The problem with some 18 year olds is that their brain has not yet caught up with their body. The prom was last weekend, and all I can say is that kids didn’t look like that when I was in…
Author: Julie Virnelson
The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love
As a girl I had three dreams. First was to be a veterinarian. I would line up all of my stuffed animals and see to their ailments one at a time, my trusty Fisher Price medical kit by my side.…
A Fine Day Out
A vacation is a respite, a departure from the worries and stresses of everyday life. Whether it lasts a week, a month or a day, a vacation can be, I believe, more a state of mind than a trip. Family…
Mangia e Bevi: Bravissimo
It is a snowy evening, and Vito Cinquepalmi is busy entertaining his friends. A gracious host, Vito greets each guest with a kind word and an inquiry — from “How was your trip?” to “I have not seen you in…
Incinerator Impact
On Jan. 30, despite high winds and heavy rain, people turned out in droves to voice their opinions on the proposed Frederick County Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incinerator facility before the Frederick County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The incinerator, which is…
How to Dress Your Child for Dummies
In our house, mornings are often filled with negotiations. My requests range from, “Will you please do something with that room?” to “Will you be okay with peanut butter and jelly rather than ham?” With my 7-year-old, my request is…
VOU Awarded Solarize Frederick Project
The Villages of Urbana (VOU) and the nearby town of Myersville, Md., were chosen in January as pilot communities for the Solarize Frederick County (SFC) initiative. The goal of the initiative is to bring residents together to purchase solar systems…
John and Angela: Happy to Be Hawks
With Valentine’s Day on the radar, the love story of John and Angela Thomas is inspiring. On a long-ago Saturday night at a local pub in Atlanta, Ga., Angela Davis, a student at Georgia Baptist Nursing School, was helping her…
Out of Order
“Why don’t you ever do mine first?” asked Joe, my youngest, absentmindedly watching my morning routine. I was having coffee, pulling out eggs, oatmeal, milk and juice — and simultaneously making lunches. “I’m always last.” He was talking about how…
Organization: It’s What’s for Dinner
The start of a New Year is often a time for people to take stock and reorganize. For Melissa Kasimatis, resident services administrator for the Villages of Urbana Community Association, preparing for the New Year means cleaning out and putting…