By Bob Tagert As I write these notes on April 25th, it is 56 degrees and has been raining and overcast for three days. It seems like spring will never get here and stay. It brought a full frontal assault a week or so ago but was beaten back by winter the next day. Read about it in Road Trip. In Personality Profile you will meet Emro from the Boardwalk Plaza in Rehoboth and learn about his predecessor. In Last Word you can get Miriam Kramer’s take on James Comey’s new book A Higher Loyality. It is with deep regret that Jeff McCord will no longer be writing the Caribbean Connection. He and his wife Martha have already moved back to their native Virginia. Read about his last thoughts of the island and people he had grown to love. Love City…St. John Strong! We hope to find another writer in St. John to continue a ten- year tradition. In Gallery Beat read about the involvement of American University’s Katzen Art Museum’s involvement with the city’s art scene and artists. In A Bit of History read about entrepreneurial women beginning with Margaret Brent of Alexandria. Check out our annual features honoring our mothers and our military. Last month we lost a good friend in Alexandrian Tim Geary. President of Clarke and Sampson Insurance, Tim has been a presence and a force in Alexandria for years. He was also a soul of Rehoboth Beach where he owned a beach house. His love of Alexandria and Rehoboth was undeniable. His favorite picture of his beach hung in his Rehoboth home with the caption, “Is this a great beach, or what?!” “Was Tim a great man, or what?!” Rest in Peace friend. Here is hoping that by the time you are reading this that…
By Susan Seifried More Than a Pretty Picture – Public Art in Annapolis Street art, murals, art installations and photography do more than beautify downtown Annapolis. In many instances, they add meaning and purpose to young lives. Individuals who scratch below the surface of the City’s vibrant public art’s scene soon discover that what goes on behind the scenes in the planning and execution stages is often as impressive as the finished product. Closer inspection reveals a host of individuals who are sharing their talents, vision and enthusiasm to help unlock doors for underserved populations and build cultural bridges around the world. What follows is a brief introduction to some of the many Annapolis artists and art enthusiasts who are giving back to the community – not only by creating beautiful works of art and inspiration, but by enlisting the help of others and showing them how they can do the same. Kirsten Elstner Photographer Kirsten Elstner launched VisionWorkshops in Annapolis in 2001. After working primarily for the New York Times, the International Red Cross and as a photography assistant for National Geographic, she decided to put cameras into the hands of the individuals whose lives she was trying to document and let them tell their own stories. With offices at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis’s Arts and Entertainment District, VisionWorkshops is the creative force behind a series of photography workshops for youth from underserved communities around the world. Alison Harbaugh Annapolis photographer Alison Harbaugh taught photography to youth from underserved areas with VisionWorkshops for about ten years before she launched her own photography workshops, “Fearless Girls Photography” in 2015. Harbaugh owns Sugar Farm Productions, a photography and video production company that she operates out of her Art Farm storefront at 45 West Street in downtown Annapolis. Jeff Huntington In summer 2016, Annapolis artist Jeff Huntington and his wife, Julia Gibb,…
The Old Town Crier made it to the island of Jost Van Dyke in the BVI’s and to the island of Barbados! There seems to be a common theme with these Old Towners – rum and more rum! Lynne Rhoades, Brad & Cathy Bradford, Jack Rhoades, Michele Cumberland & Marty Yeager with the Old Town Crier at the Mount Gay Rum distillery. Taking it on the tour of the distillery in Bridgetown, Barbados, during their winter week vacation with friends. Cheers from Jost Van Dyke and the Soggy Dollar Bar post Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Standing left to right with the Soggy Dollar’s famous “Painkillers” in hand – Charlie, Joe and Chuck Collum were visiting the BVI on a 44’ power catamaran.
The Art of Waterwise Gardening By Melinda Myers Making a few changes in your garden care can yield great benefits. Less time and water wasted means more time for you to relax or entertain friends and family in your beautiful landscape. Water is critical throughout the life of a plant, but deciding when and how much water to provide each plant can be a bit overwhelming. Make this task easier and conserve moisture with these simple strategies. Start by matching plants to your growing conditions. Selecting plants suited to your climate, soil moisture and average rainfall means healthier, better-looking plants and productive gardens with less supplemental water. Incorporate organic matter such as compost into the soil prior to planting. This helps the soil more efficiently absorb rainfall and irrigation water. Less runoff means less water wasted. Adding organic matter also increases the ability of fast-draining soil to hold moisture, extending the time between watering. Mulch the soil with organic materials such as shredded leaves, evergreen needles or woodchips. Mulching helps conserve moisture while suppressing weeds and improving the soil as it decomposes. Plus, you’ll be recycling landscape trimmings back into the landscape and the environment. It’s green gardening! There will still be times you need to lend nature a hand. Sprouting seeds, young seedlings and new transplants need consistent moisture to grow and establish a root system. Most annual flowers and vegetables also need consistent moisture throughout the season. Newly planted perennials, trees and shrubs also need more attention and water than established plants with deeper roots able to absorb more moisture. During extended dry periods, even established plants will need supplemental water. Providing the right amount of water at the right time can be a challenge. Doing it efficiently to avoid wasting time or water can help ensure your…
The Secrets to a Fool Proof Self Tan Learning to apply self-tanner is as much about patience and perseverance as it is an art form. It does not have to be an uphill battle, like learning how to paint the Mona Lisa. It is achievable and a few tricks of the trade will have you looking as stunningly bronzed as ever. Even if you seek out a professional for help, it is important to know what and what not to do. Remember, regardless of your self-tanning fate, it is still better to get that fake bake than to bake in the sun or in a wretched tanning bed. Step 1 – Exfoliate – You must get off all that dead skin before even attempting to point that bronzing bottle at your body. If you do not slough, the tanner will blotch. Pay particular attention to rough spots like knees, elbows, heels, and hands. When choosing an exfoliant, be sure to choose one that is oil-free. Oil prevents tanner from properly penetrating. Step 2 – Prep Yourself – To avoid turning green, orange or any other color of the rainbow, it is extremely important that you prep your skin. Remove deodorant – it can react to the self-tanner and turn your underarms green. Put moisturizer on your eye brows – the tanner can turn them orange. Finally, rub a thin layer of body lotion onto chronically dry areas such as elbows, hands, heels and hands to keep them from turning darker shades of brown. All this will ensure that the tanner absorbs nicely without splotching or streaking. Steps 3 – Dress Accordingly – Opt for less is more. Choose clothing that is not your Sunday best. Keep in mind these clothing items may or most likely will be slathered…
By Ryan Unverzagt May is the perfect month to initiate an exercise program if you have slacked lately. The weather starts to cooperate better which favors more outdoor activities. Walking, bike riding, hiking, jogging, or even rollerblading are fun things to do this month. I encourage you to get outside but if not, I have a great exercise for your core. This one’s called the FitBall Crossover Crunch. I find it helpful to use a ball that is a size smaller than the one you normally would use. A 65cm ball is my usual size, however, I’m using a 55cm for this exercise because a smaller ball will keep you closer to the ground for stability. You need your opposite hand and foot touching the floor while performing this exercise. If a bigger ball is used, you might not be able to reach the ground and there’s a good chance you’ll fall off! To start, lay on top of the ball with it placed on your mid-to-low back. The ball should curve along the lumbar and lower thoracic vertebrae. Keep your opposite foot and hand in contact with the floor while the other leg is straight and parallel to the ground (figure 1). You should have your other elbow bent with the hand behind your head. Bring your elbow toward the opposite knee (from the straight leg) to “crossover” to the middle. Focus on contracting your abdominals to help bring your shoulder toward the center for a slight rotation (figure 2). During this movement, the ball should not roll. To finish, slowly release tension on the abs to bring your elbow and leg back to the start position. Finish 20 reps with the same side before you switch to the opposite arm/leg combo. Don’t try…
Bored Pooch? Consider Doggy Daycare If you occasionally come home after work and find your dog has chewed on some clothing or Dave Reynolds, PhD, is a military psychologist. He has adopted two cats with medical needs from KSC, Tutu, who suffered from panleukopenia, and Ms. Sissy, who is diabetic. furniture, has pulled up some carpeting, or pulled the drapes down, your dog-child might just be bored. For dogs, as with humans, boredom can sometimes breed destructive tendencies. But dogs don’t really mean to cause any level of destruction. They aren’t retaliating for your having left them alone. They’re just seeking stimulation. To a dog stuck indoors with little to do, rooting through garbage, running around the house, or chewing anything available are attempts at self-stimulation. For those fenced or chained outside, digging, eating grass, and incessant barking also work to relieve boredom. Dogs, like humans, also combat boredom by eating. Indeed, boredom is a main culprit of obesity in both our species. Some dogs destroy things not because they’re bored, but because they fear being separated from the rest of the pack – meaning you, their owner. A dog who begins to destroy things mere minutes after they are left alone is most likely exhibiting separation anxiety, not boredom. Boredom can take hours to develop. Whereas boredom is a state of under-stimulation, anxiety is a matter of over-stimulation. It’s as if your dog is overwhelmed with the thought you’re never coming back. In general, spayed and neutered dogs are less prone to boredom than those that aren’t. And low energy dogs such as basset hounds and bulldogs are less easily bored than high energy huskies, collies, and terriers. Aside from breed temperament, boredom is less likely to develop in dogs exposed to social and/or mentally…
By Peggie Arvidson Let’s Celebrate all the Moms this Year! Mothers. AmIright?! I have a number of conversations about mothers and motherhood. I’m a step-mom who didn’t have children of my “own.” I’m an adoptee who really questions the definition of what having children of your “own” means. I’m involved in a number of adoptee communities where the word “Mom” and the idea of Mother’s Day can send people into pits of despair as easily as it brings others to tears of euphoria. Like most things in life, it’s a mixed bag. We can all agree that none of us would be here without a mother. And there’s the rub. Until Artificial Intelligence makes a few more leaps in its development, we’re all in need of a mother to give us life. This begs the question of whether or not giving birth alone defines you as a Mom. In my mind Mom is a word much like love. I know it when I feel it, but I don’t have a particularly good definition that works for everyone. Some people who have mixed feelings about the word mother, seem to get a raw deal, by being taken from the only mother they had known for 9 months and being handed to another mother. That can take a toll on a small human. We forget that even at a day old a child has already bonded with their mother. They know her voice and recognize her smell and her rhythms. They get 9 months to build up that trust and connection. So, no matter the well-meaning reason, taking that baby and putting it into a strange environment is traumatic. Just think about it – we don’t let people adopt puppies who are younger than 8 weeks. As an adoptee, recently reunited with…
WANTED: MOM…Apply Within By: Caroline Simpson Job Title: Mother. Requirements: must be willing to work overtime for no additional compensation. Necessary Skills: patience, fortitude, and super-human ability to multitask. Salary: none but must be able to provide monthly (at least) payments to clients. Travel: yes – lots. Benefits: bedtime and the one day a year that it is all about you! Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! If I was in charge, I would recommend you for a promotion and a raise, your service over the years has been remarkable. However, since I do not play the CEO role in this family, I will take this opportunity to honor you by giving you an inside look at my new plans for this holiday. In all seriousness, Mother’s Day is an important holiday. Allow me to provide a bit of the history for you. The tradition dates back as far as the Greek Empire and their Annual Spring Festival; various religions and spiritual groups dedicated a specific day in May to celebrate the Mother Mary, Mother Earth, the Mother of All Deities, etc. England expanded this honor to not just religious mother figures, but to all mothers, and the United States made it the celebration it is today about 150 years ago, when Anna Jarvis, mother and homemaker, decided that there were days for men and days for children, but there just was not a single day devoted to mothers alone. Anna would be proud. Today, Mother’s Day results in the highest volume of telephone traffic over any other day of the year, restaurants are more crowded on this second Sunday in May than any other holiday, and, of course, Hallmark card sales increase dramatically. Well, this Mother’s Day, I want to do more than just buy a card. I know that nothing…
A Higher Loyalty By Miriam R. Kramer In his fascinating memoir and treatise on leadership, A Higher Loyalty, former FBI Director James Comey discusses his trajectory in government service up until he unwillingly became a political lightning rod during and after the most bitterly contested and partisan presidential election in modern American politics. This work is provocative, substantial, and well worth a reader’s time. She/He gets to know him personally on a philosophical level. Comey became one of the best-known names in America before the 2016 elections, when he announced in late October that the FBI was re-opening an investigation into Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server for classified documents. Incurring the wrath of Democrats for potentially swinging the election towards President Donald Trump, Comey then appeared before Congress in June 2017 after Trump sacked him to repudiate Trump’s leadership and call many of his statements false. He testified that the President lied in saying that he was fired because of low morale at the FBI. Comey responded that Trump most likely sacked him because he refused to profess his loyalty to Trump and exert his influence to change the way the FBI was investigating Trump campaign officials’ potential collusion with Russia. Comey also stated that he hoped his testimony would help lead to an independent prosecutor who could investigate those possible ties, understanding that it would be highly difficult for the current Department of Justice to conduct a nonpartisan investigation under the warping influence of any leaders President Trump has endeavored to make loyal only to himself. As a long-time DC-area resident reading A Higher Loyalty, I agreed wholeheartedly with many of Comey’s observations. His difficulties have been intrinsically interwoven with the very nature of our partisan political culture, which is now concentrated to…
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