Holiday Party

After several months recuperating from a bad fall, which in turn generated other health problems, it is a pleasure to once again report on our neighborhood events. While still not out of the woods, I am so very grateful for all the beautiful, compassionate, cards, messages, flowers and delicious treats from kind-hearted friends and neighbors. Guilford is a truly amazing community! Following the beautiful days of October, November has arrived with more sunny skies, albeit a touch cooler temperatures.

The exterior of the Anne Arundel County home of Mark Rucci and his partner, Randall Franklin, provides few clues to the storybook world visitors will find inside. At street level, a Victorian wrought-iron gate stands between two large urns containing trimmed topiary. While the gate opens to the front walk, its placement and its arched carving are purely an ornamental touch — there is no fencing to keep people from the yard. At the end of the walk, four artificial pink trees sit on pedestals in front of the bi-level home with its light yellow siding and vivid, cadet blue shutters on each window.

Celebrating the holidays with family and friends is a deepl rooted tradition -- and one that doesn't have to break the bank.Who can argue that a sumptuous dinner party is not an elegant way to entertain? But those on a limited budget need to think of alternatives.The time of the party has a bearing on expenses. Gatherings that span mealtimes, whether brunch, lunch or dinner, demand more substantial menus. But if you choose off-hours -- afternoon or early evening, for example -- simpler fare will suffice.

Among the Orioles attending the annual children's holiday party at Dave & Buster's at the Arundel Mills Mall on Tuesday was second baseman Brian Roberts, who is attempting to come back from a concussion that limited him to just 39 games in 2011. “I'm just going day by day trying to do a little more,” said Roberts, who first suffered the concussion in September 2010, when he tapped himself on the helmet with a bat after an at-bat. “Just taking it slow and trying to get better every day. That's about all I can tell you, really.” Although he said this fall that he was pain-free for two consecutive weeks for the first time since the original incident, Roberts wasn't as forthcoming about his health on Tuesday, saying he was “feeling OK, I'm feeling fine.” He didn't want to put on a timetable on his recovery or make predictions on when he would be back to 100 percent.

LIKE MANY PEOPLE, I love this time of year. Although it's bustling with lots of traditional family and community activities, it's the goodwill we show each other that makes this season special to me.The staff and residents at Sykesville Eldercare Center showed their giving spirit yesterday with a holiday party for area children.About 50 disadvantaged children were treated to a festive party in the center's social hall. The children, ages 3 to 12, enjoyed light refreshments, songs and games with the residents and staff.

Surrounded by more than 50 dancers, Steven Beerman, 55, grooved with his sister, Lisa Singer, to Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" last night in a large ballroom in Martin's West. The song took on special meaning for the siblings this year because Beerman, who has a severe form of mental retardation, has missed the annual Chimes and Intervals holiday party the past two years because of an illness that has required him to use a feeding tube. This year, he was able to eat pureed roast beef, mashed potatoes and vegetables at the party, which organizers say is the state's biggest for people with disabilities.

Nan Rosenthal loves to be creative with her style. In her work as an event coordinator and public relations consultant for nonprofit organizations, she must stay professional. The 72-year-old Pikesville resident looked stylishly put-together when we "Glimpsed" her at a holiday party thrown by Sascha Wolhandler and Steve Suser. "I usually wear something fun - a pin or some kind of accessory, something that brings some personality [to the outfit]. ... It makes me feel better, and it creates conversation, too."

There was little question what the star of the show was at the 12th annual holiday party hosted by AT&T's Candi Humphrey and her husband David, WLIF's news director. It was a 14-foot Christmas tree adorned with about 800 lights which absolutely dazzled guests.One of my favorite priests was at the party, Loyola High School's Father Joseph McNamara, who's best known in the sports world as the former Champlain of the Baltimore Colts.It was also good to see Bill and Mary Zorzi, he's a the AAA vice president; Ron Matz, WCAO news director, with Barbara Harman at his side; Bob Moke, WLIF's program director who is credited with the station's successful format change; Bob Caret, vice president and provost at Towson State University; Mac and Leigh Barrett, he's with McCormick; Peter Troup and his wife Lynne, he's a Noxell vice president; Steven Thomas, an attorney, and his wife Audrey, who owns Sassafras at Towsontowne Center; WLIF's Sloane Brown and her doctor husband Steve Sobelman; AT&T's Bill Dunbar and his wife Patty, along with AT&T's Barbara Fegley, who was with Winston Blenckstone -- he was telling me about his Toronto Blue Jay farm team which plays in Myrtle Beach.

Sitting in the kitchen, absent-mindedly decapitating gingerbread men, we tried to find sense in the madness that surrounded us."First it was multicolored chasing lights around the garage. Last year it was twinkling lights in clear plastic tubes shaped like Santa and his reindeer," she said softly. "This year? I'm not sure, but it appears to require several singing puppet-like creatures."I winced, anticipating my neighbor's yard occupied by harmonizing mannequins.Our spouses were getting out of hand.

Gunston School for girls is nestled above the Corsica River in TC Queen Anne's County. It's been there since 1911, when Mary and Samuel Middleton left Baltimore for their 300-acre summer place to found a co-educational school for their children and a few other "invited" Queen Anne's children. Gunston became exclusively a girl's school in the 1930s.Today the acreage is smaller and the enrollment is 65 boarders and about eight day students, all of whom plan to go on to college. It's a real hands-on school where everything is orchestrated by youthful headmaster Temple Blackwood.

Some workplaces hope to shake off the economic doldrums this year with holiday affairs for their employees. But few are going to party like it's 2007. IMRE, a Baltimore advertising and marketing firm, struck a balance between the extravagant pre-recession bash and the quieter affairs of recent years, with a night out to dinner for employees at Power Plant Live last week. Employees at Devaney & Associates, a Towson public relations company, will get a night out for a holiday dinner this week and a day trip to a Hunt Valley spa for facials, manicures and massages.

The cookies could not be resisted. Boy Scouts grabbed fistfuls. One girl took four and then came back for more. An officer from the Department of General Services filled up plastic bag for her co-workers. Any time a cookie tray appeared light on treats, Gov. Martin O'Malley's staff whipped out a fresh batch. On Saturday afternoon, as part of a Maryland tradition, O'Malley threw open the doors to Government House for the holidays, allowing visitors to wander through the public section of the executive mansion and admire decorations free of charge.

Open houses •Leadership Through Athletics holds its annual "Holiday Open House" from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 2900 Hammonds Ferry Road in Lansdowne. Information: 410-737-2117 or go to leadershipthroughathletics.org. •Chesapeake Legal Alliance, a non-profit organization that provides pro bono legal services to individuals and groups working to restore the Chesapeake Bay, hosts an open house from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, at 67 Franklin St. in Annapolis.

Activity Pals For single seniors. Get together with others to attend events, shop, go sightseeing, dine out and more. 301-596-6385. The Bain Center 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia. 410-313-7213. •Acting Up! Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. A theater club at the center. Free. •American Indian Experience. Second Mondays, 1 p.m. Call center to register. •Another Way to See It Laughter Club. Mondays, 9 a.m. $2 instructor fee at class each week.

Praxis Engineering Technologies Inc. is outgrowing its office space in Annapolis Junction, even though most of its 200-plus employees are offsite, “embedded” with various contractors and clients. Praxis' staff has grown 350 percent since the firm's founding in 2002. In the past 12 months the company made 65 new hires, and it plans to hire an additional 75 people over the next year. In theory, having a staff so spread out could make it hard to establish a company culture, but that's not the case at Praxis, say workers and management.

Children laughing, music blaring, people dancing and a Santa Claus with children on his lap. A typical holiday party at its best, with one exception. The primary language was American Sign Language. The party, offering a more conducive environment for "KODAs" - kids of deaf adults - and raising awareness about their unique situation, was held Sunday at Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville. It was organized by Maryland Metro KODA, which helps children of deaf parents feel comfortable in hearing and nonhearing worlds.

Good evening, and welcome to "Someone's Gotta Do It," the show about the unsung heroes of the holiday season. The show that asks: Who changes the hay in the live-animal manger? Who sneaks Santa behind the mall for cigarettes? Who scales the skyscraper when the lights spell Happy olidays?Each week we give credit where credit is due as we bring you the story of a humble, behind-the-scenes holiday soldier. Tonight we're pleased to present the valiant tale of Barbara Bandel, a k a the Woman in Charge of Planning the Company Holiday Party that the Boss Started Talking About in August.