Dying: A Book of Comfort
 

Updated 4-28-26 (Bethesda, MD)

Is anything important missing? Does your county list resources publicly? 

Crisis hotlines
Safety info, preparing for storms, disaster, emergencies
General information for seniors in MontCo
Housing and community affairs in MontCo (landlords, rentals)
Village Ambassador Alliance Older Adult Resource Newsletter
Transportation options in MontCo
Buying good food, groceries, takeout, dining out
Food assistance programs in MontCo MD
Repairs, parts, appliances, specialists, specialty shopping and assistance

Recycling and shredding

Where to donate used computers and other stuff
Composting info from Mom's

Things to do while sheltering in place
Outdoor Maryland

Potential sites for installation of small cell/5G antennae
Election and home-owner info

Village organizations in MontCo MD 

 

This is not an official Parkside Village page (Parkside being my village in Montgomery County, MD), though I originally created it for them. It's become MY personal information page, geared to Montgomery County.  Let me know in Comments section if you have further suggestions. Leave your email address in case I have questions. -- Pat McNees

 

CRISIS HOTLINES IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY

• Montgomery County Crisis Center (24-hour): 240-777-4000
   DHHS Building 1301 Piccard Dr., Rockville, MD 20850
• Montgomery County Health & Human Services See various links under Crisis Services
   1-855-634-HOPE (4673)
• Suicide and crisis hotlines, Maryland
• EveryMind Hotline: 301-424-0656
• INFO Montgomery Information and Referral Lines & Hotlines. Specialized directories address specific needs in the community
• The Betty Ann Krahnke Center Montgomery County’s emergency shelter for survivors of domestic abuse and intimate partner violence..

 

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR SENIORS (and others) IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND

• Beacon Seniors’ Resource Guide (useful all year)
• Positive Aging Sourcebook (online/digital edition) You can order the paper edition.
• Sites, Guides and Services for Aging in Place (Parkside Village resource)
• MC311 Answering to You MCounty website page with info on Ride-on, Recycling and Trash, Library Locations, Recreation, Health, Housing, Parking, Court, Elections, Alcohol, Rent Facilities, Animals, etc.
• Eligibility Requirements for Select Income-Based Federal and State

 

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HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD

• Department of Housing and Community Affairs Explore this page, which contains more topics, headings, and links than are listed here. 

     Main Headings: Renters, Landlords, Rental Housing Portal, Short Term Rental, COC, Developers, Grants, About
• Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs Many important subtopics, including landlord and tenant rights, security deposits, complaint process, evictions, housing code enforcement.
• Rental Housing Portal A tool to help with compliance with a range of rental housing laws and regulations by providing a system that houses all licensed rentals, including rent stabilized, exempt, single-family, multifamily, and condominium rental properties.
• Rent Stabilization
• Landlord Rights and Responsibilities
• Landlord-Tenant Complaint Form
• Information for Tenants
• Bed & Breakfast and Short-Term Residential Rental Licenses
• Common Ownership Communities
• MPDU (Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit) Developers
• Grants

SAFETY INFO; PREPARING FOR DISASTER, EMERGENCIES, WINTER SAFETY

• Maryland's Senior Call Check Program Maryland is the first state in the country to start a free, opt-in, telephonic service to check on Maryland’s older residents, all across the state.

       Call 1-866-50-CHECK or register here (where there is fuller information about the program). Every day a telephone call will be placed to a participant at a regularly scheduled time. These calls will take place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. as close as possible to the one-hour time block pre-selected by the participant. If the participant does not answer their first call, they will be tried two more times. If those calls go unanswered, additional calls will be made to notify an alternative person selected by the participant during program enrollment.
• Winter Storm Information Center (DHS, Montgomery County)
• File of Life (MontCo Fire Department) Fill this out and post it on your fridge. It enables Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel to obtain a quick and accurate medical history when a patient or family member is unable to do so.
• Maryland Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) (PDF) Advance directives are legal forms, but they are NOT medical orders. Give your doctor a copy of your advance directive, but be aware of situations in which your advance directive may be ignored.

       Before you undergo a procedure or surgery, or if you have an advanced illness, it may be even more important to be sure your medical team has a copy of your Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST), as it in called in Maryland (in other states it may be called a MOST, POLST, POST, COLST, TPOPP, LaPOST, etc. The POLST form (aka MOLST, POST, MOST, ETC.) is a medical order--that's the one emergency and medical personnel are supposed to obey in a medical emergency or a life-threatening situation.

         State forms allow you to create these documents which specify the type of care you would like in an emergency medical situation; because these are medical orders signed by doctors, they are the forms emergency medical personnel are most likely to follow. Figure out what your own wishes (and possible options) are or may be in future, share your choices, and talk with your family about what you prefer. If you wish to have no life-sustaining measures taken, the family member who lives near you and sees you all the time may know that and honor your wishes; the family member who rarely sees you and feels guilty about it may want to save your life no matter what (or may want to spare you suffering, despite your wishes to make every effort to extend your life). If the family cannot agree on what care to provide, and if there is no MOLST or POLST, the emergency care medical team is likely to try to save your life, no matter what. (They are also likely tO go ahead with treatment without looking for such an order but attentive family members can remind them of it.) Talk with everyone but also express your wishes in writing in a place where your wishes can be found. File one copy with your doctor(s).
• Check for safety: A home fall prevention checklist for older adults (CDC and MetLife)
• Preventing falls, or learning how to do them right (elsewhere on this website)
• Preventing or dealing with frailty
• ElderSAFE Community Resource Guide Education, advocacy, and shelter. The first program of its kind in the Washington, DC metropolitan area to provide safe temporary shelter to older adults experiencing elder abuse. (SmithLife Communities)
• Preventing fraud, elder abuse, guardianship problems and romance scams (general, housing and financial fraud; home improvement scams; telemarketing and phone fraud, including IRS scams; ATM and tax fraud and identity theft; elder abuse; fraud, abuse, neglect in elder guardianship system; where to monitor credit reports, check a charity's status.
• The Costs of Aging Handbook (National Aging in Place Council) Tools to make plans for late in life.
• Resources for Seniors in Montgomery County (Jewish Council on Aging)
• Seniors: Prepare for Emergencies (Maryland Emergency Management Agency, or MEMA) see also MEMA publications and News.

 • Voice Your Choice Have you thought about the type of health care you want if you can't speak for yourself? Create an electronic advance care plan or upload an existing advance directive to document your health care wishes and make sure they are easily accessible to loved ones and your health care providers.
• Preventing House Heating Fires
• Be Prepared for Winter Driving
• Montgomery County Community Preparedness Workbook (in several languages)
• You are the help until help arrives (FEMA) Includes an online training video. Why you can help, how you can help, and how to mentally prepare yourself to help as much as possible.
• Maryland's Good Samaritan Law

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TRANSPORTATION

• Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities: Explore Your Transportation Options in Montgomery
• Senior Transportation, Montgomery County, MD
• Senior SmartTrip Card
• Transportation Services for Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities
• Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MC DOT)
• Transportation Network Directory for People with Disabilities & Adults 50+ (PDF, February 2017)
• CONNECT-A-RIDEDon't know how to get where you want to go? Call CONNECT-A-RIDE for answers and assistance: 301-738-3252 (V)  703-323-6494 (V) 

       E-mail: ConnectARide@AccessJCA.org
• Conditionally Eligible MetroAccess Users Ride Free on Fixed Routes
• Speed Camera Locations (Montgomery County)
• MetroAccess Eligibility Requirements MetroAccess is the region's complementary paratransit service offered in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Unlike non-emergency medical transportation, MetroAccess is a shared ride public transportation service for people who are unable to use the accessible fixed-route Metrobus and Metrorail public transit due to disability.

 

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BUYING GOOD FOOD, GROCERIES, TAKEOUT, DINING OUT

• Teens Helping Seniors for contact-less grocery delivery
• Guide to reopened restaurants (Bethesda Magazine, 6-10-2020)
• Bethesda Streetery Beginning June 10, sections of Norfolk, Cordell, and Woodmont Avenues, as well as Veterans Park. These streets will be shut down to vehicular traffic, set up with socially-distanced tables and seats that will be cleaned after each use, and we'll be able to buy food from local restaurants and enjoy it right outside their doors.
• Local restaurants that are providing carryout and delivery (Bethesda Magazine, March 2020)<
• Guide to Montgomery County Farmers Markets (2018) It needs updating, to include the  Chicano Sol Farm for its Saturday farm market in Garrett Park and its Sunday market in Dupont Circle.
• Groceries/Transportation in Montgomery County
• Grocery delivery (the ultimate pandemic lifeline) is falling short. Consumers are reporting weeks-long waits on Instacart, Shipt and other leading platforms as demand far outpaces the supply. Check with your local village to see if they have volunteers to help elderly shoppers, in particular.

Food shops:
• Tout de Sweet Pastry Shop (7831 Woodmont in Bethesda) SPourian: Wonderful pastries (single-size servings) on Woodmont Avenue. Near Fortunas, a custom leather & repair shop that does fantastic work, and across from Dawg House (hotdogs and sliders)
• Les Delices Bakery (1615 East Gude Drive Rockville, Maryland 20850, in the same shopping center as Sandy Spring Bank) Upik Djalins: Light and airy French layer cakes, single slices or entire cakes, and almond croissants "out of this world."

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PROGRAMS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD

For food assistance, call the Food Access Call Center at 311.
• Food Resources / Recursos Alimenticios
• Manna Food Center
• COVID-19: Local Food System Resources (Montgomery County Food Council) A fairly thorough guide to food assistance resources, grocery resources: online ordering, special hours, shopping support (SNAP, WIC), prepared meals, COVID resources, multilingual assistance in several languages)
• Multilingual info about food assistance programs
• Nourish Now
• Food Assistance Resource Directory (FARD) (Montgomery County)
• Food Assistance Resource Map (Montgomery County, MD)
• Capital Area Food Bank
• Mom's Meals A premade meal and meal kit delivery service for older adults. They’ve also produced a whitepaper on food insecurity relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• So What Else (Food Rescue Banks)
• Food Assistance Resource Map (Montgomery County Food Council)
• Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) provides nutritional resources to families who have lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to school closures. Families will receive money on a new or existing EBT card to help fill the school meals gap. The average benefit will be $5.70/day per student, retroactive to when school initially closed.

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Repairs, appliances, specialty shopping and assistance, specialists

• Willie's Shoe Repair Service at the backside of Wildwood Shopping Center (on Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda) Susan P. highly recommends. Side note: MOM's Organic Market recycles/repurposes old shoes that can't be donated for use. It also recycles things like used batteries.
• ApplianceLand "Amazing customer service and competitive prices."~Debbie C. (I had the same experience.)
• Carlos Auto Service Honest, reliable auto repair and maintenance  at a fair price. Call (301)-897-0880 to schedule an appointment for vehicle repair or maintenance.

   3960 Howard Ave., Kensington, MD 20895. Bill is the owner/manager.
• Swisco: The Replacement Hardware Authority Email: help@swisco.com. Telephone: 856-317-6263. Need help finding a part? Talk directly with one of their experts if, for example, your bifold metal closet doors aren't working.
• Maryland Wildlife Solutions Deals with things like getting rid of flying squirrels in your attic.
• How do I report an abandoned car (Police Dept)
• How do I [Police Department's long list of things,like Report a crime, find a towed vehicle, adopt animal from animal shelter, turn in unwanted firearms and/or ammunition, etc.)

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RECYCLING and shredding

Old fabric etc. can be recycled at the Montgomery County Transfer Station off Rockville Pike just south of Shady Grove.

      (16101 Frederick Rd, Derwood, MD 20855, phone: (240) 777-0311).

A map www. montgomerycountymd.gov/sws/ dropoff/site-map.html which shows exactly where you can drop off cloth/fabric as well as places for

    electronics

    toner and ink cartridges

    building materials in useable condition

    light bulbs

    shredded paper (in paper bags)

    and items in other categories

There is a link on that webpage that you can click to download a copy of the map and print it out. You need a car but this is an amazing place to get rid of stuff.

RECYCLING IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD

• Montgomery County Recycling Center
• Sorting It All Out. Learn how recyclable materials are sorted at Montgomery County, Maryland’s Recycling Center. (montgomerycountymd.gov)
• Request recycling bin

      An interesting, useful list. 
• Aluminum & Bi-Metal Cans (Recycling Facty Sheet) This information is available in an alternate format by calling 240-777-6480.
• Mixed Paper (Recycling Facty Sheet)
• Scrap Metal (Recycling Facty Sheet)
• Yard Trim (Recycling Facty Sheet)
• Montgomery County continues to recycle glass bottles and jars
• Yes, Montgomery County Recycles
• Let's Keep Our Recyclables Clean (My Green Montgomery)
• Out with the old electronics? Learn how to recycle them here! (My Green Montgomery)
• Is Plastic Recycling A Lie? Oil Companies Touted Recycling To Sell More Plastic : NPR (Laura Sullivan, Morning Edition, NPR, 9-11-2020)
• Recycling shredded paper (Do not bring in plastic bags!) What if I have too much paper to shred at home?

You may drop-off paper for free shredding at Clean Cut Shredding 14820 Southlawn Lane, Rockville, MD 20850 (7 am to 2 pm)
• How to recycle/dispose of cooking oil Residents of Montgomery County may bring up to 5 gallons of liquid cooking and vegetable oil to our Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station. Go to the Recycling area. Look for the vegetable oil container/tank. Pour in your vegetable oil. Do not mix it with other liquids or it won't be recyclable.

• Downsizing and decluttering
• Recycling "daily" stuff
• Selling, donating, or recycling books
• A Wider Circle (9159 Brookville Rd # C, Silver Spring, MD 20910)
• Interfaith Works Clothing Center (needs-qualified) on Parklawn in Rockville. Also has linens and small household items.
• MOM's Organic Market recycles/repurposes old shoes that can't be donated for use. It also recycles things like used batteries.

• Batteries Plus on Rockville Pike—(1045 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852) Just north (and other side of the street) of Best Buy, store has pickup service—my cordless phone battery had died. I was able to phone Batteries Plus and read, to the man who answered, the exact model of the battery that needed replacing. He told me to go online, and gave me the exact number/words that Batteries Plus uses for that battery. After placing the order, I was able to drive to the store—I did need to open the door, but not go in—I called out and gave him my name and he brought it to the door, masked, and gave the bag to me.

      In addition to batteries they have light bulbs. I purchased LED bulbs there that were more expensive but never get hot, so if I forget to turn one off in the back bedroom there is no danger of fire.

COMPOSTING INFO FROM MOM'S

If you don't have a compost service at home*, you can bring your compostable items, food scraps, etc. to MOM's all year round.

MOM's explains the compost cycle:

"1. Eat tasty food.

2. Throw food scraps in the compost bin at MOM's.

3. Microorganisms and critters like earthworms break down the food scraps.

4. Food scraps decompose into a nutrient-rich soil amendment which helps plants grow."

Composting helps reduce your trash output and reduces landfills, trash burns, methane gasses and more. Put food waste back to work for the earth! *Compost Crew has weekly service at Parkside and a special rate for Parksiders of $20/month -- use the code PARKSIDECOMPOSTS at checkout and learn more about composting https://compostcrew.com

Learn about other ways to get involved from home to help protect and restore the environment via many of MOM's partnerships with groups including the Rock Creek Conservancy, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and more! Check it out! https://momsorganicmarket.com/get-involved-from-home/

• Toilet paper sustainability scorecard Plenty of competitively priced varieties of tissue with minimal impact on forests. The Issue With Tissue report’s scorecard assigns grades to all the major brands of toilet paper, paper towels, and facial tissues, as well as popular house brands at leading supermarkets and brands that have adopted more sustainable practices. Warning: These lists are likely to make you feel guilty, especially if you are influenced by expensive ads. (National Resources Defense Council)

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WHERE TO DONATE USED COMPUTERS, OTHER ELECTRONICS, AND OTHER GOODS

• Quick Guide to Organizations That Receive Donated Goods (Montgomery County Volunteer Center)

    An excellent guide.
• Where to donate used computers in Montgomery County, MD (MontCo Libraries excellent list and links)
• Where to Donate or Recycle Electronics (EPA)
• Certified Electronics Recyclers
• Electronics Donation and Recycling (EPA)
• Cell Phones for Soldiers
• How to Find a Certified Recycler (EPA)
• Recycling electronics and other stuff

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Potential sites for installation of small cell / 5G antennae

If you are interested in keeping up with where small cell / 5 G antennae are being considered for installation near your home, office, or schools in Montgomery County, here are useful links, including a database of application locations  and an interactive map. (H/T Gerilee of Garrett Park)

Tower Committee Webpage.  Find meeting agendas, location of site application presentations, an interactive map and summaries of Committee actions

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cable/Towers/home.html
From the home page you can navigate to these pages:

Facility locations (application database)
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cable/Towers/database_towers.html

Interactive map:
https://gis3.montgomerycountymd.gov/WirelessAntennasAndTowers/

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VILLAGE ORGANIZATIONS

• Events calendar (hosted by Village at Kentlands and Lakelands, all MontCo village events can be listed)
• Villages in Montgomery County, Maryland (a map from HHS)
• Resources for Active and Developing Villages (Montgomery County, MD, HHS) MontCo has the most dynamic village coordinator in the country: Pazit Aviv.  And Montgomery County surely has the most villages of any county in the country.
• Washington Area Village Exchange (WAVE) Villages in the DC metropolitan area (seems somewhat inactive)
• Village to Village Network (a national network)

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ELECTION, VOTING, and HOME-OWNER INFO IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY

• Voter search (where to find out if you are registered to vote, or vote by mail, in Maryland--if you aren't sure, this is where to find out.) You can use this site to
    Review your voter registration record.
    Request a duplicate voter registration card.
    Find out where to vote.
    Find out your voting districts.
    Find out your local board of elections.
    See the status of your mail-in or provisional ballot.
    View your sample ballot.

• Voting Center Lookup Find your polling place.
• Real Property Data Search Search to find info about ownership of any given property (who owns, how much paid, etc.)
• Drop Box Locations in Maryland, 2020
• Rules and Information for Voters (and Rumor Control)
• Voters' Guide (for Nov. 3, 2020 election, League of Women Voters) Clear and unbiased. Consistently reliable. For ballot initiatives, the explanation of the question is always followed by an argument in support and an argument opposed.
• Maryland voting guide: What you need to know about dropboxes, early voting, mail-in ballots (Erin Cox, WaPo, 9-25-2020)  Check the Post for updated info.
• Protecting the Vote: How Internet Platforms Are Addressing Election and Voter Suppression-Related Misinformation and Disinformation (Spandana Singh, Margerite Blase, New America, 9-30-2020)
• Homeowners' Property Tax Credit Program (Maryland Dept of Assessments and Taxation)
• Finding Your Property Information Online (Maryland Dept of Assessments and Taxation) You'll find links to many other types of information for Maryland.

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THINGS TO DO WHILE SHELTERING IN PLACE

• 85+ things to do while sheltering in place
• Find a Little Free Library near you (wherever you are) This by no means links to all of them--just those that bothered to register.
• Montgomery County MD Library Databases Much material for looking things up or just reading online.
---24/7 e-Resources (also MontCo Libraries). Under Movies, click on Acorn, IndieFlix, or Kanopy for free on-demand access to films, among many resources.
---MCPL Aspen Discovery resources From a different angle, access to many MontCo resources with an MC library card membership and pin number.
• Rec Room (Montgomery County Recreation) A virtual recreation hub for residents to enjoy from home. DIY arts & crafts, fitness videos, virtual classes, trips, tours and enjoyable recreational ideas for any age.
• Oasis Lifelong Learning Online Progamming
• Engage@HOME You Tube Channel (for caregivers) from Montgomery County Caregiver Support Program
• Suburban Hospital online programming
• Bringing Out the Best in Us During the Pandemic (Dr. Francis Collins, NIH Director's Blog, 5-19-2020) The term “good neighbor” definitely applies to Pablo Vidal-Ribas Belil, a postdoctoral fellow at NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Though Vidal-Ribas has his hands full caring for his 4-year-old son in their condo, which is located near NIH’s main campus in Bethesda, MD, he wasn’t too busy to notice that some of his neighbors were in need of help.
• Montgomery County Volunteer Center Find a volunteer opportunity.

 

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THINGS TO DO OUTDOORS

• Maryland Dept of Natural Resources Links to lots of interesting outdoor stuff: Angler's log, boat registration, COMPASS Portal, Find a licensed tree expert, interactive maps, licensing and registration, Maryland fishing report, Maryland Natural Resources Police, Mobile App, online store, outdoor adventures, park and camping reservations, state tree nursery, tide finder, water access guide.
• AccessDNR Official mobile app for MD Dept of Natural Resources
• Parkside GREEN Nature and Wildlife at Parkside  (Susan Pourian's brainchild. Lots of birds and deer. Pablo Vidal-Rivas Belil's photos in particular are stunning. Do these as a slide show and see the photos enlarged.)
• A Drive Through “the Ugliest Place in Maryland”: Part 1 (a two-part photo essay on Maryland’s DC-area suburbs, by Addison Del Mastro, on Strongtowns, 10-28-21)

    and Part 2

 

 

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Updated and expanded 3-6-2021. The list keeps growing!

Originally 55+ things to do during the pandemic    (April 2020)

 

• PBS to Broadcast ‘Met Stars Live in Concert’ Performances Featuring Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Renée Fleming, Angel Blue, Sonya Yoncheva
• Free re-broadcasts of full Met Operas from recent years every night
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Chroma, Grace, Takademe, Revelations (Lincoln Center at Home -- and at the Movies, 2015)
• Front Row Mainstage: The Brandenburg Concertos (Chambermusic Music Society of Lincoln Center) Listen free till end of December 2020)
• Moth Holiday Playlist (listen to a selection of funny stories about the holidays from The Moth)
• Cool science sites for kids (Do safe experiments at home!)
• Buy Nothing Groups Are Inclusive, Locally-Managed Gift Economies (12-2-2020). Curious? Read  A Brief History of the Buy Nothing Project, Complete with Controversies (12-22-2020)
• How to Paint a Venice Canal in Acrylic. These how-to videos really make me want to paint. Check out the series: Drawing and Painting with Paint Lesson (free online tutorials, both video and text).
• Find the Song Name Without Knowing the Lyrics (Amit Agarwal, Digital Inspiration, 1-7-12. See also Find the Song Name Without Knowing the Lyrics
• Fall Fun for Kids (B-Inspired Mama, Pinterest) 789 Pins. See also 50+ Awesome Fall Activities for Toddlers (Busy Toddler) "Making it to naps, one activity at a time."
• 10 Easy Preschool Activities (Play to Learn Preschool)
• Parent Resources: Maryland Public Schools (a nifty list of links to activities and learning aids for kids to do while homebound. Sorted by grade level.)
• All About Birds (the Cornell Lab's bird guide)
---Bird Song Opera (ShakeUp, a sound forge for original music and sound design for film, advertisement, events and interactive applications, based in Berlin)
---Merlin Bird ID Cornell Lab's bird identification app (available only on the App Store for iPhone)
Smart Bird ID (with this bird ID app you can identify bird by camera or microphone--that is, by sound)
---Scroll to bottom for links about building bird houses for various types of birds.
•Tree Identification Guide (Tree Musketeers, an informative site) As you walk see how many types of trees you can identify. This site has great explanations, identifications and many pictographic charts all about trees. Learn about the differences between various conifer and broadleaf trees.
• Kids vs. Plastic (National Geographic) Save the Earth from plastic with this DIY crafting series of easy-to make, eco-friendly party favors and school gadgets. Watch and learn how to make jeans pencil cases, paper jewelry beads, reusable sandwich bags, and more!
• Clean and disinfect your home (video, CNN how-to lesson)
• Start gathering and telling your family history. See Good interview questions for the family and The art and craft of interviewing (Pat McNees's site) and Great interview questions and guides (Telling Your Story). Do some of it on Zoom!
• Talk "face to face" with your friends and family on Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, or Google Hangouts. See Using Zoom for a family or office teleconference call (or class)
• Learn where journalists get their medical news and updates(Writers and Editors)
• Participate in Virtual fitness classes (Senior Planet)
• Explore 100 years of veterans stories from World War I to the Iraq War (The History Channel)
• Watch events from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (archived--watch free)
• Standing Pilates for Seniors (The girl with the Pilates mat) 30 minutes of exercise.
• Watch the free webcast of the Paris Review Lit Fête: A Virtual Celebration of Writers and Writing(June 9, 8 pm). Indeed, many literary conferences will probably be going virtual this year! See Writers conferences, workshops, book fairs, and other learning places
• I spend my day working in the hospital. Then I come home and bake. (Tamal Ray, Opinion, WaPo, 4-13-2020) The only thing I can do in the face of a global disaster is focus on the patients in front of me and keep myself and my colleagues safe.But in my kitchen, my quiet corner of the world, I still have control.
• Check out Pourhouse Trivia, which hosts online trivia games every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during the pandemic.

• TED’s summer culture list: 114 podcasts, books, TV shows, movies and more to nourish you (Ideas.TED.com) This list is divided into three buckets: “Things to listen to (primarily podcasts)”;“Things to read (basically books)”; and “Things to watch (mainly TV shows and movies)”<.
• ****Listen to Dozens of really good radio talk shows and podcasts (a curated list of excellent programs, with links)
• Listen to Sidedoor (podcasts from the Smithsonian)
• ***Stream all of the Library of Congress author webcasts from the National Book Festival (two decades' worth) H/T Holly Pollinger.
• Watch Carnegie Science programs on YouTube--on various topics, including the MESSENGER space probe; Life at the Extremes: Microbes, Salt and Pressure; and other topics.
• Dancing ballet at home (les danseurs de l'Opéra de Paris dancing alone together, by videoconference). Play this where children can watch and see if they don't join in.
• Learn the difference between memoir and autobiography and start writing your life story, or your family (hi)story.

• Read memoirs and personal accounts of vocation, avocation, occupation, profession -- "calling"
• Read memoirs about friendship, family, and other relationships
• Choose the music you want played at your (or someone else's) funeral or memorial service.
• Missing Sounds of New York (NY Public Library)
• Coronavirus: A Book for Children (with artwork by The Gruffalo’s Axel Scheffler) Read free online.
• Facing the Rising Tide (The New Group) A free digital festival of play readings and conversations about environmental racism, the climate crisis and hope.
• Stories from Audible For as long as schools are closed, kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids. All stories (including Harry Potter) are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet.
• A digital directory of remote learning resources (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators)
• Remember Books? Researcher Shows How Reading Is Superior to Screen Time (Nick Zagorski, Psychiatric News, 3-20-2020)
• Small free libraries offering solace amid virus shutdowns (Michelle A. Monroe and Russell Contreras, AP/Tuscon.com, 5-17-2020) More people have been selecting and donating books since the pandemic.
• Running list of Kids and YA Lit available free online during the crisis (Publishers Weekly links)
• Free Online Book Access for Students and Kids (Publishers Lunch links)
• Learn at Home Materials (Scholastic projects to keep kids reading, thinking, growing)
• Listen online to 'The Moth'
• Read about story structure and the art of storytelling
• Read Will Storr on the Science of Storytelling (8 Longreads)
• Listen to old episodes of This American Life and all the other really good (intelligent) radio talk shows and podcasts. Do this while cleaning the house, working on your car, or organizing the garage!
• Stream Films and video from the Library of Congress (all free), as described in Film Treasures, Streaming Courtesy of the Library of Congress (New York Times story plus links, 4-3-2020)
• What to Stream: Eighty-Three of the Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (Richard Brody, The Front Row, New Yorker, 4-10-2020)
• The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now (Jason Bailey, NY Times, 4-16-2020)
• The 50 Best Movies to Watch With Your Parents During Quarantine (Nate Jones, Vulture, 3-31-2020)
• The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (Jason Bailey, NY Times, 4-14-2020)
• The 100 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4-10-2020)
• The Best Documentaries on Netflix Will Change How You See the World (Hilary Weaver and Esquire Editors, 4-10-2020)
• The 50 Best TV Shows on Netflix Right Now (Noel Murray, NY Times, 4-17-2020)
• Stream 80 Indigenous Films from Latin America & the Caribbean for Free on YouTube (Repeating Islands)
• Selections from the National Film Registry (YouTube playlist) Check out "The House I Live In" with a young Frank Sinatra, made in 1945.
• Read "Why's This So Good?" (a"collaboration on the magic of long-form stories" (Nieman Storyboard pieces that explore what makes classic narrative nonfiction stories worth reading). And then
• Read outstanding examples of narrative nonfiction online
• New Netflix documentary tells the bittersweet story of a lesbian couple forced to keep their love secret for 60 years (Lily Wakefield, Pink News, 4-23-2020)
• Watch the wonderful Sondheim tribute: Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration a fundraiser for ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty), an organization that connects performing and visual artists with youth from underserved communities in the U.S., encouraging them to break the cycle of poverty. You can Donate here.
• Television (wonderful YouTube video, a historic celebration of TV on its 10-year anniversary. "It is much like a radio in appearance.")
• ****Discover addictive and wonderful TV and cable shows (Writers and Editors)
• Do a virtual tour of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. From close-up examinations of some the collection’s best-known works to 360-degree virtual strolls though the museum, the website is the ticket to a perfect (and socially distanced) excursion for art lovers.
• We're All Homebound -- The Coronavirus Song Claire and Mel Vatz (of Pittsburgh) sing an ode to our pandemic, to the tune of the Simon & Garfunkel classic “Homeward Bound.”
• For the Longest Time Phoenix Chamber Choir (Vancouver's super a capella choir) sings Quarantine version of Billy Joel song.
• Follow the lead of the talented LeBaron family singing 'One Day More' from Les Misérables to Karaoke.
• Senior Gold Dance Workout (exercise class at home) Or try this one: 20 minute exercise workout for Beginners and Seniors
• COVID safety precautions (sung to The Sound of Music, Do Re Me)
• Quarantine Music Video "Dance Song (for the End of the World)" - Lizzy & The Triggermen a 5-minute dance video pick-me-up for those getting Cabin Fever
• Watch one of the National Zoo's webcams Watch the cheetah, the naked mole, the giant panda, the lion, or the elephant!
• Read Becoming by Michele Obama, and/or watch the documentary (on Netflix).v
• Authors: Plan your literary estate (blog post, Writers and Editors)
• Check out blogs and podcasts about book publishing
• 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch (video, Travel & Leisure links to the tours)
• View museum art online (Google, Arts and Culture)
• (Adults:) Read F--k the Bread. The Bread Is Over. by Sabrina Orah Mark (Paris Review (5-2-2020), whose column Happily focuses on fairy tales and motherhood. (H/T Abby Rasminsky
• Listen to earlier presidents' talks: "Obama out:" President Barack Obama's hilarious final White House correspondents' dinner speech (4-30-16) George W. Bush's powerful message of hope during the coronavirus pandemic (YouTube)
• Recreate classical art with things you can find at home (Sad and Useless)
• See New York City nearly empty (Stephen J. Reynolds video)
• Download and color in beautiful coloring books (Biodiversity Heritage Library, a worldwide consortium of natural history, botanical, research, and national libraries working together to digitize the natural history literature in their collections and make it available for open access) Download individual images or annual collections, color them, and share them on social media using the event hashtag #ColorOurCollections.
• Virtual First Amendment Classroom (National Coalition Against Censorship)
• Watch trailer for The Plot Against America and decide if you want to watch the HBO series.
• How to paint good (YouTube video) Bob Ross - Mountain Ridge Lake
• The Classical Station (The ClassicalStation.org, WCPE-FM, Central North Carolina) Can be heard online anywhere 24/7) Including free operas being streamed by the Met and the Vienna State Opera during the pandemic.
• La traviata in full from The Royal Opera (YouTube, as part of the #OurHouseToYourHouse series)
• Anastasia in full from The Royal Ballet, a YouTube Premiere of Kenneth MacMillan's Anastasia, a piece inspired by the true story of Anna Anderson, a woman who believed herself to be Anastasia, youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and the only survivor from the assassination of the Romanovs in 1918. <
• Light Shall Lift Us: Opera Singers Unite in Song More than 100 opera singers unite (from afar) in a song of hope and solidarity for a virtual performance of LIGHT SHALL LIFT US.
• Toronto Symphony Plays Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring From Their Homes (Listen to 'Appalachian Spring')
• Listen to Hour-Long Stories from This American Life.
• Read up on pandemics (links to great fiction and nonfiction about pandemics through history)
• Organize all those plastic lids and containers, or have the kids do so.
• Join millions of people reducing their plastic waste.

• Best birdhouses (aka bird boxes, nest boxes)
---Best Bird Houses for Different Types of Birds (Perky Pet)
---How to Build a Bird Box in Your Garden (My Job Quote, UK)
---House Wren: Nest box Plan and Information (All About Birdhouses, NestWatch, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
---Nest Shelf: American Robin, Barn Swallow, Eastern and Say’s Phoebes (NestWatch and State of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources)
---How to Build a Birdhouse for Martins (Will Shelton, Mother Earth News, Feb/March 1998) Martins not only eat copious amounts of insects but also scare away hawks and crows.
---Building Bird Houses for Cavity Nesters (Wild Bird Watching) Very informative, with dimensions for birdhouses for various types of birds. One size does not fit all when it comes to building bird houses. Bluebirds and House Wrens have different entrance hole sizes and floor to opening height requirements. You also must provide easy access for clean out. You can do this simply by hinging the front panel or one of the side panels or by having a removable floor or roof. And more such practical tips.
---Finally! A Bluebird House You Don't Have to Replace (Wild Bird Watching) Going Green Bluebird House by Woodlink

• Largest human mattress dominoes (YouTube, Guinness World Records) Watch. Then discuss why people would go to this much trouble for this kind of honor.

H/T to Susan Pourian, Parkside Green; Jane Friedman, The Hot Sheet; Marcy Davis (Readers, Streamers, and Watchers);  Abby Rasminsky,  Lynne Lamberg, Holly Pollinger, and others!