actress still feels uncomfortable in front of a camera. “Even after all those years on ‘Roseanne,’ I have a real fear of cameras. They make me inhibited,” Metcalf, 62, said on a recent afternoon in Los Angeles. “I think ‘Why don’t I know where to put my ... READ MORE
Mural artist makes the city his canvas
When he sees a nondescript wall or side of a building, “Sir” James Thornhill sees art. To him, it’s like a blank canvas waiting for artistic reinvention. Thornhill literally “paints the town,” with colorful murals that honor heroes and heroines — especially local notables associated with the historic district of Jackson Ward, a section of Richmond known as the “Birthplace... READ MORE
Hamlet in the age of Twitter and Snapchat
To be or not to be. Is that really the question a twitchy millennial — a man-child with little self-awareness and a slippery grasp on reality — might be asking himself in the midst of existential angst? Apparently not, if Michael Kahn’s uneven wreck of Hamlet online pharmacy order priligy online with best prices today in the USA , onstage at the Shakespeare Theatre Company through... READ MORE
Silk painter shares her skill with others
Living in Egypt as a child during WWII, Diane Tuckman recalls, “they were shooting Jewish girls in the street...My family and I escaped [in 1949] and went to France.” Though less harrowing, even in France “it was a very difficult time after the war, with ration tickets and very little housing.” But eventually, Paris became home and much more to Tuckman. For it was there that she... READ MORE
International tai chi champions
Many recreation centers provide instruction in the ancient martial art of tai chi. But it’s a rare program that sends 17 of its members to China to participate in an international competition, and no doubt even rarer when such a group sweeps the awards in their categories. That’s exactly what happened, however, when a group from the East Columbia 50+ Center’s tai chi class traveled ... READ MORE
Grandmother’s kids books focus on family
As is the case with most grandparents, Daneace Terry Jeffery’s grandchildren have her wrapped around every one of their adorable little fingers. But unlike most grandparents, Jeffery has made her grandchildren the stars of a series of children’s books. Her “Ella Books” are loosely based on Jeffery’s two oldest granddaughters. The third of Jeffery’s projected five-book... READ MORE
Retiree rekindles passion for painting
Former homemaker, beautician and banker Pauline Rakis is making up for lost painting time. It’s a pursuit she had put on hold for decades. At 74, she is now on a full brush-on-canvas schedule four days a week, at least six hours a day. One of the 25 artists who own and operate the co-op Artists Gallery in Ellicott City, Rakis spent many earlier years styling the hair of other women,... READ MORE
How to feed backyard birds this winter
Although many of our feathered friends fly south during colder weather, other birds remain in the Richmond metropolitan area over the winter. Observing birds is one of the most popular wildlife-related activities. By feeding the birds, you will increase your opportunities to observe permanent residents, such as the cardinal, goldfinch, blue jay and tufted titmouse, as well as winter-only ... READ MORE
