Tai Chi

Painting, drawing The Glenwood Senior Center, 2400 Route 97, Cooksville, is offering a painting and drawing open studio, 9 a.m. to noon Wednesdays. Bring your own supplies. Free. Call 410-313-5440. Shoot pool Everyone is invited to shoot pool 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays at Glenwood Senior Center, 2400 Route 97, Cooksville. Information: 410-313-5440. Senior hoops Hoopsters are welcome at 9 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Glenwood Senior Center.

SALARY: $58,000 AGE: 62 YEARS ON THE JOB: 11 HOW SHE GOT STARTED: Margie Swift attended the Community College of Baltimore County and received an associate's degree in special education. She volunteered at Meals on Wheels while attending college, then for a year after graduation went to work as an instructional aide with the Maryland School for the Blind. She then took an entry-level position with the Baltimore County Department of Aging at the Ateaze Senior Center in Dundalk. She remained at the center for five years, moving up through the various positions.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia will sponsor a community blood drive from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way. Appointments are available but not necessary. Registered donors will receive priority. The congregation holds blood drives three times yearly. Information or to schedule an appointment: Pat Fort, 410-381-4546 or uuccblooddrive@comcast.net. Around Town Seeking volunteers -- The A-OK (Assisting Our Kids) mentoring and tutoring program, a project of Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, is recruiting and training volunteers to work with individual children and small groups in elementary and middle schools.

Long Reach Community Association will offer martial arts classes from Tuesday through Feb. 28 at Stonehouse, 8775 Cloudleap Court. Classes in Three-Circle Hapkido, an eclectic self-defense system, moves along three circular planes to apply striking, joint-locking, throwing and pressing techniques against hand and weapon attacks. The technique draws on different styles of Korean self-defense and is influenced by other martial arts such as Chen Tai Chi, Aikido, Jujitsu, Bagua, Hsingi and Mudukwan.

Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks will sponsor Country Line Dancing classes for seniors ages 60 and older from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Jan. 7 through March 17 at East Columbia Senior Center, 6600 Cradlerock Way. The class, which is designed for beginners, includes basic terminology, count (drags, grapevine, scuff, stomp), easy foot patterns and advanced footwork. Partners are not needed. Wear or take leather-sole shoes; sneakers are not allowed. The cost is $33. County Line Dancing II, for those who know the basic moves but want to add stylistic extras will be offered from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 7 through March 17. The cost is $33. Information: 410-313-7320 or 410-313-7279.

The East Columbia 50+ Center, 6600 Cradlerock Way, will offer a scrapbooking class from 10:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays. The cost, $5 a session, includes materials. Participants should take photos to the class. Sessions are offered on photo safety and preservations, getting organized, cropping and journaling, tools and techniques and advanced scrapbooking. An eight-week Spanish class, sponsored by Howard Community College, begins Jan. 22. Classes will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays.