Mid-Shore Life

by Cyndi Paxton Johnson

I'm feeling a bit weepy and sentimental, today. We attended the funeral of my 92 year old great-aunt - and saw friends and family members you only see once in a great while - every ten years or so. This group, however, was familiar. We had gathered less than a month ago to bury my 91 year old great-uncle. Yup - my aunt and uncle had been married 63 years - and were living independantly until 6 weeks ago. Now they're both gone.

My uncle had several serious health issues - his death was not unexpected. His wife, however, was fine. I think she had neither the will nor the desire to continue without her rock and protector. So...she stopped.

And so today the same people gathered, at the same place, to set her beside her beloved husband.

My aunt and uncle are not unique. Many older couples simply wind down together as naturally as they lived beside each other for decades. They're in sync.

My tears are not simply for my loved ones - they're for little old couples everywhere, puttering through their day, secure in the love they share. If you know of such a couple - please go out of your way this week to do something nice for them - bring them some home-made food, fresh vegetables, or old pictures.

Or simply sit and listen to their story - a story of a love that has lasted two lifetimes, and will continue to bless the world long after they are gone.

Namaste.

By Cyndi Paxton Johnson

Do you ever feel pulled in different directions – only to realize you’re doing all the pulling? There are SO many things you need to do, plus the things you SHOULD do – that there is rarely time for the things you WANT to do! You either spend all your time and energy on the “needs” and “shoulds” or, like me, you stand paralyzed at the crossroad, trying to decide which direction to take! (I have the same problem bowling – can NEVER pick up a split – the ball goes right down the middle!)

If this sounds familiar – the very first thing to do is get RID of the “shoulds”!  Take a look at each one and see if it really belongs in a different category.  For example: I have an elderly great aunt & uncle I SHOULD visit.  Just phrasing it that way makes it sound like work.  Instead,  I’ll turn it around and realize why I WANT to visit them – because it will bring us all joy and sometimes there is no “later”.  Go through each “should” – if one doesn’t move naturally into another category – release it.  Don’t say you “can’t” do it (very disempowering word) – but realize you CHOOSE to do or not do something.   Every time you make a conscious choice your world expands – and you grow to fill the void.

But even after you’ve eliminated the “should” – there’s a LOT let on your plate. How do you make time for the things you WANT to do?

by Dwayne Eutsey

Trying to figure out the origins of April Fools’ Day is a lot like trying to figure out the punch line of an elaborate cosmic joke. You open a can of Internet research hoping to find a few crunchy nuggets of facts and certainties when—BOING!—out spring all kinds of contradicting theories and speculations.

According to Snopes.com, today’s annual celebration of pranks and foolishness remains shrouded in mystery. The website myth-buster offers a few possible origins, all of them with some spiritual or religious significance:

by Mindie Burgoyne
Song Yet SungSong Yet Sung, by James McBride, is the selection for One Maryland One Book for 2009, a program of the Maryland Humanities Council.

According to the MHC website: "One Maryland One Book is Maryland’s first and only statewide community reading project. It is designed to bring together diverse people in communities across the state through the shared experience of reading the same book and participating in book-centered discussions and other related programs at public libraries, high schools, colleges and universities, museums, bookstores, and other organizations."

As a supporter of reading and literacy, and as a native Marylander, I felt compelled to participate in the One Maryland One Book program. Currently, I have no time for pleasure reading. My full time job with the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development has me working extended hours - especially during this economic crisis. But, as part of my job, I spend 12 to 15 hours per week driving up and down the Eastern Shore. So I downloaded the audio version of Song Yet Sung, put the 10 hour, unabridged edition on my ipod, and began listening as I traversed the roads and scenic byways of Dorchester, Talbot, Caroline, Kent, Wicomico and Somerset Counties.

by Cyndi Paxton Johnson
Free Range ChickenAs parents we protect our children - it's our job. Are we keeping them so "safe" that they never get the opportunity to develop independence? I came across two writers today (thanks to Twitter) discussing "Free-Range Kids". Free-range is a hot topic these days, especially for chickens! Our chickens free-range in our fenced back-yard (and lay some awesome tasting eggs!)Yet the term also applies to chickens that receive a few minutes in a small outdoor cage, as well as the lucky chickens who range over 20 water front acres on my friend's farm.

Now let's consider "free-range kids". My kids play outside alone, on our property. This was a big thing when we moved to the Eastern Shore from Frederick, MD - my young children were NOT allowed out without me, even in the fenced backyard. (I couldn't see them from inside) Just last summer I let the older two (ages 9 & 10) ride their bikes to the beach when we visit Grandma. This is a private beach - but it was the first time I let them out of my sight. But I grew up free there, and wanted the same for my kids. [click "read more"]

Focus on the Positive

by Cyndi Paxton Johnson

It's THAT time of year again. The calendar is taking on a life of it's own - and our to-do lists and obligations threaten to overwhelm us. We feel burdened at what should be a time of celebration, family and friends.

I want to focus on what's important: laughter, love, friendship and community. To do so, I need to banish the demon of perfectionism that hovers behind my ear, continually whispering that I'm falling behind, that I'm not good enough, that I'll never get things right. What does that demon know, anyway? (read more)

The Winter Garden: Strawberry, asparagus and tomato patch

by Polly Irons

I visited my garden today, the first time in over a week. I was not looking forward to seeing the perennial grasses popping up all over the vegetable and flower beds. To my surprise the grass, I believe it to be Kentucky blue grass, is throughout all the beds and is forming a nice turf in all the wrong places. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Oh, well, it will wait until spring."

The weeks prior I had spent endless hours pulling and hoeing the grass. With the cool damp weather upon us, hoeing would not kill it. It resprouted everywhere I hoed it to. With the grass barely one quarter inch high, pulling was like plucking your eyebrows with your fingers.

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