Thankful

Fashion, like the hula hoop, comes around to remind us of younger days and simpler pleasures. In the Sixties, Sonny and Cher were artists, Jackie was the queen of Camelot and wrongs could be righted with peace and love, man. We learned.Designers, it appears, haven't learned. At the spring collections in New York, there were resurrections of hippy bell-bottom pants, bubble hairdos, and silly neo-psychedelic patterns. A patchwork of clothes to make former flower children cringe.On the very hip and the very thin the old looks look fresh and new, but if you remember Nancy Sinatra's boots, just walk away and don't look back.

When Lynn Patterson resolved to lose weight early this year, she took a hormone normally associated with pregnancy, not dieting. The 53-year-old Catonsville nurse went on the hCG diet, named for human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that is produced naturally in pregnant women and often used in fertility treatments to trigger ovulation. Promoters of the diet say hCG suppresses the appetite, making it easy to stick to a diet of just 500 calories a day. They also say it helps the body burn fat while retaining muscle.

It's a good thing the folks at the Mass Transit Administration don't take their cues from their boss, Gov. William Donald Schaefer.MTA officials who oversee the Central Light Rail Line that runs between Timonium and Glen Burnie were alarmed at the increase in crime statistics along the line: 71 incidents of assaults, robberies and car thefts on or near the light rail system from June to December last year. On top of that was a sharp rise in shoplifting at some stores near the line. The MTA, to its credit, admitted that it underestimated the vulnerability of the light rail system it unveiled two years ago and now is taking corrective measures.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Baltimore lawyer Frank Morgan helped swimmer Michael Phelps , then 16 years old, select Peter Carlisle as his agent. Phelps was years away from stardom, but Carlisle aggressively marketed his client, hoping to eventually elevate him beyond the confines of an Olympic sport that mattered to a broad audience only every four years. Earlier this year, Carlisle signed another client - at the suggestion of Morgan - and put her on the Phelps plan. He's already signed a deal for jockey Rosie Napravnik to endorse Snickers - an agreement proposed before Carlisle learned that the candy bar was named for a horse - and has another in the works that could be announced before Preakness.

I had always wished that my great-grandmother, who lived in Maryland during the Civil War, had written some personal notes as to what it was like for her at the time. They would be especially interesting for us now. With that thought in mind, I wrote some of my memories of World War II for my grandchildren. I attach the article for your review since Dec 7 is today, it puts a human touch on the anniversary date. Some things you never forget, and those of us living with memories of WWII recall with great sadness a quiet Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941.

Editor: I want to thank you for publishing the article concerning the class of 1948 BAHS reunion. I think we are the only class from the old Bel Air High School that holds reunions. I am sure you know, one of our Classmates was Robbie Wallis who was a former editor of The Aegis . He was a personal friend and like by all. We all miss him. E. Parker Harrison Oviedo, Fla.

Editor: Dear Harford County Farm Fair-Goers! Thank you, all, for attending the 2011 Harford County Farm Fair! The 4-H Clubs of Harford County, the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and the members of our agricultural community appreciate the opportunity to showcase all that they have worked to produce throughout the year. It is through the cooperative efforts of hundreds of volunteers, and the support of numerous sponsors and vendors, that we were able to provide another successful Farm Fair.

Marc Miller survived a motorcycle crash in October near his Baltimore County home, but his foot had been dragged along the pavement and badly damaged. That injury would require both the most advanced medicine and an ancient therapy — leeches. Trauma doctors at Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland and other U.S. hospitals routinely use leeches as a temporary measure to keep blood flowing as new vessels grow in a damaged area. The animals kept blood moving in and out of a new skin flap sewn onto Miller's foot.