OutLook · 2012. 4. 17. · Please enclose your check made out to: Outlook by the Bay, LLC 626-CAdmiral Drive #608 Annapolis, MD 21401 LETTERS to the editor KEEPING TOGETHER Really

Summer 2011 Outlook by the Bay 1

For the Bay Boomer and Beyond...

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OutLookOutLookSummer 2011

by the Bay

QUICK, EASY LOWER-CALORIE ICE CREAM

FLY-FISHING A Sport with Physical and Mental Benefits

Bay GardeningBEAT THE HEAT

Bay ConnectionsSwimming IS for Everyone

OutLook for the BayBLOOMING BAY

DON’T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN

COOL PLACES TO SPEND THE DAY THIS SUMMER

Fitness, Entertainment, Gardening, Nutrition

2 Outlook by the Bay Summer 2011

OutLookby the BayFor the Bay Boomer and Beyond...

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OutLookby the BayFor the Bay Boomer and Beyond...

Bay View WORD S F R OM THE D E S K

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Thissummerwe'llbegettingtogetherwithourfriendsJanand Joe;wehavebeen trying to comeupwith somethingdiffer-ent and fun for our annual get together.We're leaning toward astaycation,aheretoforeunheardof wordbutnowfoundinmostdictionaries.Notsureif staycationsoundsmorelikeanewdiseaseoranewcandybar,butaccordingtotheWorld English Dictionary, thedefinition is a“holiday inwhich leisure activities arepursuedwhile staying atone'sownhome.” Imagine stayinghome for themuchanticipatedsummervacation!Soundsintriguing,althoughinmyhouse,stay-at-homeanythingusuallyinvolvestrimminghedges,cleaningaclosetorget-tingtheoilchangedinthecar.Well,we'regoingtogiveitatry.Likeeverybusyhousehold,we'vefoundthattheonlywaytoreallyrelaxistoleavetownandthenthatisn'talwaysthewalkintheparkwewereanticipating.Likemanytravelers,ourvacationsinvolvetryingtodoitallandtheninvariablyfindthatthere'salwaysonemoremountaintoclimb.Lastsum-meritwasCadillacMountainonMt.DesertIsland.Butthere'ssomuchtoseeanddoonatrip,wheredoyoucutback?OnerecentvacationwithJanandJoeincludedbreakfastinNorthConway,NewHampshire,andlunchonMartha'sVineyard,withakayakexperienceinbetween.Ourvacationsendwhenwereturnhomeforarest.Thisyear,withthepriceof gasandthecomplicationsof airtravel,we'vedecidedthatwe'lljuststayput. And,if stayingputsoundslikeawhine,itisn't.There'ssomuchrightheretodoandseethattouristsflocktoourareafortheirholidays.I'dbehard-pressedtocomeupwithamorestimulatingandexcitingregionthanrightwhereweare.Imaginethatwithinashortdrivewehavethemostpoliticallyimportantcityintheworld,whichalsohappenstobethepremierareaforworld-classmuseums,mostof whicharefreeandmostwithinashortwalkof eachother.If weshouldtireof visitingoneextraordinarymuseumafteranother,wecantakeashortdrivewestandtubedowntheShenandoahordoanunder-the-starsoperaatAshlawnoranoutdoorplayatLimeKiln,alljustashortdriveintoVirginia.There'salsokayakingandfishinginalake,astreamortheBay,orsailfordaysonend,gunkholingalongtheover10,000milesof tributariesandshorelineof theBay.Wecouldhaveacrabfestinthebackyardoratanyof ahundreddifferenttop-notchrestaurantswithinaneasydrive.Thereareendlesswalksthroughhundredsof parkswithmorethanenoughplacestopicnic.WehavehistoricalsiteslikeGettysburg,BrandywineandWilliamsburgtonamejustafew,allwithinjustanhourortwo.(SeeLeah'sarticleonpage10forevenmore.)Therearemorethan40milesof maintainedbiketrailsjustinAnneArundelCounty.If wehaveyoungonesvisiting,itwillbeagoodexcusetovisitoneof thezoos.AndhowabouttheBowieBaySoxforreasonablypricedsportsticketsandalmostguaranteedfun.Andforsomethingmoremundane,there'sactuallyaparkwhereyoucanwatchtheplaneslandingatBaltimoreWash-ingtonInternationalAirport.(Checkitoutatbwiairport.com)Thereareplays,musicalsandoutdoorperformancesjustabouteverywhere.Mostarelistedinyourlocalpaper.SummerclassesareofferedthroughouttheBayareainart(MarylandHall),drama(ChesapeakeCol-lege),computers(AnneArundelCommunityCollege),sailing(AnnapolisSailingSchool)orphilosophy(Universityof Maryland).Takeacourseonlineoroncampusorheadtooneof thecountyseniorcenters. Withall thistodo, it'snotsoundingmuchlikeavacation! Butourfriendswillprovidetheimpetustogetoutthereandmaketheefforttovisitsightsthatwehaven'tbeentobeforeorthatweneedtorevisit.Withourstaycation,theonlyrequirementwillbethatit'saneasydrivefromhome.Thisyear,we'regoingtotrytoenjoythehereandnow.

You can't make a brand new beginning but you can make a new ending

“STAYCATION: Holiday in which leisure activities are pursued while staying at one's own home"


Bay View WORD S F R OM THE D E S KSummer T ABLE O F C O N T EN T S

2011FEATURES 8 FLY-FISHING: A SPORT WITH

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL

BENEFITS

10 COOL PLACES TO SPEND THE

DAY THIS SUMMER

14 TIPS FOR “GRANDSITTERS”

15 BAY FINANCE: GETTING THE

MOST MONEY FOR YOUR

COLLECTIBLES

16 DON’T WAIT TO HYDRATE

17 IT’S NEVER TOO LATE FOR THIS

19 TEN BEST COOL-OFF TREATS

ARTICLES 12 SWIMMING IS FOR EVERYONE

13 NINE BEST THINGS ABOUT

PASSING THE HALF CENTURY

MARK

18 SHELF ESTEEM

20 BE HEELED

22 BOSTON’S WALK INTO THE

REVOLUTION

24 CONFESSIONS OF A FIRST MATE

28 ARE YOU BORING?

36 FINALLY, RELIEF FOR THE

CHEMICALLY SENSITIVE

TRAVELER

37 REMEMBER TO REST

39 TECHKNOW ETIQUETTE

43 TRIP ESSENTIALS

IN EVERY ISSUE 6 YOUR THOUGHTS

21 ASK THE UNDERTAKER

23 LEGAL ADVICE

26 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

30 TECHKNOW CHALLENGE -

PANDORA

31 ARTVIEW

32 BOOKS: OLD, NEW AND

OBSCURE

45 DEAR VICKI

46 OUTLOOK FOR THE BAY: LAST

WORDS BLOOMING BAY

47 ACROSTICS

DEPARTMENTS

7 BAY HEALTH: DON’T FORGET

THE SUNSCREEN

9 QUICK, EASY, LOWER-CALORIE

ICE CREAM

27 BAY LEISURE: THE BAY

THEATER COMPANY

34 BAY HEALTH: THE FUNNY

THING ABOUT FIBER

38 BAY GARDENING: BEAT THE

HEAT

40 BAY DINING - HE COOKS

41 BAY LIVING: A WELCOMING

HOME

42 BAY HEALTH: MIXED RESULTS

44 BAY DINING: SUMMER TREATS

SWIMMING IS FOR EVERYONEpg. 12

TIPS FOR “GRANDSITTERS” pg. 14

Jim and Jean O'Farrell met in Boston where Jean taught at a nearby nursing school and Jim, after graduating from the USNA, was on a submarine in New London. They married and settled in Annapolis in 1966. While raising their four children they both went to graduate school. This led to rewarding careers, Jim as an international contracts manager for Westinghouse and Jean as a psychotherapist in private practice. Today Jean continues to work part-time, and Jim enjoys fly fishing, golf and painting in water color and oils. They both delight in grandchildren and enjoy travel, family and friends.

ON THE COVER

North Arundel Aquatic Center, Glen Burnie Courtesy of Anne Arundel County

SUMMER TREATS pg. 44


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LETTERS to the editor

KEEPING TOGETHERReallyenjoyedthisissue,particularlyWordsfromtheDesk.Whenwewerehavingtheworkdoneinourkitchen,theworkmendiscoveredthatwehadbeenmarried50years.Theywonderedwhatoursecretwas.SoImumbledtheusualstuff,goodcommunication,yada,yada.ThenIsaid,"I'llbeleavinginafewminutes,butmyhusbandshouldbehomeanyminute.Cometothinkof it,thatmaybeoursecret!"Inallsincerity,Ihavenoideahowcouplesmakeitwhentheydon'thavetheirowninterests.Myhusbandisobsessedwithgolf.Ijokethatheiseithergolfingorhavinganaffair.Whatever.Aslongashe'shappy!Keepupthegoodworkwithyourmag--it'samazing.MaureenS.,Annapolis

ABSENCE, FONDNESSRecentlyhadachancetositdownandlookatthelatestissueof OutLook by the Bayafterhavingakneereplacement.AlwaysreadtheWordsfromtheDeskfirst,andhadtolaugh.Irisisright,absencedoesmaketheheartgrowfonder.MyhusbandwasinthemilitaryandIthinkallof ourmilitaryfriendsarestilltogether.Wearecomingupon47years.Itdoesgetbetterandbetter.Whoknew?Gladwehunginthere.SuzanC.Beaufort,S.C.

THREE MYTHSIwasamusedtoreadthearticle“ThreeMythsAboutPeopleOver50.”Myfather-in-law,Rev.Lewis

Payne,isamythbusterineveryway.Ondad’s90thbirthday,hissonwalkedintohishousecarryingacomputerandproclaimed,“Welcometothe21stcentury.”Dadtaughthimself howtousethecomputer,andusesitregularlyforresearchandemail.Whenhewas94,hiscomputerwasoperatingtooslowly,sowegavehimanewone.Andonhis99thbirthday,hesignedupforhigh-speedInternet.Iamgratefulandproudtobehisdaughter-in-law.L.Payne,Annapolis

NEW SUBSCRIPTIONMywifeandIhavereadwithmuchinterestsomeof themostrecentissues,andfoundthemtobeof highqualityeditorialcontentandthematicinterestforbothof us.Hopingyoucontinuedsuccessinyourendeavor.Oursubscrip-tionformisenclosed.J&MHoude,SilverSpring

CORRECTIONThisisprobablytheumpteenthtimeyou’veheardthis.OnPage37ontheSpring2011issue,theBits&Bytessaysthereare64ouncesinaquart.Really??!!!Try8ouncesinacup,2cupsinapint(16ounces),2pintsinaquart(32ounc-es),2quartsinahalf-gallon(64ounces),4quartsinagallon(128ounces).JoyceB.,AnnapolisEd Note: Oops! Good eye! Thank you and we're reducing our fact-checker's daily coffee ration from 64 ounces to 32 ounces.

RETIREMENT, A BEGINNINGLovedthearticleaboutJohnDennis.Idoenjoythismagazinesomuch!Eventhoughwearenotfacedwiththeboo-merangchallenge,Ienjoyedthatarticlealso.Wouldlovetoseethatcherrywoodfurniture!JackieB.,Ouray,Colorado

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Bay Health L I V I N G B E T T ER

By Robert G. Graw, Jr., M.D. It’s the time of year when weareeithersheddingoursweatersanden-joying timeoutdoors,or rushing insideto our air-conditioned homes to avoidthe humidity. At this time of year, thepotential hazards of heat and sun areimportanttorecognize.Withafewsmalladjustmentstoyourroutine,youcanen-joyasafeandhealthysummer. Whetheryouare in the sunorshade, it’s important to start every daybyapplyingsunscreenwithanSPFof atleast30.Asweage,ourskinbecomesfarmoresensitiveandlosesitsabilitytore-generate.Forthisreason, it’s importanttogetintothehabitof protectingyourskinfromthesun.If youswim,reapplysunscreenwhenyougetoutof thewa-ter.If youareoutdoorsallday,reapplysunscreen periodically. You may wantto look into easy-to-apply sunscreensprays,orpurchasesmalltubesthatyoucankeepinyourpocketor

purseif youareonthego. Be sure you don’t forget toprotect your lipswith appropriate sun-screen, and wear sunglasses to protectyoureyes.It’salsoimportanttobeawarethat somemedicationsmightnotagreewithhighsunexposure.Checkthelabelonthemedicationsyoutake,andif youhave any questions call your doctor orpharmacist.Foraddedprotection,weara wide-brimmed hat and lightweight,protective clothing to shelter your skinfromthesunandstaycool. Drinkingplentyof waterisim-portant when the temperature is high.Youdon’tneedtofeelextremelythirstyfor your body to need water, so drinkperiodically throughout the day. Carrya plastic water bottle with you if youspend time outdoors, or drink severalglassesduringthedayif youareindoors.Avoidsugarydrinksandalcohol,whichinterferewithyourbody’snaturalhydra-tionprocess. Nothingismoreenjoyablethanbeingoutdoorsinthesummer.Remem-ber,though,thattheintensesunlightandhightemperaturesbetweenthehoursof 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. can be dangerous,causingsunburnandheat-relatedillness.Heatexhaustioncanbemorecommonin our later years, especially for thosewithhighbloodpressure.Symptomsof heat exhaustion include nausea, pale-ness,sweating,musclecrampsanddizzi-ness.Avoidingheatexhaustionisthekeytostayinghealthywhentemperaturesarehigh.

When planning your activities,schedule outdoor fun when the sun islow. Earlymorningand lateafternoonare best, when it tends to be coolerand there is less direct sunlight. Makesureyouhavethepropergearwithyouwhenyougooutdoors, includingawa-terbottle,hat,sunscreenandlightweightclothing. Always keep your cell phonechargedandwithyouinthecaseof anemergency.Takefrequentbreaks intheshade or air conditioning to avoid be-coming fatigued. Performing activitiesoutdoorsonanemptystomach inhightemperatures is risky. Light, healthysnacks,suchasfruit,willhelpyoumain-tain your energy level. Keep them onhand for you and your companions asyouenjoythedayoutdoors. If you are driving somewherethis summer, don’t forget that our ve-hicles trap heat. The temperature of aparked caron awarmday can escalateto120degrees.It’sagoodideatokeepa towel inyourcar to siton, and leaveyourwindowsajartoallowairtocircu-late. Before entering an extremely hotcar,starttheairconditionerandletthecarcooloff beforeyoustartdriving. By protecting your skin andplanningaheadbeforeyougooutdoors,youwillstayhealthyandcoolallsummerlong.

Dr. Graw, a grandfather of four, is a practicing physician and the founder and CEO of Right-time Medical Care. He can be reached at [email protected]

DoN’t forget the sunscreen!

Bits & Bytes

If you’re searching for a vacation

rental anywhere in the world and

want to eliminate the cost of a

rental agency, try going through

the owner at VRBO.com or

Zonder.com or HomeAway.com

or Rentalo.com


By Leah Lancione Whenyouthinkaboutfishing,whatimagescometomind?Imagesof ayoungmanstrugglingtoreelinamas-sive catch? A grandfather teaching hisgrandson how to attach a fake insect?Or do you envision two grown sonsspendingawarmsummerafternoonfly-fishingwith their father?Well, the lastvisualizationmay be a scene from thebreathtakingnovelA River Runs Through It byNormanMacleanthatwasturnedintoafilmdirectedbyRobertRedford.In both, fly-fishing is as important asany basic necessity.One line from thebook states, “In our family, there wasno clear line between religion and fly-fishing.” Fly-fishingdoescarrywithitanenigmaticqualitysinceitrequiresonetoskillfullystudyandapplythemeticuloustechniques necessary to cast the “fly”and successfully lurefish.This anglingprocesscantakesometimeandinvolvestheflyfisherman,or“flyfishers”rather,tobepatient,quietandperceptive.Itisclearlyasportof tremendousskill,buttomany,itisabelovedpastime. ThesocialmedianetworkFace-bookevenhasnumeroussitesdevotedto fly-fishing with hundreds of thou-sandsof followers.Ononesite,apostnoted author IzaakWalton’s commentattributingfly-fishingto“TheContem-plativeMan’sRecreation.” Whether fly-fishing is classi-

fiedasasportoranartformprobablydoesn’tmattertotrueenthusiasts.Whentheflyfisherisalonewithaflyrodandreelcastingthelureontothelake,riverorocean,nothingelsemattersbutget-ting that fish to strike the bait. Thispainstaking, careful process has beendeemedbymanytobeverytherapeuticinnature.Andlikeotherformsof an-gling,fly-fishingoffersadiversionfromthe fast pace and stresses of everydaylife. In fact in 2005, the Federa-tion of Fly Fishers and Trout Unlim-itedstartedProjectHealingWatersFlyFishing,Inc.,to“aidinthephysicalandemotional recoveryof woundedor in-juredmilitarypersonnelthroughtheartof fly-fishing.Thegrouphasperformeddemonstrationsonthetherapeuticben-efitsof fly-fishingtohospitalizedveter-ansandoutpatients. In addition, men are not theonly “contemplative” folk attractedto fly-fishing for its therapeutic, de-stressing benefits. According to thewebsite(www.shelovesf lyfishing.com/women-fly-fishing.html), sta-tistics froma surveyconductedby theOutdoor IndustryFoundation, 35per-centof the18.2millionflyfishers arewomen. The site attributes the effortsof Casting for Recovery (CFR), as aconsiderablereasonforwomengettingmore involved.Thenationalnonprofitorganization CFR, founded in 1996,promotes “physical, emotional andspiritualhealing”throughfly-fishingre-treatsforbreastcancersurvivors.CFRisbasedonthebelief that“thenaturalworld isahealingforce.”Womenwho

have experienced the devastating effectsof cancermeettogether,fishtogetherandcontinuethehealingprocessinapeacefulsetting. So, if your body no longer re-sponds to tennis like it did 20 years agoand golf doesn’t seem to leave you feel-ing physically or mentally charged, whynottryyourhandatfly-fishing?Therearecountlessbooksandwebsitesdevotedtoinspiringand instructing thebeginnerflyfisher.SiteslikeFlyFishing101-ForBe-ginners (http://flyanglersonline.com/begin/101/)andHookedonFlies(www.hooked-on-flies.com) offer beginnerstipsonbasicfly-fishingtechniquesaswellasinformationregardinglocations,materi-als,andotherresources.Whoknows?Youjust may uncover the fishing enthusiastinside you and reap someof the allegedphysical,emotionalandspiritualbenefits.

Fly-Fishing:ASportwithPhysicalandMentalBenefits


Whipeggsuntilthickenedandlemon-colored.Addsugarandcontinuebeatinguntilwellblended.Addmilkandvanillaandblend.Pourintoicecreammaker.Asitblendsaddanysmooshedfruits-asmuchasitwillhandle.Whencyclecompletes,icecreamshouldberemovedfromcanis-terandputinTupperware-typecontainertostoreinfreezer.Possiblefruits:peaches,strawberries,blackberries,raspberries,cherries,blueberriesornutsoranycombination.MINT CHOCOLATE CHUNK-AddfourtablespoonsCrèmedeMentheandcrushedfrozenOreosattheendof thecycle-churnjustenoughtoblend.COFFEE-Addthreeheapingtablespoonspowderedinstantcoffeewiththevanilla.CHOCOLATE CHIP-Addonecupminichocchipstowardsendof cycle.MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP-AddcrushedupdarkchocolatebarandfourtablespoonsCrèmedeMentheatendof cycle.YOGURT -Pourlargecontainerof yogurtintoicecreammaker.If it'splainyogurtaddabitof sugarandvanilla.If flavored,suchasvanillaorblueberry,it'susuallyOKwithoutanyadditionsunlessyouchooseto.Anyfruitscanbeaddedduringtheprocess.

QUICK, EASY, LOWER-CALORIE SPECIAL ICE CREAM

3 1/2 CUPS WHOLE MILK

1 SCANT CUP SUGAR

2 EGGS

1 TBS. VANILLA

Here's a recipe that you and your family might enjoy on one of our sweltering summer days. It's quick, it's easy, it's versatile, it's delicious and you won't have consumed a day's worth of fat and calories in one sitting.

what

you’ll

need


pilationof worksbyHenriMatisse.Situatedacrossfromthemaincampusof JohnsHopkinsUniversity,theBMAoffersexhibitions,artprogramsandculturalevents.Exquisitesculpturegar-densenablevisitorstosaunterthroughacresof lushgardensembellishedwithcontemporaryandmodernart.OnselectSaturdaysinJulyandAugust,musicloverscanalsopurchaseticketstojazzperformancesheldoutdoorsinthesegardens. TheBMAisaplacewhereyoucanstrollaroundonyourownorbringthewholefamily.Themuseumoffersartfuntoinspirethecreativityinbothyoungandoldwithhands-onartwork-shops,specialgallerytoursandmore.Guidedtoursarealsoavailable. Inadditiontoasuperbgiftshop,theBMAboastsarestaurant,Gertrude’s,thatoffersvisitorsdeli-ciousregionalcuisineandaninvitingatmospheretorestyourlegsfromallthewalking.Sinceadmissiontothemuseumisfree,youcansplurgeonascrumptiouslunchbytherestaurant’srenownedchef,JohnShields. What’sabetterwayto“beattheheat”thissummerthanbyperus-

By Leah Lancione OK,sothecoolestplacetospendadayisprobablyupnorthincoastalMaine.However,if you’relikemanypeoplethesedays,atriptosomefarawaydestinationisoutof theques-tioninthecurrenteconomy.Soinsteadof travelingbeyondMaryland’sbordersandspendingmorethanyoushould,considerastaycation,capitalizingonsome“coolplaces”rightinyourownbackyard.Marylandisthehometomanycharmingspotsthatwon’tcauseastrainonyourwalletthissummer.Hereareafewexamples.

FORT MCHENRY:LocatedinBalti-more,whichisthe“birthplace”of ournationalanthem,thiswell-keptparkoffersvisitorstheopportunitytodis-coveratreasured“slice”of Americanabyexploringthefort,observingdailyflagchangesandwatchingacelebratedorientationvideoandinteractiveexhib-itsintheVisitorCenter.Folkscantakeself-guidedtoursthroughthegroundsandmuseums(open8a.m.to4:45p.m.),whicharecomprisedof thestar-shapedfort,militarybarracks,weapons

andmilitarymemorabiliadisplaysandtheguardhouse.Duringthesummermonthsthehistoricsitealsopresentsrangertalks,withmusketandartillerydemonstrationsperformedbythefortguard. FortMcHenryhasextendedsummerhours(until8p.m.)andadmis-sionis$7foradults,whichenablessevendaysof entrytothenationalmonumentandhistoricshrine.Otherpassesareavailable,includingthelife-timeInteragencySeniorPass($10)forthose62yearsoldandolder. Nowisyourchanceif you’venevervisitedtheplacethatinspiredFrancisScottKeytowriteThe Star-Spangled BannerduringtheBattleof BaltimoreonSept.13-14,1814.“O,say,canyou”setasideafewhourstotourthisnationallandmark?Formoreinformation,visitwww.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm

THE BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART:TheBMA,foundedin1914,holdsanesteemedcollectionof 19th-century,modernandcontempo-raryart,includingthelargestcom-

COOL PLACES TO SPEND THE DAY THIS SUMMER


Bits & Bytes

If you’re searching for outdoor

entertainment through the sum-

mer, log onto www.ArtsAmeri-

ca.us where you will find more

than enough free or reasonably

priced outdoor fun.

ingthe90,000worksof arttheworld’sgreatestartistsincludingthelikesof VincentVanGogh,PabloPicassoandPaulCézanne?Formoreinformation,visitwww.artbma.org/index.htmlorcall443573-1700.

NATIONAL CRYPTOLOGIC MUSEUM: TheNationalCryptologicMuseumlocatedinFt.Meade,adja-centtotheNationalSecurityAgency’sheadquarters,offersahostof fascinat-ingandobscureartifactsandmilitaryapparatustocaptivatetheattentionof eventhemostlearnedhistorybuff.ItpresentsNSA’sandournation’scryp-tologiclegacywithsuchawe-inspiringexhibitsastheEnigmaencryptionanddecryptionmachinefromWorldWarIIandtheU.S.Navy’s“Bombe,”whichwasusedduringthewartobreakEnigma-encryptedmessagessentbytheGermans.AlsoonhandisabattleflagusedforsignalingduringtheCivilWar.So,if youhaveahistoryenthusi-astinthefamily,oryouwanttolearnaboutthepeopleandmachinesthat,throughcryptology,protectedournationalsecuritywithmystifyingstrat-egyandequipment,visittheNationalCryptologicMuseum.

Themuseumalsocontainsagiftshopandreferencelibrarywithcodebooks,unclassifieddocumentsandbooksforvisitorstoengageinresearchtofurtherrousetheirinterestinournation’shis-toryandmethodsof defense.Admis-sionisfreeandopentothepublicMondaythroughFriday9a.m.to4p.m.andthefirstandthirdSaturdaysof themonthfrom10a.m.to2p.m.Guidedtoursareavailable.Formoreinformation,visitwww.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic_heritage/muse-um/index.shtml orcall301688-5849.

SANDY POINT STATE PARK:If youjustwanttospendthedayrelaxingorengaginginsomeblitheleisureactiv-itiesalongthemagnificentChesapeakeBay,considerdroppingbythis786-acreparknestledalongthenorthwesternshoreandbesidethegrandBayBridge.FromApriltoOctober(6a.m.tosunset)andOctobertoApril(8:30a.m.to5p.m.),visitorscanswim,boat,hike,fish,crab,bird-watch,walk,sunbathandmore!Thesiteistheperfectsettingforapicnicwithfriendsandfamilyorastrollalongtheshore. Visitorscanalsorentarow-boatormotorboat.Foodandbever-

agesareavailable.Forthoseinclinedtotakeadiporengageinwateractivities,therearelifeguardsonhandfromMemorialDaythroughLaborDay.AMarinaStoreoffersboating,fishing,crabbingandpicnickingsuppliesandgear. Theparkhostsarangeof specialeventsthroughouttheyearincludingtheupcomingMarylandSea-foodFestivalinSeptemberthatdrawsvisitorsfromnearandfar! Formoreinformationandspe-cificentryfeedetails,visitwww.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/sandypoint.htmlorcall410974-2149.

Bay Leisure T AKE A S T AY C A T I O N


By Joanne R. Alloway Thehealthbenefitsof swimmingarenumerous.Itisanaerobicactivitythatpromotescardiovascularhealthandimprovesoverallfitness.Swimmingincreasesflexibility,musclestrengthandcanaidwithweightloss.Ittakesstressoff ourweight-bearingjointsandspine,ofteninjuredinotheraerobicsportssuchasrunningorracquetball.If youhaveasport-relatedinjuryorarthritis,swim-mingcanhelp.Youcanlearnhowtoswimatanyageorimproveonitwithgreatresults.Andallyouneedisasuit,towelandmaybeswimgogglestogetstarted. Manyof uslearnedtoswimasyoungsters,butevenif wedidn’t,mostof uslovebeinginornearthewater.Watercanbesoothing,relaxingandmanytimestherapeu-tic.It’snowondermanyof usflocktoOceanCityeverysummer.Justwalkingalongtheocean’sshorelineandlettingthesurf washoverourfeetisrefreshing!Whetherweswimoutpasttheocean’sbreakingwavesandbodysurf backorjusthangoutwhereit’scomfort-able,it'sasummertreasureonahotday. Oceanswimmingisnotforevery-one.ButswimminginourareariversandtheChesapeakeBayisariteof summerandaswelearnedinouryoungyearsshouldneverbedonealone.Tryjoiningagroup.GroupscompeteintriathlonsandopenwaterracesintheBayannually.EveryJune,theGreatChes-apeakeBaySwimisheld.Itcontainsracesthatarewell-regulatedforweatherandsafety.Open-waterswimgroupscantraintogetheratSandyPointPark.Structuredtrainingforswimmersisavailablethereandincludeslandandwaterclinics.Thisisaperfectopportu-nitytogetagroupof like-mindedfriendsto-gethertobeginanewchallenge.Itbecomesagreatexerciseandlearningtimetogether.The

trainingisnotjustforthosewhowanttorace.It’sanaturalwaytobecomecomfort-ableswimminginopenwaterforexerciseorpleasureanywhereyouare.So,if youandyourfriendsgotosomeexoticresort,youcanenjoythosewaters,too. Movingawayfromnature’ssettingof swimminginopenwater,there'sthemorepredictablevenueof thepool.Mostadultsfeelsecureswimminginapool,morethanlikelybecausetheyknowthedimensions.Inourarea,wehavemanyout-doorpoolsinresidentialcommunitiesforswimming,manyopentononresidentsof theneighborhood.Andformilitaryfami-lies,therearetwopools,NorthandSouthSevern.Youmusthaveamilitarysponsorwithyouwhenyougo,butthepoolsareclean,andasinallMarylandoutdoorpools,a10-to15-minute"adultbreak"iscalled.Thisallowsyouandyourgrouptocooloff andgetinsomelapswimmingwhiletheyoungstersrest.Passesformilitarypoolscanbepurchasedforafullorhalf summer. AnneArundelCountyDepart-mentof RecreationandParksoffertwoindoorpoolcenterswhereswimmerscanmeettoexerciseortrainallyear.Thenum-berof seniors(age60andolder)notonlyswimmingbutattendingvariousclassesatthepoolsishigh,largelybecausethesenongravitationalexercisesreallyhelpjointpain. TheArundelOlympicSwimCenter’spoolonRivaRoadinAnnapolis,is50meterslongdividedinto25yardlanes.TheGlenBurniepoolonCrainHighwayattheNorthArundelAquaticCenter,is25yardswitheightlanes,andtheleisurepoolhasthree20-yardlanes.Feestructureandhoursarethesameatbothpoolsandthewatertemperatureiscomfortablycon-trolled.Bothfacilitiesareaccessibletothehandicappedandreducedfeesareavailableforseniorsandfrequentusers. AnotherexcellentindoorpoolislocatedintheSevernaParkYMCAontheBaltimoreandAnnapolisBoulevard.ItisalsohometoaUSMastersSwimTeam.MastersSwimmingisforanyoneovertheageof 18.It’safun,healthfulwaytofur-

theryourswimmingtechniquesandendurance.Therearefewrequirementstojoin;practiceisonaregularschedule.Therearecompetitions,local,regionalandnational,butnotallmasterschoosetocompete.Manyareinforthejoyof thesport;it’ssomethingyoucandowellintooldage.(Ioncecompetedwithan82-year-oldinamileevent.)Thecamaraderiecanbephe-nomenal,makingitagreatwaytomakefriendsfromotherclubs.Therearegroupsof masterspracticingatmostindoorpools. Nomatterwhereyouliveorhowoldyouare,youcantakeadvantageof thissportforhealthandfitnessanddoingitwithfriendsmakesitmorefun.

Joanne R. Alloway is an author, freelance writer and consultant living in Annapolis. She can be reached at [email protected] or www.allowayswords.com

Great Chesapeake Bay Swim: www.bayswim.com/index www.active.com/swimming-clinic/ annapolis-md/be-more-open-water- swim-clinic-and-practice-swim-2011

Training for open-water swimmers: -MWR North Severn Pool Eucalyptus Rd. 410 293-2082 -MWR South Severn Pool Route 450 410 293-3033 Department of Recreation and Parkswww.aacounty.org/RecParks/ swimcenters

Arundel Olympic Swim Center Riva Road, Annapolis 410 222-7933

North Arundel Aquatic CenterCrain Highway, Glen Burnie410 222-0090

Severna Park Y/Masters Swimming www.spyswimming.org

Swimming IS for Everyone!


By Penelope Folsom

1. You've developed your own style of doing things such as how to dress,whatyou choose to eat, how you decorate orundecorateyourhomeandevenwhatcaryou drive or vacation spots you choose.You're comfortable with your decisionsanddon'tcarewhattheworldthinks.

2.Youknowstuff.Lotsof stuff.You'retheidealpartnerinagameof TrivialPur-suit.You'vewitnessedsomuchof historyyou'resomewhatof anexpertnow,eventhougheveryonemaynotbeinterestedinyourvaststoreof knowledge.

3. There'stimenowtopursueadreamthatyouhavenothadtimeforbefore,suchastakingalanguageorlearninganinstru-ment. There'seventimenowtoexploreopeningyourownbusiness, theone thatyou'vebeenthinkingof alltheseyears.

4. Children,forthemostpart,aregrownandgone.Good,badorindifferent,youdidthebestyoucould.Youcannowsitback and enjoy them and their lives andfamilies.

5.Youactuallyhaveafewhoursthatyoucancallyourowntopursuewhateverlei-sureactivitiesyouchoose,beitreadingthenewspaper through half themorning ortakingthetimetofinisheitherreadingorwriting that book you've promised your-self.

6. Decisions come easier. You've beenthere, done it, you nowhave the experi-ence to make quick decisions which areusuallytherightonesforyou.Thatdoesn'tmeanthatwestilldon'tagonizeovertheoccasionaldecision,butnowit'seasier.

Nine Best Things About Passing the Half Century Mark

7. There'sagoodchanceyou'llbehap-pierandmorecontentasmostof thebigstuff isbehindyou.What'sdoneisdoneandnowisthetimetoenjoyyouraccom-plishmentsormoveonfromlife'saggra-vations.

8. It's an ageof finally being comfort-ableandacceptingof whoyouare.Maybeyou're stillnotperfect,butyou'vegottencomfortableinyourownskinandacceptthepersonyou'vebecome.

9. You're protective of your time tomakeitcount.It'seasierthanevertosay"no"whenyoujustplaindon'twanttodosomething,beitvolunteeringforthebakesaleortakingcareof thekid'sdog.

Keith Osterman started HandyPro Handyman Service that specializes in home modifications because he saw the need of modifying or transforming homes, allowing the elderly to stay home instead of choosing assisted living or nursing home care. “Not only does it make financial sense,” Osterman says, “but I understand that most people would prefer to age (with the convenience of independence and dignity) while in their home.”

His company is focused on providing individuals and families the convenience of complete accessibility and mobility within their homes.

HandyPro provides many accessibility products including • elevators • automatic door openers • ceiling lifts, • safety bars • bathroom transfer systems • personal lifts • stair lifts • specialized tubs and showers and more.

Modifications HandyPro provides include • door widening, • electrical wiring • super-strong grab bars and handrails • fire safety adaptations • cabinet adjustments • ramps • plumbing • bathroom modifications and more.

Vicky, from Preston, Md., was in and out of the hospital two months ago, only to find that she was diagnosed with ALS and had become wheelchair bound. She was now facing a question that so many are faced with today. Should she live in an assisted living community or nursing home, or can she modify her house so that she can continue living safely at home?Her question was soon answered by Keith Osterman, president of HandyPro. Within two days of returning from the hospital, Osterman’s company installed a wheelchair ramp for Vicky, allowing her to enter and exit her home safely.According to the US Census Bureau, there are 75 million Americans who are aging in place and who may be asking the same questions. With the current trend, it is estimated that over 106 million Americans will have this concern by 2015.

HandyPro helps local resident stay in her home.

Call Keith Osterman your local handyman!

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By Leah Lancione Grandparentsnowareoftenmorethanjustthegrandparentsthatweremem-ber.Nolongeraretheyjustthefolkswhokeepafullystockedcookiejar24/7andvis-itonbirthdaysorholidays,spoilingthelittleonesrotten.Today,grandparentsareoftenpart-time caretakers. And more grand-parents thaneverhave theopportunity tohave summer visits from the young ones.Notonlyisitdesirableformanysonsanddaughterstohavetheirparentsserveasthebabysitterorcaretakerwhiletheyneedhelpduring summervacationor atother timesduringtheyear,itisoftenaneconomicne-cessityasdaycarecanbeexpensive. Though having the grandparentsbabysit canbe awin-win situation for ev-eryone involved, i.e., the child is affordedthe best care from a family member ina safe and familiar environment, but thegrandparentgetsthechancetotrulybondwiththegrandchildwhilestayingactive.Of course,properboundariesmustbeinplaceforthisarrangementtowork.Notonlywillboundaries ensure the child remains safeandsecure,disciplinedandnurturedprop-erly,butgrandparentsalsoneedtoenforcelimitssotheydonotbecomeoverworked. Whether it’s for a day, a weekduring the summertime or even an hour,guidelinesmustbedetermined in advanceand followed. These guidelines include

the grandparents making it clear howfrequently they are available to babysit.“Settinglimitsearlyonwillhelpyousteerclear of misconceptions and unrealisticexpectations," says award-winning chil-dren's authorKarynHenley atGrand-parents.comIf youwanttobethefirstcalloronlyonstandbyinemergencysit-uations,thatneedstobeclear.Grandpar-entsshouldalso let theirchildrenknowtheir schedules so there is no delusionthatschedulesare100percentflexible. The website suggests that bydiscussingwhethergrandparentswanttobeconsideredthestandbyinemergencysituationsorthefirstcall/part-timecare-taker,“stickysituations”canbeavoided,preventingscenariosinwhichthegrand-parentsfeelusedandabused. Otherguidelinesthatshouldbeestablished upfront include: expectedrules including preferred bedtimes, al-lowed and prohibited snacks or foods(especially in the case of allergies),agreed-upon amounts of TV viewingand permitted shows and any behav-ior that isconsidered inappropriateandsuitable for disciplinary action. Parentsandgrandparentsshouldhaveanunder-standingof what’sexpectedandwhatre-sponseisrequiredinparticularscenarios. Grandparents also need to behonestaboutwhatsituationsmaymakethemuncomfortableandwhat theycanor cannot handle. For example, someparents may be fine with taking theirgrandkidson fun excursionswhileoth-ersmayonlyfeelsecuredoingactivitiesinthehome. Grandparents should ask fora set of instructions for emergencysituations as well as emergency phonenumbers.Thereshouldalsobeasigneddocumentfromtheparentsgivingmedi-cal personnel permission to treat the

child should it become necessary. Parentsshould take the initiative formaking suretheenvironmentinwhichtheirchildwillbewatchedisproperlybaby-orchild-proofed.Parentshavetobecomeexpertsatgettingontheirchild’sleveltoexamineeveryinchof aplaceforpotentialhazards,sothisisamustforanychildcaresetting,whetherit’sgrandma’shouse,thebackyardortheirownhome.Parentsshouldalsomakeitaseasyandcomfortable forgrandparents aspos-sible. For example, a stepstool beside thecrib,premadesnacksplacedprominentlyinthe refrigerator or an extra pillow on thegliderinthenurseryarethepersonaltouch-esthatcouldmakethedifferencebetweenapleasantexperienceforagrandparentandadisaster.Infact,if mealpreparationispartof thedeal,thatshouldalsobediscussedinadvance. Finally, grandparents should notevenconsiderbabysittingforafulldayorweek, letaloneanhour, if theyarenot ingood health. Caretakers are often calledupon to scurry after a swift toddler, pickup and cradle a cryingbaby for extendedperiodsof time,and,quitefrankly,expendmore energy than usual. Mental alertnessand a good physical condition are crucialwhencaring for a little tyke. If aphysicalailment significantly inhibits your quick-nessorresponsereflexes,thinktwiceaboutwatchingatoddleroryoungchild. Since becoming a grandparent is,bymost accounts, themost glorious titleonecanassume,it’simportantthatfamiliespreserve that special claim. With properboundaries and predetermined expecta-tions, all involved can benefit from thegrandparent/babysitter setup. Grandchil-drenwillcherishthetimewiththeirgrand-parents,parentscanrestassuredthattheirchildrenareinthebestof handsandgrand-parents can addmeaning to their retired,sometimesmonotonouslives.

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By Wayne B. Zussman Collectionsof anykind–comicbooks,records,coins,china,dolls,jewelry–cantakeonalifeof theirown.Overtime,collectiblesprovidejoytothecol-lector,whooftendoesn’tanticipatesell-ingthemoneday.Typically,collectorssellwhentheydownsizetheirhomes,needmoneyorwhentheywanttopreventthecollectionfromfallingintothehandsof heirs.Evenitemsinthehomethataren’tpartof anorganizedcollectioncanbringinextramoneytotheowner.Thesemightincludegreatgrandma’svintageSingersewingmachine,pinkDepressionglasswareoranautographedprosportsjersey. Whateverthesituationmaybe,determiningtherightpriceandfind-inganavenueforsellingthecollectiblesarethetwobigfactorsinasuccessfultransaction.Seniorsshouldbeespeciallycautiouswhensellingtheircollectibles.Peoplewhoareinthebusinessof buyingandsellingcollectiblesare,of course,tryingtomakethemostmoneytheycan.Associationsthatrevolvearoundaspe-cifictypeof collectiblecanhelpseniorsfindareliablesource.AnInternetsearchwillprovideagoodstartingpointforthisapproach. Becausecollectionsandfam-ilyheirloomsholdemotionalvalueforthecollectorand/orfamilymembersinvolvedinthesale,ConsumerReports’ShopSmartmagazinerecommendsathoroughinformation-gatheringap-proachtoselling: Getsomefreeadvice.Manyan-tiquesandcollectiblesdealersarewillingtoauthenticatepiecesfreeof charge.Callashopinyourareatoseeif itoffersthisservice.Resistthetemptationtosellyourvaluablestothedealerwithoutverifyingthepricetheyquote,oryoumaynotgetthebestdeal. Consultpricelists.Toascertaintherealvalueof youritem,ConsumerReportsrecommendsvisitingyourlocallibraryandconsultingcollectiblepriceguides,suchasthe"Kovels'Antiques&CollectiblesPriceGuide"and"Col-lectiblesPriceGuide."Notethatwww.

Getting the Mo$t Money for Your Collectible$kovels.comishighlyrecommendedbymanysources. Determinethegoingrate.Don'tassumethatthepricelistedintheguidesisthemaximumyoucanexpectforyourcollectible.Theantiquesandcollectiblesmarketissubjecttofadsanditemsfre-quentlygoupanddowninvaluebasedondemand.Todeterminethegoingrateforyourcollectible,findoutwhatit'ssell-ingforoneBay,Kovels.comandotheronlinedealers. Payforanappraisal.If youfindthatyouhaveanitemworthhundredsof dollars,ConsumerReportssaysitmaybeworthpayinganexperttoappraiseit.Todetermineareasonableaskingprice,trytofindanappraiserwhoisanexpertinyourareaof collectibles. Chooseyourmethodof sale.Sellingyourcollectiblesthroughadealerwilllikelycauseyoutheleastamountof hassle,butdealersgenerallyoffer20to50percentlessthanso-called"book

value."Auctionstypicallypaybetter,particularlyif youhavealargecollec-tionthatcontainssomehigh-valueitems,butyou'llhavetopaya10to15percentcommissiononthesellingprice.Otheroptionsincludeadvertisingonlineorincollector'spublicationsandsellingyouritematacollector'sshow. Thebestwaytomakeagoodtransactionistoknowthetruevalueof whatyouhaveandfindareputabledealerwhowillnotpressureyou.Bepatientwhenmakingdecisionsaboutcashinginonyourcollectionsandvaluables.Gettingaccurateinformationaboutyourcollectionfromprofessionalsourcescanhelpalleviatethestressof knowingif youaregettingthebestprice. Triton Wealth management is an independent, fee-only financial planning and investment manage-ment firm with offices in Annapolis, Kent Island and Gaithersburg. They can be reached at 866 880-7500 or at [email protected] or visit on the Web at www.TritonWM.com

Bay Finance T AK I N G C A RE O F B U S I N E S S


By Leah Lancione Everyoneknowsthefamousline,“water,watereverywhere,noranydroptodrink”fromThe Rime of the Ancient Mariner bySamuelTaylorColeridge.Well,inthetaleandinlife,waterisnecessaryforsurvival.Andregrettably,manypeopledonotdrinkenoughwater.Asaresult,theyremaincontinuallydehydrated.Beingdehydrat-eddoesn’tjustmeanyouareexperienc-ingthirst;significanthealthproblemscanoccurwhenthebodyisdeprivedof anadequatedailysupplyof water.Thebodyneedswaterforproperorganfunction,lubricationof jointsandmuscles,flushingof toxins,regulationof bodytemperature,thepassageof oxygenandnutrientstocellsandmore.Skin,hair,thebrainandvirtuallyallsystemsof thebody,dependonsuf-ficientwaterintake. AccordingtoWebMD(www.webmd.com/food-recipes/fea-tures/feel-your-best-with-water),itisvitalthatpeoplereplacethefluidstheylose.Thearticleexplainsthatmanypeoplearewalkingaroundmoderatelydehydratedand,ataminimum,needtodrinkeightto12cupsof waterdaily.Dependingonsomeone’sheight,weightandactivitylevel,morewatermaybenecessary.Inaddition,whenit’swarmerandmorehumidoutside,causingthebodytosweat,ordur-ingexercise,it’simportanttoincreasewaterconsumption.If thatincreasedoesn’toccur,thebodyissusceptibletocramps,fatigue,heatexhaustionandheatstroke.Thearticlereports

thatchildrenandolderadultsareatagreaterriskfordehydration. Moreover,itisimportanttokeepthebodyhydratedbeforethefeel-ingof beingthirstyarises,becausebythen,thebodymayalreadybedehy-drated.Dehydrationcanoccurinjust30minutesof regularexerciseif thetemperatureorhumidityiselevated.Onetotwoquartsof fluidcanbesweatedoutof thebodyduringnormalexerciseinamildclimate. TheInstituteof VibrantLiv-ing’swebsite(www.theivl.org)saysthat“nexttoair,wateristhesinglemostessentialelementforlife.”And,“drinkingplentyof purewaterisoneof theabsolutebestthingsyoucandoforyourself ontheroadtoself-care.” Theamountof waterneededtendstovarydependingontheexpert,butthecommonrecommendationfromnutritionistsanddoctorsalikeistodrinkatleasteight8-ounceglassesof wateraday,andaccordingtotheAmericanCollegeof SportsMedicine,eightto10ouncesof fluidevery15minutesduringexercise. Height,weightandexercisearenottheonlydeterminantsof howmuchwatershouldbeconsumeddaily.Dietisalsoafactorsincethehumanbodygetswaterfromfoodaswell.AccordingtoanarticleontheMayoClinic’swebsite(www.mayoclinic.com)“foodusuallyaccountsfor20percentof yourtotalfluidintake,soif youconsumetwolitersof waterorotherbeveragesaday,youwilltypicallyreplaceyourlostfluids.”

TheIVLalsorevealsthat,theolderweget,thelesssensitivewearetoour“thirstmechanism.”Therefore,it’simportanttodrinkonapredeterminedschedule.So,if you’resupposedtodrinkeight8-ounceglassesaday,andyouareawakemoreorless16hoursaday,thatmeansitisnecessarytodrinkaglassof watereverytwohours.Agoodwaytoensurethedaily“quota”of wateringestionisfulfilledistotrykeepingapitcherorjugof waterintherefrigeratorthatmustbedrainedbeforebedtime. Tocalculateyourindividualprescriptionforwaterintake,visitwww.medgadgets.info/h2o/waterf.htm andthengofillupyourglass.Thedaysof walkingarounddehydratedshouldbeover.

Don’t Wait to Hydrate* Dehydration can occur in just 30 minutes of regular exercise if

the temperature or humidity is elevated.

Step out of your comfort zone and see what you can achieve


It’s Never Too Late for ThisBay Health L I V I N G WELL

By Terry Portis Iamneverquitesurehowtorespondwhensomeonetellsme,“Thetimeforthathaspassedmeby.”If Iagree,isthatinsulting,questioningtheperson’sabilities?If Idisagree,amIquestioningwhetherornotapersonknowstheirownlife?Usually,Ijustsortof nod,butnottooenthusiasti-cally. Thetruthisthatsometimespeoplegiveuptoosoonandtooeasily.Dreamsandidealsthatflourishedinour20sarecrushedbythenext30or40yearsof workingtoohardandtoolongonthingswearenotthatthrilledby. Therearetwothingsinpar-ticularIwanttofocusonthatareveryoftenpushedasideinthenoiseandtumultinourlives.Thosearebrokenrelationshipsanddaringtodonewthings.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO REPAIR A RELATIONSHIP

Wedon’trememberwhenwestoppedtalkingtoourfriendorfamilymember.Atonepointwecouldn’timaginegoingaweekoradaywithoutcheckinginwiththem.Therelation-shipmeantsomething,andlifewasbetterbecausethatpersonwasinit.Somethinghappened--adisagreement,unkindwords,hurtfeelings--andtherelationshipseemslostforever. DavidMcCullough’sexcellentbookonthelifeof JohnAdamsgivessomefascinatingdetailsontherelation-shipbetweenJohnAdamsandThomasJefferson.TheirabilitytoworkcloselytogetherandtheirmutualrespectwasknownthroughouttheUnitedStatesandEurope. DifferingideasabouttheFrenchRevolutionwouldgreatlydam-

agetheirrelationship.Theirpublishedwritingsonthetopicwerepolaroppo-sites,andtheypubliclycriticizedeachother.Thisdisputeandopencriticismledtotwodecadeswhentheydidnotspeaktoeachother.Itappearedtherelationshipwasover. Attheurgingof BenjaminRush,aphysicianandfellowco-signerof theDeclarationof Independence,theybegantocorrespondonaregu-larbasis.Theycontinuedtowritefor14yearsbeforetheybothdiedonthesamedayin1826.Rushsimplyremind-edthemthattheyhadsharedsomeremarkablehardshipsandsuccessestogether,andthattheseweremoreimportantthantheconflictthathaddriventhemapart.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO DO SOMETHING DARING Threeyearsagoa76-year-oldmandecidedtofulfillhisdream,andclimbedMountEverest.Giventhegruelingtrainingandthedangerinvolved,thisisremarkable.IamsurepeopletoldhimthatthetimeforclimbingMountEveresthadpassedhimby,andmostpeoplewouldhavenoddedinagreement. Wehavemanywonder-fulexamplesof peoplewhohavedonesomething

daringlaterinlife.At77anartistbythenameof GrandmaMosesdecidedtostartpainting.At65WinstonChurchillbecameprimeministerof Englandanddaredtoleadhiscountryinafive-yearfightforitsfreedom.AlbertSchweitzerranahospitalinAf-ricawhenhewas89,at82JohannWolfgangvonGoethefinishedwritinghisfamousFaust,andJohnGlennbecametheoldestpersontogointospaceat77. So,today,thetimeisripetopickupthephone,orapaintbrush,becauseit’snevertoolate!

Dr. Terry Portis is director of the Center on Aging at Anne Arundel Community College. He holds a doctorate in counseling psychology and can be reached at [email protected]


By Gina G Courbron Yourbooks tell stories and soshould your bookshelves. Along withyour collectibles, memorabilia andframed photos, they give visitors andguestsaglimpseof whoyouare--yourinterests, talents and hobbies. So witha little timeandsomeartfularranging,yourshelvescanbecomeaneye-catch-ingfocusof interestinaroom,insteadof an 'edge to edge' arrangement of bookslineduponeveryshelf.Allverti-cal linesonbookshelvescanbeboringandnotwarrantasecondglance.Simi-larly,ajumbledassortmentof oddsandendscompetingforspaceoneveryshelf willprojectanuninspiringandclutteredappearance. Thekeylies incombiningcre-ative collections of decorative items,greenery and artwork with a well-planned selection of books. The goalis tocomposeabalancedarrangementthatwarrantsasecondlook.Arrangingabookshelf takesa littlefinesseandisquitesimilartodecoratingaroom.Bal-ance,color,textureandheightallneedtobeconsidered,aswellasaddingsome'unexpected' items that make visitorswanttolookcloser. Are you ready to enhance theshelf lifeof yourbookcases?Herearesomeeasy, shelf decorating tips togetyoustarted:

•First,takeeverythingoff theshelves.Start with a clean slate. Look at eachbook and decide which you want tokeep---thoseyouloveanduse---anddo-nateor give away the rest (haveboxeshandy for the latter).B.I.G., located at2000 B CapitalDrive, Annapolis is agoodchoicefordonatedbooks.• Gatherother shelf 'potentials' from

around thehouse---collections,memo-rabilia,artobjects,candles,framedpho-tos, plants---and group according tocolor,finish,sizeortheme.• Books used regularly should beshelved vertically for easy access andcanbegroupedaccordingtoauthororsubject. An additional storage optionfor16" shelves is toarrange two rowsof books on each shelf. Place shorterbooksagainstthebackwallandanotherrowof tallerbooksalongthefrontedgeof theshelf tohidetheonesbehind.• Color, size and texture need to beconsidered when arranging books andaccessorieson shelves.Toaddempha-sisand interest,paint thebackwallof bookshelvesadeepercolor.Coordinatethe color of books with the color of accessories you are using on the sameshelf.•Keepthingsinbalancesonoonesec-tionof thebookcaseappearsweighteddown or repetitive. Instead of placinggroups of books directly under simi-larly arranged books, alternate stacksof books horizontally and vertically.Put larger books and accessories onlower shelves and lighter itemsonup-pershelves.•Varyheightanddepth.Arrangementsaremore interesting if everything isn'tat the same level. Stacks of books,boxes and basketsmake perfect risersfordisplayingaccessories.Placeitemsinfrontorbackof otheritemsforaddeddimension.Forinstance,placeaframedphotoorsmallaccessory in frontof arowof books.•Asinotheraccessorizingaroundthehouse,allowforsomeemptypocketsof space.Itnotonlygivestheeyeachancetorest,thevisual'pause'itprovidescre-ates a greater emphasis on the acces-sorizedspaces.

• Add a personal touch by displayingafewgolf-relatedobjectsnexttoorongolf books.Placeantiquetoysalongsidechildren'sbooks,etc.• Remove jackets from hard coverbooks,butleavecoversonvisualor'cof-feetable'books(andthosethatarecol-lectible,rareorhavesentimentalvalue).• When selecting book ends, con-sider the size of the books. For largeor heavy volumes, choose larger bookends for amore balanced and consis-tent look. Use a horizontal stack of books as book ends on one or bothsides of a group of vertical books• Consider hanging artworkor acces-soriesonthebackwallabovebookshelf. Adding it all together, insteadof looking at your newly arrangedbookshelves and seeing individual ele-ments,youshouldbelookingatacom-positionof well-chosenandmeaningfulpiecesthatwillgiveguestsasnapshotof what'simportanttoyouandyourfamily.Congratulations, you have raised yourlevelof shelf consciousness!

Gina G Courbron can be reached at GG Design Inspirations, [email protected]

Outlook’s

Bits & Bytes

To prevent weeds from taking over

your garden this summer, surround

your plants with layers of overlap-

ping newspaper. Top with mulch

and enjoy the lazy days of summer

doing something other than weed-

ing. Check out NorthCoastGar-

dening.com for more info.

SHELFEsteem With a little time and some artful arranging, your shelves can become an eye-catching focus of interest in a room


10Just short of dangling your legs in the neighbor's pool, one of these suggestions might help you get a quick cool-down this summer.

1.Keepasupplyof homemadepop-siclestuckedinthefreezer;they'renotjustforkids.Andyoucanusewhateveringredientsyoulike,includingafruityyogurtoranyfruitjuicethatyouhaveonhand.

2.Trychilledwatermeloncutintobite-sizedpiecesorwhirlpiecesintheblenderwithafewicecubesforaslushycoldtreat.

3.Lemonadethatyou'vemadewithfresh-squeezedlemonsmakesacooltreat.(Easyrecipe:threecupswater,threelemonsjuiced,1/4to1cupsugar,yourchoiceastohowsweet.Combineandchill.)

4.Homemadeicedteathatyoukeepchilledandreadyintherefrigeratorisawelcomeno-calorietreat.Serveovericecubesmadefromthelemonadeabove.

5.Havefrozenblueberriesorgrapesonhandforaquickpick-me-up.Kidslovethesetoo.

Cool-Off Treats for a HOT Summer Day

BEST

6.Makeafruitslushoutof orangesorpeachesorbananas,oranycombina-tionof yourfavoritefruits.Addonepartmilkoryogurttofourpartsfruitandahandfulof icecubes.Whirlitaltogetherintheblenderforarefresh-ingandhealthfuldrink.

7.Youknowhowwe'renevergettingenoughwater.Wellintheheat,now'sthetime.Helpyourself toamega-mugof waterwithlotsof iceandasliceof orangeorlemonorlimetoperkitup.

8.Eatsmallermealslikeacoolfruitsaladforlunchorchilledshrimpandapastasaladfordinner.

9.Icedcoffeewithwhippedskimmilk

onthetopandadustingof cinna-mon.If caloriesaren'tanissue,addacoupleof tablespoonsof vanillaicecream.

10.Andforthepiècederesistancethereisnothinglikehomemadeicecream.Anelectricicecreammakeriseasytouse,notexpensiveandyoucancreateyourownrecipe.Tosavecalories,tryusingwholemilkornonfatvanillayogurtinsteadof cream.Makeabasicvanillaandaddfruitsuchasblueberries,choppedpeachesorstrawberries.


By Melissa Conroy Summermeansit'sagreattimetopulloutthesandals,breakouttheflip-flopsandwalkaroundbarefoot.Unfortunately,lighterfootwearcanrevealthingswe'drathernotexpose,suchasscalyfeet,crackedtoenailsandotherunsightlypodiatricailments.Ourfeettakeatremen-dousbeating,andthisalongwithage,cangiveusfeetthatwe'drathercoverupwithsocksthanunveilinsandals.Unsightlyfootproblemsarebothmorenoticeableandmoreprevalentinthewarmsummermonths.Thankfully,callus-free,smoothfeetcanberelativelyeasytoachievewithsomesimpleat-homesteps.If youhavealotof problemswithdry,crackedskinonyourfeetandareembarrassedtoletyourtoesrunfreewithoutshoesorsocks,herearesometipsforhealthy-lookingfeet. Firstof all,knowthatif youhavechronicdryfeet,goingbarefootorwearingsandalsalotcanaggravatetheproblembe-causegoingwithoutfootweardrawsmois-tureoutof yourskin.ItendtogobarefootalmostconstantlyinthesummerandwhenIdo,myfeetusuallyendupdryingoutandpeelingterribly.Keepingsomethingonyourfeetduringthedaywhetheritissocks,lightslippersorshoescanhelpyourfeetretainsomeof theskin'snaturalmoisture. Speakingof shoes,badlyfittingonescancausefootproblemswhichleadtocallusesandotherroughspots.Well-fit-ting,comfortableshoeswillgoalongwaytowardkeepingyourfeetsmooth.Whenshoeshopping,itisbettertogolaterinthedaybecauseyourfeetnaturallyswellalittlebitduringanormaldaysoashoethatfitscomfortablyfirstthinginthemorningmaybealittletightbydinnertime.Whilewemaytalkabout“breakingin”apairof shoes,therealityisthatshoesshouldfeel

goodonyourfeetwhenyouaretryingthemonatthestore.WhilesomeshoeslikeUggbootsdostretch,mostshoesaremadeof materialthatwillnotstretchorexpandmuch,soatight,uncomfortableshoeislikelytoremainso. Onceshoeproblemsaresolved,it'stimetogiveyourfeetalittlepampering.Youhaveanumberof optionstosloughawaydryskin,soothcrackedheelsandsmoothoff calluses.If yourfeetarereallytroublesome,agoodpedicureatyourlocalsalonmightbejusttheticket.(Andyes,men,youcangetapedicuretoo.).Duringapedicure,thetechnicianwillworkbuffingawayroughnessandtidyingupwaywardcuticles.Infact,fortheadventuroussort,youcouldtryafishpedicure.Yousitwithyourfeetinabowlof warmwaterwhileaschoolof tinytoothlesscarpcalledDoctorFishswarmaroundyourfeetmunchingonyourdryskin.Whilesomestatesbanthisprocedure,itisquitepopularamongpedicureloverswhoclaimthatafishpedi-cureisticklyfunthatleavestheirfeetbabysmooth.However,anyonewithdiabetesorpoorcirculationshouldcheckwiththeirdoctorbeforeschedulinganypedicure,fishyornot. If theideaof spending$25orsoonaprofessionalpedicuredoesn'tthrillyou,youcandooneathome.Thereareanumberof foot-soakandfoot-scrubprod-uctsatyourlocaldrugstore,soinvestigateafew,particularlyoneswithpeppermintforatingly,refreshingexperience.Eithertakealongbathorshowerorletyourfeetsoakinabowlof warmwatertosoftenthemup,thenreachforafootscrubtosloughoff deadskin.Youcanpurchaseaready-madescruboruseahandfulof plaincornmeal.Takethetimetoreallyworkthescrubinyourskin,aroundyourtoesandinproblemareas.

Oncescrubbed,yourfeetmayneedmoreheavy-dutytreatmenttotakeoff reallystubborncalluses.Pumicestonesareperennialfavoritesforsmoothingawaycalluses,butsometimestheyarenotenoughforparticularlytough,hardfeet.Therearenowcheese-graterstylecallusremoversonthemarketthatyoumayormaynotwanttosearchout. Afterbeingsoaked,scrubbed,andgrated,yourfeetdeserveathickanoint-ingof arichmoisturizingcream.Herearesomeof myfavoritesfordryfeet:-Mary Kay Extra Emollient Night Cream:Thisispartof MaryKay'sSatinHandsCollection.Theemollientissuper-richandlong-lasting.-Bag Balm:Asthenamesuggests,thiswasdevelopedbydairyfarmerstoruboncrackedcowudders.Itisgoodonfeet,sosmoothitonandtrynottomoo.-No-Crack Super Hand Cream: Developedbyapharmacist,thiscreamwillhaveyourfeetbaby-softinnotime. Onceyouhaveyourfeetliberallyslatheredinathickmoisturizer,youneedtolockitinplace.If youjuststartwalkingaroundafterputtingonmoisturizer,thecarpetwillabsorbmostof it,notyourfeet.Attheveryleast,putonapairof socks.Infact,youcanbuysocksthatareimpreg-natedwithmoisturizersliketheAirplusforHerAloeInfusedSocksthatWalgreenscarries.Thesesockswillsmoothmorelu-bricantsonyourfeet,helpingsoftenthem.Infact,agreatbedtimeritualisrubbingmoisturizerontoyourfeet,thenputtingonsocks. Withregularcare,yourfeetwillbesofter,feelmorecomfortable,andlookawholelotbetter.Heelcrackswilldisappear,calluseswillbesmoothedawayandyou'llhaveapairof feetthatyou'llbeproudtoshowoff atthenextpoolparty.

Going barefoot or wearing sandals can aggravate many foot problems.

Leave more than you take


By Ryan Helfenbeinwww.LastingTributesFuneralCare.com Manyof yourememberthe1950-1960ssitcomLeave it to Beaver.Itdepictedthe ideal suburban family. Everyone gotalong,everyonelovedeachotherandtherewerenoestrangementsorbrokenfamilies.Unfortunately, as hard as we all strive tomimictheCleavers,weallhaveourimper-fections.Asamatterof fact,accordingtoaUKnewsarticlepublishedin2010,oneinthreechildrentodayliveswithasinglepar-entorstepparent.Andaccording toUSA TodaymoreandmoreAmericansaremov-ing from one state to another each year.And now,with the rise of cremation thiscreateschallengesforanundertakerduetoa legal document that is necessary beforecremation can take place – a cremationauthorization.More importantly, who canauthorize an undertaker tomove forwardwithcremation? Newsarticlesoftenwarnconsum-ers of the “reluctant approach” a funeralserviceprovidermighttakewhenafamilychooses cremation. It leads consumers tobelieve that undertakers are just lookingtoprofit.Reluctance couldbemore likelyduetothefinalityof cremation.If afam-ilychoosesburial,theindividualcanbedis-interredandmoved.There isno recoursewith cremation.The cremation authoriza-tionprotectsthefuneralhomeand,inturn,protects the family by having them initialandsignoff onnumerousstepsinthecre-mationprocess, includingaholdharmlessagreement in case a family member hasa change of mind after the procedure isdone. Noproblem,we sign a document,putacoupleof initialsdownand“voila,”Popcanbecremated.Sowhatisthebigis-sue?Theissueliesinwhoistheappropri-atepersontosigntheauthorization. According to the Maryland StateBoardof Morticians,if anindividualhasaprepaid,preplannedcontractwithafuneralproviderdesignatingthattheindividualhaselected the disposition of cremation, the

cremationauthorizationcanbesignedbyanyrepresentativeof thefamily.Whatif thiswasnotdone?Thenwehavetogodownthe lineof who is legallydeemedthe authorizing agent. Starting with theactualdecedent,viaaprepaidpreplannedcontract,itthenwouldfallonthespouse.After the spouse, the responsibility fallsinorderonadult children,parent, adultsibling, a person acting as a representa-tiveof thedecedentunder a signedau-thorizationof thedecedent,guardianof thedecedentatthetimeof thedecedent’sdeath or, in the absence of any personpreviouslymentioned, anyotherpersonwillingtoassumetheresponsibilitytoactastheauthorizingagent. Here'sanexample.Mompassesaway,withoutaprepaidpreplannedcon-tract.Dadwouldthensignthecremationauthorization.Nowwhendadpasseswaywithout having a prepaid, preplannedcontract, each child is going to need tosign the authorization. If children livedinanotherstateorcountry,thefamilywillneedtotrackthemdowntoacquiretheirsignatureor at least awritten statementgivingauthorizationtocrematedad.Whatif afamilycannotlocateachild?Thisiswhereyouwillbegintoseeyourunder-taker begin to sweat a bit. The funeralhome can choose to notmove forward

with cremation or require that the familysignadocumentstatingtheydideverythingintheirpower inanattempttolocatethisindividual and that theywill not hold thefuneralhomeorcrematoryresponsible. If I have cremation listed as themethodof dispositioninmywill,won’tthattakecareof it?Whileitisnotabadthoughtto record your preference in thewill, notoncehaveImetwithsomeonewhobringsthewillalongtomakeplanswhensomeonepasses away. Regardless of what the willmay state, a cremation authorization stillmustbesignedandcompletedbythedesig-natedauthorizingagents.If itisdocument-ingplans that youwant,myadvicewouldbe to acquire a prepaid, preplanned con-tract from a certified planning counselor.Theywillbesurethatnotonlyareyourde-tailsplannedandpaidfor,butdocumentedin such away that they are guaranteed tobecarriedoutexactlyasstatedintheplan.This would then eliminate the potentiallydaunting cremation authorization processthatisrequiredif thisisnotcarriedoutinadvance. It'sunfortunatethatweallhaven'tbeen blessed with a Cleaver-type family.Even in the closest families, however, weshoulddoallwecantoprotecteachotherwhen final decisions are made, especiallywhen it involves something as permanentascremation.

Ryan, owner/supervising mortician and preplanning counselor at Lasting Tributes on Bestgate Road in Annapolis, offers area residents solutions to high-cost funerals. He can be reached at 410 897-4852 or [email protected]


By Peggy Kiefer Living in thehistorical cityof Annapolis, or the surrounding metro-politanarea,itissometimeshardtore-memberthatBoston,Mass.,hadavitalroleintheformingof ournation. Provincialism beingwhat it is,ontheotherhand,if youlistentoBos-tonhistorians,theyoftenforgettheBayStatewasnottheonlyoneimportantinournation’shistory. Buthavingspentarecentshortfive-day trip to Boston with a RoadScholar(formerlyElderhostel)programentitled“Boston’sWalk into theRevo-lution,”muchof whatwe learned tiedtogether the history of Boston, Phila-delphia,AnnapolisandWashingtonintoacohesiveunderstandingof theAmeri-canRevolution. WalkingtheFreedomTrailwasan importantpartof theprogramandgaveusallanunderstandingof Boston’sroleintheRevolution,andalsoagoodphysical workout. If you like walking,Bostonisforyou. Enthusiastic lecturers, includ-ingonewhowrote thebookThe Com-plete Guide to Boston’s Freedom Trail,whichwasgiventoalltheparticipants,chargedthe air with enthusiasm for our dailyadventures.Mostdaysbeganwithalec-tureonsuchsubjectsas“Rootsof theAmerican Revolution,” “The War Be-gins,”“TheSiegeof Boston”and“TheUSSConstitution.”Theselectureswerefollowedbyavisittomostof theplacesmentionedbytheinstructor. An introductory tour of his-toricBostonviacharterbusgotusac-quaintedwithmanyof theareasof thecity.We rode the subway together andwalkedpartof theFreedomTrailfromBoston Commons to the Old StateHouse.Visiting thePaulReverehousebroughtbackmemoriesof thefamouspoembyLongfellow.(Wealsolearned

thatthereismuchfantasyinthatpoem.)Visiting historic Faneuil Hall was en-hancedbyatalkbyaNationalParkSer-vice ranger.We then had free time toexplore the largeareaonourownandtoshopforsouvenirs. Riding the ferry from the citytoourhotelinCharlestownbecameanalmostdailyeventforus.Wehadbeengivena transportationpass,whichwasgoodonthebuses,ferriesandsubways.This was used to great advantage, asBostonisnotadrivingcity,verymuchlikeAnnapolis. If you like to sample a city’srestaurants, historic sites and other at-tractions that can’t be included in ashort program, free time is given forthisoption.Afewof usdecidedtovisittheJohnAdamsNationalHistoricPark,whichincludedatourof thebirthplacesof bothJohnAdamsandhisson,JohnQuincyAdams.A docent led the tourof theprincipalhomeof JohnandAbi-gailAdams.If youhaveevertouredtheWilliam Paca or Hammond Harwoodhistorical homes in Annapolis, youwouldprobablyrecognizemanyof theartifactsinthehomes. Other members of the groupchose tovisit theJohnF.KennedyLi-braryorjustexploremoreof thecityontheirown. Rounding out this very busyandeducationalfivedayswasavisittoBunker Hill, which you may remem-berfromyourhighschoolhistorydaysas the place where the famous order,“Don’tfireuntilyouseethewhitesof their eyes,” was given. Following thisvisitwasabustriptotheimportanthis-torictownsof LexingtonandConcord.This excursionwas preceded by a lec-tureontheroleof boththesetownsatthebeginningof theAmericanRevolu-tion. On the last morning of our

program, we took a narrated tour of the Charlestown Navy Yard, wheretheUSSConstitution (known as “OldIronsides”)isdocked.Thisshipisargu-ablycalled“themostcelebratedshipinAmerican history.”One of theNavy’sfirstvessels,itwaslaunchedinOctober1797asaprotectionforAmericanmer-chantships. Wehadaveryintensivetourof the USS Constitution given by an en-thusiastic, knowledgeable young navalofficer. Weclimbedupanddownlad-dersandduckedourheadsdue to lowclearances, just like the sailors of daysgoneby. Avisit to theUSSConstitu-tionmuseumwasagoodendingtothetrip,allowingustimetodigestwhatwehadlearnedandtobuylast-minutesou-venirs. If youareanaficionadoof theAmerican Revolution, and enjoy im-mersing yourself in history, this pro-gram is a short, intenseway to satisfytheseinterests.

Peggy grew up in the Philadelphia and An-napolis areas and has been a docent in historic homes in Annapolis. Returning often, she now lives in Escondido, Calif., and can be reached at [email protected]

Boston’s Walk into the Revolution:A Historical Short Getaway

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My daughter advised me that she and her husband have agreed to separate. I am saddened by the news and also concerned that my husband and I may not be able to continue our visits with our grandchildren. What can we do?”Worried Grandparents

Dear Worried Grandparents: Before taking any legal action,you need to determine whether you andyourhusbandwillbedeniedaccesstoyourgrandchildren.Youmaybeabletoworkouta visitation schedule with the parents. Infact, theymaywelcome your invitation sothattheycanpursueactivitiesontheirownwhile their child iswith trusted caretakerslike yourselves. If you are unable to agreeonavisitationschedule,maybetheparentswouldagreetoseeamediatorinanattempttoobtainavisitationagreementwhichisacceptabletoallparties. If mediation fails aswell, youdohavearighttoseekrelief fromthecourts.Since 1991, Maryland grandparents havehadastatutoryrighttofileapetitionseekingreasonablevisitationwithagrandchild.Thatdoesnotmean that the court is bound tograntyouvisitation.Rather,youjusthaveaforumtopresentyourrequestforvisitation. AlthoughMaryland’s grandparentvisitationstatuteallowsacourttoconsiderapetitionforreasonablevisitationbygrand-parents,andthepowertograntsuchvisita-tion if it finds visitation to be in the bestinterests of the grandchild, grandparentsvisitation rights are not mandated. Sincethe passage of the grandparents visitationstatute, Maryland courts interpreting thatstatutehaveheldthatgivenparents’consti-tutionalrighttomakedecisionsconcerningthecare,custodyandcontrolof theirchil-dren,thegrandparentmustfirstprovethataparentisanunfitperson,orthatexceptional

giftingwill impactyour taxsituation. Gifttax laws affect the person who is givingthe gift, not the person receiving it. Al-thoughmostpeoplegivinggiftsdonothaveto pay taxes on the gifts that they give, itis important that you understand gift lawswhen making gifts. That is, a gift by youtoyourgrandchildoranyoneelse,in2011,whichdoesnotexceedthesumof $13,000or$26,000 for jointgiftsgivenbymarriedcouples,willnot count as a taxablegift tothegiver,nordoesagifttaxreturnhavetobe filed. Furthermore, under current law,eachindividualmaymakeupto$1milliondollarsintotaltaxablegiftsduringhisorherlifetime,beforepayinggifttaxesonthetax-ablegiftsdistributed. Youalsoneedtoconsiderwhethergivingtoonegrandchildandnototherswillaffect your overall estate plan. That is, doyouwanttotreatallof yourgrandchildrenequally? If youdecide thathelping topayforyourgrandchild'scollegeeducationisanacceptablechoiceforyou,thereareanum-berof ways todo so.One suchoption isto establish a 529 college savings plan foryour grandchild. There are generally twotypes of 529 plans offered by states. Forexample, Maryland offers a Prepaid Col-lege Trust 529 Plan and a College Invest-mentPlan.Before investing ineitherplan,however,youshouldvisitthewebsitewww.collegesavingsmd.org andconsultwithafinancialplanner.

Valerie A. Rocco, is an estate planning, probate and elder law attorney with more than 30 years ex-perience. Her responses to these questions are based upon Maryland law. Ms. Rocco may be contacted at 410 266-1009 (Annapolis) or 410 997-4228 (Columbia), or visit her website at www.Senior-sAdviser.com

This site provides information about the law. Legal information, however, is not the same as legal advice about your specific circumstances. We try to be accurate and useful. We strongly recommend that you consult a lawyer to find out what is appropriate to your particular situation. We are not giving specific legal advice to you. These answers do not create an attorney-client relationship.

Legal Advice

circumstancesexistwhichindicatethatlackof grandparent visitation would have adeleteriouseffectuponthechild,beforeachild’sbestinterestsareconsidered. Inlightof thathighhurdle,itmaybeadvisableforyoutoattempttoreachavisitationagreementwithyourgrandchild’sparents.

My granddaughter recently advised me that she in-tends to become a doctor. I am thrilled for her, but wonder how her parents will be able to afford to send her to college and medical school. How can I help? Concerned Grandmother

Dear Concerned Grandmother: I can understand your desire tohelp. Unless a grandchild's parents arewell off, financial help from grandparentswillmost likelybewelcome.AccordingtoCollegeboard.comtheaveragecosttoat-tendapubliccollegein2009and2010,was$7,020,andthecosttoattendaprivatecol-legewasconsiderablymoreexpensive,av-eraging$26,273ayear,withmedicalschoolrunningappreciablymore. Before you agree tomaking giftsfor your grandchild's education, however,you need to consider your own financialposition,aswellasthetaxramificationsof thegiftsandyouroverallestateplan. First consider whether you havethe financial resources you will need tomeetyourfutureexpensesandstillcontrib-ute toward your grandchild's college edu-cation.If youdeterminethatyoudo,thenyouneedtoconsiderhowgivingmoneytopayforyourgrandchild'scollegeeducationwillaffectyourtaxsituation. Once you have determined thatyou have the financial resources to meetyour future expenses then consider how

Unless you’re driving - quit looking through the rear view mirror


By Leslie J. Payne We were going to celebrate! Myhusband and Iwere on our sailboat, an-choredinoneof ourfavoriteanchorages.WeplannedtocommemoratemybirthdayandourarrivalinLongIslandSoundwithmarinatedchickencookedtojuicyperfec-tion on our grill. It would be a meal toremember! And it was. A sudden squallforcedustorunthemotoranddriveintothewindsowewouldn’tdraganchor.Aswe sat in thecockpit,pummeledby rain,weatecoldbeansoutof thecan.Definite-lyabirthdaydinnertoremember. When Richard and I joined in amid-lifemarriage,Ibecamea“Mrs.”anda “first mate.” It’s been a wonderful ad-ventureand,attimes,anunexpectedchal-lenge.If youareconsideringaddingaboat–oracaptain–toyour life,allowmetoshare a few things I’ve discovered alongtheway.LEAVE SCHEDULES ON SHORE.Onaboat,thebestwaytogetintoabadsituation is to have a schedule youmustkeep. Weather is to be respected. If astormiscomingortheheatistoomuch,don’theadout.Aweatherradarsystemisworththemoney.Onafour-monthcruise,wenevergotcaughtinbadweather.Iwas

grateful.Here in Annapolis where theChesapeakehazepreventsgoodweath-er watching, having weather radar istrulyvaluable.HAVE A GOOD STASH OF BOOKS AND GAMES.OnethingIlovemostaboutcruisingishavingtimetoread.It’stheperfectformof entertainmentwhileatanchor,undersail,orwaitingfortheweathertoclear.Manyyachtclubsandwaterfronttownshavebookexchanges:leaveabook,takeabook.It’sagreatwaytoaddreadingvarietyatnocost.TakealonggameslikeBananagrams,backgammonorcardstoaddsomefuntorainydays.Asalastresort,aDVDplayerandagoodmovieareagreattreat.ENJOY THE TEAMWORK.Timeon a boat takes teamwork and can begreat for strengthening your relation-ship.Agoodcaptain isknowledgeableandincharge,notascreamingmaniac.If a docking endeavor didn’t go well,discuss how you both could handle itbetternexttime.Consulteachotherondecisionslikedestinationsandexpensessobothpartnershaveownership.AS FIRST MATE, STAND BY AND LEARN.Atleastbefamiliar

withhowtheengineshouldsoundandlook.Duringonecruise,wewereplaguedwithengineproblems.Myhusbandcouldnothearthehighpitchsoundsindicat-ingsomethingwaswrong.Iheardthesqueaks,knewitsoundeddifferentandspokeup,preventingabadsituationfrombecominglifethreatening.WHEN TOGETHER, ALLOW SPACE.Livingonaboatformonthsatatimeorjusttheweekendbringscouplestogether,sometimescloserthanyou’dlike.Giveeachotherspace,evenwhileyou’restillinview.Listentothewaterandwind.Letnaturetalktoyou.Whenyoudotalktoeachother,cheereachotheronandgivegracewhenneeded.FOOD TASTES BETTER IN THE COCKPIT. Itdoesn’treallymatterwhatyou eat, everything tastes better eaten inthe cockpit. Keep food simple. Preparewhatyoucanbeforeleavinghomeorthedock for an easier mealtime. Salads onwindydaysdonotwork.Kidswithchoco-latechipcookiesusuallyleaveamessun-derfoot.Foodusuallyservedhotcantastefinewithout thewarmth,especially if it’shotoutside.Andnothingbeats a cupof fresh coffeewhilewatching themorningmistonthewater.

Confessions of a First Mate: THINGS I LEARNED ALONG THE WAY


ADAPT TO PHYSICAL CHAL-LENGES.If youlivewithachesandpainsathome,they’llbealongwithyouonthewater.Boatingstressesthebodyasyouworktokeepbalance,leandownintotherefrigeratororhelppullupthesails.Livingwithchronicpain,Icon-tinuallyneedtoassesshowmybodyishandlingboatlife.TAKE MEDICATIONS ON SCHEDULE. Addextrafoampaddingorpillowtopcoverstoyourbunkforsleepcomfort.Taketimeforstretchesandmassage.Allowtimeforrest,tositandwatchwhat’saroundyou.Letyouracheshelpyouslowdowntoappreciatethejourney,notjusthurrythroughit.USE YOUR SENSE OF ADVEN-TURE. Things that seem routine athome,maytakeonasenseof adventure.Manycruisingboatsdon’thavefreezers,so a walk into town for ice cream be-comesagrandevent.Otherthingsarefarfrom routine, like going up themast. Idon’tlikeheights,sothefirsttimeIwentupforarepair,IpretendedIwasonTheAmazingRace,arealityshowwherecon-

testants complete daredevil challenges.It worked, and I’ve been up themastseveralmoretimessince!KEEP YOUR SENSE OF HU-MOR. The noon heat was intense,the flies abundant and the wind non-existent.Ourenginehadfailedandwewereadriftonthebrownwaterof theDelawareBay.Our towboatwasmorethananhourfromarriving.Mypositiveattitude evaporated, unlike the sweatstreamingdownmybody. With another swingof theflyswatter, Richard calmly commented,“WhendidourbeautifulNewEnglandcruise turn into the African Queen?”Hisgentlehumorcausedmetocollapseinto giggles at ourmiserable situation.Itwould have been somuch easier tocurse and complain, but his good hu-mor helped lighten our load. A kindword, a quick joke and a lightheartedattitude canmake all the difference intimesof stress.APPRECIATING THINGS AT HOME. Duringwinter,our1,100-squarefoothomecanbeginto

feelcramped.Aftertimeoutontheboat,wereturnandourcondohasgrowntopalatialdimensions.Thelasttimewelivedaboard,groceryshop-ping took some effort.We climbed in thedingy,motored to shore, walked amile tothestore,shopped,loadedourgroceriesintobackpacksandourlittlecart,hikedthemileback,loadedupthedingy,putteredbacktotheboat, andunloadedgroceriesonboard–allwhileitwasraining.Ittookeffort,butwasalsoanadventureweshared.Sincethen,Inevertakejumpinginthecarandrunningtothestoreforgranted.ENJOY THE MOMENT.Eachday,trea-suresaboundonthewater:fascinatingwild-life,artisticsunsets,mistymorningsunrises,perfectsailingconditions, townstoexploreandpeopletomeet.Eventhingsthatdon’tgoasplannedmake foragoodstory later.Yes,itmightbemorecomfortabletostayonland,butwhere’sthefuninthat?Liveyourlife!

Leslie lives, writes and sails from Annapolis. She invites you to visit her blog, “Living With Payne,” at http://livingwithpayne.blogspot.com/


By Cindy Rott Whattheheckisaeuchre?Thosewho know are probably smiling fondlywhile thosewhodon’t knowmightnot --sigh-- ever find out. Commonly played intheMidwest, sometimes even out here inMaryland,thiscardgamewasmostproba-blyintroducedtothiscountrythroughGer-man settlers in Pennsylvania. Rules varyaroundtheworld,buttheAmericanversionusuallyusesonly24cardsof aregularcarddeck: the nines, tens, jacks, queens, kingsandaces. Euchre iseasyto learnandfunwith friends sincebothwittyconversationandastrategicgamecanbehadsimultane-ously. It’s a four-player game, so findsome friends. The goal is to be the firstpartnershiptoscore10points.Thejackof thetrumpsuitisthemostvaluablecard,ajackof thesamecoloristhesecondhigh-est, the aceof the trump suit is the thirdhighestfollowedbytrumpking,queen,tenandnine. Partnerssitacrossfromeachotherand each person is dealt five cards. Theremainingfourcardsareput in thecenterwithonlythetopcardfaceup.Thethreeremainingcardsare‘buried’forthehand.BIDDING Playertotheleftof thedealerhasfirstchoicewhethertoplaythecardinthe

middle as trumpor not, if he declines,thechoicemoves to thenextplayeronthe left and continues clockwise to de-termine who wants to use the face-upcard'ssuitastrump.Regardlessof who“orders”itup,thedealerpicksitupandplaces it inhis hand, and thendiscardsacard. If all fourplayerspasswithout“ordering”thecardup,thecardisturnedover and a second round takes place,again beginning with the player on theleft andgoing around. On theplayer’sturntheymaypickwhichsuittheywouldliketobetrump.If noplayerbids,thecardsareshuffledandredealt.Theques-tioniscanyourpartnershipwinatleastthree hands, also called a tricks. If youdon’t,youwillbeeuchred!PLAY Once trump is established, theplayer to the leftof thedealer leadsbyplaying any card from his hand in themiddle faceup. Agoodstrategycouldbetoplaythehighestcardthatisnotof the trumpsuit. Playmovesaroundthetablewitheachplayerfollowingthesuitof the lead card, if possible. Highestcardof theleadsuitwins,unlessatrumpcardwasplayed.Inthatcasethehighesttrump cardwins thehand also called atrick.Theplayerwhowinsthetrickleadsinthenexttrick.

SCORING The partners that picked thetrump suit score one point for takingthree tricks. They score a bonus point(twototal)if theytakeallfivetricks.Butif they fail to take three tricks, theyare"euchred" and the defenders score twopoints.Itisverybadtobeeuchred,andimmediatelycallsforsomegoodnaturedteasing. Pointscanbekepttrackof us-ingallof thefivecards.Ablackfiveisplacedfacedownontheotherblackfive,samewiththereds.Everytimetheredteamscores,onesuitdesignation isun-covered,untilsomeonewinswithall10showing. Partnerscanalsochoosetoplay“alone”andscoremoreif theyaresuc-cessful.Thesedetailscanbefoundon-line at whiteknucklecards.com I don’twanttooverwhelmyouonyourfirsteu-chreexperience. Thebestway to learnto play is to find someonewho knowshow.Askaroundyou’llbesurprisedwhoknowsandlovesthisgame.

Cindy can often be found through the summer months sitting by the pool playing cards with friends. She can be reached at [email protected]

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY EUCHRE - Not Just for the Midwest


Bits & BytesTo find the best possible price on a purchase, log onto www.PriceGrabber.com or Nex-Tag.com or Google.com/products for a good com-parative list.

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By Tricia Herban Ayearago,JanetLubyassumedtheartisticdirectorshipof theBayThe-atre here in Annapolis, taking full re-sponsibilityforchoosingandpresentingthe 2010-2011 season. Under Janet'sleadership,performancessuchasBeyond Therapy and The Foreigner were quicklysoldoutandthreeoutof thefourplaysfor the season received theprestigiousHelenHayesrecommendation,andac-torBillLargessreceivedaHelenHayesnominationforhisroleinThe Foreigner. Critical acclaim from the region hasbeengenerousandBTCisnowrecog-nizedas“aDCtheaterinAnnapolis.” Going into its 10th year, theBayTheatreremainscommittedto itsself-described mission of “producingplays of superb quality and richnesswhich appeal to audiences of diverseagesandculturesandtogivingworkingopportunitiestotheaterartiststoprac-tice this ancient and beautiful craft.”Thecompanyhasdevelopedstrongre-lationshipswithactorsanddirectorsin

themid-Atlanticregion,regu-

larly drawing on talent fromWashing-tonandNewYork. Lubyisatthecenterof theac-tion, both as artistic director and as aperformingactress. “I try to perform once eachseasontokeepmeintimatelyconnectedtotheart,theatreandaudience.Actinghelpsmekeep a balancewith thebig-ger picture job of being artistic direc-torfortherestof theyear.“Shenotes“Itisaprivilegetoserveinthiscapac-ity,toconnectwiththecommunityandtomeetpeoplewhowant tobeapartof BayTheatreandwhosharethisvitalcommitmenttothedramaticarts.” Looking ahead to the comingseason, Janet says, “I think the seasonwill be somewhat different in that theplayshaveabitmoredepth.Ihavecho-senthemverycarefullybecauseIfeelitisessentialthatweofferouraudiencesthe opportunity to join in the humanjourney and to experiencelife’sgreatmoments.” Octo-ber’s drama,Wit,will be fol-lowedbytwocomedies,Becky’s New Car at ChristmasandLove Letters early in the new year.andtheseasonwillclosewiththe biographical play aboutEmilyDickinson,The Belle of Amherst. New developmentsat the theater include a chil-dren’s showfor theveryfirsttime which will run all sum-mer, a choice of three- orfour-playsubscriptions,tieredpricing, 24-hour ticket or-

T H E A T R E

dering through Instantseats, donorbenefits and a Newsletter, The BTCBUZZ. The Bay Theatre website(www.baytheatre.org) is a convenientsourceforseasonsubscriptionandper-formance information andoffers adi-rect link to Instantseats. And for thevery latest on BTC, Facebook carriescurrentreviewsandfast-breakingnews. With consistent audiencegrowthandfinereviews,TheBayThe-atre Company is moving confidentlyintoits10thyear.JanetLubyhasestab-lishedafinerecord.Asshesays,“The-aterisalivingmediumandourprofes-sional actors bring it to life.Our goalistoenhancethequalityof lifeinAn-napolis,therebystrengtheningtheentireartscommunity.“

Tricia Herban an avid patron of the arts can be reached at [email protected]

The Bay

CompanyAPPROACHES TEN YEARS OF SUCCESS


By Victoria Duncan “So, who do you know, thebrideorthegroom?” Soundslikeanice,open-endedquestion, right? Yup, Sara thought sotoo. She knew that asking questionsthatrequiremorethanayesornowereagood tip for initiating small talk at asocial function. Indeed, this questionpromptedthelongestresponse--sevenwords -- from the guest sitting at herright that she would receive from herfutileattemptsatengaginghimincon-versationattheweddingparty.“Thegroom’sfatherandIworktogeth-er,”heanswered.“Oh,areyouateacheralso?”“Yes.”“Hmmm.Whatdoyouteach?”“Algebra.”“Oh my! That was never my forte!I guess it must be challenging to getthroughtosomestudentslikemewhoalwaysfoundnumbersunfriendly,”shelaughed.“Notreally,”hereplied. These truncated answers con-tinueduntilSaraexcusedherself underthe pretense of getting another drink.She sighed and concluded that it wasgoingtobealongeveningathertable. Atafundraiser,Hollyreportedmeeting a woman who babysat full-time for her three young granddaugh-ters. After listening to 15 minutes of monologuewhilethisguestrecitedeachchild’spotty-trainingandnapschedule,Holly’seyesglazedover.Shegentlyandthennot-so-gentlychangedthesubjectonlytofindwithdismaythatherdiningcompanionreturnedlikeadogfetching

aball to the same topic.Finally,Hollygave up and gritted her teeth throughtherestof thedinnerwhiletheoblivi-ousgrandmotherdronedon. Jim almost dreaded attendingthe communitymeeting that he previ-ouslyenjoyed.Why?Everydarnmeet-ing,Waynewouldbendhisearuntilhewantedtogetout.Wayne,anintelligent,educatedmanwithmuchbusinessacu-men, didn’t knowwhen tobackdownonpushinghisexpertiseandcomingoff as a know-it-all.Whatever the subject,he drownedout any passerbywith hissuperiorknowledge.Enoughalready! By now, you have probablyconcludedthatSara,HollyandJimhaveunhappily been stuck in social situa-tionswithpeoplewhoare, at least forthat moment, tedious and dull. Whatbad luck! Most of us can sympathizebecausewe,too,haveoccasionallybeencaught in similar scenarios that havemadetheeventseemendlessandmind-numbing. Yet, have we ever consideredthatwemightbeinflictingsimilarennuionthosearoundus?Is itpossible thatwecouldbeboring!Ourfirstresponsetothisquestionmaywellbe,“Sayitisn’tso.” But stop squirming and take an-otherlook.Becauseboringpeoplereallydon’tseemtoknowthattheyareboring,it behooves eachof us to engage in aquickinventoryfromtimetotime:DOES YOUR CONVERSATION-AL PARTNER APPEAR REST-LESS OR UNCOMFORTABLE?Pay attention to body language.Whensomeone is conversing, they usuallyturn toward you. If they are fidgeting

andtwitchy,it’sagoodsignthatit’stimeforatopicchange. IS THERE AN ABRUPT SHIFT IN THE CONVERSATIONAL TOPIC?Imagine that during your lengthy dis-courseonthevirtuesof growingexoticorchids, the other person suddenly in-terjects with something like, “So, how‘bout thoseOrioles?”Clearly,mydear,heiseithernotinterestedorsimplynotlistening.ARE YOU HOGGING THE FLOOR? By definition, a conversation is an ex-change of opinions, ideas, feelings oreverydaymatters with another person.Inotherwords, it takes two and thereshould be a rough balance of talkingtime. You may find yourself enthrall-ing,buthoggingthefloorisasurewayto bore someone else to death! Listenmore,speakless.DO YOU GIVE AN ANSWER THAT PROMOTES CONVER-SATION?Think of a social conversation like anextendedtennisvolley.Whensomeonehitsaball toyou, it’syour job tokeeptheball inplay.Lob it into their courtin a manner that encourages them tobounceitbacktoyou.Saythatsomeonepitchesyoualinesuchas,“So,Iheardyou spent three months in Australia.Thatmusthavebeengreat!”Amono-syllable answer such as, “Yes,” stopsthisconversationdeaderthanroadkill.Comeon!!Give‘emsomethingtoworkwith.Thisistheoppositeproblemfromhoggingthefloor,butit’sjustasboring.Doyourpartunlessyousimplydonot

Are You Boring?“A finished person is a boring person.” -Anna Quindlen *

Did you know that inspiration creates self motivation?


“Conversation... is the art of never appearing a bore, of knowing how to say everything interestingly, to entertain with no matter what, to be charming with nothing at all.” - Guy de Maupassant

“I can excuse everything but boredom. Boring people don’t have to stay that way.” - Hedy Lamarr

*

*wishtoconverse.Inthatcase,gentlyex-cuseyourself andgohome.DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR?We know that negativity can be bor-ing,especiallyinsocialsituations.Learnto lighten up. It’s not necessary to bea stand-up comedian, but do noticethosethingsthatamuseyou.Theseareprobably subjects and stories thatoth-erswouldfindentertainingalso.If yourelateashorttalethatcastsyourself ina self-deprecatingmanner, itkeeps theconversation moving and also showsthatyoudonot takeyourself tooseri-ously.That’sanaddedbonus.HOW’S YOUR SUBJECT IQ?Let’sbestraightonthis:Anysubjectcanbeboringif itisriddenintothegroundand any subject can be fascinating de-pending upon the approach and theaudience.However,somesubjectshavemoreboredompotentialthanothers.Ingeneral it’s best to avoid or limit con-versationabouttopicsinwhichthelis-

tenerwillhavenothingtoadd.If you’rein a tete-a-tetewith someonewhohasnograndchildren,neverplaysgolf andis a nondrinker, it’s prettymuch a no-brainer that talking extensively aboutyour latestgolf score, theadditions toyour wine cellar or the new children’sboutiquethatjustopeneddowntownisgoingtocausetheireyestocross. Likewise,waxingonabout thefascinating dream you had last night,detailingyourdog’sskinrashorgivinga meticulous description of the mealyouenjoyedinanobscurerestaurantinTuscany will be a conversational deadend.Your listener has nothing to add.Giveitupandfindanewtopicof inter-esttobothof you. Finally, remember that the artof social conversation is an acquiredskill that takes practice. We all makemistakes at times and most of us areforgiving of themistakes of others --to a point. In our enthusiasm for oursubject,wemaymisscuesthatwehave

crossed the line frombeing interestingtobeinglong-winded.Sometimes,we’resimply fatigued or preoccupied anddon’t have the energy to be engaging.However,dotry toputyourbestcon-versational foot forward andbrushupontheseskills.Stimulatingconversationbringspositiveenergyintoourlives,andthat is something that is never boring.

Vicki can be reached at [email protected]

Bits & Bytes

There may still be time to pick

up a short-term position at a

park, hotel or resort. Log onto

CoolWorks.com Be sure to

check out the category Older

and Bolder.


Bits & Bytes

To help identify that unusual tree

check leafsnap.com on your

computer or download free software

by the same name on your iPod or

iPad. Columbia University, Univer-

sity of Maryland and the Smithson-

ian Institution are helping to compile

this electronic field guide that now

contains many local trees.

By Scudder Sodergreen Here'ssomethingfromthemythicalPandora’sboxthatyouneednotresistwhentemptationstrikes.Pandoraradioisagreatexampleof anInternetradio.Internetradio?It’sara-diobasedoff theInternetthatyoucanuseanywherethatanInternetsignalcanbepickedup. Pandoraallowsyoutolistenonlytothemusicthatyouenjoy,sowiththisinnovativeprogram,youaretheDJ.Bytypinginthenameof asongoryourfavoritemusician,yougetalistof songsthataresimilartothesongyouchoseorsongsbythemusicianyoupicked.Andbestof all,thelisteningisfreefor40hoursamonth. Therearehowever,shortadsof 15to20secondsinlength,everyfewsongs.Fora.99centsubscriptionyoucanlistenwithoutthesometimesannoy-ingpop-ups. Oneof themanyplusesof Pandoraradioisthefastforwardkey.Itsnametellsitall;thebuttonallowsyoutoskipthroughthesongsthatyoudon'tlikeorthatyou'veheardalready.

Unfortunatelythere’saskiplimit.Youcanbypassasongsixtimesanhourandonlyadozenperday.Anymorethanthat,andyouarestuckwithwhat’splaying. Whenyoufindyourself inthesesituations,therefreshbuttoncouldbeyouronlyhope.Whenyouclickthisbuttonitcausesthepagetoreloaditself andstopsthesong.ThisbenefitsyoubecausewhenPandorare-loadsitself anewsongisplayedwhichinturnsolvesyourproblem. Thereareotherannoyances.WhenyousignupforPandora,youwillbeaskedforyourageandgender,amongotherthings.Why?Sotheycanhelptargetthosepop-upadsyouwillgetunlessyoupayforyourservice. AlthoughI’vetalkedaboutPandoraonthecomputer,therearealsootheroptionsforyoutotuneinthisradio. AsIwroteinthelastissue(LateSpring)abouttheIpad,youcouldobtainitonyourAppleproductviatheappstore.Again,asIdescribeditthen,anappisasmallprogramableto

bedownloadedontoahandhelddevicenormallyanAppleorAndroid(anotherbigtechyserver)product. MostBlue-ray(newhighdefi-nitionvideoplayer)DVDplayersnowhavePandoraradioalreadyinstalled,soyouturnonyourtelevisionand,presto,you’vegotElvissingingtoyou,pro-videdthat’swhatyouaskedfor.LadiesthisisagoodwaytogetyourhusbandstogetawayfromtheOriolesgamesoyoucanlistentoyourmusicandtheycanmakedinnerforonce.Gents,if you’retalkedintomakingdinner,it’llprobablygomuchbetterwhilelisteningtoyourPandoraselections. Today’stechworldisallaboutyou.Andtoday’ssocietyisbasedonmakingyourlifemoreenjoyable,andthey’redoingagreatjob.It’snotthewayitusedtobe.(Whenmydadwasborn,hewasstillhuntingdinosaurswithsharpsticks.) Pandorahasreallyoutdoneherself thistime,soit’sallrighttobetempted.

Scudder can be reached at sasodergreen@ aol.com

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WASHINGTON, DCChris Martin: Painting BigThe Corcoran Gallery of Art“PaintingBig” is a three-part exhibition in-corporating large-scale recent works, smallpaintings (on view through Aug. 28,) anda site-specific installation of 26-foot-highpaintingssuspendedinthemuseum’scentralatrium.Martin’sabstractworksreflecthisim-mediate environment and objects as variedaskitchenutensils,records,photographsandPersian carpets. Thus, his art is groundedindailylifeandexperiencesof music,travelandlanguage.PlacedastheyarethroughouttheCorcorangalleries, thesecolorfulpiecescreateanoverviewof ChrisMartin’saccom-plishments.On view:throughOct.23,2011Contact information: www.corcoran.org/visit or 202 639-1700

Susan Swartz: Season of the Soul National Museum of Women in the ArtsEnvironmental concerns are frequently re-flectedintheworkof contemporaryartists,andSusanSwartz’colorfullandscapesdem-onstrateher affection for thenaturalworldandher interest in itspreservation.Acom-mitted environmentalist and producer of award-winning documentaries, Swartz hascreatedthisseriestoportrayherpersonalar-tistic journey,whichisanoutgrowthof the“battlewithenvironmentally-bredillnesses.”On view:throughOct.2,2011Contact information: www.nmwa.org or 202 283-5000

Capital Portraits: Treasures from Private CollectionsThe National Portrait GalleryThisuniqueexhibitoffersaselectionof pri-vately owned works, many of which haveneverbeenonpublicdisplay.Itcoversawiderangeof styles,imagesandstories.JohnSin-gleton Copley,Mary Cassatt, AndyWarholandKehindeWileyareamong those repre-sented.From1750tothepresent,thesecom-missioned pictures show us how intimatelyandpersonallyartanditssubjectsareapartof bothprivateandpubliclife.On view: throughSept.5,2011Contact information: www.npg.si.edu or 202 633-8300

What’s Cooking Uncle Sam? The Government’s Effect on the American DietThe National Archives

Thisunusualselectionof materialsfromthecollectiondemonstratesthemanywaysthatour government has, over time, worked tocontrolthesafety,supply,productionandre-searchshapingtheeconomyof foodandourbehaviorasconsumers.TheDustBowl,war-timeshortages,dangersof e.colibacteria—alltheseissuesandmanymorehavebecomegovernmentalconcernsinresponsetocitizendemands.Whethergovernmentis“watchingus”orprotectingus, such interventionsarehere to stay and these documents offer anopportunitytoseehowthegovernmenthasinfluencednationalopinionoverdecades.On view:throughJan.3,2012Contact information: www.archives.gov or 866 272-6272

Green: the Color and the CauseThe Textile MuseumThis environmentally focused exhibit looksat the way different cultures ”traditionallyassociate the color green with nature andits attributes, including life, fertility and re-birth.”Thetextilesincludepiecesfromtheyear1700takenfromthemuseum’sperma-nentcollectionaswellasworksonloanfrominternational artists anddesigners of today.Theconceptof “green” textileswillbeex-plored both technically and philosophically.Until the inventionof syntheticdyes inthe19thcentury,greenwasoneof themostdif-ficult colors to create.The exhibit exploresingenious solutions of the past as well ascontemporary responses to the textile me-dium.On view:throughSept.11,2011Contact information: www.textilemuseum.org or 202 667-0441

Kandinsky and the Harmony of Silence: Painting with White borderThe Phillips CollectionThis special Kandinsky exhibition exploresindepththe12preparatoryworksthatcul-minated in his 1913 masterwork, PaintingwithWhiteBorder.Inadditiontodrawingsandsketchesthatprecededthework,relatedpieceshavebeenborrowedfromthroughouttheworldfortheshow.Anin-depthconser-vationstudyof PaintingwithWhiteBorderroundsouttheshow.On view:throughSept.4,2011

Stella Sounds: The Scarlatti SeriesThe Phillips CollectionThese recent works by Frank Stella wereinspiredbytheharpsichordsonatasof Do-

menico Scarlotti. The three-dimensional,wall-hung sculptures use thehigh-techma-terialsof coiledsteelandlightweightresintoimplementdesignsrefinedonthecomputer.Stella’s K Series, which these works repre-sent,“movesat thecrossroadsof painting,drawing and sculpture,” beginning a newchapterintheartist’sfive-decadecareer.On view: throughSept.4,2011Contact information: www.phillipscollection.org or 202 387-2151

MARYLANDDivided Voices: Maryland in the Civil WarMaryland Historical SocietyThis 5,000-square-foot exhibit celebratesthe 150th anniversary of the CivilWar bylookingatthreeaspectsof theconflict;theromanticwar(yearone),therealwar(yearstwo, three, and four) and the long reunion(possiblystilltakingplacetoday).Hundredsof rare objects—personal possessions andletters--areusedtoilluminatethelivesof the80,000Marylanderscaughtupintheconflict.Amongthemostnoteworthyobjectsondis-playare:compellingandheartbreakingpho-tographsof theperiodaswellasRobertE.Lee’scampchair,JohnBrown’scarbineandAbrahamLincoln’smemorabilia.On view:throughApril15,2012Contact information: www.mdhs.com or 410 685-3750

Setting Sail: Drawings of the Sea from the Walters CollectionThe Walters Art MuseumFromshiptoshore,viewersof thisexhibi-tionof drawings,printsandwatercolorswillhavetheopportunitytolearnaboutthelifeonshipboardandonlandthroughthe19thcenturyworksbyJean-BaptisteIsabey,PaulGavarni,AlfredJacobMillerandothers.On view: throughSept.11,2011

The Art of the Writing Instrument from Paris to PersiaThe Walters Art MuseumPensandpencilsreflecttheprestigeandplea-sureof their educatedowners—prominentstatesmen,skilledcalligraphers,wealthymer-chantsandwomenof fashion.Thesetoolstakethecraftof metalworkandjewelrytotheheightsof refinementwhileilluminatingtheimportanceof thewrittenwordacrossaspectrumof cultures.On view:throughSept.25,2011Contact information: www.thewalters.org or 410 547-9000

Artview


Maryland in The Civil WarBy William S. ShepardDownload e-book from Amazon.com2011 Asweapproachthe150thanni-versaryof theCivilWar,thislittlee-bookisatimelysummaryof whatwentoninthestateof Maryland. Thestoryistoldinfourmanage-ableessays,anditisriveting. Ididn’tknowaboutthethrillingstory of MarylandGov. ThomasHicks,who in 1861 resisted great pressures tosecede with a political mastery that fewwouldhaveexpectedfromthisDorches-terCountyfarmer.HadMarylandjoinedVirginia in seceding, Washington wouldhavebeensurroundedbytheConfedera-cy. Harriet Tubman and FrederickDouglassarehere,aswellasanaccountof theendof slavery.Readtheastonishedlettersof anEnglishobserverasthemar-ketforslavesbottomsout.AlsoexaminedistheWyeHouse,anEasternShoreplan-tationwheretheplantationlifewaslivedby generations of theLloyd family.The18thcenturyOrangeryisthere,andissaidtobetheonlyonethatstillexistsinNorthAmerica.Now,however,thereligiousrel-icsof theslaveswhobuiltitarenoted. Marylandremainedabitterlydi-vided state, whose sons fought on bothsides.At theBattleof Gettysburg, unitsfromMarylandfacedeachother,andthecolor sergeants of the opposing armieswere cousins from Trappe, Maryland.And, of course, John Wilkes Booth ishere. You decide if Dr. Samuel Mudd’sconvictionwasjust. A great read. Homework atschoolshouldhavebeenthisentertaining.-George Spelvin

FOUNDING BROTHERSBy Joseph J. EllisVintageBooks,NewYork(2002) George Washington, John Ad-ams,ThomasJefferson,BenjaminFrank-lin,AlexanderHamilton, JamesMadisonandAaronBurr.These arevery familiarnames to anyone who is a student of or has an interest in American history.Founding Brothers will probably givemostreaders a very different perspective onhowourcountryevolved, farmore thanwhat is learned in a high school historyclass.JosephEllis,awinnerof thePulit-zerPrize,dividesthebookintosixchap-ters, each delving into a different aspectof therelationshipsof thesefamousmeninAmericanhistory. InChapterI,The Duel,theread-erwillgetavery insightful lookintotheduelbetweenAaronBurrandAlexanderHamilton, which resulted in Hamilton’sdeath. It often is briefly mentioned inhigh school texts, but the repercussionsandaftermathof this importantpartof Americanhistoryisilluminating. InChapter2,The Dinner, Jeffer-soninvitedHamiltonandMadisoninJuneof 1790todiscussthefinancialproblemsfacing the new nation.Does this soundfamiliar? It gave an interesting insightintothethoughtprocessesof thesethreeimportant men in the founding of ourcountry. Jefferson and Hamilton weremembers of Washington’s cabinet, andMadisonledsouthernCongressmenwhoopposedthesuggestedfinancialplan. Chapter3,The Silence,delvesintothe subject of how slavery was coveredupandnotacknowledgedaspartof thegovernment’s formation. The dividedthinking of members of the new Con-gressmightmakethereadercompareittocurrent impasses inourgoverningbody.

Since almost 700,000 of the populationwereslavesin1790,thiswasaverytouchysubject, made so by the expected differ-encesof opinionof southernandnorthernlawmakers. Chapter 4, The Farewell, gives thereader a deep insight into the thinking of GeorgeWashington,andinthehighesteeminwhichhewasheldbyalmost allof theAmericans,includingthepoliticians.Whenheiswritinghisfarewellspeechafterdecid-ingnot to run again forpresident,wegeta good insight intohis thinking about thefutureof thenationhehelpedform. InChapter5, The Collaborators,webegintoseetheformationof twopoliticalparties,theFederalistsandtheRepublicans.InGeorgeWashington’s two termsof of-fice,thisdidnothappenuntilwellintothesecond term, and Washington managedto keep himself above partisan bickering.Nowthejobof findingasuitablereplace-mentforWashingtonbegan.Hehadmadeitclearthathewasnotrunningforathirdterm. The four names topping everyone’slist was not surprising: George Washing-ton, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams andThomasJefferson.Of course,Washingtonwas out of the running and Franklin wasdead and gone. That left Adams and Jef-ferson. This chapter gives the reader aninsight into the politicalmaneuvering thattookplace inchoosing thenextcandidate.JamesMadison takes an importantpart inthesenegotiationsandtheorchestratingof theprocess,manytimesbehindthescenes,asdoesAbigailAdams, theverypoliticallyadeptwifeof JohnAdams.It is incrediblefor us to think of the president and vicepresidentbeing fromdifferentparties,butthat is what transpired, with John AdamsbeingelectedpresidentandThomasJeffer-son,vicepresident.Almostallthedisputesover both domestic and foreign policy inthe 1790s found these two on differentsides.Thismade for an “interesting” timeinAmericanhistory.Chapter6,The Friendship,coverstheregain-ingof the lost friendshipbetweenAdamsand Jefferson. They had been friends formanyyearspriortoAdam’spresidencyanditwastimetohealthewounds.AbigailAd-amsagainhasapartinthishealingprocess.Afewyearsaftertheyretired,theletterwrit-

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ingbeganbetweenthesetwodistinguishedandsavvymen.Theystilldisagreedonmanyissues,butitbecomesquiteevidentthattheemotionalbondsandtheoldfriendshipre-coveredduringthelastyearsof theirlives.The oft-cited irony lingers: Adams andJeffersondiedon July 4, 1826,withinfivehoursof eachother,and50yearstothedayaftertheDeclarationof Independencewassigned. MostpeoplelivingintheWashing-ton,DC/Annapolisareawillbeabletore-latetomanyof theeventsandplaceswherethey occurred. Although onemust realizethat this was written by one historian, hebacks up his statements with letters andnewspaperaccountsfromthatera.Itmaywellchangethereader’sopinionof someof ourfamousfoundingleadersandgiveadif-ferentinsightintoAmericanhistory.-Peggy Kiefer

THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration By Isabel WilkersonRandomHouse,NewYork(2010) Fifteenyearsand1,200interviewswent into The Warmth of Other Suns. Thebookisanamazingaccomplishmentasavi-tallyengagingtaleof threelivesunitedonlyintheblacknessof theirskinsandtheheart-feltconvictionof theirworthashumanbe-ings.This led themto leave the JimCrowSouthinorderthattheirchildrenmightatlastbefree.Thesepeople,twomenandonewoman—aporter,asurgeonandahospitalaide—risked their lives to leave theSouth.They arrived in New York, Los AngelesandChicagopoorandunsophisticated,butbraveanddetermined.Theyweretypicalof the4millionblack“immigrants”whowentNorthbetween1900andthe1950s.Atfirst,they crowded in with families from theirhometowns.Theykepttheirlanguageandaccents, foods and folk customs, and sentmoney“home”whentheycould.Theytookjobsnooneelsewouldtouch,workedhardand graduallymoved “up.”Their incomessurpassed those of northern-born blacksandtheirmarriageslastedlonger.Theirchil-drenadvancedbeyondtheirnorthern-bornpeersandtheygrewuptakingforgrantedafreedomunimaginableinthelandof lynch-

ingthattheirparentsleftbehind.ReaderswillnotforgetthisPulitzerPrize-winningauthor’sthreeheroes—GeorgeSwanson,IdaMaeGladneyandRobertFoster,M.D.-Tricia Herban

THE PIANO TEACHERBy Janice Y.K. LeeThePenguinGroup,NewYork(2009) The name of this novel, The Piano Teacher, does not indicate the truenature of the story. The fact that oneof themaincharactersisapianoteacherdoes not make much difference in theplot,excepttointroducethereadertoheremployersVictor andMelodyChen andtheirdaughter,Locket,who is thepianostudent.AcharmingEnglishmannamedWill Truesdale, is also employed by theChens, andheproves very important totheplot. The tale zigzagsback and forthbetween the early 1950s and the early1940s,sooneiscorrecttoassumeWorldWar II has a large role in the story andthecharacters.ClairePendleton, thepia-noteacher,beginsthenovelin1952asanewlywedwhohasmovedtoHongKongwithherhusband.Thisisnotamarriagemadeinheaven,asClairewasnotparticu-larlyattractedtoherhusband,butthoughtshecouldn’tbe“picky.”Inthispartof thestoryweareintroducedtotheEnglishinHong Kong, enjoying the good life of partiesandsocializingWethenaretransportedbackto 1941 where we meet Trudy Liang,an exotic Eurasian, who is romanticallyinvolved with the same charming Eng-

lishman, Mr. Truesdale. One must keepremembering inwhichdecade the story istaking place. Within six months after wefirstare introducedtoTrudyandWill, theJapaneseinvadeHongKong.Thisiswherethe story becomes more interesting anddelves deeply into the cruelty with whichtheJapanesedealtwiththeChinese,EnglishandAmericanswhoareinthiscountry.Jan-iceLee,whowasbornandraisedinHongKong,doesarivetingjobof conveyingthefearandturmoil.Manyof theresidentsaretaken to a compound, which would nowbecalledaconcentrationcamp.Here theywere separatedbynationality and the truenatureof thecharacters is revealed.Somearebrave, some foolish, some treacherousand self-serving andotherswhodowhat-ever they can tohelpothers.Trudy isnotputintothiscampsincesheisEurasian,butshedoeswhatshecantohelpWill,whoisinthecompound. Back to the 1950s,we go for theendof thenovel.TrudyhasdiedinHongKongandWillisnowinvolvedwithClaire.Thereisatwistattheendof thenovelthatwillkeepyourattention. One interesting note that somereviewersmade aboutThePianoTeacher,andone that Iagreewith, is thatnoneof thecharactersareparticularlylikeable.Thiswashardforme,asIenjoy“gettingintotheskin of ” at least one character in a book.Butlearningaboutapartof WorldWarIIthatmostAmericans knownothing aboutwasthebestpartof thisbook.Itgivesthereaderagreatdealtothinkaboutanddigest.-Peggy Kiefer


Bay Health F I B ER

By Elle Curtain Fiber is a funny thing to talk about. Here’swhy. When you hear theword,fiber,whatpopsintoyourmind?Prunejuice?Beans?Metamucil?Whatyouprobablydon’tknowaboutfiberisthatitdoesawholelotof wonderfulthingsforthebody,inadditiontopromotingdigestivehealth.Adequatefiberintakehasbeenshowntocontributetoweightlossandmaintenance,lowercholesterolandbloodsugarlevelsandmayreduceriskof colorectalcancer. The funny thing is,fiber isgood forourbodiesbecauseof onesimpleproperty:wecannotdigest it. Itmightseemcounterintuitive that thebodyben-efits fromsomething it cannot“use.” Fibrous foodshelpwithweightmanage-mentandweightlossbecausetheytakelongertochew,havefewercaloriesthancomparable amounts of food and slow digestion. All of these things increasesatietyandhelpcontrolhowmuchweconsume.Sloweddigestionalsoleadstoslowedabsorptionof sugarwhichhelpskeepbloodsugarlevelsincontrol,too.Whenmixedwithwaterintheintestine,solublefiber’sgel-likeconsistencyisthoughttopreventabsorptionof cholesterolintothebloodstream,whichmakesitanaturalformof protection against heart disease. The best part is, fiber does all of this whilesupportingahealthygut. Withallof thebenefitsof fiberyouwouldthinkwewouldbeconsumingtonsof thestuff.Nottrue.Grocerystoreshelvesareoverwhelminglystockedwithprocessedfoodswhicharestrippedof nutrient-richfiberduringprocessing.This,combinedwithourloveformeatandpotatoesinthiscountry,makesmeetingthedailyrecommendationsachallenge.TheaverageAmericanconsumeslessthanhalf of therecommendedamountof dietaryfibereachday.AccordingtotheAmericanDieteticAssociation,weshouldbeconsuming25to35gramsof fiberperday,butonlyconsumeabout8to15gramsdaily.

Elle is a student at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Visit her on her blog at www.nutritionella.com where she publishes delicious recipes, kitchen tips and exercise inspiration, all with a touch of style.

Want to increase your fiber intake? Here are some simple tips to fit more fiber into your diet. Write a fiber-friendly grocery list. Writing down high-fiber foods will remind you to put them in your shopping cart.

Here are some to get you started: FRUITS: berries, dates, prunes, dried apricots, apples, pears, peaches and orangesVEGETABLES: spinach, broccoli, peas, green beans, Brussels sprouts, romaine lettuce GRAINS: oats, bran cereals, whole grain breads, brown rice, whole wheat couscousLEGUMES, NUTS AND SEEDS: beans, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, pecans.Refrain from refined grains. Making these simple substitutions will add lots of fiber to your diet. AT BREAKFAST: choose bran flakes, shredded wheat, old-fashioned oatmeal, bran muffins, whole wheat breads including bagels and English muffins instead of corn flakes, rice cereals, instant cereals, muffins, bagels and English muffins made with white (refined) flourFOR LUNCH AND DINNER:choose tortillas, breads, pizza dough and pastas made from whole wheat flours, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa and whole wheat couscous instead of products made with white (refined) flour, white rice and non-whole wheat couscousFill up a fruit bowl. Fruits are a great high-fiber snack and you’ll be more likely to grab one for a snack if it’s in sight.

THE FUNNY THING ABOUT FIBER

It’s not too late to give up your history and start fresh

Fibrous foods help with weight management and weight loss


Ingredients1 cup whole wheat couscous (the fiber is in the couscous, so stick to whole wheat)1 cup water2 cups fresh spinach1/3 cup crumbled feta1 medium tomato, seeded and diced1 Tbs. olive oil1/8 tsp. saltpepper to taste

DirectionsBring water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and immediately add spinach, followed by the couscous. Adding the spinach first will help it to wilt faster. Quickly stir, cover and set aside for 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, combine tomato, olive oil and a few dashes of salt and pepper in a separate bowl.Fluff couscous with a fork, add tomato and crumbled feta and mix until combined.

GREEK COUSCOUS SALAD

Ready to take the next step? Try this s imple and delicious high-fiber dish this summer and experience how good f iber can taste.


By Priscilla Hart I have tossed and turned instale smoke-filled hotel rooms in pre-glasnost Soviet Europe, fought off nighttimemosquitosquadronsinItaly’sscreen-less pensiones and slept on theSahara’sscorpion-infestedsands. Butnothingpreparedmeasanolder adult for the chemical onslaughtof America’smodernhotels. After years of working andtraveling overseas, attractions in myhomeland beckoned. Two young chil-drenintow,theritualsof familytravelbegan:pilgrimagestoLincoln’scabin,tothecliff dwellingsof theAnasaziIndi-ans,tothecoastof KittyHawk. Thinking that Ihadmasteredthe art of sleeping in challenging cir-cumstances,Ihadnot.Therearealwaysnewlearningcurves,intravelasinlife. Inadvertently, Ihad joined theranks of the ever-expanding segmentof Americans challenged by multiplechemical sensitivity (MCS). Accordingto theNational Academy of Sciences,upto15percentof us(upto50million)arereactingtounprecedentedlevelsof toxic chemical substances we daily in-hale,ingestorhandlewithextremehis-tamine responses and other disablingsymptoms.Likemanytravelers,Ihadoncebeenahardywayfarer.Now,travelhadbecome excruciatingly uncomfortableattimes.InrecentyearsIhavecoughedmyway across the threshold of manyhotel rooms, sneezedmyway throughthe toxic cocktail of potent bathroomcleanersandrisenwithswollenredeyesfrom detergent residues on launderedsheetsandtowels. Inonehoteltuckedawayintherustic woods of NewHampshire, air-

bornemold that seemedasdenseas ablanketforcedmetosleeponthebath-roomfloorwiththewindowopen.NeartheGardenof theGodsinColorado,Icampedoutunderthestarsonmyhotelroom’sbrick-redpatiotilestofendoff the “violet-scented” air freshener thatwaftedabout. As travel companions, mos-quitoes and scorpions hardly seemeddauntinganymore. But change was on the way--helpedbypublicpolicydecisionsbytheCentersforDiseaseControl,publicawareness of MCS among AmericansincludingGulf Warvetsandnewlegis-lation. TwoyearsagoonatriptoWil-liamsburg,Ipoppedthedreadedques-tion to a hotel reservationist over thephone.“CouldIpossiblyhavea roomthat has not been chemically sprayedandcleaned?” Thevoiceresponded:“Oh,youmeanagreenroom?” “A what?” I asked. “A roomwithout the chemicals that make youchoke?”Iwasspeechless.Butwhatreallystartledmewaswhatcamenext.“PleaseholdwhileIputyouintouchwithourAmericansWithDisabilities Act Division.” The what?Somewhere in the Midwest, anotherrepresentativehandling“disabilities”inaccordance with the U.S. Departmentof Justice’sAmericanWithDisabilitiesAct asked me for information. I laterreadthattheADA“prohibitsdiscrimi-nation against people with disabilitiesin employment, transportation, publicaccommodation, communications andgovernmentalactivities.” Iwas thengiven a reservation

inmyfirst“greenroom.”Agreenroomisan individualhotelroomnotchemi-cally cleaned or sprayed for 24 hoursbeforetheguest’sarrival.Sheetingisre-washedinhotwaterbeforebeingused.Milddetergentandhotwaterareusedinlieuof choke-inducingcleaningagents.Guests may also get feather-free bed-ding. I breathed much better airthroughthenight. Greenroomsarenowpoppingup all over the country. But since thegreenroompolicyisdoneonehotelatatime,anddependsuponthevoluntaryinitiative of individual hotelmanagers,theprocess ishit-or-miss.Marriott In-ternationalisthehotelchainleadingtheway. It runs 3,000 hotels nationwide,includingFairfield,RitzCarlton,Court-yardandRenaissancechains.Anothermorerevolutionarytrendis gaining ground: accommodationscalledpureroomsthathavepermanent-ly installed multilevel purification sys-tems.Pureroomsarethebrainchildof Pure Solutions International. If greenrooms are one small step for sleepers,pureroomsareontheirwaytobecom-ingonegiantstepforpublichealth.Tofindoutwherepureroomsaresprout-ing up, including overseas locations inChina,Scandinavia,Indiaandeightoth-er countries, check out the company’swebsiteatwww.pureroom.com Forthechemicallydistressedtraveler, getting some shut-eye at thenextinnshouldgeteasierastimegoeson. Travelers can speed this trend bymentioning it in every reservation calltheymake.

Finally, Relief for the Chemically Sensitive Traveler


Bay Leisure REMEMBER T O R E S T

By Pat Jurgens Rest.It’sawordthatmaynotbeinyourvocabulary,muchlessafavor-itepastime. WeAmericans are gearedtohitthedayrunning,balancingabagelandabananaonthewaytothecar.Wemovefromoneactivitytoanother,eat-ingwhilewalkingordriving.Wemulti-taskwithcellphonesandiPhones,withourworkandlovedoneswhoareonlya breath away. Even if we’re retired,ourTVsandcomputerskeepusuptotheminuteonbreakingnewsacrosstheglobe,reactionsof thestockmarketandthe latest remedies for acid reflux andweight loss. We wonder why we can’tslowdown? And here comes summer, theseasonof theyearprogrammedintoussinceschooldaysasatimetorelaxandenjoypleasurablepursuits.Wearekeento be outdoors in the warm weather,sailingandswimming,gardening,walk-ing and biking. There are picnics andbarbeques toprepare, friends to inviteover,outdoorconcertsandartfestivalstoattend.There’sgolf,baseballgames,fishing and even camping (for thosewho still find it fun to sleep on theground.)

Butthisisthetimeof lifewhenwecanchoose toslowdown, tosmellthe roses and enjoy simple pleasures.Restingmaybe anunlikely inclination,butanapisnotacop-out.It’sajoy.It’sa well-earned timeout, not just whenwe’re exhausted,butwhenwewant tostop our endless rushing around. Inyoga they say a restorative pose inte-grates all the benefits of the practice,i.e.,yourbodymind,andemotions.Youknowhowrefreshedyoufeelevenaftera15-minutepowernap.Whynotmakeahabitof it?Surelythereare15to30minutes in your day when you couldturn off the electronic gismos, shutyoureyesandstretchout. Youcouldalsodecidetocreatea quiet time for yourself first thing inthemorning,if thatsuitsyourlifestyle.Sittinginsilence–resting--isnotjustforintrovertsorthereligious.Itiscalm-ingtotaketimetothinkormeditateorpray, but you don’t need a purpose oraplan.Sittingoutsideinearlymorningalerts you to another world. Youmayhave been unaware of birds calling inthe trees, the sound of wind throughtheleaves,waterlappingatthedockorthehappylaughterof children.Ortakeapauseinthestillnessof afternoon,feeltheairasyoubreatheintoyourlungsortouchthesoftfurof yourpet.If youtryrestingafterdinner,youmayseeashim-meringsunsetoverthebay,orenjoythesight of long shadows across a greenlawn. Or try this:Find aquietplacetostretchout–inareclinerchair,bedor even on a mat on the floor. Closeyour eyes. Focus on your breathing.Thenprogressivelyrelaxthemusclesinyourbodybeginningwiththetoesandmove slowlyup to yourhead.Lie stillandateaseforafewminutesandno-

ticeif anythingfeelsdifferent. Rest isbeneficial toourphysi-cal, mental and emotional health. It’ssomething to be included in our dailylives,notjustwhenwe’resick,butalsowhenwe’rewell.Learningtorelaxandallowingthemindandbodytodonoth-inghassubstantialbenefits. Let’s face it. We may still beabletodomostof thethingsweusedtodo,butittakesuslongertodothem.Wegettiredinoursenioryears.Andthereisnoreasonwhyweneed tokeepgo-ing24/7likeyoungfolks.Atthistimeinour liveswecan take some liberties–dowhatwewant,whenwewant.Per-hapswejustwanttodosomethingforourselves, like relax, rest and revitalizeour being. Balancing activity with restisaprescription for stayinghappyandhealthyinthegoldenyears.

Pat Jurgens can be contacted at [email protected]

Physically - Slows the heart rate- Increases blood flow to muscles- Decreases muscle tension- Reduces pain- Enhances immunity

Mentally and Emotionally- Reduces anxiety and stress- Improves concentration and prob-lem-solving- Reduces headaches- Improves memory- Enables emotions to be more bal-anced

helpful hints

Bits & Bytes

Here’s a quick-and-easy

guide to identify that unusual

bird seen flying through your

backyard. At AllAboutBirds.

org they even have bird calls

so you can identify that elusive

songster that trills outside your

bedroom window at 5:00 a.m.

REMEMBER TO REST


By Neil Moran Astheoldsayinggoes,“somelikeithot,somelikeitnot.”If theswelteringspringcarriesoverintotheBayareasummer,we’llsoonknowwhichof yourgardenplantsisinwhichcamp. If youhaven’tboughtallyourplantsyet,I’velistedafewbelowthatcanstandalittleheat.Fortheplantsalreadyestablishedalongyourfounda-tionorfillingyourflowerbed,I’vegotafewtipstocoolthefever. Mostplants,savecacti,don’tliketheheat.However,therearesomethatcanstandtheheatawholelotbet-terthanothers.Herearefivethatyoucanaddtoyourgardensorlandscapethataremostlikelytosucceedintheheatof thesummer.

Tickseed (Coreopsis):Tickseedisagoodsportinjustaboutanysitu-ation.Itcomesinanarrayof colors,includingyellow,orange,pink,redandcombinationsthereof.Tickseedgrowstoaheightof 36inches.Plantinmoderatelyfertile,well-drainedsoil.Itbloomsmostof thesummer.Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta): Thisisaneasy-to-grow,butshort-livedperennial.However,itdoestendtoreseeditself soyou’llgetalittleaddedbangforyourbuck.Asfarasheattolerance,you’llgetabangoutof howwellitwilldointheheatandhumiditysurroundingtheBay,maybethat'swhyit'sourstateflower.Black-eyedSusangrowsfrom18inchestoover3feet.Geraniums (Pelargonium):Geraniumscantaketheheataslongasyougetwatertothem.Thisbeauti-fulplantismostcommonlyseeninwindowboxesandpatiocontainers,however,thereisalsoanivytypethatspillsoverthesideof apot.Growstoaboutafoothighorhigher,dependinghowyoutrimit.

Mealycup sage (Salvia fari-nacea): Salviasaretoughhombresthatdowellinlessthanidealcondi-tionswhilemaintainingtheirbeauty.It’snativetothesouthwestU.S.,sonowonderitisaccustomedtohot,dryconditions.Purpleflowersadorntheupperportionof thisplantwhichgrowstotwofeet.Moss rose (Portulaca):Livinginhot,dryconditionsdoesn’tmeanwecan’thavecolorinourgardens.Thisplanthasmorecolorthanapinacolada.Itcanalsostandtheheatbetterthanacamel.Thislow-growingannualcanbeplantedinhangingbasketsorusedasaborderplantinaflowerbed.

Help Your Plants Cope with the Heat Noonecansayforsure,buttheLaNinaeffectseemstobethecul-pritfortheextremesintemperatureswe’vebeenexperiencing,nottomen-tiontheviolentstorms.Itcouldmeanahotter-than-usualsummeraroundtheBayarea.If thisisthecase,orevenif itisn’t,therearesomestepsyoushouldtaketohelpyourplantscopewiththeheatof thesummer. “Water,water,water,”saysLoniMoyer,ownerof GardenGirls,LCC,alandscapingcompanyintheAnnapolisarea.“Waterdeeply,butinfrequently,”sheadded.Shealsosaidthatduringreallyhotweather,itisagoodideatobringpottedplantsintotheshade,if possible. Giveyourplantsaboutaninchof watereachtimeyouwater.If usingsprinklers,placeatincaninthemiddleof theareayou’rewateringandseehowlongittakestofillitup.Thenwateraccordingly. Soakerhosesarealsoagoodwaytowater,thebenefitbeingtheygetwaterrighttowheretheplantsneedsit.Irrigationsystemsareanexcellentchoiceforgardensandlawns.These

systemsaregettingalittleeasiertoin-stall.CheckoutLowesforaneasy-to–installirrigationkitthatrecentlywentonthemarketcalledAutoRainLawnGear. Also,youshouldwaterveryearlyinthemorning,if possible.Thiswillallowthewatertosoakinandletanyexcessmoisturedryoff thefoliagewhenthesungoesoverhead.Avoidwateringlateintheday,whichcanleadtofungusproblems,especiallyinhot,humidconditions. Followtherecommendationsforspacingyourplants.Plantsthatarecrowdedtogetherwillnaturallysuckupmorewaterandrestrictairmovement,whichwillencouragefungusandinsectproblems.Also,keepthoseweedsout,whichwillcompeteforthepreciouswater. Applyamulchof woodchipsorgrassclippings.Lightlycoloredmulches(likewhitecedarchips)willreflectthesun’sheatalittlebetterthanthedarkerones.Itmustbeappliedatleastthreeinchesthicktodoanygood.Compostisalsoagoodchoicetospreadaroundyourswelteringplants.Notonlywillithelpretainthemois-ture,itwillfortifyyoursoilwithplantnutrients. Avoidtheuseof blackplasticorlandscapefabric.Thesematerialswillincreasethegroundtemperaturearoundyourplants.Asalandscaper,Iknowtherootsof plantsgettangledupinthesematerials,makingitdifficulttoreplacetheplants,whichironicallycanbedamagedbytheseweedpreventionproducts. If youtakesomeof thesestepstohelpyourplantsbeattheheat,youshouldbeabletotrulyenjoythedogdaysof summerthisyear.

Neil is a horticulturist and freelance garden writer/copywriter. Visit his website or leave com-ments at www.neilmoran.com

BEAT THE HEAT


By Edree Downing Imagine having to dish outadviceonproperphoneor textingeti-quette.Rememberbackwhencourtesywasthenorm?Nolonger.Andit'snotonly your granddaughter who fails toexerciseelementarycivility.Howabouttalkingonthephoneinmovietheaters,restaurants and anywhere that you'restanding in line? Imagine enjoying aneveningoutandyourdinnercompanionisbusytextingorthefellowatthenexttabledecidestohavealengthyconver-sationonhiscell,whichyou'repartof whetheryouchoosetobeornot. Recently we treated a youngfamily member to a day at a footballgame with his friends and were morethansurprisedwhenhespentmostof histimetextingandlittletimeinteract-ingwithhisthreefriendsandevenlesstimeenjoyingthegame.It'ssooutof control that it's now a misdemeanorif your localpoliceofficercatchesyouonthephonewhiledriving.Thisisnodoubt a good thing, as it's probablysavedafewlives.

And surprise, studies are nowshowing that the current generation islackinginsocialskillsbecauseof alackof face-to-faceinteraction.Whataboutallthegoodconversationsyou'remiss-ingandpotentialfriendswhoarebeingturnedoff.Soputawaythegadgetsandrealizetherejustaren'tthatmanyemer-gencies that requireyou tobepluggedinforhoursonend.Getbacktotheen-joyment of face-to-face conversations.There'sreallynothingmoresatisfying.

Bits & Bytes

Can’t quite get the spelling

or definition of a difficult word

like auspicious? Type it into

Google.com and it will provide

the spelling and a definition.

TechKnow Rules1. Turn the phone off or to vi-brate when in public places. It disturbs only you if it vibrates and even then, some phones have an annoying buzz that accompanies the vibration.

2. If you must take the call, answer with, "One moment please." Excuse yourself and step outside.

3. There should be no texting while enjoying the company of friends and family. None! Again, if it's absolutely nec-essary, step outside or into another room.

4. iPods are the bane of every adult’s existence, especially when a young person bops through the room, ear plugs firmly in place, oblivious to what is being said or who is speaking to him. Use of this little electronic wonder should be used only when you are alone.

5. Last summer when my friend visited, she spent most of her time reading a book on her Kindle. It was difficult to get her attention and I was actually thankful when the visit came to an end, having spent so little time chatting with her.

6. Now there's also the iPad that we have to contend with. It's small enough to fit in anyone's purse or briefcase and therefore is always there. If you're at a social event why don't you turn it off and enjoy those around you.

Etiquette

Do you find any satisfaction in living in the past?

Bay TechKnow E T I Q UE T T E


By Matt Herban Towardtheendof summer,Italianpur-pleplumsappearinallthefoodstoresandevensomefarmstands.Thesearethelittleegg-shapedplums—not the roundones. PurpleplumsaretypicallyusedinEuropetocrowntortesmadeof richcakedough,andthisiswhatyouwillenjoywhenyoufollowtherecipebelow. Beforeyoustopreading,this isatorte,not a tart. We're talking about a simple cakedough.Thisdoesnotmeanacrustthathastobeshaped,rolledandfittedintoapan.Rather,thiscakeusesabatter that ismixedup in the foodprocessorandthenpouredintoagreasedspringformpan—muchquickerandeasier!Itisatortenotatart. Andwhywould youmakeplum torte?Becauseitissogood.Therewillbeawonderfulscent throughout the house and you can serveitwarmforbreakfast(howdecadent),coolwithcheeseandcoldmeatsforlunchorasasubstan-tialdinnerdessertwithvanilla icecream. Whywouldn’tyoumakethispurpleplumtorte?

Thissamerecipecouldbeusedwithotherfirm-fleshed fruit – peeled peaches, pears or apples.Justbesuretosautéthefruituntilitissoftened.Otherwise, the fruitwill be likely todryout inthebakingprocessandstillbesomewhatrawinthemiddle.Mat Herban is a lifetime amateur cook who loves trying new recipes, inventing recipes and sharing the results with friends. He can be reached at [email protected]

Bay Dining HE C O OK S !

He COOKSTake Advantage of Summer’s BountyMake a Purple Plum Torte.

Purple Plum Torte12 halved, pitted Italian plums2 Tbs. red currant or apple jelly3 Tbs. brandy

Cover and sauté plums cut side down until just softened and juices are released. Remove from the stove. Cool and drain, saving the sauce to serve with the baked cake.

Pulse till fine in food processor: 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup almonds.

Add to processor 1 cup flour, 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 6 Tbs. chilled butter cut in pieces. Mix until butter is fine. Add 2 large eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp. almond extract and mix until smooth. Butter a 9” spring form pan and dust with flour, discarding excess. Pour batter into pan and smooth with spatula if necessary. Place the plums, cut side up on top of the batter. Lightly sprinkle the cake with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 F. for 45-60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool at least 20 minutes for easy serving. When cool, this cake may be frozen but serve it at room temperature or slightly warmed with a drizzle of the reserved sauce. Serves 8.

Butter can be whatever you have on hand. As this recipe doesn’t use any salt, salted butter is just fine. Use any unsalted almonds, with or without peel attached, slivered or not. It makes no difference, as they will be pulverized in the processor and the peels will not discolor the cake.

Give up the guilt. Do you think hanging onto it will provide a cure?


By Tatiana Beckham The color of your walls canmake or break a room. The questionmost often asked is,where do I beginandwhatcolorshouldIchoose?Thean-sweriseasyenough:Theprojectbeginswhen you identify your favorite color.We all have favorite colors and othersthatwecannottolerate.If yousurroundyourself with colors that attract youinstinctively, youwill be showing yourtrueself andwillfeelmorecomfortablewithinyourownenvironment. If you cannot find a definiteanswertothatquestion,openyourdoorto a wonderful color wheel, nature’smost spectacular gift.Think about themillions of combinations of contrast-ing and complementary colors in youryard,especiallyatthistimeof year.No-ticethemanyshadesof greeninasingletreeandthemanyshadesof blueinthesky.Pickaflowerand see thegloriouscombinationof colors. There is nothing like a newcolor to give a drab and dated spacepersonalityandnewlife.Itisimportanttochoosewiselyaswerespondtocol-orwithourhearts,not justourheads.Color affects life so dramatically, evenaffectingyourmoodandemotions.Toooftenwe surroundourselveswith safewhitewallsor a seaof beige, ignoringthegrandselectionofferedtousbyna-ture. People will often spend thou-sands of dollars on furniture, rugs,drapery and accessories and find thata room doesn’t have that “pulled to-gether” look. Despite all the work,theroomendsuplookingcoldandun-inviting. This is often is a color issue.Whitecreateshardcontrast.Darkwoodfurniture appears darker against white

and accessories seem to float in spaceagainst white. By contrast, the properwall color canunite a room, showcaseaccessoriesandworkwondersforyouremotionalwell-being. Andnowafterhavingdecidedon your favorite color, how does thattranslate to your walls? At the paintstore,selectahandfulof swatchesinacolorrangeyoumightlike.If youarein-terestedinblue,forexample,takehomeallthecolorswatchesinthebluerange.In the room where the color will go,takesometimetoassemblecolorcom-binationsthatarepleasingtoyou.Leavethose swatches in the room for a fewdays,andwalkbynowandthendayandevening,torefreshyourimpressionsof the effect. Eventually you will narrowdownthepossibilitiesandyouwillfeelmoresecureinyourchoices. When you are comfortablewith thebasic color choice, headbacktothepaintstore.Rememberthatatthispointyouarechoosingthebackgroundcolorforyourroom,nothingelse.Howdoyoudothat?Thegoalwithwallcol-orisfindingthemostneutralshadeof yourfavoritecolorthatgoeswithevery-thingyouloveandthatworksasaback-groundforeverythingelse thatwillbeaddedtotheroom.Fromthepalesttothedeepestcolor,eachhasitsmostneu-tralshade.Forexample, if you’vecho-senbluetopaintyourroom,youshouldselectthemostneutralshadeof blueforyourwalls. Paint manufacturers have al-readymadetheselectionof thatneutralshadeforyou.Oneachpaintstripthereare six to eight shades ranging fromverylighttoverydark.Thecolorsinthemiddleareusually themostneutralof alltheshadesonthatstrip.

Atthepaintstorebuytheleastpossibleamountof paintof themiddlecolorsof thepaintstrip.Alsobuysomelarge pieces of construction board.Paintthoseboardsandsecurethemonthewallsof theroomtobepaintedwithpainter’stape.Thisway,youwillbeableto evaluatewhich of those colors youpreferatdifferenttimesof theday.Re-member that lightwill affect the coloronyourwalls. And yes, do paint the ceiling.Leavingtheceilingwhitewillmaketheroomlooklower.If theceilinginyourroomislow,painttheceilingtwoshadeslighterthanyourwallcolor.If theceil-ingof theroomisunusuallyhigh,youshouldpaintitoneortwoshadesdarkerthan the wall color. The very lightestcoloronthecolorswatchisforthetrimandmoldings.Have fun coloring yourlife.

Tatiana Beckham and her partner Jean Phillips are interior designers, home stagers, and e-decorators. They can be reached at STAGING-TO-SELL (410 271-1261), or at [email protected] or visit their website at www.staging-to-sell.net

QUIZ-ACROSTIC 33 Which outdoor concert venue began over a century ago as an amusement park that featured a baseball field, a theater, a dancehall, an electric fountain, and a steam calliope playing “Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home”?

SUMMER ENTERTAINMENT: RAVINIA A. Sahara N. Imbue B. Unloved O. Nicely-Nicely C. Manage P. Maya D. Mouth Q. Echoes E. Enrico Fermi R. Notable F. Ray of hope S. Taco G. Elated T. Ruble H. Nebraska U. Angola I. Two-wheeler V. Vagabond J. Escalade W. Input K. Recant X. Nuthouse L. Tactic Y. Ill-fated M. Atlanta Z. Apple

A WELCOMING HOME: THE POWER OF COLOR

Give up the guilt. Do you think hanging onto it will provide a cure?


By Melissa Conroy Withthenew“FoodPlate”replacingthe“FoodPyramid,”whichitself wasupdatedin2005,Americansnowhaveadifferentwaytotakechargeof theireatingandmakesurethattheyareconsumingabalanced,nutri-tiousdietforoptimalhealth.Bynow,everyoneknowsthatwhatyoueatplaysahugeroleinyouroverallhealth,lon-gevityandweight.Butdidyouknowthatyoushouldbeconcernedwithnotonlywhatyoueat,butwhatfoodsyoueattogether?Simplyput,eatingcertainfoodstogetheratthesamemealcanaffectyourrateof nutritionabsorption,chancesof avoidingcancer,weightlossefforts,andotherhealthconcerns. “Foodsynergy”referstothecombinedeffortsof differentcom-poundsinfoodslikefiber,vitaminsandfats.Somefoodsarebesteatentogeth-erbecausetheyprovidemorenutritionthanif theyareeatenalone.Foraquickrundown,let'slookatsomepopularandbeneficialfoodpairingsthatpackamajornutritionalanddisease-fightingpunch.ORANGE JUICE AND OATMEAL: Thesetwofavoritebreakfastitemsaretwiceaseffectiveatclearingoutyourarterieswhencon-sumedtogether.However,don'tcheatandusesomepresweetenedinstantoat-mealmixtureloadedwithsugar.Cookplainoatmealandaddsomehoneyforsweetness,orevenbetter,trysteel-cutoats.Theytakelongertocook,buthaveawonderful,nuttytastethatcan'tbebeat.Trycookingtheminalmondmilk.

BROCCOLI AND TOMATOES:Men,learntolovethiscombo,becauseitcanhelpreduceyourriskof prostatecancer.GRAPES AND BLUEBERRIES:Trythisfruitduoinyournextsaladsincetheybothcontainflavonoidscalledanthocyanosides,greatforward-ingoff eyeproblemsandpreventingvaricoseveins.PEANUT BUTTER AND WHOLE WHEAT BREAD:If PBJswereastaplepartof yourchild-hood,youcanbringthembackbyreachingforthiscombo.Yourbodyneedsacompletechainof aminoacidsdaily,butitcanbeveryhardtoputfoodstogetherinonemealthatwillac-complishthis.Peanutscontaincertainaminoacidsthatwheatdoesnothave,makingthisaperfectpairing.However,it'sbesttousenaturalpeanutbutterasitdoesn'tusuallyhavesugarorotherstabilizersinit,andmakesuretousewheatbreadthatlistswheatasthefirstingredient.FISH AND GARLIC:If youarestrugglingtokeepyourcholesteroldown,cookingfishingarlicisatastywaytoaccomplishthis,alongwithgivingyoutheimportantmineralsandbeneficialoilsfoundinapieceof fish.Infact,cookingfishwithgarliclowersyourcholesterolmorethaneatinggarliconitsown.BEEF AND CARROTS:Asuc-culentpieceof beef withasideof carrotsisnotonlydeliciousbutalsoboostsyourimmunesystem.ThisisbecausetheVitaminAincarrotsis

bestabsorbedwhenitisaccompaniedbyprotein.Beef alsogivesyouzinc,importantforimmunesystemfunc-tioning.GREEN TEA AND LEMON: Greenteagetsalotof attentionasanimportanthealthdrink.However,addsomelemonandyourbodywillabsorb13timesmoreantioxidantsfromthebeverage.RED MEAT AND ROSEMARY:Althoughnothingsayssummerlikemeatsizzlingonabarbecue,grillingmeatoveranopenflameactuallycre-atescarcinogens.However,rosemarycontainstwoantioxidantsthatsoakupthefreeradicalsinthemeat,help-ingprotectyoufrombothcancerandwrinkles. If youareinterestedinlearn-ingmoreaboutwhatfoodstoeatto-gether,aquickGooglesearchfor“foodsynergy”willgiveyouavarietyof help-fularticlesaboutdifferenthealthyfoodcombinationsyoucanputtogether.Also,therearetwogoodbooksyoucanpickup:Dr.ElaineMagee's Food Synergy andThe New American Diet byStephenPerrineandHeatherHurlock.Theseguidescanhelpyousuperchargeyourfoodsothatyoumaximizethenutri-entsyouget. Inanycase,combiningfoodstogetheroftenmakethemtasteevenbetter.Withfoodsynergy,yourtastebudsandyourbodywillbothbehappyasyouputtogethertasty,cancer-fight-ingmealsthatfuelyouupandkeepyoustronganddisease-free.Startmixingituptoday!

Eating certain foods together at the same meal can affect your health

Mixed Results


Recentlywhilehavingtheunfortunate,butnotuncommon,experienceof beingstuckinanairport,Imadealistof allthethingsIshouldhavehadwithme.(Hindsightisal-ways the best teacher.)While trying to re-maincalmandpatientasourflightwasde-layedonce again, I borrowed a pencil andmadealistof theitemsIwouldbesuretohavewithmeon any future trips. My liststartedwithabackpack:essentialbothforeaseincarryingandtofitundertheseatsothatitstayswithmeafterboardingtheair-plane.

• Snacks like energy bars or packaged trail mix.• Magazines. Read them and throw them out.• Travel games like crossword puzzles or a travel

edition of Scrabble.• Toothbrush, deodorant, extra lipstick, small hair

brush. Who knows when you’ll see your luggage again? If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will.

• Camera with extra battery.• iPod with the ear buds. Have a couple of podcasts or

audio books already recorded.• Pencils, pens and a small blank notebook • Travel clock• Small pillow• Inexpensive throw away raincoat. Can be found at any

Dollar Store.• Light-weight sweater.• $1 bills for tipping.• Bottle of water purchased after going through security.• If you’re lucky enough to have a Kindle or an iPad, this is

the time when they prove to be invaluable.• And most important, all travel paperwork such as itinerary,

trip tickets and maps for the trip tucked into an easily accessible place.

This is what should be packed inside:

TRIP ESSENTIALS


SUMMER TREATS

By Susan Singleton Warm-weathereatingoftenmeanshotdogs,hamburgers,chipsandsoda.Ortherearethepreparedfoodsfromthelocalsupermarketthatareswimminginmayonnaiseandloadedontowhitebread–allof it swimming in preservatives. But summer is also awonderfulopportunitytogetintunewithyourbodyandimproveyoureatinghabits. Itreallyiseasiertoeathealthfullyduringthewarmermonthsthanit isatanyothertimeof year.Theabundanceof freshfruitsandvegetablesandtheoptiontogrillfoodsoffermanytastyalternativestothehigh-fatfarewemightassociatewithsummer.Hereareafewtipstokeepinmind:* Be meat-savvy. Choose leancutsof beef, in-cluding round, sirloin and loin cuts. Tenderize themeat to increase flavor and texture without addingfat.Marinateinsalsa,low-caloriesaladdressing,wineorcitrusjuices.* Go meatless. Vegetarian diets are often asso-ciatedwithamultitudeof healthbenefitsincludinglower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure andlowerrisksforheartdisease,diabetesandhyperten-sion.Vegetariansalsohave lowercancerrates.Chal-lengeyourself afewdaysaweek.* Try variety. Kickup thehealth factorby grill-ingwithvegetablesandfruits.Cookingvegetablesonthegrilladdsflavor.Makekabobswithfruitandgrillonlowheatuntilthefruitishotandslightlygolden.These healthy snacks alsomake it easier to get therecommendedamountsof fruitsandvegetables.* Stay hydrated. Summerheat can causedehy-dration.Wateristhebestoptionwhentemperaturessoar,butyoucanaddslicesof lemons,strawberriesorherbsforarefreshingflavor.Coconutwaterisanexcellenthydrationtoolandisfullof potassium.* Think healthy. Focus on simple snacks that

don'ttakemuchprepwork.Keepfreshberriesintherefrigeratortoaddtosalads,yogurtandicecream.Washfreshgreenbeanstodipinyogurtorlow-fatcottagecheese.Keephealthyextras,likelettuceandtomatoes,inyourproducebin.Tryhomemadepopsiclesbyfreezing100percentjuice.Cutuprawvegetablestoservewithlow-fatdips.* Smoothie as lunch. Replaceahurriedmealwithafruitsmoothy,whichisasnaptomake.Justtosssomefreshfruit,yogurt,coconutwaterormilkinyourblender.Youroptionsforhealthysummereatingarelim-itedonlybyyourimagination.Smoothiesarealsoanexcellentwaytoaddvegetablestoyourdiet.Inordertohelpyouputthesetipsintoaction,afewamazingrecipesfol-lowthatarequick,easytoassemble,travelwellandaresuretoimpress.

Cucumber and Celery Salad with TunaAdapted from Everyday Food.Makes four servings.1 tsp. poppy seeds5 Tbs. rice vinegar1 Tbs. sugar2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil (or sesame oil if you have it)Pinch of ground red pepper flakes2 cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch slices3 celery stalks, cut into 1/4 inch pieces2 cans (5 ounces each) solid white tuna packed in water, drained and flakedKosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.In a medium bowl, stir together poppy seeds, vinegar, sugar, oil and red pepper flakes. (Feel free to adjust amounts to your taste to make sweeter, more sour or spicier.)Add cucumber, celery and tuna. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.Serve immediately. This makes an amazing side to any dish..or double the dish and add grilled tuna steaks for a heartier meal.

Cool Cucumber SmoothieIngredients:1/2 cup cucumber, chopped1 banana1 apple1/2 cup kale1 cup orange juiceCombine everything in a blender. Blend it all until it’s smooth. To make it cooler, add ice.

Kale & Pear Smoothie1 cup green grapes1 large orange peeled1 pear1 large banana1 cup kale1 cup water4 ice cubesChop pear and orange. Blend all ingredients on a low speed for a min-ute if you have a variable speed blender and then blend on high speed. Serve in a glass with a slice of lemon and a mint leaf.

Susan, a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, can be reached at [email protected]

Equal doesn’t have to be the same


Relocation Pros and ConsWe planned to relocate to where our daughter’s family resides, but I’m worried. We’ll see them more often but that has strings. While we’re hap-py to help with child care, we want our own life. What are the pros and cons of living closer to grown children?-- DaveRelocation DilemmaI am divorced and wish to live closer to family but my children are spread throughout the country. I’m considering moving near one child who lives in a warmer climate in a city that I enjoy. However, her siblings feel rejected. How can I win?-- SusanRelocation BluesI moved to Maryland to be near my family. Now, they are being transferred to the West Coast. I’m devastated! Do I follow them again? -- Jane

Thedecisionaboutwheretoliveafterretirementischallenging--asthesequestions attest. Before committing toany life-changing relocation, ponder thepros and cons, the significance of yourfriends’ and family’s presence and yourownhopesforyourretirementyears. Relocating closer to loved onesprovides increased opportunities to in-vestinfamilyrelationships.Thesebonds,sometimes taxed by geography, canstrengthen to a rich source of joy andfulfillment and answer one challenge of post-retirement:theneedtocontinuebe-ing useful and contributing individuals.Deepening family ties can provide bothpleasure and purpose through function-ingasabastionof security,support,fam-ily values, history and tradition. And, asretireesageandneedhelpthemselves,liv-ingnearbyfamilycaneasethestrainandoffergreaterpeaceof mindtoeveryone. On the other hand, this choicepresents some hurdles. Uprooting from

friends,church,socialgroupsandacom-munity where you’ve lived for years ischallenging. The demands of navigatingan unfamiliar town, securing health careproviders and establishing new friend-ships can induce helplessness and evendepression.Retireesfindtheymustrede-fine their relationships with grown chil-dren andmay experienceuncomfortablerole-reversalanddependence. Expectations of all parties, of-tenunspoken,can result inhurt feelingsand misunderstandings. Grandparentsanticipating more togetherness may feeldisappointed when their offspring areotherwiseoccupied.Incontrast,theadageabout the joys of grandchildren, “Lovethemandthensendthemhome”maynotholdtrue.Infact,toomuchtogethernessmayresultinobligation,guiltandresent-ment. Finally,aftermovingandadjust-ingtonewcircumstancesandroles,thereisnoguaranteethisnewnormalwillcon-tinue.AsJanerealized,ourchildrenmaythemselves relocate, leaving us feelingstranded somewhere we never expectedtobe. Overwhelmed and confused?Followthesetipsinordertomakeawell-informed and carefully considered deci-sion:•Examinemotivesandexpectations.Dis-cuss thesewritten pointswith a spouse,trustedfriendorprofessional.• Study your proposed community. In-vestigatethecostof living,medicalcare,climate,recreationalandculturalactivitiesandsourcesof supportforseniors.• Make a compromise. Is there a com-munitycloserbutnottooclose?Livinganhouror twoaway from familymaypro-

vide closeness as well as some distanceandindependence.•Planforcontingencies.If yourchildrenrelocate,wouldyoubehappystayingbe-hind?Wouldyoufollow?• Stay in contact. Former friends, co-workersandotherfamilymemberscom-prise your support system too. Connec-tionsenhanceyourwell-being.•Eventhefield.If youaremovingcloserto one child, kindly, but firmly, explainyourreasonsandvisittheothermorefre-quentlyorforlongerperiodsof time.• Define reasonable, but flexible bou-naries.Reflectuponyouravailabilityanddesire for providing child care, assistingwith house care or repairs, and visitingwhich will enable you to maintain yourautonomy while you promote satisfyinginteractionsandmutualsupportwithyourextendedfamily.•Enlistadvice.Listentofamilyconcernsand expectations and respect their inde-pendenceandlimitations.Theimpactof yourmovewillextendtoallof yourfam-ily--itisnotjustaboutyou.•Heedgutfeelingsandredflags.If un-easiness persists, there is probably justcause. Delve deeper into these warningsigns.•Tryitout.Ashort-termfurnishedrent-alorhomeswapmayclarifyyourchoices.• Support your children’s parenting. If you relocate, avoid being controlling orinterfering. Respect, rather than under-mine, their authority.You’ve raised yourfamily.Now,it’stheirturn.• Be reassured. If you decide againstmoving closer to your family, focus onfostering strong, lifelong attachmentswith your grandchildren. The quality of our interactions ismore important thanmere physical proximity. Deep bondsform with relatively short, but regular,visitsandattention.• Cultivate optimism. Many seniorsrelocate to find rewarding new lives.Shaking up the usual infuses us withfresh energy. At the same time, seniorswishing to remain in their own com-munity will find more support thanever, if that is what they choose to do.

Vicki Duncan is a licensed professional counselor and welcomes your questions at [email protected]


OutLook for the Bay LA S T W ORD S

By Henry S. Parker Asspringflows intosummer, theChesapeake Bay becomes a thick bioticsoupsoteemingwithlifethatasinglecup-fulmayholdmillionsof minuteorganisms.Weexpectsuchwarm-seasonproductivity,knowingthatourestuaryisoneof themostfertileecosystemsonearth.Butwemaynotrealize that the stirrings of this fecunditybeganmonthsearlier,inthetimeof snowandice. Long before winterized pleasureboats shed their shrink-wrap skins, life intheBayemergesfromitschillytorpor.Byearly March the ingredients for the Bay’srich soup are already in place: copiousnutrients, shallow, well-mixed waters, andample sunlight.The result?Apredictable,seasonalexplosionof marinelifethatper-sistsdeepintosummer. Theexplosionbeginswithphyto-plankton—tiny, one-celled photosyntheticorganismsatthecenterof themarinefoodweb. Capitalizing on abundant nutrientsand the growing energy of the sun, theyreproduceprolifically.Soon,denseconcen-trations of pigmented cells—“blooms”—stain the Bay’s waters with a brownish-greenhue.Normally this is a good thing,but more about that later. Sometimes asurplusof nutrientscanresultinexcessivephytoplanktonpopulationsthatscreensun-light from submerged aquatic grasses anddepleteoxygenlevelswhenthetinyplantsdieanddecompose.More than 1,000 species of phytoplank-ton inhabitChesapeakeBay; twoforms—diatomsanddinoflagellates—arethemostabundant. Diatoms live inglasshouses—lit-erally.Thecellsareencasedinashellmadeof silica,thecompoundusedtomakeglass.They comprise two main body shapes—bilaterally and radially symmetric—and abewilderingandbeautifulvarietyof forms.Thecellsmaybesolitaryorcolonial,some-

timesarrayedinlongchains.Theimpor-tanceof diatomscannotbeoverestimat-ed.Theythriveinalltheworld’sseasandaccount for nearly half of the oceans’primary production (the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into organiccompoundsandoxygen,aprocessusu-ally driven by the energy of the sun).Theyareavitallyimportantfoodsourceforothermarinelifeforms. Dinoflagellates, like diatoms,are microscopic, single-celled primaryproducers that are abundant in almostall aquatic environments. Their mostdistinctivefeature isapairof whip-likeflagella that can weakly propel the cellthrough the water. Dinoflagellates arealsoanimportantfoodsourceforhigherorganisms, but they have a dark side.Somespeciesmanufactureaneurotoxin.When these species bloom, sometimesreaching “red tide” concentrations of more than a million cells per milliliter,thetoxinbecomesconcentratedinshell-fish that consume the dinoflagellates.Unwary vertebrate animals, includingfish and humans, that eat the contami-natedshellfishcanbecomesickordie. Overall, however, phytoplank-ton are highly beneficial in marine en-vironments.Theyproduceperhapshalf of the world’s oxygen. They consumelarge quantities of the greenhouse gas,carbondioxide,moderating impacts ontheatmosphere.Andtheyarethefoun-dationof theoceanicfoodweb,provid-ing the major source of nutrition forzooplankton—the animal componentof theusuallytiny,free-floatingorweak-ly-swimmingmarine organisms broadlyknownasplankton. Zooplanktonrangeinsizefrommicroscopic, single-celled protozoa tojellyfish the sizeof dinnerplates.Evenfish and shellfish,when in their imma-ture,larvalstages,aretemporarilymem-

bersof thezooplanktoncommunity. Copepodsare themost impor-tantandnumerousformsof zooplank-ton in the Bay and around the world.In fact, scientists think that they maybethemostabundantanimalsonearth.Thesemicroscopiccrustaceansresembleminiature shrimp.Voracious grazers of phytoplankton, they also feed on de-composing plant material and bacteria.Copepods are so dependent on phyto-planktonasafoodsourcethatgraphsof theseasonalabundanceof thesetwolifeforms often look like sequential, over-lapping bell curveswith phytoplanktonnumbersdeclininginconcertwithbuild-ingpopulationsof copepods. Aszooplanktonfeastonphyto-plankton,theytoobecomepreyforlarg-erorganisms,includingyoungfish.Andyouknowtherestof thestory:Bigfisheatsmallerfishandsoondownthelinetothelargestandmostvoraciouspreda-torof all.Anyguesses? Assummerfadesintofall,phy-toplanktonmayundergoasecond,mini-bloom fueled by a burst of nutrientsfromdecomposinganimalandplantre-mains.Butby lateautumn,withdeclin-ing sunlight and temperature, the Baygrowssleepyagain,storingitsenergyforthenext cycleof rebirth and regenera-tionthefollowingspring.

Bits & Bytes

How about picking your own

vegetables and fruits this

summer? Log onto www.Pick

YourOwn.org to find local

farmers and what produce.

Location, hours and costs are

provided.

THE BLOOMING BAY

There’s a price for not living your dream


QUIZ-ACROSTIC

Directions1.Readthedefinitionsandsupplythecorrectwordsoverthenumberedblanks.

2.Transfertheletterstothecorrespondingsquaresinthediagram.

3.Readinglefttoright,thecompleteddiagramposesatriviaquestion.Wordsareseparatedbyblacksquares.

4.Readingdown,thefirstlettersonthenumberedblanksgivethesubjectcategoryfollowedbytheanswertothetriviaquestion.

145 e

163 q 164 b

19 K

36 g

54 p

73 v

90 i

127 u 128 j 129 m 130 i 131 y 132 c 133 o 134 j

108 i 109 r 110 x 111 s 112 g 113 e 114 w 115 K 116 y

91 f 92 l 93 m 94 n 95 e 96 c 97 y 98 v

74 u 75 t 76 a 77 q 78 o 79 r 80 v 81 y

55 o 56 u 57 l 58 z 59 s 60 t 61 h 62 x

37 v 38 y 39 t 40 f 41 o 42 h 43 u 44 e

20 v 21 b 22 e 23 n 24 y 25 h 26 e 27 c

165 f 166 o 167 z 168 m 169 a 170 K 171 l

146 x 147 v 148 n 149 y 150 t 151 m 152 v 153 h

172 i 173 d 174 t 175 f 176 r 177 e 178 g

154 o

9 g

99 b

117 f

135 g 136 i 137 e 138 s 139 w 140 h 141 z 142 u 143 m 144 o

118 x 119 m 120 i 121 r 122 l 123 o 124 j 125 h 126 b

100 j 101 q 102 d 103 g 104 j 105 y 106 f 107 K

82 b

63 a

45 z

28 p 29 w 30 f 31 b 32 j 33 K 34 a 35 q

46 x 47 c 48 r 49 K 50 n 51 d 52 h 53 q

64 m 65 d 66 e 67 i 68 p 69 l 70 x 71 h 72 c

83 f 84 n 85 r 86 o 87 j 88 a 89 s

10 u 11 b 12 i 13 l 14 x 15 c 16 o 17 j 18 a

155 z 156 e 157 f 158 i 159 v 160 o 161 w 162 p

1 i 2 x 3 o 4 e 5 q 6 d 7 w 8 r

A. Largestdesert

N. Permeate

O. DamonRunyoncharacter(hyph.)

P. Ms.Angelou

Q. Repeats

R. Prominent

S. Mexicantreat

T. Russianmonetaryunit

U. CountryinsouthwestAfrica

V. Wanderer

W.Opinion

X. Loonybin

Y. Doomed(hyph.)

Z. FruitofJobs'labors

B. Disliked

C. Conduct

D. Speak

E. Firstphysicisttosplitatom(2wds.)

F. Possibility(3wds.)

G. Exultant

H. Cornhuskerstate

I. Bicycle(hyph.)

J. Enterbymeansofladders

K. Abjure

L. Maneuver

M. Siteof1996summerOlympics

169 34 63 88 18 76

164 99 82 11 31 21 126

132 47 15 96 27 72

173 6 51 65 102

26 22 113 145 4 44 66 156 95 177 137

40 106 157 30 83 175 117 165 91

178 135 103 112 36 9

125 140 25 71 153 52 61 42

120 158 172 1 90 130 67 136 108 12

17 128 100 124 104 134 87 32

33 170 115 49 107 19

69 92 13 57 122 171

64 129 151 143 119 93 168

84 50 148 23 94

160 154 16 78 166 41 123 3 133 55 86 144

54 68 162 28

101 35 5 163 53 77

48 176 8 121 79 109 85

89 59 111 138

60 39 75 150 174

74 56 43 10 142 127

20 98 147 80 152 159 37 73

114 29 139 7 161

146 70 62 2 14 118 46 110

149 81 105 116 131 38 24 97

45 58 141 155 167

copyright©2011sheilahaak

There’s a price for not living your dream

Quiz-Acrostics: Challenging Acrostic Puzzles with a Trivia Twist, by Puzzleworm due out later this year. Sheila can be reached at [email protected] or visit her web site: www.quiz-acrostics.com


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Documents

OutLook · 2012. 4. 17. · Please enclose your check made out to: Outlook by the Bay, LLC 626-CAdmiral Drive #608 Annapolis, MD 21401 LETTERS to the editor KEEPING TOGETHER Really