May Day is the perfect holiday to celebrate during our time in quarantine. All you need to do is leave someone a May basket and then be on your merry way! Often overlooked, the May Day holiday (this Friday) used to be celebrated in communities across America. The fun (and timely) point in anonymously leaving a May basket at the door of a relative, friend or neighbor is to trot away without having been seen. Bringing May baskets back is a perfectly inspired way to let your peeps know you're thinking about them from a safe distance. 

The May 1st tradition of welcoming the arrival of warmer weather in the Northern Hemisphere dates back many hundreds of years and has been observed in different ways. In Medieval times people danced around a maypole, a pole decorated with ribbons and streamers, and placed baskets of flowers at the base in what historians believe was a fertility ritual. A more recent way to celebrate is by leaving a May basket. A May basket is something to be hung on the door or left on the porch. Made of paper generally, it can contain almost anything.  Some ideas are to fill it with small presents such as flowers, candy or notes. May baskets are a sweet way to convey your best wishes and love. It is hung at the door of anybody you want to spread cheer to. When done the hanger simply knocks and departs. 

To create a May basket you can use a basket you have on hand, or make one out of paper. If you have little ones at home get them involved too. Decorate the basket with crayons, markers or paint in bright colors. Then fill the basket with whatever small presents you'd like. Flowers are a traditional favorite. You can pick dandelions or any other flowers in your yard that are springing up now. Next simply deliver your basket to your loved one's door. Happy May Day! 
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Check out these books released this May featuring titles based on actual science and data, whether that involves the chemistry of yeast or the reality of immigration. The fiction, meanwhile, provides portals to worlds more coherent than our current one. There are so many good excuses to keep reading!

1. All Adults Here Now: a novel by Emma Straub (May 4): Straub’s best book yet explores community, trauma and the lifelong work of parenting. In the Hudson Valley town of Clapham, NY, 68 year old widow Astrid witnesses a bus accident that kills a woman she didn’t like very much. Seeing a life cut short prompts Astrid to tell her grown children about her new relationship. The complications that unfold make excellent book club discussion. 
2. The Bird Way: a new look at how birds talk, work, play, parent and think by Jennifer Ackerman (May 5): After reading Ackerman (“The Genius of Birds”), you may listen harder to the various chirps, cheeps and coos coming from your backyard. Her new book reminds us that we have a lot in common with birds. Like us, they are capable of deception and manipulation, not to mention cooperation, culture and communication. 
3. Dirt: adventures in Lyon as a chef in training, father and sleuth looking for the secret of French cooking by Bill Buford (May 5): If you liked Buford’s 2006 book “Heat”, you’ll love this new title. Buford turns west, from Italy to France, moving his wife and 3 year old twins to Lyon to learn the secrets of the perfect baguette.
4. The Book of V.: a novel by Anna Solomon (May 5): This title tells the stories of three women, propelled across three different centuries by three different motives. That’s a huge canvas, but Solomon works best in large scale. Solomon’s examination of the biblical Esther, and how her story informs various waves of modern feminism, is a great, big juicy read.
5. In Praise of Walking: a new scientific exploration by Shane O'Mara (May 12): As social distancing leaves gyms and outdoor swimming pools empty, many people around the world are turning to the oldest form of transportation for fitness, anxiety relief and even community (six feet apart). O’Mara, a professor of experimental brain research at Trinity College in Dublin, believes that we should keep it up. According to science, walking is fundamental to our bodies, yes, but also our mental well being.
6. A Children's Bible: a novel by Lydia Millet (May 12): Evie’s brother Jack is obsessed with his juvenile bible, believing it may be a survival guide for climate change. Author Millet is obsessed with Christian imagery, using allegories to make sense of timely themes. She accomplishes this with the story of Evie and Jack, two of 12 children on a forced lakeside family vacation who soon have to contend with big problems.
7. These Women: a novel by Ivy Pochoda (May 19): Pochoda’s fourth novel is an L.A. noir murder mystery. The stories of six women intersect with that of a serial killer, but this isn’t your average thriller. The gory details of the unsolved murders are less important than the women living on the fringes who are affected by the crimes.
8. Rodham: a novel by Curtis Sittenfeld (May 19): In this novel, we meet Hillary Rodham as she begins Yale Law School, just before she meets Bill Clinton and embarks on a steamy relationship. But Sittenfeld, whose 2008 “American Wife” contained some surprises about another first lady, Laura Bush, has a few in store for this one, too, including a happy ending.
9. ​​One Mighty and Irresistible Tide: the epic struggle over American immigration by Jia Lynn Yang (May 19): Here Yang takes a powerful look at immigrant strictures put in place in 1924 that were revoked by the 1965 Immigration and Equality Act. Yang, a former deputy national security editor at The Washington Post, makes a case for why we must continue the fight to keep and expand that act, while weaving her own family story into her research. 
10. Fairest: a memoir by Meredith Talusan (May 26): Born a “sun child,” or an albino, Talusan was raised in the Philippines as a boy. Immigrating to the United States as an adolescent, Talusan passed as white and went to Harvard, exploring sexuality, privilege and a deep desire to become a woman. In this “journey across gender,” Talusan communicates the captivating story of what it means to be true to one’s self.

Mother's day is less than two weeks away and this year the celebrations will be a little different than usual. Here's some ideas on how you can celebrate mom while still staying safe at home.

• Flowers: While you can’t visit the flower shop right now, the safest way to still get beautiful flowers to mom is to rely on online delivery. Support local florists by checking to see if they offer online delivery.
• Photos: Since many people won’t be able to be home with their moms this year, one way to make everyone feel connected is with a digital photo frame. Digital photo frames are great because anyone can upload their photos to it from anywhere. It’s a great gift option if you have siblings since everyone can upload photos to it. 
• Breakfast in bed: If you're lucky enough to have mom with you in the house, whip up her favorite breakfast foods and serve them to her in bed. If mom is at a distance, you can surprise her with a meal ordered through GoldBelly, which will let you order from some of the best restaurants all over the country. 
• Pedicure: Mom might not be able to get a pedicure right now, but a heated bubbling tub will keep her tired feet relaxed until she can get the pros to handle her toes! You can also use any tub or basin to create a relaxing foot soak. If you have bath fizzes or oils add them to the water.
• Make or send a card: 20 DIY mother's day cards that are simple enough for anyone to make.   
• Family names throw pillows: Your mom will love this cute pillowcase because it's personalized with the first names of her loved ones. Fill it with a pillow insert before gifting, so she can put it on the couch ASAP. 
• Custom family portrait: What's sweeter than a hand-drawn portrait of your family? Nothing! These custom portraits are drawn individually to capture the unique characteristics of your family, framed with branches and hand-written calligraphy.  
• ​Subscription box: Sign mom up for a monthly subscription box. Try Dermstore's BeautyFIX, which lets her sample the best in beauty, makeup, and skincare each month. That way, she can see if the cult-favorite products are really worth the hype. 

With May upon us, and hopefully sunnier weather, folks will be heading outdoors to work on their lawns and yards. Following are some helpful tips for lawn & yard maintenance. Remember to follow social distancing guidelines while working on your yard.

• Adjust your soil pH: soil pH (acidity level) is very important. Just because your dirt looks rich and black doesn’t mean it’s the right pH for grass. You can fix soil pH problems by adding lime to raise the pH or iron to lower it. Most grasses prefer a pH of 6.0 to 7.2.
• Feed shady areas less: When it comes to yard maintenance, people tend to over apply fertilizer to shady areas because the grass is struggling. That just kills it faster! The grass in shady areas needs less water because less evaporates, and it needs less fertilizer because with less sun it doesn’t grow as much. When you go into shade, shift the controls on the spreader so you’re spreading about half the amount.
• Plant trees: Before you buy a tree, look at the shade pattern it’ll have when it’s grown. You’re starting with a little tree, but once it grows up, it’s going to be full grown. Keep enough distance when planting between the tree and your house or shed.
• Healthy grass prevents weeds: Lawns that are nutrient-stressed are a breeding ground for weeds. The best defense is a healthy lawn. Test the soil to see what type and quantity of fertilizer are needed to help your lawn. Proper fertilization improves lawn health. Healthy grass can compete better and crowd out weeds without a lot of weed killer.
• Use ground covers: Ground covers are an easy way to control erosion and weeds. Use rock features and patios or control erosion on slopes. If the soil is good, kill the existing vegetation and leave it in place on the slope to stabilize the bank and serve as mulch. Then plant through the layer of dead material. Add another layer of shredded bark or other mulch after planting to conserve moisture and reduce weed problems while your ground cover becomes established.
• Use plastic edging on curves: Plastic edging will go up and down hills as long as you spike it in well. However, over time straight lines will get a little wavy. Instead use it on places where your garden bed or shrubs curve. Check out these recommendations for the best lawn edger.
• Use shredded mulch around plants: Rock mulch will reflect heat back into shrubs and heat up shallow roots, so it’s not good for the health of the plant. Shredded mulch holds moisture better and stays cooler.
• ​Turn leaves into mulch: If at least a quarter of the grass is showing through the leaves, you can mulch the leaves with your mower. But if the lawn is 80 to 90 percent covered, you should rake some of it up as part of your lawn maintenance. That much mulch creates too much residue, it won’t degrade well, and in spring it’ll be a matted mess that kills the grass.
• Save money on mulch: If you’re mulching a big area, use a cheaper hardwood mulch for most of it, then top-dress it with cedar or cypress. You can also top-dress old mulch. Sprinkle on a fresh 1-inch layer and it’ll look brand new. That way you’re not paying for something you don’t see.
• Protect trees with mulch: Protect exposed tree roots by mulching around the root area. A 2- to 4-inch layer of wood chips or shredded bark protects the roots and creates a good growing environment. Planting grass right up to a tree trunk is a common practice, but it’s not good for the tree because grass and trees compete for water and nutrients. The tree will be healthier and grow faster if you put a 3- to 4-ft. border of mulch around it instead of grass.
• Check out this article: 10 tips for maintaining a beautiful yard

Since we can't host any stargazing programs this Spring, here's some tips on how to do it on your own. Remember to follow social distancing guidelines while stargazing.

• No telescope? No problem! From major constellations to shooting stars and the International Space Station, there are plenty of fascinating objects in the night sky visible without any special equipment at all. Binoculars can open up the universe. You can explore the surface of the moon and even see the rings around Saturn.
• The colder the better. Whether you use a telescope, binoculars, or the naked eye, cold, windless nights offer the best viewing conditions. More heat means more motion in the atmosphere, which distorts the dim light from stars and causes waviness.
• Look for the signs. Learn your way around the sky using maps found in books and magazines or online. "Star hop” by starting with a few easily identified celestial signposts. Smartphone apps like Stellarium and Google Sky can also help: point your phone skyward to see the names of major stars, planets, and constellations appear on the screen.
• Let your eyes adjust to the dark. it takes your eyes about an hour to adjust to the dark sky—so the longer you can go without looking at indoor lighting, street lamps, or headlights, the better. Using one of those apps? Set your phone’s display as dim as possible to preserve your night vision. 
• Find the north star. If you want to be able to identify a star without help from your phone, the North Star—or Polaris—is a good place to start. Polaris’s position holds steady throughout the night, and you can find it using the Big Dipper: just look along the imaginary line between the constellation’s outermost stars—the two farthest from the “handle".
• Look at the moon. Use your binoculars to get a close-up of the moon and its craters. The best time to look at the moon isn’t when it’s full. It's when the moon is waxing or waning—especially between quarter and crescent phases. To tell whether the moon is waxing or waning, look at the shape. A waxing (growing) moon looks like the letter “D”; a waning (shrinking) moon like a “C". 
• Admire the milk way. The galaxy is high in the sky in the summer, low in the winter, and stunning all year round. It looks like a cloud that runs across the sky. We’re looking through the plane of it where it’s thick, and thousands and thousands of light-years of distant stars. The best way to view the Milky Way is from a dark spot with no streetlights for at least 20 miles. Look straight up on summer nights when it's late.
• Look for the International Space Station. NASA has a website dedicated to tracking the ISS. It tells you when the next sighting is in your area, where in the sky it will be and for how long. If you want something a bit more immediate, you can watch it move around the world in real-time here.
• Learn to tell planets from stars. A bright light in the sky that sparkles is a star. If it doesn't and appears stationary, it’s a planet. If an object is much brighter than those around it, there's a good chance it's a planet. If you can spot two planets (or the moon and a planet) and trace a line in the sky between the two, you’ve identified part of the ecliptic plane. This is the path the sun appears to take when rising and setting. If you continue to trace this line across the sky, you’ll probably run into several of the planets, as they follow this same path.
• Use your eyes and imagination. There are so many high-tech tools to help us navigate the skies, but astronomers still recommend foregoing them every once in a while and just gazing up with the naked, unaided eye. This is how our ancestors saw the sky, and over thousands of years, it’s barely changed. Try to spot the characters in the sky, such as Orion the hunter or Scorpius. With enough practice, eventually you’ll know the characters in the sky by heart!
• Check out this article: The secrets to stargazing from your backyard

Here is where you can find information about local places 

Cotuit Federated Church Holy Week at Cotuit Federated Church
GOOD FRIDAY -contemplative How Can I Keep from Hymn Sings with Megan at noon on Facebook Live. EASTER DAY: Sunrise Service, 5:50am on Facebook Live at 5:50am (prerecorded). Please watch it from home and do not gather at the beach. Festival Worship on Facebook Live at 10am.

Cotuit Fire District Prudential Committee find news, meeting minutes & budget reports.

Cotuit Fresh Market open to the public 7 a.m.-6 p.m. phone (508) 428-6936. Call ahead for curbside pick-up. Deliveries made within the Cotuit area. 

Cotuit Post Office open M-F 9-4, Sat. 10-12, & closed Sunday. Expect to wait in line and obey distancing rule of 6 feet apart per person. Neon foot placement signs are taped on the floor to help.

Cotuit Historical Society explore your local history

Cotuit Fire Department find news, meeting minutes, personnel & contact info.

CVS Marstons Mills open M-F 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 8 a.m.-9 p.m. phone (508) 428-9638. Expect to wait in line and follow social distancing rules. Please enter wearing a face mask if possible.

Stop & Shop Marstons Mills open every day 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. phone (508) 428-1278. Expect to wait in line for entry into store. Directional signs on floor to follow social distancing rules. Please enter wearing a face mask if possible.

Adventure! Children’s Museum (Eugene, OR)

• Find daily Adventure! Museum activities here 

​Amazement Square (Lynchburg, VA)

• Watch daily videos through Amazement Square anywhere

​Boston Children's Museum

• What's Happening-Home Edition! 

 Bucks County Children’s Museum (New Hope, PA)

• Parent at home resources 

​Building for Kids Children’s Museum (Appleton, WI)

• Programs daily at 10 am and 1 pm on Facebook, Instagram, & YouTube 

​Children’s Creativity Museum (San Francisco, CA)

• Check out their blog and social media for resources 

​Children’s Discovery Museum (Normal, IL)

• Daily dose of play & e-learning activities 

​Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine (Portland)

• Online educational programming 

​The Children’s Museum in Easton (MA)

• Social distance learning 

​Children’s Museum of Atlanta (GA)

• CMA at home activities located on the blog 

​The Children’s Museum of Cleveland (OH)

• Daily online programming on social media 

​Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus (CO)

• Museum fun 101 Facebook group sharing at home activities 

​The Children’s Museum of Evansville (IN)

• ​cMoe at home activities 

Ipswich Public Library (MA)

• Wishtree School & library spring community read

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