Southern Maryland This is Living - On-line Edition - Volume 5, Number 1, Spring 2003

Volume 5, Number 1, Spring 2003 The articles presented here are a sample of what is available in the hardcopy magazine. Magazines are on-sale now at your local news stands and supermarkets. You can also subscribe or renew on-line		When your new house has a basement, you’re buying more than the extra room. Sure, we all want as much storage space as possible. But the real reason many homebuyers insist on a basement can often be found within those basement memories of youth. ( more... )
		You come home from a hard day at work followed by an interminable traffic backup and your kids greet you with a series of “he said, she said” and “he did” and “no, I didn’t.” ( more... )
		Now that winter has loosened its icy grip and the beauty of another springtime is blooming all around us with its cascades of golden sunshine, home improvement fever is spreading throughout Southern Maryland. There is nothing like a cold, snowy winter to reveal the weaknesses in your home. Now is the time to replace those drafty windows and doors. ( more... )
		Gardening has long been an American obsession, and today we devote our weekends and even a television channel to the pursuit of the perfect landscape, so it is only natural that we seek to adorn these spaces. Benches, bird baths, and other decorations are just some of the ways we enhance our manicured surroundings, but few things say “come and sit a spell,” like a beautiful gazebo. ( more... )
		Your home is the most important purchase you may ever make. You want it to look comforting and inviting. Whether you’re building new or renovating, the right lighting fixtures can enhance both the beauty and the usefulness of your home. ( more... )
		The name “Lusby” first appears in Maryland records in the late 1600s, when it is believed that the first Lusby descendants traveled on the ship “Speedwell,” and arrived in the new world. Though most settled on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, some found their way into Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties, and later migrated south to Calvert County. It is from these early settlers, and their heirs, that the area we now call Lusby got its name. ( more... )
		The weather is finally cooperating. With summer entertaining on the way, it’s time to inspect those “outdoor rooms.” After a messy winter, your deck might look neglected. The pressure-treated woods and composites used on outdoor structures are made to last, though. Before you give up on that dingy deck, try power washing it. ( more... )
		As a small kayak and its passenger slide onto the shore of the Calvert County side of the Patuxent River, the sun glints off the calm water this early spring afternoon. On shore, the sandy beach below the Benedict Bridge is the color of caramel candy and much of the grass along the untouched strip of sand is beaten down from a long winter of wind, rain, and snow. A renegade pine cone found along the sandy strip becomes a makeshift figurehead on the bow of the kayak as the passenger and the small boat head back into the cool water to explore more of this historic river. ( more... )
		There are many folks who grow roses in the Southern Maryland region. Many people have only a bush or two in their yard while others grow several roses in order to enjoy their vibrant colors, beauty and scent. There are some people who have hundreds of exhibition class roses, which they enter in competitions at local county fairs, and regional and national shows sponsored by the American Rose Society (ARS). ( more... )
		Finally the spring thaw has begun and the winter past will soon be a distant but frigid memory for sure. Cold though it was, we are quite sure there must have been many images captured by amateur photographers depicting the beauty of the region and the fun had by many this past winter. ( more... )