I am blessed with a number of friends and a close family. I enjoy our conversations and gatherings. Over the years, I have relied on them for support and advice. I can’t imagine life without them. I am not alone in my view of the importance of friends and family; healthcare professionals know that friends and family are critical for physical and mental health.

Yet today 1 in 3 people report chronic loneliness. Many people also report feelings of social isolation. Loneliness and social isolation are viewed differently. Social isolation is an objective measure of the number of people someone interacts with on a regular basis, whereas loneliness is a subjective feeling reported by individuals. For example, someone may not be socially isolated, but still report feelings of loneliness. Social isolation depends on the individual. Some can have few friends and not feel socially isolated, while others may need a larger friend group.

In 2023, the US Surgeon General issued an advisory about the national problem of loneliness and isolation, describing it as an epidemic. Loneliness and isolation have been linked to both mental and physical health. There is some evidence to suggest that isolation is more predictive of physical health outcomes, whereas loneliness is more predictive of mental health outcomes. 

Friendships protect us by improving the way we respond to stress. For example, blood pressure reactivity is lowered when talking to a friend.

The consequences of not having a supportive friend group can be serious. The absence of a close network of friends and family has been linked to anxiety and depression, dementia, infectious diseases, blood pressure, addiction, and hospitalization. Loneliness, social isolation, or living alone are risk factors for early mortality. Recently, the American Heart Association reported a direct association between social isolation and coronary heart disease and stroke mortality. Loneliness and isolation have also been linked to the onset of Type 2 diabetes and Parkinsons diseases. 

People with no friends or poor-quality friendships are twice as likely to die prematurely, according to a meta-analysis of more than 308,000 people. The risk factor is greater than the risk of smoking 20 cigarettes per day. 

The need for friends and socializing is so important that some European doctors have introduced “social prescribing.” Social prescribing is when doctors actually prescribe a group activity, regular visits, or regular telephone conversations to improve health.

Why are friends so important? Scientists have found that friends not only prevent loneliness and isolation, but they provide other mental health benefits including:

• Increased sense of belongingness
• Improved happiness and reduced stress
• Increased self-confidence
• Support in coping and putting problems in perspective
• Encouragement for healthy lifestyle habits
• Feelings of security 
• Support for emotional issues

Friends are so important that professionals recommend that we continuously nourish friendships and make new ones. As we age, we may lose friends, and it is important to be open to building new relationships.

Our friends and family offer us joy, support, and better health. But we are important to our friends and family as well. Not only do friends and family improve our health, but we also improve their health. 

In friendships, everybody wins.

---

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s (UMCES) Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) is probably best known for its oyster hatchery, which has been operating since 1974. The director of the oyster hatchery is Stephanie Alexander who has been working at the hatchery for 28 years and has been its director for six. There are 8 full-time employees and up to 20 interns starting in late spring.

Blue crabs may be the showmen of the Eastern Shore, but oysters are its lifeblood. Called the vacuum cleaners of the Chesapeake Bay, this keystone species can filter up to 50 gallons of water daily, cleaning the river and increasing the oxygen levels. Oyster reefs become homes for fish and other filter feeders like mussels and barnacles. Oysters clean the water by consuming algae and packaging the sediment into bundles which fall to the bottom of the riverbed. It takes two to three years for an oyster to reach adulthood. 

Oysters are so critical to the bay that Horn Point Laboratory’s hatchery has increased its oyster production. In 2005 Horn Point Laboratory opened the new Aquaculture and Restoration Ecology Lab (AREL) and in 2011 it built a new Setting Pier. AREL is used for producing oyster larvae and the Setting Pier is where the oysters attach to a shell and become spat (spat are baby oysters that have attached and are no longer mobile). 

The state-of-the-art facility produced 1.76 billion (yes, that’s billion!) oysters in 2023. Since many of the processes are now automated—including feeding, filtration, and water temperature—key components can be adjusted quickly to improve results. Equipment such as the Coulter Counter counts larvae, eggs, and algae particles. Auto-titration measures calcium carbonate in water. (Oysters need calcium carbonate to build their shells.) 

The process for raising oysters begins with the moms and dads. The hatchery isolates these oysters and provides warm water to stimulate the production of eggs and sperm (both are referred to as gametes). The oyster parents feed on the nutrients from the Choptank river. The hatchery places the eggs in water containing sperm, and they are fertilized and become larvae. While larvae are mobile, they are placed in a tank and fed algae produced by the hatchery. After 14-20 days, the baby oysters (larvae) are placed in a tank filled with oyster shells. Within 48 hours they will have attached to the oyster shells and subsequently are given a few extra days for their shells to harden. Once they attach, they are called spat. After their shells have hardened, the spat are ready to be placed in restoration areas and sold to aquaculture.

The hatchery has four primary roles: restoration, aquaculture assistance, supporting research, and education.

Restoration of the bay and its tributaries is a key mission of the hatchery, and 75% of the oysters that it produces are used for restoration. Horn Point works with partner organizations putting diploid oyster spat into the bay. Through a partnership with the state, local government and federal agencies; Maryland Waterman’s Association; other hatcheries; scientists; and nonprofits (such as the Oyster Recovery Project); over thirteen billion spat have been placed in the bay and its tributaries. The newest bodies of water that will be targeted for oyster replenishment are the Nanticoke River, Heron Bay, Cooper Strait, and the Eastern Bay. 

There are two primary strains of oysters, diploid and triploid. A diploid oyster has two sets of chromosomes, and a triploid oyster has three sets. Triploid oysters are essentially sterile while diploid oysters reproduce naturally. Since triploid oysters are not expending energy on reproduction, they tend to grow larger and faster. For obvious reasons, diploids are used for restoration work. Aquaculture frequently utilizes triploids because of their rapid growth.

The Horn Point hatchery provides 25% of its oysters to the aquaculture industry, including spat, seed, and larvae. Aquaculture businesses can purchase several strains of larvae (diploid and triploid), seed, and spat on shell.

Horn Point Laboratory works closely with its aquaculture customers. Through a Demonstration Oyster Farm at UMCES, new and existing aquaculture growers can learn grow-out and management techniques. In collaboration with partners including the Maryland Seafood Cooperative and Oyster Recovery Partnership, they provide a Remote Setting Training Program for setting larvae and aquaculture.

The hatchery also supports research. Research projects include studying the causes of hatchery crashes, evaluating oyster reefs and castles in living shorelines, and making oysters more resistant to stress. For the latter project, scientists are adding stressors to baby oysters to determine if that will make them more resilient. Other research projects focus on algae production (which feeds the larvae), water recirculation in tanks, and measuring oyster feeding and respiration rates.

It is clear that Alexander’s passion is education, she loves connecting with children and letting them see that even small actions can make a difference. 

According to Alexander, one example of an action that we can take is recycling oyster shells. The bay is suffering from the lack of oyster shells The Oyster Recovery Partnership has a list of restaurants that participate in oyster shell recycling and a map of local recycling centers where individuals can take oyster shells to be recycled. There is work to be done, in Talbot County there are only three restaurants that participate in oyster shell recycling.

While enormously successful, the hatchery is not without its challenges. One challenge is funding. The director depends on grants and funding to keep the hatchery running. Any system upgrades await future funding.

But Alexander’s greatest challenge in the oyster hatchery? Good old Mother Nature. Since they use water from the Choptank, the variation in salinity, temperature, PH, and issues with algae blooms must be managed regularly. Mother Nature fluctuates, every year is different, and the hatchery (and aquaculture) must adapt. 

Because of its emphasis on education, the hatchery provides many opportunities for us to see it in operation. The hatchery is open to tours throughout the summer months, and Horn Point Laboratory hosts an open house in October. Campus tours, which include the oyster hatchery, are offered weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day. 

---

For more information about Horn Point Laboratory, contact Claire Otterbein at [email protected]

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

One day an orange tabby cat showed up on our doorstep. He seemed friendly and hungry, so I fed him some chicken. No surprise, he came back and kept coming back, so I bought some cat food and started feeding him. I asked around the neighborhood and no one was missing a cat. As he started hanging around our yard, I noticed how sweet he was to my 2 ½ year old daughter. When she fell or cried, he raced into her lap and snuggled with her. He watched her, almost as if he was guarding her. He had such a sweet disposition that I decided to adopt him, my first and only cat. My daughter, disappointed that he was a boy, named him Jesse, in hopes that he would become a girl, perfectly logical to a 2 ½ year old. Jesse lived happily with us for 16 years.

A year after adopting him, I remembered a conversation with my late mother when I was young girl. My mother loved children, but she never liked animals. But she told me that if she had an animal she wanted an orange tabby cat that she would name Jesse.

Was that a sign from her from beyond the grave? 

Since I don’t have much experience with cats, maybe all of them are sweet with children. Orange tabbies are not rare, and my daughter had been exposed to a cat named Jessie.

Years before, I remembered the moment my mother died. I was at home and before I got the news, a cardinal flew onto the deck right next to the sliding glass door. Cardinals were her favorite birds, this one stayed on the deck and just looked in for about 15 minutes then flew away. I got the call a few minutes later. Cardinals had never been on my deck before or since.

Was that sign?

Many people report these types of signs from deceased loved ones. Some authors estimate as many as 20% of people report signs such as apparitions, hearing voices, sensing presences, smelling fragrances; often in a dream or alpha state. Others report more visceral signs such as telephone calls and energy changes (e.g., lights turning on and off).

Are they real?

For the most part, it depends on an individual’s religiousness or belief in an afterlife. Some people dismiss these signs as coincidences coming from the desire to have a connection. In fact, these signs are common during grief. During my grief over my husband’s death, I experienced several such “connections.” Was it my intense grief, or was it real?

The good news, we get to decide.

---

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

In future columns, I am going to write about local scientists and how their research applies to our environment on the Eastern Shore. 

I begin this series at Horn Point Laboratory. Horn Point is one of four laboratories of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES). Horn Point currently has 20 professors, and 30 Master and PhD candidate students. It also offers a summer program for undergraduate students. The goal is to educate future scientists to use their experience and knowledge to expand the influence of environmental science. 

I met with Dr. Mike Sieracki, the director of Horn Point Laboratory for an overview of the work being done at Horn Point. Dr. Sieracki’s area of expertise is plankton. Plankton can be plants (phytoplankton) or animals (zooplankton), and refers to organisms that are carried along by the water’s currents. Dr. Sieracki studied plankton ecology, and the effects of climate change on plankton and the marine food webs they support. 

The overall mission of Horn Point Laboratory is to conduct research that solves problems in the environment, with a special focus on the local ecosystems. It is a joint mission to push the boundary of knowledge and then apply that knowledge to real world problems. 

The research is both vast and varied. While Horn Point scientists do a lot of different types of research, most of the work can be categorized into six categories: Biogeochemistry, Ecology, Physical oceanography, Computer modeling, the Oyster Hatchery, and Restoration Ecology.

Biogeochemistry is the study of how chemical elements cycle through our ecological systems. For example, an element of most concern is nitrogen. Scientists study how it moves, gets filtered, and transformed within the ecosystem. Nitrogen is important because our rivers contain high levels of it from fertilizer run off. Too much nitrogen causes eutrophication, which is the accumulation of nutrients resulting in an increased growth of microorganisms. This growth creates low oxygen zones (sometimes called “dead zones”) in the Chesapeake Bay and its estuaries. (The Chesapeake Bay and the rivers in our local watershed are actually estuaries because at different points, they contain fresh and saline water.) Horn Point scientists study, advise, and set policy about nutrient use, cycling, and removal from our rivers, bays, and streams (estuarine systems) and how to manage those systems. 

The ecology team is studying the ecosystem as well as identifying restoration materials that will not negatively impact the environment. One ecosystem is Poplar Island. The island was created from clean dredge materials to provide a wildlife habitat and a waystation for migratory birds. UMCES scientists, the State of Maryland, and the Army Corp of Engineers participated in its design. Horn Point researchers are monitoring the island to learn more about how it is functioning. Their research will assist with plans to build three more islands called the Mid Bay islands. The goal of these islands is to restore an ecosystem and study the impact of the restoration efforts on the environment.

Physical oceanography is the study of water movement such as tides, storm surges, currents, waves and sea level. All of these affect our coastlines and can contribute to erosion, flooding, and saltwater incursion into groundwater. By researching coastal dynamics, scientists can develop solutions to support shoreline resilience, which ultimately protects vulnerable regions and communities.

Computer models are developed by Horn Point scientists to predict and evaluate the impact of sea level rise, forecast harmful algal blooms and bacteria levels, nutrient cycling, and food web interactions. Computer modeling is used to predict the potential impacts of environmental changes on the ecosystem. Reliable modeling is critical to determining effective strategies to mitigate these impacts.

In the oyster hatchery scientists study the best processes to operate a hatchery including addressing hatchery crashes, when the majority of larvae die. The oysters from the hatchery are used for the Chesapeake Bay oyster restoration project and aquaculture. It is currently one of the largest hatcheries in the world. The hatchery produces oyster larvae, seed (baby oysters attached to ground-up shells), and spat (baby oysters) on shell. The hatchery is crucial for the restoration of oyster populations, and evaluating the effectiveness of efforts to restore oyster habitats.

In restoration ecology, Horn Point is part of the program that is replenishing the oyster population throughout the Bay. There already are a number of locations where oyster populations have been re-established and this program is beginning for the Eastern Bay. Horn Point has put billions of oysters into the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Another focus in restoration ecology is providing and evaluating the impact of living shorelines. Living shorelines are “green” solutions that use plants, animals such as oysters, and other natural materials to stabilize the shoreline in a natural, sustainable way. Living shorelines have the added benefit of providing a habitat for marine life. In Cambridge, Horn Point scientists are supporting the design and will evaluate the impact of a large living shoreline on rising sea levels and flooding.

Horn Point researchers provide their expertise for policy decisions that protect the health of our watershed. In the 40 years since the scorecard began, great progress has been made in removing nitrogen from sewage treatment plants.

There are many areas of new research happening at Horn Point. One is studying cable bacteria in sediments. These newly discovered bacteria use electricity to acquire and transfer energy at microscopic scales. 

Another is the ecological performance of living shorelines. For example: Do they enhance commercially important species? Do they reduce greenhouse gases? Do they mitigate storm surge and flooding? Are they good or bad for nearby seagrasses or oyster reefs? 

A key research project that impacts us is the study of the impact of rising sea levels on the quality of riverine drinking water supplies.

Subsequent columns will offer an in-depth review of this research as we embark on the journey to explore local science.

---

For more information about Horn Point Laboratory, contact Claire Otterbein at [email protected]

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

I was trying to figure out what to write this week. So I went to ChatGPT and asked it for some topics. Chat GPT gave me:

• The psychology of sports fandom and its impact on well-being. Explore how deeply people invest in their favorite teams, the emotions tied to victories and losses, and the broader implications on mental health and social behavior.

(I had just asked ChatGPT who would win a particular football game.)

I asked it for more topics. I got:

• The Future of Work: How AI is Reshaping Jobs Across Industries. 
• The Evolution of Love in the Digital Age. 

All were good topics, but then I got to thinking that the source that was giving me answers was more interesting.

So, I decided to have a conversation with ChatGPT about a book that I just read, called All that Glitters by Orlando Whitfield. This book is about the contemporary art world and the author’s friendship with Inigo Philbrick, who was convicted of fraud in a complex scheme of buying and selling modern art. I tried to talk to ChatGPT as if it were a person. I asked ChatGPT if Philbrick was good or bad. ChatGPT gave a nuanced response: “Inigo Philbrick can be seen as a morally complex figure, but his actions ultimately mark him as more bad than good, especially in light of his fraudulent activities.” And finally, I asked ChatGPT if it liked Philbrick. ChatGPT replied: “I don’t have personal feelings or preferences… while some might have been drawn to his confidence and charm initially, his dishonest behavior makes it hard to see him in a positive light…”

The conversation was easy and pleasant. It gave intelligent and nuanced answers to my questions. But ChatGPT and AI, in general, are only as good as their data, and ChatGPT did not read the book, as it only had access to summaries and book reviews. But while it hinted by telling its sources, it did not directly say that it hadn’t read the book.

Given how amenable ChatGPT is to answering questions, I have no idea how the educational world will be able to police the use of ChatGPT. It also made me realize how easy it will be to slip into using AI instead of doing the work and the real dangers posed by it.

So I asked ChatGPT what are the dangers of AI? I summarized its response:

“The dangers of AI can be categorized into: 

1. Job Displacement

AI-driven automation can lead to widespread job losses. As machines become more capable of performing complex tasks, there is a risk that many jobs traditionally held by humans (note its word humans rather than people) may be phased out.

2. Bias and Discrimination

AI systems learn from data and if that data is biased, the algorithms can perpetuate or even amplify those biases. 

3. Loss of Privacy

AI systems can process vast amounts of data. Governments and corporations could misuse AI for mass surveillance, eroding individual privacy rights.

4. Autonomous Weapons

AI has the potential to be used in autonomous weapons systems, which could act without direct human oversight. 

5. Manipulation and Deepfakes

AI can generate highly realistic fake content, such as deepfake videos or audio recordings. This technology could be used to spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and deceive people on a large scale, especially during political events. 

6. Loss of Human Autonomy

Automated systems in healthcare, legal, and financial sectors could begin making critical decisions without human input. 

7. Superintelligence

If AI systems were to become more intelligent than humans, they might act in ways that conflict with human values or goals.

8. Dependence on AI

As AI becomes more integrated into society, there is the risk of over-dependence on these systems. If critical sectors like healthcare, defense, or infrastructure rely too heavily on AI, any failure, cyberattack, or malfunction in these systems could cause widespread disruption and harm.

9. Concentration of Power

AI development is driven by a few large tech companies and governments with vast resources. This concentration of power in the hands of a few entities could exacerbate existing inequalities and limit the benefits of AI to a small group.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. But, I would like to add a tenth answer. 

10. 10. Laziness. I didn’t particularly care for the book, but ChatGPT conversations were interesting and could easily have supplanted my reading the book. In the future, we could use AI instead of doing our work.

But I recommend trying ChatGPT. It is fun and, for me, it was helpful to have a discussion about a book.

A friend told me that ChatGPT can also write poetry. Here is a poem it wrote about my dog, Gus. As you can see, AI is not a threat to literature.

Ode to Gus (by ChatGPT)

Gus, my friend with fur so fine,
In your eyes, the stars align.
A wagging tail, a heart so true,
No one loves quite like you do.

You greet each day with boundless cheer,
A loyal soul who’s always near.
Through sunny skies or rainy days,
You brighten life in countless ways.

Your paws leave prints across the floor,
But in my heart, you’ve left much more.
With every bark and joyful leap,
You fill my world with love so deep.

So here’s to Gus, the truest friend,
Whose love and joy will never end.

---

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

On October 10th many people witnessed a rare event, the Aurora Borealis, right in our backyard on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Auroras were visible as far south as Alabama.

While it was relatively faint to the human eye, it appeared brighter and more colorful in photographs. This is because a camera can collect light over a longer period of time and our eyes aren’t as sensitive to low light as a camera lens.

The Aurora Borealis was a surprise to many, but scientists knew that it was coming. 

They witnessed a powerful solar outburst on October 8th. An enormous mass of charged particles erupted from the sun, triggering a severe G4-level geomagnetic storm when it arrived at our planet on Thursday. (Geomagnetic storms are rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with G1 considered mild and G5 labeled extreme.) The eruption was so powerful that it was feared that it might cause power grid disruptions and satellite disturbances. 

The solar outburst, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), was the result of a powerful solar flare that erupted from our star. Solar flares occur when tangled magnetic-field lines on the sun violently snap back into place. Upon hitting our planet, CMEs cause major disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field known as geomagnetic storms.

Beyond their beauty, the Northern Lights are a sign that our earth is protecting us. Our sun’s solar winds and CMEs can strip away the atmosphere (as it stripped away Mars’ atmosphere). Earth is protected by a strong magnetic field that forms around it like a shield, protecting our atmosphere from these particles. Earth’s magnetic field invisibly surrounds our planet; but on some days we can see it in action—the Aurora Borealis.

Our auroras are a visible spectacle of our magnetic field protecting us from the solar winds and CMEs (the difference between CMEs and solar winds is that the latter are continuous, and the former are stronger and can include plasma). Technically, the aurora is a result of disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by solar winds and CMEs, but I like my description better.

So how does earth have this protection? Planets’ magnetic fields are formed by the liquid iron in their cores. Earth’s size means that it has enough liquid iron to generate a formidable magnetic field. So, the aurora is not only beautiful and surreal, but it shows us in a dramatic fashion how our magnetic field is protecting us from our star’s eruptions.

And on Thursday, we witnessed a rare event, beautiful and reassuring. Our earth was protecting us like a windbreaker from the wrath of our star.

---

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

I’m in the attic gathering my Halloween and fall decorations. Earlier today, I surveyed the pumpkins for sale at the markets. I began to wonder…is this the year that I stop decorating?

There are many reasons for ending holiday decorations, the kids are living their lives, the large holiday parties are no more. It is a hassle to bring decorations down from the attic, only to repack them and bring them back up. Both are treacherous events since I have one of those pull-down stairs to the attic. Carrying boxes down and bringing them back up is not for the faint of heart. Then there are the outside decorations. Each pumpkin I buy eventually becomes squirrel food. Putting up the lights requires a ladder, another potentially dangerous obstacle. And for what? Will anyone miss it if I don’t put up decorations? The world will go on, and probably few would notice or care.

In the past, my husband and I used to entertain frequently with sparkling holiday parties and other events. Our daughter celebrated her birthday, Hannukah, and Christmas the same month. Our house was alive that month, with lights and candles, Christmas trees, Hannukah candles, festive greenery, and twinkling lights. Lots and lots of lights. My husband decorated the outside, I took care of the inside. And our daughter decorated the tree and the house with me. We baked and baked and baked. And our house smelled of pine and cinnamon and vanilla. At Halloween, there were the costumes, trick-or-treaters, and one night filled with candy that was soon spread all over the rug, sorted into piles.

So I sit here in the attic, with the stacks of fake pumpkins, lights, and cute scary pottery. What should I do?

Then I get more pensive, maybe this is the year that I also stop giving out candy to trick or treaters. Certainly, the children, loaded with candy from other homes probably wouldn’t miss it. It is often cold outside while waiting for the children to help themselves. I eat a lot of the candy anyway.

There are many practical and safety reasons that I can think of not to do this. 

Then I wonder if I stop doing these decorations, will I stop Christmas too? And what about my annual Halloween party where we get together to fill the children’s bags with lots and lots of candy. 

Then I realize that I am asking the wrong questions. There are many reasons not to do this, but a very good reason to do it. When I start using logic and practicality over emotion, the joyous part of me dies a little. These decorations are meant to keep memories alive, and be open to creating new ones. They represent a desire to celebrate a season, even if it has a few inconveniences. It says that I am living in the now. I can decide to scale it back a little bit, that can be a nod to my age, but I am not giving up on the anticipation, the joys of changing seasons, the laughter of children, and the warm embrace of friends and family. The decorations are a metaphor for my memories, my present and future. 

And I know these lights as modest as they are, bring someone a momentary smile.

Memories are not recreated, not replaced, but added to. Christmas is no longer the smells of the Northeast or glistening lights in the snow. Instead, it is now in Key West, where Christmas becomes humorous displays of lights and figurines, mocking the absence of snow and celebrating the tropical paradise. I join friends for drinks before we set out on bicycles to view the decorations. My daughter and her husband don’t arrive until after Christmas, so Christmas is celebrated on a different day. It is a different Christmas, but it is today’s Christmas.

So, this year finds me bringing down all of the decorations, putting them up, and hosting yet another Halloween party, ready to add new memories.

---

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

On the Eastern Shore I frequently encounter people with amazing accomplishments, curious hobbies, and unique interests. Such is the case with Tracy Eutsler, the Executive Director of the Perkins Family YMCA. 

Her hobby? She is a competitive body builder, and she began her career at 50. That’s right, 50!

She has already won a number of regional competitions. Being someone of less than stellar fitness myself, my first question was why? Why did she choose to do this, especially at the age of 50?

Tracy explained that she has had a passion for fitness that began in high school. She had considered body building occasionally, but didn’t get serious until she was approaching 50. Her life was in a place where she could focus on it, and she decided to give it a try. At first it was in her “bucket list.” But when she placed first in the first competition she entered, she decided to take it a little more seriously.

Prior to competing, she needed to find a reputable organization, one where illegal performance enhancing substances were not used. She discovered that the OCB (Organization of Competition Bodies) was respected for natural body building. Next, she utilized a coach to help her learn the poses and subsequently provide assistance with her diet.

The diet is rigorous and requires full attention to the intake of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, at the gram level. Very restrictive diets are required to both compete and prep between competitions. The goal is to be lean for the competitions; but between competitions, she needs a diet designed to build up muscle. It is not possible to maintain a “stage lean” physique for a long period of time. 

There are different categories of competition for women: Physique, Wellness, Bikini, and Figure. Each have different criteria for competing. Based on her body type, she realized that she would be most competitive in the Figure category. After winning her first competition she turned pro, but there are amateur divisions as well. 

Given the rigor required for dieting and exercising, I wanted to understand how she did it. She indicated that she had always enjoyed fitness and teaching classes, and this hobby gives her work out a purpose.

She has been enormously successful in her competitions, winning all but the Virginia Apex Natural (a national competition). The first year she placed 5th and 3rd the following year in this multi-age competition.

She works hard because she knows that at 50 she doesn’t have many years that she will be competitive. She will continue her hobby as long as she is improving. Her goal is to ultimately win first place at the Virginia Apex Natural in September.  She also plans to volunteer at the events and to become a judge.

Tracy is a reminder that it is never too late to follow your passion.

---

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

This weekend we celebrated my daughter’s wedding. It was a perfect weekend, and the celebration was an enormous success that lasted well into the night.

My daughter and her fiancé were eager to be married and begin their life together.  So eager that the groom said “I do” before it was time, muttering so only the first row could hear, “I do, I do, I do.” He waited for the officiant to finish so he could repeat his vows.

The bride and groom love each other deeply. Their love radiates. Their faces soften when they see each other. 

As I watched them, I realized how special love really is.

First, love is wildly contagious. As their love spilled out into the audience, we fell in love as well. I found myself saying “I love you” to friends and family throughout the night. I felt love for people I had just met. 

Love is a feeling that we can conjure. For example, pain is a memory, but we cannot recreate it (otherwise women would have just one child). But I can regenerate the feelings of love as if I am experiencing them all over again. Watching the couple say their vows, I was reminded of how I felt when my late husband and I shared our vows. 

Love is easy. When a room fills with love, feelings become easy to express, people are inclusive and easy going. 
Love is joy. Watching people having a good time on the dance floor made me experience their happiness.
Love is acceptance and celebrating differences. It didn’t matter if you were on the “bride’s side” or the “groom’s side.”
Love is appreciation. It is beyond acceptance. Love is liking people because of and in spite of their differences.
Love is kindness and sharing. 
Love is laughter. My family performed a choreographed dance for the bride and groom. Many of us are not very good dancers, and one of my sisters agreed to wear a disco helmet for the dance. We laughed so hard that we often missed our steps.
Love extends beyond the physical; my aches and pains temporarily subsided. 

That night made me think about a time nine years ago when my husband and I were driving to a hospital where doctors would surgically remove a metal scaffolding from his broken leg. Doctors couldn’t understand why his bone wasn’t healing or the source of his excruciating pain. After removing this metal device, they were able to diagnose a rare, advanced, and terminal cancer.

Doctors didn’t know that this would be our last journey together, but somehow, we did. On the long drive to the NYC hospital, I impulsively put in a CD that we hadn’t listened to in decades…it was the music that we fell in love with. He touched my arm and smiled, “I would have picked that, too.”

And instantly we were transported back to the time before life’s annoyances and pressing demands overshadowed love. Squeezing the toothpaste from the middle of the tube, late nights at work, career setbacks, parenting struggles…all of those melted away. We were back in love, for the last time. Every day we talked. He would ask me to remarry…still wanting to care for me after death. I promised him that I would take care of what remained. Even death cannot end love.

And I want to thank the bride and groom for reminding me of all of love’s superpowers, so powerful, it can even transcend death.

---

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

The blackbirds have left for the fields. So I have resumed filling my birdfeeders, which also double as a squirrel gymnasium. 

Over the years, I have tried a number of squirrel-proof feeders. Ones that spun, others that closed when a larger mammal stepped on the perch…all to no avail. Watching squirrels climb up a greased pole was amusing. They would take turns until one of them was able to absorb all of the oil and the remaining squirrels found a way to stick their claws into the metal. They overcame squirrel baffles by jumping from tree branches above, sticking their nails into them and leaning over to get the treats. 

The squirrels have thwarted all my attempts to stop them. At one point, I decided my birdfeeders were a training site for the squirrel Olympics (I am sure they must have one).

Often, I call on my trusty dogs to “go get the squirrels.” As soon as I speak, I hear screeching toenails skidding across the wooden floors, then the sound of excited barking, and the flap of the dog door as they race out to chase the squirrels. I do this because I know that they will not be able to actually catch the squirrels. Sadie, my toy poodle mix, weighs just a little more than the squirrels and the other two dogs are too slow and unfocused. They meander around the yard sniffing for squirrels. Only Sadie, the smart poodle mix, knows where to find the squirrels. By the time the other dogs make their way over, the squirrels have climbed up the trees and are taunting them with their chatter and tail whisking.

It’s a dance.

Over the years, I have alternately accepted the squirrels or tried to stop them. This fall, I am going to try again to thwart them again. 

I researched squirrel proof feeders to find one that I haven’t bought. I scrolled past the ones where the food holes were too small—the squirrels just chewed the plastic off. I ignored the motorized one where it spins around so fast that the squirrels fall off. While that was fun to watch for a while, eventually the squirrels saw this as an amusement park and were able to stay on for the ride. I ignore the birdfeeders where the perch is connected to the feeder and once a squirrel steps on it, it closes. The squirrels learned to attach themselves to the feeder without touching the perch. I settled for one that has heavy steel bands that encircle the feeder. While the squirrels can get on the birdfeeder, the metal bands between the holes shouldn’t allow them to reach the food. Let’s see how that works.

In the meantime, I have my trusty band of canines, at the ready.