Unique Gifts for the Holidays By Kathryn Marchi Time and time again, the question arises during this gift-giving time of year, “What can I get for someone who has everything?” Aunt Susie has enough scarves, jewelry, perfume and lotions and Uncle Herbie has enough ties, socks and after-shave. It’s safe to say that […]
Posted inFood, Good Health
Are Organic Foods Really Better for You?
Are Organic Foods Really Better for You? By Ellen Kittredge This is a very relevant question to ask when deciding how to spend your food budget. Frequently, though not always, organic foods cost more than non-organic or conventionally raised foods. Is the higher price really worth it? Improving your health is only one reason to […]
Posted inHoliday
Celebrate the Season with an Evergreen Centerpiece
Celebrate the Season with an Evergreen Centerpiece By Neil Moran With the rutabagas and onions safely stored under my house and several jars of tomatoes in the pantry, my thoughts naturally turn to doing something related to plants. The best activity I can think of after the gardening season is to start working on holiday […]
Posted inHoliday, Home and hearth, Life Styles
TWELVE GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS
TWELVE GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS The OutLook staff put together a list of a dozen different but fun gifts, which any of us would love to find tucked under our tree on Christmas morning. To make Santa’s job a bit easier, we’ve even included websites to find some of these treasures. 1. A birdfeeder, preferably squirrel–proof, […]
Posted inHoliday, Well Being
Gifts for a Home-Bound Friend
Are You Looking for the Perfect Gift for a Home-Bound Friend? By Penelope Folsom Most of us draw a blank when we try to find just the right gift for a friend who is home-bound. Here’s a list that should help with ideas for gifts that anyone would love to find under their Christmas tree. […]
Posted inHoliday
Think Outside the Box
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX! GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT WRAPPING By Louise Whiteside “Oh, it’s too pretty to open!” How often have you heard this sentiment of excitement and delight from a gift recipient? Personally, I must confess, not too often! For the most part, most of my gift wrapping has been […]
Posted inHoliday, Life Styles
Relax: Celebrating the Holidays with Mindfulness
Relax: Celebrating the Holidays with Mindfulness By Pat Jurgens Whatever your cultural or religious tradition, the holiday season will be more enjoyable if you cultivate mindfulness. A powerful Eastern practice founded in Buddhism, mindfulness meditation has attracted thousands in the West who seek peace amidst the complexity of modern living. Many of us meditate […]
Posted inHoliday
Blue Christmas
BLUE CHRISTMAS how to handle the holidays By Leslie Payne Every holiday season I hear a gloomy Christmas song that makes me giggle. Just one note of Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas,” and I’m back in my senior year of college with two wonderful roommates. Whenever the song came on the radio, Cindy and […]
Posted inAdult Kids, Holiday, Well Being
The Downward Holiday Spiral
The Downward Holiday Spiral …and how to get ahead of it By Susan Singleton Holiday stress is more than just having too much to do and not enough time to do it. The preparation for this extended holiday season began with Halloween on Oct. 31 and culminates with the New Year’s celebration ending […]
Posted inOf Local Interest
Lights in the Bay
Lights in the Bay Henry S. Parker In the darkness of December, tidewater Maryland begins to glow. All along the Bay—in Severna Park and Solomon’s, Havre de Grace and Hoopersville, Chestertown and Chesapeake City—the shoreline shimmers with holiday lights. In Annapolis two public, light-spangled spectacles draw thousands of sightseers every year. The […]
Posted inLegal Insights
Legal Insights
LEGAL TEAM SPEAKS – OCTOBER 2010 Robert R. Smith, Esq., and Gilda O. Karpouzian, Esq., are practicing lawyers in Maryland with over 30 years of experience. Their answers below are based on assumptions that Maryland law applies. Mr. Smith can be contacted at 410 268-5600 or [email protected] and Ms. Karpouzian can be contacted at 410 […]
Posted inHome and hearth, Well Being
My Trophy Kitchen
My Trophy Kitchen By Maureen Smith I’ve become hooked on watching HGTV. Which one of the three houses will they select? The one with the view that’s pricey; the one with the ‘man room’ in the basement, but that is too far from work or the fixer-upper that’s close to a park? It’s […]
Posted inGood Health, Retirement
Navigating the Medicare Maze
Navigating the Medicare Maze By Amy Rubino That was one heck of a health care reform package providing a single system to cover millions, insurance that protects both individuals age 65 and older and younger disabled person, basic and extensive medical and hospital care, an annual premium of $110.50 per month and a program […]
Posted inFood
Cast Your Dice for the Right Cooking Equipment
Cast Your Dice for the Right Cooking Equipment By Melissa Conroy My parents own a cast iron Dutch oven and skillet set that have served our family for more than three decades. While we have shattered glass cooking pots, warped aluminum frying pans, melted the plastic handles off electric skillets and scratched stainless […]
Posted inLife Styles, Well Being
Sisters and Girlfriends, Like Fine Wines, Get Better with Age
Sisters and Girlfriends, Like Fine Wines, Get Better with Age By Joanne R. Alloway Do you have a sister, a sister-in-law, a cousin or a stepsister you love and can confide in? Maybe not, but do you have a girlfriend that is just like a sister? All a woman needs is a girlfriend […]
Posted inHoliday
Oh Tannenbaum! Now Available at a Farm Near You
Oh Tannenbaum Now Available at a Farm Near You By Penelope Folsom Isn’t this the year to pack up those grandkids, fill a thermos with hot chocolate and start a whole new holiday tradition? If so, try taking them for a day of fun to cut their own Christmas tree. Strolling through a rolling […]
Posted inFood, Holiday
Gingerbread Men are Tasty Ornaments
Gingerbread Men are Tasty Ornaments Here’s a yummy recipe to make with grandkids on a freezing December day. These cookies keep well and can be made right after Thanksgiving to hang on the Christmas tree. They’ll stay crisp right through the holidays, but make enough so that the Christmas elves can snitch one or two. […]
Posted inHoliday
Holiday Traditions: Why We Need Them
Holiday Traditions: Why We Need Them By Victoria Duncan Show me some hands: Who admits to having mixed feelings about the upcoming season of festivities? Just what I thought, I have company. But even the most Grinch-like soul usually finds moments of joy along with those usual reasons for ambivalence — the overloaded schedules, […]
Posted inGardening, Holiday
Gifts for the Gardener
Gifts for the Gardener By Neil Moran For the Bay Area gardener, it’s once again time to look forward to next year when we grow our best garden ever, right? To do so you need the right tools. I contacted a few gardening friends, including a couple of experts, to see what they would […]
Posted inBay Reflections, Holiday
SPECIAL GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS
Bay Reflections: SPECIAL GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS By the Rev.Dr. Harold B. Wright, II Wet dressing and doughnut holes. My mouth begins to water at the very mention of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Wet dressing and doughnut holes. Oh, I like the turkey and pumpkin pie, and my eyes light up at the Christmas decorations and holiday […]