Good news for everyone who's enjoying a day-cation or stay-cation this year instead of a traditional va-cation. Lots of us have checked out the gas prices, the hotel prices -- well, the prices of just about everything lately -- and decided to stay put this summer.

Well, we all deserve to treat ourselves. What better way than to participate in the marvelous Restaurant Week, which began in Howard County on July 21 and continues to Aug. 3. During that time, participating restaurants will offer special three course meals, chef's selection, for a very special price -- $20.08 at lunch and $30.08 at dinner. Two wonderful Main Street restaurants are participating -- Jordan's Steakhouse and Tersiguel's French Country Restaurant.

Call right away for reservations, as I'm sure many people will be booking at these prices. Take a night off from burgers on the barbecue grill or call your friends to join you for a great lunch treat.

Fun and ...

I learned from Barry Gibson the other day that the new trend in merchandise is toward "fun and functionality." Again, I guess the way the economy is now it would be good marketing to have even the most frivolous purchase have a practical side. Maybe the kids can take home some of those jars of bubbles that Gibson blows in front of the Forget-Me-Not Factory and use them in the bath --fun and function.

Vickie Goeller and I met with Gibson while researching material for a book about Ellicott City that we are writing. Gibson has been involved with the Ellicott City Business Association for many years, and has great stories and photos to go with them. Now, he wasn't around for the 1868 flood (I don't think!) but he had a good story about it. Seems that a safe got loose into the river and disappeared -- now that might be an interesting treasure to find, although the story has lost the safe's origins and contents.

Speaking of photos, Vickie and I are looking for photos of the fence that went up after the fire of 1999. Students at Glenelg Country School painted a mural on it, and it's something we'd like to include in the story of our town. We'd also love to see a photo from one of the Volunteer Firemen's Carnivals that were a yearly fixture in the summertime here. We can scan the photos and return them immediately, and of course you will get attribution. Contact me at the e-mail address at the bottom of the column if you have any photos you think we might be interested in -- and stories as well.

Stillridge

Not all history is ancient. I feel that the closing of Stillridge Herb Farm is the end of an era. That business operated on Main Street for more than 20 years and had such delightful merchandise. Visiting the first floor with all of its scented candles, potpourri, bath oils and the like; the second floor, chock full of every kind of dip, chutney and jam to sample (a guilty pleasure to most of us who knew about it); and heading up to the third floor to look at country accessories, was always a enjoyable treasure hunt.

Over the years I bought many a gift there -- their merchandise always offered the perfect hostess gift or stocking stuffer. And I miss the farm as well -- my husband Tom and I would go out to the farm on Route 99 every spring to load up on herb plants for our garden. In fact, that started us on an unusual Fourth of July tradition -- for lunch I make an herb frittata with gatherings of every herb in the garden.

Annabell's is gone too. It wasn't there very long -- in the spot where Paul's Market used to be. When I drove down Columbia Pike to Main Street the other day, waiting for the light to change, it was sad to see the paper covering the windows and the rental sign.

E-mail news and events taking place on Main Street to janetkusterer@juno.com.

user comments (0)