Moonshine and more for second act
Peter Ahlf spent 25 years as a rocket scientist at NASA and a private firm, helping design the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station, planning flight missions and more. But it wasn’t until he retired that he started making a kind of rocket fuel. Today, he crafts an award-winning absinthe, a green, anise-flavored spirit. Ahlf makes 400 bottles a month of the... READ MORE
Shakespeare group adapts to the times
All went well during the regular 2019-2020 season of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, which included stage productions in its downtown Baltimore theater of Measure for Measure and Hamlet as well as A Christmas Carol. But this summer, the theater hit a glitch, otherwise known as the pandemic. Normally, the company’s educator program includes both an extensive matinee series, camps, ... READ MORE
Life-long learners with love for the arts
Art means something different to everybody: paintings, music, theater, cinema, photography, architecture, even quilts. The 400 members of the Art Seminar Group (ASG), based in Baltimore County, try to provide access to a deeper understanding of each of those aspects of art. The group started in 1956, when several Baltimore women, hoping to learn more about abstract expressionism, hired ... READ MORE
Some surprising benefits of gardening
Each summer, the fruits of the harvest fill the shelves of local groceries and farmers markets, a colorful reminder of the many nutritional benefits of fresh produce. But growing your own produce offers equally sustaining, though perhaps less visible, benefits. Beyond reduced grocery expenses, gardening offers many positive effects financially. A garden may be a good way to improve... READ MORE
Need an escape? Try these classic movies
When many were rushing to rewatch “Contagion,” the eerily prophetic 2011 Steven Soderbergh film about the outbreak of an easily transmitted virus, I was searching for more comforting escapes. I reached for “North by Northwest” the way a baby grasps for a pacifier. Even in a pandemic, it’s incredibly hard to watch “North by Northwest” without a perpetual grin on your face.... READ MORE
Create your vegetable victory garden
With extra time for home hobbies and learning opportunities with children and grandchildren, many of us are turning to home vegetable gardens reminiscent of the victory gardens during World Wars I and II. Plan for success The first task is to find the perfect location. Typically, this means a full-sun location with six to eight hours of sunlight daily. If you have deer or rabbits,... READ MORE
Go back in time to solve these mysteries
The Bibliophile Historical thrillers are sure to keep you occupied and your mind engaged. Follow these canny sleuths who solve crimes of the sort that mesmerized the public in previous times. The Attempted Murder of Teddy Roosevelt: A Novel, by Burt Solomon, 304 pages, Forge Books hardcover, 2019; paperback November 2020 Theodore Roosevelt assumed the presidency upon the... READ MORE
Plant detective solves yard mysteries
With the enthusiasm of a schoolboy, County Agent T. Michael Likins, 67, snapped a green leaf from a plant growing in the Chesterfield County Extension office’s demonstration garden and placed it under his microscope. “Aha,” he exclaimed as he viewed the slide, “not only are there aphids on this leaf, but one of them is pregnant!” Likins serves dual roles as both director ... READ MORE
Murals turn Richmond into free open air museum
Hungry for art? Due to the coronavirus, the VMFA is closed, art exhibits and festivals are cancelled, and galleries are shuttered. It’s hard to get your visual stimulation fix. But RVA is home to an incredible collection of street mural art, accessible all day, every day. From three-story murals to tiny gems tucked in alleyways, murals have popped up in the Fan, the Carytown... READ MORE
A dash of Bobby Bright Side positivity
Before COVID, I would place a phone call and silently think about ending it after a couple of minutes. Let’s get on with it. Too much else to do. Before COVID, I would take on a household chore and do only the bare minimum (sorry, dear). Deep cleaning would have taken far too long. Before COVID, reading a book was a sometime thing. Re-reading an old favorite was a never thing. Press ... READ MORE
