A Fun Evening

Almost on the spur of the moment, with out-of-town guests to entertain, we decided to try Lorenzo’s Timonium Dinner Theatre for their production of “The Odd Couple; Female Version.” I have to admit that, in the past, our dinner and/or show had been less than average. However, this night everything was just right. The food was perfectly prepared, delicious, and plentiful.

The play was a big surprise! First of all, the Director came out and announced that the two lead actresses were not available that night. Luckily, another theatre had recently done this play and the leads from that production would be filling in tonight. Well! When Olive (the messy one) appeared on stage wearing a beard and sporting a hairy chest under the low cut blouse, everyone was blown away. What was this all about? Then, when Florence (the neat one) appeared and hairy legs were prominent under the dress, more question marks appeared above our heads.

At intermission, we perused the cast bios and discovered that the lead roles were none other than Anna Conda (Anaconda) playing Olive, and Wendy Bough-Breaks (When the bough breaks) playing Florence. Then we knew! We had been “had.” Needless to say, the play was a total “hoot” from beginning to end.

If you wish to avail yourselves of this fun time, Lorenzo’s Timonium Dinner Theatre is at 9603 Deereco Road, Timonium, MD. Call 410-560-1113 or go online to www.timoniumdinnertheatre.com for tickets or more information. Hurry, as this show ends August 3^rd.

According to Judy

A Restaurant Review

With today’s trend toward franchise restaurants available in every shopping center nationwide, it is rare to find a family- or owner-run small, but homey, restaurant. This has to be a very delicate type of business to start up and keep going.

Today (Tuesday) Charlie and I had occasion to meet our friends, Dave and Karen who live in Manchester, Maryland, for dinner in Hampstead. Karen had expounded several times about the New Sunset Inn and Restaurant and its wonderful steak special. Unfortunately, the steak special is only available on Thursdays and Sundays. Therefore, we could not avail ourselves of that particular menu item tonight. Instead, the four of us opted to have the hot turkey sandwich, highly recommended by the owner. Indeed, it met our expectations. There is a choice of homemade mashed potatoes or French fries. All of us had the most abundant and delicious gravy, which had parsley to enhance the flavor. In addition, I had a very nice fresh side salad, while Karen ordered a side dish of zucchini, one of her favorites.

The atmosphere of this small town eatery is unpretentious, but there are indications that loving thought has been taken to provide a cozy ambiance for the casual diner. Keith, the owner, host, and waiter, is very proud of his menu, his cooks, and gives great attention to having the freshest homemade food available. And, did I mention the prices are very reasonable? I do not believe in providing a star-type rating for businesses; however, if I feel strongly about a place, I am pleased to share my experience with you.

So, if you are taking a Sunday drive up Route 30 toward Pennsylvania, or if you just want to explore new horizons, the New Sunset Inn is located at 1301 Main Street in the heart of Hampstead, Maryland. The phone number is 410-374-6969 if you wish to get further information on location, menu, etc.

Be sure to mention that you read my review. Everyone loves positive reinforcement.

According to Judy

An Evening with the Family at Oriole Park at Camden Yards

With my son and family coming up from Richmond, VA for a weekend visit, we decided to take in a Saturday evening Oriole major league baseball game. The Baltimore Orioles were playing the Detroit Tigers.

Thanks to a very generous and friendly neighbor, we were able to get five field box seats right behind home plate. On a warm but lovely evening, we settled in for a fun and relaxing evening at the ballpark. My son Bob, his wife Mora, and their son Jory were all looking forward to a very exciting and interesting major league baseball game. To say the least, they were not disappointed. The Detroit Tigers came into this game with one of the best hitting teams in the American League. The Orioles, in addition, had been hitting the ball very well the first half of the season. Luke Scott, the Oriole leftfielder won Friday night’s game against the Tigers by hitting two home runs.

With the above in mind, the Detroit Tigers started the game by scoring six runs in the very first inning against Oriole starting pitcher Daniel Cabrera. The Orioles came back with two of their own, with Melvin Mora hitting a two-run home run. An ironic note is that my son’s wife’s first name is Mora.

The game continued on with the Orioles coming all the way back and taking a 9-7 lead on some clutch hitting by Markakis, Millar, and Huff. The Tigers, however, scored three runs in the 6^th inning to take a 10-9 lead. The score remained that way until the bottom of the 9^th inning. The Orioles, as they have many times this year, came back to tie the game on a home run by Ramon Hernandez. And, to finish a lovely evening the Orioles won the 11-10 game with a walk-off home run by Luke Scott.

However, the bad news was that we had to leave the game to head home in the bottom of the 8th inning, due to the fact that it was one of the longest games of the year, lasting nearly 4 hours. However, everyone enjoyed the ballgame and all the attractions associated with the game: the Oriole Bird, the myriad of games on the video board, the banter of the Oriole fans with the Tiger fans, the Oriole “wave,” and the general excitement of the crowd and evening. Of course, the evening would not be complete without a lot of good ballpark food and drinks. Jory led the way with a small pepperoni pizza, a bucket of cotton candy, a Sprite, and some peanuts.

Another memorable aspect of the evening at the ballpark was the constant cheering and hollering that all of us engaged in during the game. We all were reminded of this the next morning with a mixture of hoarseness and scratchy throats.

In summary, it was a great way to spend the evening with the family. I would highly recommend it. The only bad note was that we did not get to actually see the game winning walk-off home run.

According to Charlie

Taking the High Road

Sometimes life has a way of throwing obstacles in our path. How do we handle them? Do we stumble over the obstacles? Do we go around them or go over them? Or, do we use them as the proverbial stepping-stones?

I have been giving this some thought recently as I find more and more obstacles to overcome, as I grow older (but, not necessarily wiser). I find that my outlook on a given day will often determine my response. When I am feeling great and see life as a series of growth steps, I am able to fend off negative feelings. However, if I am tired and run down, I often find other people’s negativity having a significant bearing on my reactions. Having learned lessons from the past, and wanting to be the best person I can, I try to view situations from God’s point of view. This is not always easy. However, also being a Libra has me weighing the problem and trying to level it so I can deal with it in a sane and sensible manner.

The temptation to lash out is strong in us human beings. But, the results are not always what we intend. If the situation is such, I find it to my advantage to let some time pass and ponder various ways of dealing with my reaction. Occasionally, I may have to find someone I admire to be a sounding board.

Thank the good Lord! He has provided me with many friends that help me over the bumps in life, which has often allowed me to take the “High Road.” If you are one of those friends, I thank you! And, God bless you, all!

According to Judy

Connecting with Old Friends

Yesterday, after returning from a weekend away, I received a phone call from an old neighbor, Mary, who now lives in Lumberton, NC. We have attempted over the past few years to see one another, but bad timing always seemed to interfere. When she has been in town, we were going to be away. When we were headed south past her exit off of I-95, Mary was heading to a family reunion. However, on the spur of the moment, this time we were able to connect.

And, delight of all delights, her daughter Thia would be joining us. On the off chance that my daughter Diane was available, I made a quick decision to invite her. God was kind. Due to great timing, I was able to catch my daughter just before she headed out of the house. Within 45 minutes of Mary’s initial phone call, the four of us met at the Olive Garden and had a wonderful reunion. Diane and Thia were delighted to catch up on their families – it had been about 16 years for them – almost a whole lifetime of raising their children.

Mary and I were just thrilled to share memories and reconnect wonderful feelings. The biggest thrill is to see oneself through the eyes of another, who is truly pleased to see you. This is truly a blessing from God. It is His way of reminding us that He loves us – we are all one big family and each of us has worth in this family.

So, I challenge each of you to reach out to someone who has been a blessing in your life in the past and reconnect with him or her. And, God will bless you, too, with a truly rewarding experience.

According to Judy

Effective Communication

Being able to communicate effectively is critical to creating and maintaining a positive relationship between people. How often do you find that somehow or another your spouse, child, or friend misunderstood something you were trying to tell them?

Communication is something I try hard to work on. When I have to write anything, it helps me to put it in draft form first so I can read it over and over again, before finalizing it. Writing these articles, along with other “paid” and “gratis” ones, has honed my vocabulary and grammar. However, because we are human beings, we still tend to misread what we see in print unless it is clearly spelled out.

Contemplating various plays, movies, and books that I have recently enjoyed, it came to mind that most of the delicate plot situations were created by either non-communication or ineffective communication. Talking with one another does not always convey the intent of the speaker. I myself have learned that my husband and I are frequently on different wavelengths when we are discussing things. If one’s hearing is slightly impaired, the simplest statements are often misconstrued.

The written word seems to be more effective than the spoken word, as inflection and tone of voice, facial expressions, and body stance often say more than the actual words themselves.

I’d love to hear of your experiences.

According to Judy

Ranch Reputations

There has been an increasing demand from highly ranked restaurants for high quality beef to serve their diners. Consumers, along with restaurants, are interested in having organically fed beef. Today, these ranches need to be mindful of environmental concerns, as well. Although many reputable restaurants cater primarily to the wealthy, the average person occasionally dines out for special occasions. Meeting the expectations of these diners is a primary concern of discriminating restaurants.

Ranches, looking for savvy information to increase their client base with properly cared for livestock, would do well to consult www.conserveranches.com. This website is designed to guide the business of ranching into the 21^st century. It provides solid facts for today’s entrepreneur for raising profitable selling cattle and solidifying their ranch reputations.

According to Judy