Holiday 2011

The gift of Giving

Allow your recipients to choose their own charity.

This holiday season, I am particularly grateful to have a roof over my head, a full stomach, a job that I love and my health – not to mention a support group of family and friends. So when it came time to shop for gifts for my extended family, purchasing more "stuff" just didn't seem like the right thing to do. Don't get me wrong; I am an enthusiastic advocate for buying local. But for a change of pace, I'd encourage you to consider balancing consumption with the gift of giving for 2010. For those who have a special place in their heart for K-12 public school teachers, visitwww.donorschoose.org. This online charity connects you to classrooms in need. Simply click on the "gifts" button on the upper right side of the screen and let your …

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Holiday 2011

Holiday Movies 2010, Part 2

As promised, here is a short run-down of movies your family can enjoy before the end of the year.

As we discussed in part one of our holiday movie preview, this year's holiday season for the silver screen offers some new stories from old favorites to classic stories with some of our favorite stars. Whether it is action or romance or comedy, audiences have a wide variety to choose from at local theaters in the coming days. How Do You Know (PG-13) Release Date: Dec. 17 Fans of Oscar-winning writer-director James L. Brooks will be happy to know that after a six-year hiatus he returns to the silver screen, reuniting once again with Jack Nicholson. The story centers on Reese Witherspoon and her chance meeting with an old friend (Paul Rudd) while she is on the outs with current boyfriend (Owen Wilson). Showing at the Bow Tie Harbour 9 in …

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Holiday 2011

Interfaith Families During the Holidays

Find out how a few interfaith families spend the holidays.

Dreidel dreidel dreidel, or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Vermicelli pudding for Eid-Al-Fitr or Christmas ham? For several interfaith families in Anne Arundel County, these questions are fixtures in their everyday lives. There is probably no time like the holidays to throw differences into stark relief. "We call the holidays our December delight and dilemma," joked Susan Ryder, program coordinator at Interfaith Families Project of the Greater Washington DC Area (IFFP,www.iffp.net). IFFP caters to the needs of Jewish and Christian interfaith couples who want to raise children with an understanding of both faiths. At IFFP religious services, congregants focus on whatever Jewish or Christian holiday is coming up. "Holidays are tough enough …

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Holiday 2011

Learning About Kwanzaa

At Glen Burnie's Cedar and Morris Hill, the black enclave comes together to learn about Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa is high on the agenda for Geraldine Lippman, president of the Cedar and Morris Hill Improvement Association. Lippman discussed the holiday with members at the association's Dec.14 meeting. The meeting also included the presentation of a Kwanzaa tree. "We handed out plastic balls to decorate last week," Lippman said. The idea was to get people involved in creating home-made decorations for the Kwanzaa tree. "There was no Kwanzaa when we were young," Lippman said. "But that was a different time. I grew up in the country, and there was a lot more interaction among people. The community came together and worked together." Kwanzaa—the history and observance Kwanzaa has relatively recent roots compared to other holidays around this …

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Holiday 2011

Local Servicewoman Greets Family from Iraq

Alyson Donelly, a Severn resident, was able to send a greeting to her loved ones while in Iraq through the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System provided to the U.S. Armed Forces. Take a look.

Here is a brief video from Alyson Donelly to her family while serving in Iraq. Do you know the Donellys? Let us know so we can make sure they receive the message! The Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) is provided as a public service operated by Third Army/U.S. Army Central (ARCENT) on behalf of the Department of the Army in support of all branches of the U.S. military and its Coalition partners serving in the U.S. Forces Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.

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Finding the Perfect Stocking Stuffer

Here are some guidelines on filling your loved one's stockings.

For recipients, a full stocking is like the icing on a proverbial Christmas present cake. It's the dessert after a holly jolly smorgasbord of larger gifts, and it's often taken for granted. You, the one responsible for the stocking getting stuffed (and likely responsible for most things in your household), know all too well these things just don't happen. There's no stocking fairy who stops by with a tiny sack of tiny items that have already been wrapped. Alas, the stocking duties fall on you. Here at Patch, we recognize the plight of busy parents and hardworking families and we are here to help. Enjoy these stocking stuffer suggestions that are sure to cover everyone on your list who has been nice this year. If you're looking for gadgets…

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Holiday 2011

Feelings of Loss More Intense During the Holidays

Groups in the area offer assistance for those who need support during the holiday season.

There's a saying that time heals all wounds, but for some people the winter holidays can be an even more challenging time if a loved one has died. For two of area women, this is the case this holiday season. Both are proactive in their own healing journeys. John Christopher Campbell died in 2002 at the age of 21, leaving members of his family stunned. However his mother, Kathy Campbell of Hanover, helps others through the pain of loss and separation. By doing this, she said she continues to heal. "John's death was very sudden. The autopsy said his heart was enlarged. John was a student and set to be married the next year," she said, adding the exact cause of death was not definitively determined. Campbell is leader of a bereavement support…

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Happy Thanksgiving from Severn Patch

We talk to local residents about the significance of Thanksgiving.

Hear from a principal, a Marine, a PTA President, a math instructor and two local children as they talk about the importance of Thanksgiving and fun details along the way.

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