An A-to-Z of the calendar

People sometimes ask what there is to do around here, and the honest answer is: more than you'd believe. To prove it, we tried to fill the entire alphabet with real activities pulled straight from the calendar. We very nearly made it. Here's the tour.

A through M

A is for Archery, taking quiet aim. B is for Bocce, the undisputed king of the lawn. C is for Croquet, mallets and good manners. D is for Dragonboat, an actual rowing crew out on the water. E is for Euchre, the honest card-table classic. F, surprisingly, is for Fencing - yes, real swords. G is for Golf, of course. H is for Hula. I is for Improv, thinking on your feet. J is for Jazz. K is for Karaoke, courage optional. L is for Line Dance, the back-row-friendly favorite. M is for Mahjongg, the click of the tiles.

N through Z

N is for the Neighborhood Social, come as you are. O is for the Off-Broadway Players, treading the boards. P is, inevitably, for Pickleball - what else could it be. Q is for Quilting, patient and generous. R is for Rummikub. S is for Shuffleboard, sliding into the lead. T is for Tai Chi, slow and centering. V is for Volleyball, W is for Watercolor, Y is for Yoga, and Z is, fittingly, for Zumba - going out on a high note.

The two we're still waiting on

If you're keeping score, you'll notice we skipped two letters. The calendar, for all its sprawl, currently has nothing under U and nothing under X. We choose to read these not as gaps but as openings - two standing invitations for some enterprising soul to start the community's first Ukulele circle and, why not, a Xylophone band. Twenty-four letters down. Two to go. The alphabet, like the calendar, always has room for one more good idea.