Miniature golf

If March goes out like a lamb — certainly this year it has come in like a lion — then it might be perfect weather to take a friend and hit your local miniature golf course. The price is right, you can get an early start on your tan, and your computer-bound child might have a chance to reconnect a little with the great outdoors. The game’s a no-brainer, and depending on the company you’re keeping, quite relaxing. Grab a putter and enjoy.

Birding

When I was a child, we frequently spent our family vacation visiting my parents’ hometown in Pennsylvania. During those times in New Castle, my father several times took my brother and me birdwatching. We would leave my grandparents’ house at dawn and drive to a forest my dad knew from his own boyhood. Here we learned about robins and chickadees, doves and catbirds. We also learned about the beauty of the woodlands at dawn. I’ve forgotten much of what I learned on those early morning treks, but I can still remember how the rising sun felt on my face, how the dew on the grass made our shoes wet and slick, how my father’s voice sounded as he whispered the names of different birds to us. You don’t need a guide or a college course to start birding. Just grab an identification book and a pair of binoculars, and begin.

The Teaching Company

If you’re starting to plan your summer vacation, if you’re a commuter, or if you’re one of those people who simply like to listen to audio-tapes while you work, you should check out The Teaching Company. This organization offers tapes, audio and video, of college professors teaching their favorite courses. You can follow a series of lectures on everything from astro-physics to Greek philosophy, from the history of the Civil War to a study of the Old Testament. For high-schoolers planning to go to college, I would especially recommend the “How To Be A Superstar Student” tape. Several local libraries carry some of these tapes. To receive a catalog from this fine company, go to www.TEACH12.com or write to: The Teaching Company, 4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, Va. 20151-1232.

Holy Week

This week marks a sacred time for Christians of all denominations. It is the week that Christ entered Jerusalem as a king, was executed as a criminal, and rose from the dead. Churches throughout our area celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection in a variety of ways. Some churches offer Easter sunrise services. Some churches celebrate with special events and with prayer services. From Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday, the Catholic Church, for example, daily commemorates Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection with special masses and prayers. The music at many local churches can be powerful and beautiful on Easter Sunday. Believers and non-believers alike will find much to appreciate and admire in these lovely services.

— Jeff Minick