Moss and clover taking over your lawn?
It’s almost spring, and you’re imagining an emerald green lawn. After a rain shower, you follow the rainbow to find moss and clover in your yard. Is this the luck o’ the Irish? Mosses naturally occur when the soil is compacted, acidic, and/or poorly drained. They also thrive in medium to dense shade or if there is repeated mower scalp of lawn turf. Under such conditions, these... READ MORE
Two exhibits for World War I centennial
A statue of a Doughboy surrounded by bright red poppies with a backdrop of the graves in Flanders Fields stands at the end of one of two WWI centennial exhibits at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. It’s a fitting symbol of the “war to end all wars,” as my father (born in 1917 and named “Wilson” in honor of President Woodrow Wilson) remembered it. The larger of the two ... READ MORE
Piecing together a new career
Starting a retail business at the age of 66 might be considered by some as “questionable,” Gail Rosen agreed. But that’s just what she did last spring when she opened Andamento, her Hampden studio and gallery featuring fine art mosaics and handcrafted jewelry. “I built myself a playhouse!” said Rosen, noting that the gallery features her own mosaic art as well as jewelry... READ MORE
Oh, the joys of grandparenting! And yet…
Out comes his smartphone. He scrolls, scrolls, scrolls. Finally, he gurgles with pleasure. There she is on the screen — his first grandchild, a continent away in Seattle, but front and center in his life. I gurgle along with him. Yes, she sure is beautiful. Yes, oh, yes, she clearly looks like the grandfather who is holding the phone. But what I’m really noticing is how jealous ... READ MORE
Books from silver screen to printed page
It’s Oscar time. Catch up on this year’s nominees and winners. But don’t forget the Hollywood classics. Though one picture is worth a thousand words, these thousands of words are enjoyable to read. We’ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie by Noah Isenberg, 336 pages, 24 black and white illustrations, W. W. Norton... READ MORE
How did Dr. Ruth come to be who she is?
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Dr. Ruth tells the Theater J audience. “This is much better than talking to myself.” So for the next 90 minutes, the famous short, sweet, giggly, no-nonsense, common-sense sex therapist — as wonderfully performed by Naomi Jacobson in the one-woman show, Becoming Dr. Ruth — tells us all about her life and loves (three husbands, two children),... READ MORE
Communities offer opportunities for art
When Sophie Ruotolo moved to the Residences at Thomas Circle in downtown Washington, D.C. at age 93, she knew it was going to be a “big adjustment” after living in her home in Florida. Fortunately, the move ended up being a blessing, since she discovered her biggest passion there: art. Now 98, Ruotolo spends most of her time painting on canvas using acrylics and watercolors, or... READ MORE
It’s alive! Young Frankenstein at Toby’s
Prepare for some wild, thoroughly irreverent fun at Toby’s Dinner Theatre with the current show Young Frankenstein, the musical based on Mel Brooks’ hit cult/comedy film from 1974. The musical version was created much more recently, in 2007, but it’s definitely true to the original movie — not surprising since the music and lyrics are also by Brooks himself. Coming on the heels... READ MORE
World premiere focuses on Cone sisters
What’s it all about — art, literature, love, life? Those are questions the play All She Must Possess attempts to explore to varying degrees in Baltimore playwright Susan McCully’s meta-theater premiere, being presented by Rep Stage at Howard Community College. The 80-minute, one-act play doesn’t just break the “fourth wall,” it tears it down completely. Here, “the... READ MORE
Spotlight on Russian crafts
Chalk it up to my Russian heritage, but I’ve long been fascinated by Russian crafts, and by Fabergé eggs, in particular. So the current exhibition at the Walters Art Museum, “Fabergé and the Russian Crafts Tradition: An Empire’s Legacy,” was right up my alley. But you don’t have to have a Russian grandmother to appreciate this exquisite display. Fabergé eggs are renowned for ... READ MORE
