Family Life
Caring for Elderly Parents - Raising Expectations
by Carolyn Kennedy
Caring for elderly loved ones often becomes a balancing act. You must balance your life and comforts against theirs. If you are employed you may at times have to miss several days on the job because your parents need your time, have a doctor appointment, or an unexpected need arises.
My husband and I try to live most of the winter months in Florida. We are of the age where people start to say “at your age”, though we like to think we are in the prime of life. Even a cool Florida feels good in January and February when the snow is falling in the North. My elderly parents live in a northeastern state. The Blizzards of 2010 created some challenges for keeping them safe and comfortable.
During the first storm in February, they were on their own. They both rely on a walker to move around and because Mother is very frail and Father has macular degeneration, it is difficult for them to even prepare meals. Fortunately we have caregivers who are there every day to prepare meals.
Blackwater NWR Holds 10th Annual Eagle Festival
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is holding it's 10th Annual Eagle Festival to celebrate Blackwater NWR's 77th birthday and the 107th anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System on Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The public is invited to participate in the many great activities planned for the day. All activities are free, and the entrance fee to the Wildlife Drive is also free for the day.
The day will begin with the 4th annual Wild Birds Unlimited bird walk at 8:00am with our experienced birder Terry Allen. Programs will include: a live peregrine falcon training demonstration with falconer Andrew Bullen and his peregrine falcon; a live bald eagle program with Mike Callahan from Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center; “The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly@ live birds-of-prey program with a MD Scales and Tales Naturalist; Masters of the Sky raptor program with Naturalist and Raptor Educator Liz Owens and her live birds; a lecture and discussion “Chesapeake Bay: Past, Present, and the Future” with author Ned Tillman; a nature photography workshop with photography instructor Bob Boner; Native American Flute Music with Native American Ron Warren; the George Fox Middle School Ukulele Ensemble; and three of our famous “Eagle Prowls” with Volunteer Zeeger de Wilde and refuge staff. The Eagle Prowls are free, but you must pick up a ticket on the day of the event before each scheduled prowl.
There will be plenty of activities for young people at the Eagle Festival. A blue bird nest box construction program will provide materials for youths to build their own box to take home. No preregistration is required. Other youth programs will include: an owl pellet investigation, endangered species puppet show, eagle finger puppet construction, an opportunity for kids to build their own “flapping eagle”, and make your own wildlife magnet program. All participants at the puppet show will receive a free “Albert the Delmarva Fox Squirrel” coloring book. Blackwater’s mascot ATom Eagle@ will be greeting all the kids and promoting getting your kids out in nature.
Adult Cork Hunt
March, Saturday 20 Rain Date: March 27
2 PM
Dove Valley Winery, 645 Harrington Road, Rising Sun
21 & up
Free Event
410-658-8388 Email: dovevalleyvineyard@zoominternet.net
Website: www.dovevalleywine.com
Egg Hunt
March Saturday 20, Rain Date: March 27
2:00 PM
Egg hunt for children up to 12 years of age
Dove Valley Winery, 645 Harrington Road, Rising Sun
Free Event
410-658-8388 Email: dovevalleywine@zoominternet.net
Website: www.dovevalleywine.com
Talbot Library Free March Programs
Upcoming Programming in March at the Talbot County Free Library
20th Annual Poetry Contest
The Friends of the Library and the Historical Society of Talbot County are sponsoring their 20th annual county-wide poetry contest. Pick up flyers outlining the rules and categories for entry at all library branches, the Historical Society, or on our library website: www.tcfl.org. The contest is open to all residents of Talbot County. Deadline for entry: March 19, 2010.
Library Promotes "Read Across Maryland"
The Queen Anne’s County Free Library is partnering with Governor Martin O’Malley, the Maryland State Education Agency, the Division of Library Development and Services, and the Maryland Library Association to launch, “30 Minutes in 30 Days,” a program that will be implemented throughout March in celebration of Read Across Maryland, an expansion of Read Across America.
The program challenges readers of all ages to read, or be read to, for thirty minutes every day from March 2-31, 2010. This could include parents and caregivers reading to children, older children reading to younger children, and teachers or librarians reading to students.
To support the “30 Minutes in 30 Days Initiative,” the Queen Anne’s County Public Library features a program every day from March 2-31.
Kicking off the month is a visit from author and illustrator Laura Vaccaro Seeger at the Kent Island Library on Tuesday, March 2. The Caldecott-honoree will speak to 7 kindergarten classes.
Storytimes for pre-schools will be held on Wednesday mornings throughout March at 10:30 a.m. at the Centreville Library, 121 S. Commerce St. The series begins with a “Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss” event on March 3.
AARP Meeting & Program
Tuesday, March 2 - 1:30 to 3:30 PM, Talbot Senior Center - AARP Talbot Chapter 1601 will honor their members who are 90 or more years old. Vintage music for a sing-a-long will be provided by Free and Eazy. Remember to bring donations for the Asbury Soup Kitchen project. For information, call 410-822-7852.
| Tags: Active Seniors, Organizations & People, Seniors, Community Life, Family Life, AARP, Seniors, Talbot
Life without Electricity - and Flush Toilets
by Cyndi Paxton Johnson
It’s 8:30 at night and everything is dark and quiet. The oil lamp gives off barely enough light to read, the fire is glowing dimly in the woodstove, the candle in the next room is flickering rapidly as it prepares to extinguish itself. In the household of six , only three are awake – myself and two children. One child is cured by the fire, reading. The other is drawing in the dim light – creating his own worlds with paper and colored pencils.
It’s our second night without power. The entire neighborhood is affected – a felled tree took out a power line, and the snow is too deep to allow a repair truck access. Larger and larger equipment has been called into service – needed to dig out the smaller trucks that became wedged in the drifting snow. Hopefully sometime tomorrow we will rejoin the modern world and again have lights, refrigeration, electric stove and water. And working toilets – let’s not forget the working toilets! (especially since two out of three children have experienced “intestinal issues” during out black-out period.
Fifteen Ways to Enjoy a Blizzard Day
by Cyndi Paxton Johnson
It’s not often we adults get an enforced day off – let’s take advantage of the snow and TURN OFF all the electronic devices and enjoy…..just being together! We get so busy with our lives (and with our electronics!) let's remember what's great about an enforced vacation!
For example:
- Grab your favorite person (or 3) for a card game or board game!
- Dress warmly and stick your head outside – just for a moment – to enjoy the snow!
- Feed the birds – then watch them gather!
- Snuggle by the fire and read a good book – out loud!
- Grab your guitar or piano and play some music!
- Look through old family picture albums together!
- Make hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows!
- Roast marshmallows (if you have a fire, obviously)
- Play with your dog!
- Ask an older person about snowstorms when they were little – then LISTEN!
- Start knitting!
- Design your new business idea – and sketch out a business plan!
- Write a letter to an old friend!
- Make a gratitude list – and #1 should be warm shelter and food!
- Grab your honey, snuggle under the covers, and remember why you fell in love!
Today is a gift – let’s all use it wisely! Following my own advice – I’ll be turning off and tuning in to my family, my heart and all the bounties life offers. Enjoy!
Twenty-five Things to Do with Snow-bound Children!
When the Weather Outside is Frightful
By Cyndi Paxton Johnson
It can be difficult to be stuck home for days on end – especially when everyone is used to being out of the house – DOING something every day! Here are some inexpensive ways to keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, and blaming it on YOU! (with apologies to Rudyard Kipling!)
Activities geared toward younger children are first!
- Pasta and/or bean play! Toddlers love to pour the shapes between different containers, shake them in paper cups/plates taped together, glue them to paper to make pictures, string them to make necklaces, etc. Can be used for counting games, sorting, beginning multiplication…
- Coloring is always good. Go online to find free downloadable sheets:
- Make Play-dough! (much better than the nasty store stuff!) http://babyparenting.about.com/cs/activities/a/playdough.htm
- Puzzles are fun – and educational! For $20/year you can download EVERYTHING (coloring books, stories, find a word, crossword, math puzzles & more) from EdHelper! (great for homeschool, too) http://www.edhelper.com/
- Paper-dolls can make the hours blur! http://scrapbooking.about.com/od/paperdolls/Free_Printable_Paper_Dolls.htm
Events, articles and coupons!
