Margaret Brent, a key figure in Maryland colonial history, has been much honored in the 330 years since her death, but not always for the right reasons. She has been called America’s first suffragette and first woman lawyer, claims that some historians question. Yet relatively little recognition has come to her most important role: She was nothing less than the woman who saved the Maryland colony.

Darlene Adams, a La Plata resident and retiree from the University of Maryland, did something last year she hadn’t done since she was ten years old: take piano lessons. The mention of music lessons may bring to mind images of children being coerced into practicing or dressing up for the big recital, but many empty-nesters and retirees find they finally have time to pursue interests they postponed due to work or family, and one interest they frequently turn to is music.

From ballet to belly dancing and square dancing to hand dancing, Southern Marylanders both young and old are taking to the dance floor. As singles or couples, and in groups, they are expressing themselves through movement and reaping the physical and mental benefits that dance brings.

In the hallways of government buildings, tucked away in little cafés, in hospital corridors and in front of banks, in the back of antique shops, in church basements, schools and gardens, art is everywhere in Southern Maryland. Often it is viewed from the periphery or overlooked - after all, Southern Marylanders can take a short drive to see Picassos and Van Goghs. But the abundance of Southern Maryland’s natural beauty inspires an abundance of creativity.

Could your living room be more eye-appealing? Your dining room less bare? Nothing dresses up a home like a work of art, but deciding what to buy and where to buy it can be daunting. Let’s assume you won’t settle for a mass-produced reproduction from a big-box store; neither are you likely to bid on art at a Sotheby’s auction. Fortunately, Southern Maryland offers plenty of options between those two extremes.

Many years ago in Southern Maryland, obtaining a higher education locally was possible, but a student’s options were limited.  The then-Charles County Community College and St. Mary’s College of Maryland primarily offered ways to obtain an associate or bachelor’s degree, but for those who wanted to go on even further to obtain graduate degrees, a trip to College Park, Md. (to the University of Maryland), or to one of the many universities in Baltimore was where the road to a master’s degree or doctorate often began. Today, things on the Southern Maryland higher education scene are much different and, indeed, much better.

Wouldn’t we all like to keep it simple? No tiny home repair that morphs into major remodeling; no job description that expands yearly; no juggling family, job, home and community. Well, Laura Allison of Keep It Simple can’t solve all our problems, but she can keep one thing simple: the technology training we all need to cope with our jobs and our lives.

In 1958, Eunice Kennedy Shriver had the idea that people with intellectual challenges would benefit from competing in sporting events. She opened “Camp Shriver” in her own backyard, and 75 children with intellectual disabilities participated. Ten years later, Special Olympics was born. Today, the international organization lives out its mission: “Through the power of sport, Special Olympics strives to create a better world by fostering the acceptance and inclusion of all people.”

One of the greatest rewards of home ownership is the ability to create spaces which truly reflect our personal style through the way we choose to decorate them. So what happens when you are a military family who relocates every few years and has to turn temporary quarters into a place that feels like home?

A day before the Maryland BASS Federation Nation’s April 10, 2010, tournament trail opener at Smallwood State Park in Charles County, Scott Sewell, of Middle River, Maryland, has two things on his mind: catching a large largemouth bass and a wish that the wind dies down.