Annapolis Love Story: Chris and Mary Trumbauer

On Valentine's Day, we celebrate a local couple as they share the story of how they met and what brought them—and keeps them—together.

While you might know him as an Anne Arundel County councilman or as a riverkeeper and he is both of those, for Valentine's Day, we'd like to introduce you to Chris Trumbauer—the husband and father. And since most great love stories require more than one person, there's also Mary, Chris' wife, but there's more.  We need a great backdrop for this love story and we find it in the environment—yes, it's been at the forefront of Chris and Mary's relationship since day one. Their shared commitment to the environment is, in fact, what brought this couple together.  "We were stream sampling," explained Chris. "We met in '99 or 2000." He then took off his wedding band and examined it. "We got married in 2003 and we met in 2000," Chris said, …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (2)

Valentine's Day Photo Call for Kids, Their Pets

Got kids? Got pets? This one is for them.

With Valentine's Day coming up on Thursday, we're looking for photos taken by kids of their pets with a Valentine's theme.  The photos can depict love or with some Valentine's Day-related message. Check out the one Sophie Speciale, 13, of Annapolis, took of her dog, Leo, which we absolutely love.  To add your photo, just click on "Upload Photos and Videos." Let's see the creativity kids. We're looking forward to it.

• Photos (1)

Community Comes Together for 65th Anniversary Surprise

Saturday's rain didn't get in the way of people showing their support for a local business owner as her grandparents celebrated 65 years of marriage.

Sometimes a true love story has a way of bringing people together. That was the case Saturday afternoon when even severe weather couldn’t keep the community away from cheering on a couple celebrating 65 years of marriage. All week Tiffany Owens, owner of Annapolis Shirt Company on Main Street, had been spreading the word about her plan to surprise her grandparents, John and Jackie Roman. The couple met when John was stationed in Jackie's hometown of Charleville, France, during World War II. Handmade signs were available in the store for people to hold and some were even written in French in honor of Jackie. The couple received citations signed by members of the Maryland House of Delegates, Sen. John C. Astle (D-Annapolis), Mayor Joshua J. …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (14)

Tiffany Owens

9:03 am on Wednesday, April 20, 2011

I will pass along this message to them! Thank you for coming out in the rain. My Grandma said she kept shouting to everyone to get out of the rain! :-) They truly felt so honored and it will be a memory to last a lifetime!   more ›

Having Your Cake and Eating It Too

Making Ice Cream

The beautiful weather inspired Historic Annapolis Patch to take a trip to Annapolis Ice Cream Company to learn how they make the frozen treat.

We are on the cusp of spring, and whether it’s in a cup, a cone or smothered with hot fudge and whipped cream, it’s a season that always reminds us of ice cream. Historic Annapolis Patch recently sat down with Walter Giera, ice cream connoisseur and owner of Annapolis Ice Cream Company on Main Street to find out just what makes their ice cream so good. Historic Annapolis Patch: I want to know, in your opinion, why most people stick to traditional flavors of ice cream like Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry? Walter Giera: The classics rule, but only Vanilla is really strong here throughout the year. Believe it or not, we were actually ready to drop Strawberry due to poor sales. Now, it’s on par with chocolate. There are other classics that …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (3)

Endless Love

Greater Annapolis couples share secrets to long-term wedded bliss.

Her blue eyes sparkle and she leans into his shoulder, giggling at his joke. He grins sheepishly, almost blushing, and looks down at his hands. Watching their body language and listening to their flirty banter at their home in a neighborhood off Old General’s Highway, you’d never guess Bill and Jean Darnell celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary in October. “She was pretty and sweet and one of the nicest girls I’d ever met,” Bill said. Jean was a 17-year-old high school cheerleader in Hampton, VA, when she and two friends caught a ride home with Bill and a buddy after a basketball game on a cold January night in 1949. “He was tall with all this dark hair and looked just like (the actor) Robert Mitchum. But I couldn’t stand Robert …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (9)

Having Your Cake and Eating It Too

Happy Tuesday, Sweetheart

Valentine's Day is a wonderful holiday, but everyday is an opportunity to celebrate your relationship. If you are lucky in love, then take a Tuesday or Wednesday to let your sweetheart know.

Valentine’s Day: in all actuality, just another day in February, but to so many it can make or break a relationship. The entire day is full of stuffed animals, over-priced roses, truffles, and expectations. It is okay to have a certain level of expectations, but maybe just lowering them slightly will save yourself from disappointment. Lowering expectations does not mean removing them. I, too, have played the passive-aggressive girlfriend who says she could do without the entire holiday. I have gone the 24-hours without a boyfriend mentioning love or flowers or chocolate. I was miserable. The truth is, if I am in a relationship, those things are important to me. Love and flowers and chocolate (in no particular order) are all important …

• Photos (1)