AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi
Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services,
and Midas of Annapolis and Pasadena
The weather for the waning days of August and Labor Day weekend couldn’t have been more beautiful with sunny days and just a hint of autumn in the air. With less than three weeks until the official beginning of autumn on September 22, some of us would like to hang on to summer just a little bit longer.
Walking northward through Severna Park on the Baltimore Annapolis Trail is always fun but, with a blue sky overhead and the sun on your back, it’s easy to fall into a lazy saunter with stops along the way to take in the sights. Pausing at Caraker Plaza (named for the late Thomas Caraker, III), with a coffee from The Big Bean, we watched a procession of walkers, runners and cyclists of all ages pass by us.
Viewing flowerbeds maintained by volunteers along the way is always a pleasure. The beautiful bed with the birdhouse seen in the opening photograph has been lovingly tended by the Snader family for many years. Butterflies fluttered in a bed next to it drawn to the deep purple blooms of a butterfly bush.
About-to-bloom Autumn Joy Sedum shared space in another plot with sturdy Black-Eyed Susans that were holding their own. But other plots were nearly finished for the season.
Back down the trail to the Riggs Avenue crossing, we turned right and headed for Diehl’s Produce at the corner of B & A Boulevard and McKinsey Road where we noticed a portion of the parking lot had been fenced off to one side of the tent. According to the stand’s general manager Jennifer Diehl, by the following day, the entire area would be filled with chrysanthemums with pumpkins to follow. In accordance with Diehl family tradition, the produce stand will remain open until Halloween with another week of Adams County, Pennsylvania peaches followed by six varieties of Adams County apples, plenty of Eastern Shore sweet corn into October, and other late season vegetables.
Jen’s sister Abby’s Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis will also remain open until Halloween. Late breaking news indicates that Chase’s Produce off Route #424 will close this Sunday, September 7th. Nearby Marco Ridge Farm farmstand will also close September 7th but will offer vegetables on the farm wagon on a serve-yourself, pay-as-you-go basis for a few weeks thereafter. Pumphrey’s Farm produce stand in Millersville will stay open until Thanksgiving with autumnal flowers and pumpkins, apples and late season vegetables.
With time to burn, we headed for the car with another stop to make. A fan of watercolor artwork, we’d heard there was an exhibit of paintings by Terri Allen-Jackson we’d like to check out in the art gallery at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church. Sure enough, prominently displayed along the gallery walls were paintings from Allen-Jackson’s “My Mosaic Journey” collection of watercolor paintings along with mosaic artworks.
The watercolors were quite vivid and featured subjects ranging from vegetables to plants and flowers while the mosaic pieces were intricate designs incorporating similar subjects.
We imagined the artist’s mosaic works like the one seen on the left took a great deal of time to assemble.
There were obviously hundreds of colorful tiles laid end-to-end to create images of plants. It was interesting to note that Allen-Jackson couldn’t have picked better subject matter for her work as the Woods Garden Group is acclaimed for creating the church’s innovative “Parking Lot Gardens”. We walked outside to see them.
Like a number of gardens we observed on the B&A Trail, the flowers in various beds were faded leaving behind seed heads the Woods Gardeners insist on keeping intact for the birds, chipmunks, squirrels and other wildlife that feed on them throughout the winter.
Lazy or not, time was ticking away and there was one last stop we wanted to make. We dropped by the Severna Park Community Center to visit with Executive Director Sarah Elder and Marketing Director Amy Holbrook.
We’d learned that SPCC is partnering with Macaroni Kid Pasadena’s Laura McElwain Colquhoun to host the Anne Arundel County & Bowie Homeschool Fair in the center’s gymnasium on Friday, September 12 from 10 am to 12:30 pm. (For full details visit Anne Arundel County Homeschool Fair Hosted by Macaroni KID & Severna Park Community Center | Facebook.
“We think the homeschool fair is a wonderful idea,” Elder said. “Laura has organized the event to include eighteen vendors that offer services to homeschool families. Since we already offer swimming classes for homeschoolers here in our pool, we’re happy to host the homeschool fair.”
She added the community center hopes to add a physical education homeschool program to the schedule. It’s just in the planning stages but won’t be ready until the first of the year.
Holbrook was excited because SPCC is coming into its busiest time of the year. In fact, she’d just printed out a list of upcoming events.
This Saturday (September 6), the community center is hosting a Second Time Around The Park Yard Sale to which the public is invited to bring their own items to sell.
Next on the schedule is the community center’s highly popular Halloween Spooktacular on Friday, October 24th. On Friday, December 12th the equally popular Cookies & Cocoa With Santa will take place. And, on Friday, December 14th they’ll host their second annual Holiday Pop-Up Shop.
The excitement will continue into the new year with a Health & Wellness Expo in January followed by events associated with the center’s 30th Anniversary celebration and its Gin and Jazz Gala. You can keep up with SPCC programs and activities by visiting Home – Severna Park Community Center (spcommunitycenter.org)
AAUW Used Book Collections this Saturday, September 6th
News from Alice Harrison that the American Assoc. of University Women – Anne Arundel County will collect used books in good condition in Severna Park, Arnold and Annapolis on Saturday, Sept. 6 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon.
In Severna Park, they’ll be at St. Martin-in-the-Field Church at 375 Benfield Road, in Arnold at the Anne Arundel Community College parking lot at West Campus Drive off Ritchie Highway, and in Annapolis at St. Phillip’s Church on Bestgate Road. Volunteers will accept your used books in good condition.
The books collected will be offered for sale in a large Book Sale to be held in November. All net proceeds will go for scholarships for women. For more information, contact Alice Harrison, awharrison@yahoo.com or at 410-353-1867.
Park Hardware/Zeskind’s 100th Anniversary Celebration September 20th
From 7 am to 7 pm on Saturday, September 20th, the Park Hardware’s parking lot, store and Zeskind’s Showroom will come alive with a celebration marking 100 years in the hardware business. Napoleon Grills and Milwaukee Tools will be on-site starting at 11:30am on September 20 for the Anniversary event! Attendees will see live demonstrations and have the chance to win prizes from these great partners. To see more, visit Facebook.
Trinity Bible Church’s 3rd Annual Fall Festival September 27th
Trinity Bible Church, at 99 Truckhouse Road, invites local residents to join them for a free, community event on September 27th. Enjoy lunch with a burger or hotdog. drink and chips and an assortment of fun activities including a moonbounce, photo booth, games and crafts, snow cones, bingo, and more. To see more, click TBC 3rd Annual Fall Festival | Facebook .
The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility whilereducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!
and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.
And Midas of Annapolis and Pasadena, A family- owned business with four locations (Annapolis, Pasadena, Laurel and Wheaton). With 40 years’ experience and the backing of a national brand, they are committed to earning customers’ trust by offering the expertise, value and responsiveness drivers expect – “every time they visit us.”
