Slower Lower

Ep. 41 - Crabs n' Bollards - 1st Anniversary Episode

Chris and Crystal reflect on their first year of podcasting and several local news stories. Topics discussed: * Crystal's glowing review of the Red Roost outside Salisbury. * Imported crabs and unscrupulous crabhouses. * Should restaurants identify the source of their crabs as if they were oysters? * The hideous new bollards and boardwalk gate in Rehoboth Beach. * Delaware Governor Matt Meyer posted a Bible verse . . . . and cut the name of Christ out of it!? * Replacing words in movie titles with the word scrapple. * The top ten Slower Lower episodes of the past year. * Thanking past guests and discussing potential future guests (i.e., an archaeologist, a cold case detective, a waterman, and more). * Other podcast stats of interest. Thank you to everybody who has checked out the Slower Lower podcast. Here's to another exciting year!

Ep. 40 - 1930s-40s Hurlock with Grandma Shirley

This very special episode of the Slower Lower podcast features Chris's 91-year-old grandma, Shirley, who was born in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1934. In Grandma Shirley's first-ever podcast interview, she talks about growing up in the small town of Hurlock in the 1930s and 1940s. Topics discussed: * The Pike family's old house in the woods at Rhodesdale. * The sad poisoning of the family's dog, Jojo, by neighbors. * Moving to Charles Street in Hurlock in 1937. * Walking everywhere because they didn't have a car. * Taking the train to shop in Cambridge. * Shirley's first trip to Ocean City with a Sunday School group around 1939. * Beach and boardwalk attire. * A later trip to bustling New York City. * School, the exciting weekly visit to the library, and holiday festivities. * The Baptist and Pilgrim Holiness churches. * Getting blessed: Runners, walkers, and holy rollers. * Making clothes out of feed bags. * Grabbing a chicken from the backyard for a fried chicken dinner. * Food from the garden. * Christmas oranges and nuts. * Never eating crabs or crab soup!? * Ooter Harper's store and penny candy selection. * Shirley's first job at the 5 & 10 in Federalsburg in 1950. * What can parents of today learn from the parents of the 1930s and 1940s? Drop a comment or question for Grandma Shirley and we'll share it with her.

Ep. 39 - Shane Beard & Kyle "K.O." Owens

Delaware-based country singer Shane Beard returns to the Slower Lower podcast with his friend and musical collaborator Kyle "K.O." Owens. We're celebrating the release of Shane's new single "Would If I Could" and a very cool music video! Topics discussed: * A dude in Selbyville is upset about the stinky stuff farmers are spreading on the fields. * Chicken manure vs. cow manure vs. hog manure. * "Would If I Could" and the story and feelings behind the song. * How Shane and K.O. got connected. * K.O.'s rich musical background, including listening to classical music as a baby. * The writing process; starting with a melody and adding words, or vice versa. * The tension between wanting to share a new song with the world immediately and waiting months to release it properly. * Does Shane need a blue verified badge on Facebook? * Shane recounts taking his wife and daughter to see Nate Smith and opener Brandon Wisham. * Poppy's Jams. * Who Would Win In A Fight? Country music edition. Listen to "Would If I Could" on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/track/64tH1E4ki612IWgpr6KenM?si=e6f2d7bdb20b4ebd], Apple [https://music.apple.com/us/song/would-if-i-could/6767046657], iHeart [https://www.iheart.com/artist/shane-beard-32826487/songs/would-if-i-could-399994686?app=listen], Amazon [https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0GZSGJVBT?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_RPYEsiGuQBlM4In0frBl9RPF8&trackAsin=B0GZSFRQNY], and other streaming platforms, and check out the music video on YouTube [https://youtu.be/P5z2c8s0jCg?si=gW74X-sMJxViyMnq]! Follow Shane Beard on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583910953627]and at shanebeard.com [http://www.shanebeard.com].

Ep. 38 - Nanticoke Language Revival ● Dr. Keith Cunningham

This is the second of two special episodes recorded at historic Rosemont (c. 1772) in downtown Laurel, Delaware. Chris and Crystal were joined by Dr. Keith Cunningham, a gifted and passionate linguist who is reconstructing the long-dormant language of the Nanticoke Indians. Topics discussed: * Greeting one another in Nanticoke. * Historic Nanticoke word lists from the 1700s. * Lydia Clark, the last native speaker of the language in the 19th century. * How sounds and words evolve across time and space. * The relationship between historical Nanticoke and languages like Lenape and Ojibwe. * Proto-Algonquian: The ancestral mother tongue. * The difficulty of translating place-names and personal names. * Local place-names including Tuckahoe, Rossakatum, and the mysterious Twokum. * Common English words borrowed from Algonquian languages, including raccoon, terrapin, and tomahawk. * Dr. Cunningham's brilliant dissertation. * An illustrated Nanticoke language primer for families. * Reviving a dormant language to honor living descendants of those who once spoke it. Learn more about the Nanticoke Language Project at nanticokelanguage.org [http://www.nanticokelanguage.org].

Ep. 37 - Sons & Daughters of the American Revolution with Troy & Carolynn Foxwell

Troy and Carolynn Foxwell are a husband-and-wife team who serve as the State President of the Delaware Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and the State Regent of the Delaware Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, respectively. They joined Chris and Crystal at historic Rosemont (c. 1772) in Laurel, Delaware, for a conversation about the organizations, how folks can discover and learn about their patriot ancestors, America's 250th birthday celebration, and more. Topics discussed: * Notable owners of Rosemont including Revolutionary War hero and Delaware Governor Nathaniel Mitchell. * The founding and purpose of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). * The system of state societies and local chapters. * The Foxwells' patriot ancestors, and how they got into the SAR and DAR. * The organizations' extensive historical and genealogical resources. * How can somebody find out whether they have a patriot ancestor? How can they join the SAR or DAR? * A bit about CAR, the Children of the American Revolution. * Delaware's rich colonial and revolutionary-era history, and how we can become complacent and take it for granted. * The significance of the 250th and its impact on history-centered organizations like the SAR and DAR, as well as local historical societies. * . . . . and more!