Story by Rose S. Talbot and Photography by August Selckmann

The recent economic downturn convinced Jacqueline Quan of Lusby that she should be able to provide for her family as much as her husband does. But as a young mother of two toddlers, she wanted an opportunity that would allow her to work close to home and still maintain a balance between work and family. When she learned about the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Nuclear Engineering Technology (NET) associate degree program, she thought, “What a perfect opportunity.”

Story by Barbara Elizabeth Graf and Photography by Ed Mann

As the heart of the home, the kitchen is where many American families spend much of their time, not only preparing meals but also enjoying time together. It is no surprise that Americans spend their well-earned dollars there, too. In fact, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) predicts that Americans will spend a good portion of $131 billion this year on home remodeling projects, counting the kitchen as one of the most popular spaces to remodel. Kitchen remodeling comes in ahead of finishing the basement or adding a room and second only to remodeling the bathroom.

Lately, has good news has been playing peek-a-boo? A little naughty, a tad teasing, always promising to smile broadly-tomorrow. Well, wait no longer. Here, right now, are little gems, nuggets of news from Southern Maryland life that will make you happy to be here.

If you’re looking for the latest ways to get healthy, check out your local hospital. The care provided by Southern Maryland’s hospitals is first rate and has just as much to do with setting broken bones and replacing hip joints as it does with good nutrition, exercise and education.

When Dee Jay Gude started calling on potential advertisers for Southern Maryland Online, she often heard, “What’s the Internet?” That was 1996 - the Middle Ages in cyberspace history. It was also the year the Pentagon’s base relocation program was creating thousands of new jobs, military and civilian, in Southern Maryland. Gude, who had been selling advertising for cable television in St. Mary’s County, understood that there could be a link between the Internet and people who would want information about their new neighborhoods. But she didn’t know how to make the technology work.

Vicky Spalding refers to herself as a “cradle Catholic.” As a young girl with five siblings reared by Catholic parents, she attended 12 years of Catholic school and received the sacraments of the Catholic Church. “I attended mass every Sunday,” she explains, “until I got older and drifted from the church.” Yet after a period away from actively practicing her Catholic faith, she was invited back in an unusual way.

It seems that spas are the rage these days: mud baths, body wraps, and hot stone massages to name just a few luxurious procedures. Years back, however, treatments like these were medicinal rather than cosmetic. The ill and infirmed flocked to healing places in hopes of curing a myriad of sicknesses. And sometimes, they sought out these places because they were desperate to save a life.

Ironic that an early nineteenth century novelette featuring the escapade of our first president George Washington as a boy breaking in a new ax on a cherry tree is the same type of tree tourists flock to our nation’s capital every year to admire in bloom. The original 3,020 cherry trees were given to us in 1912 as a token of friendship from the Japanese people. A few miles away in Southern Maryland, climate conditions are excellent for a healthy life expectancy of 40 - 60 years for cherry trees. These beauties provide a distinct and welcome declaration of spring.

Every now and then, it’s easy to fall into a rut. Wake up. Go to work. Come home. Eat dinner. Go to bed. One day you realize you’re exhausted and it’s not even 10 a.m. You need to try something new; break out of your box; recharge your batteries. And as nice as it sounds, heading to a day spa for a pampering session does not have the lasting effect your mind craves.

They are the first berries to ripen in spring. Sweet, juicy farm-grown strawberries begin life nestled within rows of bright green leafy plants. Under optimal conditions of rain and sunshine, these bushy green plants form fragrant white five-petal flowers with a yellow center. From the yellow center emerge small green strawberries that ripen in the spring sunshine, gaining in size and changing color from pale green to vibrant red.