Features

In Defense of New Year’s Resolutions

To get what we want in our lives, we must choose the right goals

The New Year’s commitment to self-improvement through resolutions is widely viewed with cynicism, in part because New Year’s resolutions go so notoriously unmet. After years of excitedly committing to a new goal — only to abandon the quest by March — it’s easy to conclude that New Year’s resolutions are an exercise in futility.

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– by Alex Epstein – 12/30/10

Our Coldest Christmas

Searching for holiday warmth led us to Florida — and back

It was an injury right before Christmas 1977 that sent us looking for warmer weather. My husband’s accident could have been more serious. He was flown to shock trauma in the chopper and was there for a few days’ observation as the docs worried about his head injury. But my chides about him being hard-headed were literally true, and he was soon out of danger. His shoulder, however, was another matter.

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– by by Louise Vest; illustrations by Betsy Kehne – 12/23/10

Santa’s Best Gifts

Five heartfelt stories on how good neighbors help us summit life’s mountain

Finding the right gift is the preoccupying issue of all us Christmas shoppers. We scratch our heads and fret because we’re searching for what to give people who already have most everything. When your needs are satisfied, you’re a nightmare to shop for. But if your needs are as basic as a good meal or a warm coat or a dry and secure place to sleep — those take a special kind of Santa. Caught between needs of too much and needs of too little, we scratched our heads and sought expert advice.

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– by a Bay Weekly exclusive – 12/16/10

All Wrapped Up for Christmas

It’s not only what you give but how you wrap it

“It’s all about the presentation,” my mother told me. So she taught me how to wrap a gift. How to center a box on the paper, how to make sure the edges were even and no tape was visible. She used miles of ribbon. She taught me how to tie a proper bow. Those pre-made self-stick bows were, in her opinion, the epitome of laziness. It was meticulous work. On Christmas morning, it took seconds to destroy it all. Who was the genius — or maniac — behind gift wrap? Despite my childhood belief, it was not my mother.

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– by Margaret Tearman – 12/16/10

Decorated with Art and Heart

Calvert Hospice grows a forest; behind every tree is a story

Small trees, tall trees — dozens of them, resplendent in holiday light and ornamentation — transform the halls of Huntingtown High School into a forested Christmas wonderland. These trees decked in holiday finery aren’t delivered to the high school in Santa’s sleigh. Instead, they are the work of hundreds of volunteers who labor for weeks, months — some all year — to create a Festival of Trees for the sake of Calvert Hospice.

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– by Margaret Tearman – 11/25/10

Muddy Creek Artists Guild Pops Up Again

See them this season in Galesville, October 1 thru 3

With no gallery to call their own, the Muddy Creek Artists Guild makes its followers wonder where they are going to pop up next. Surprise “keeps the Guild’s shows fresh,” says Elizabeth Ramirez, chair of the upcoming October show. The Where’s-Waldo approach for the two-year-old Guild’s three annual shows creates “a sense of urgency” that “people have to take advantage of while it’s happening,” says Bea Poulin, photographer and Guild founder.

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– by Aries Matheos – 9/29/10

Wayne Karlin’s Wandering Souls

Marine Corps Viet Nam veteran Karlin shows us finely detailed frames of what most of us never knew about that war, while reminding us what we perhaps have always known about wars.

The last seven words in Michael Herr’s bestseller Dispatches lament: “Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, we’ve all been there.” Well, yes and no.

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– by reviewed by Doug Kamholz – 8/5/10

World Trade Center Mystery Ship Berths in Maryland

Archaeological find is biggest news Jefferson Patterson Park team has ever been part of

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– by By Margaret Tearman – 8/5/10

Running into Trouble

From start to finish, the Annapolis 10-miler pushed me way past my comfort zone

The humid air carries a buzz of excitement as 4,585 people packed in the early morning shade of Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on August 29 stretch their limbs in anticipation of the impending race. This 10-mile run is the culmination of my weeks of training through another hot, humid Annapolis summer. It’s also the fulfillment of a goal I’ve had for years of watching the race from the sidelines — to be running on the other side of the fence.

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– by Katie Dodd – 9/16/10

Bay Weekly’s Paws and Claws Pose-Off

And the Winners Are …

In Bay Country, our pet photos are as precious to us as our baby photos — and often a lot cuter. Which is why we asked you to send us your pictures to feature in our annual Pet Tales issue. We were wrong to worry you wouldn’t respond. You did, in abundance, from near and far, confirming the reach of our online edition.

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– by Diana Beechener and Margaret Tearman – 8/26/10