This past week on the island has been a quiet one. Having gotten all of the initial holiday celebrations out of the way, we took a quick break before starting the final ones. The Christmas Eve service at the church is probably the second-most attended event of the season (sorry, but nothing beats the Garage Party in terms of sheer numbers) and I am looking forward to it. The Madri-Gals will be singing again, to start the service. We rehearsed today while the kids were being fitted for costumes for the Christmas pageant. It should be a wonderful evening.
Last week, I was busy with work-related things, final preparations for the family Christmas visit and planning for the January trip, hence the dearth of blogs. I'll try to write more often, although all bets may be off in January. We will be traveling for most of the month, including some time in Key West. The idea was to go somewhere warm for part of our time off, but it has been so warm here we aren't really feeling the winter chill or the desire to escape it! I'm not complaining, though...I suspect there will be plenty of cold air during the first part of our trip, when we are in the Asheville area, in the mountains of NC!
Merry, Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
More Holiday Happenings!
It may be quiet on the island in terms of the number of visitors here, but there is certainly no shortage of activities! I had another weekend full of Christmas-related events, and loved every minute of it, as usual!
Things got started on Friday morning. Mary Ellen and I had planned a special activity for the first graders. They came to school dressed in pajamas (as did I), and we read the book The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Or, more accurately, William Hurt read it on tape, while I held up the book so the kids could see the pictures. John dressed in a suit and played the conductor. We gave the kids tickets, which they handed to him to punch as they returned from outside play time. Then they entered the classroom and took their seats on the "train" (we had lined the chairs up like seats on a train) to listen to the story. After the "reading", they drank hot chocolate and ate nougat candies (aka Milky Way bars), just like the kids in the book. We then played a game, and sent the kids home all sugared up for the afternoon! It was a really fun way to spend an hour.
On Friday evening, a group of people went caroling. We walked around the village (often in the middle of the street!), visiting community elders and shut-ins, and singing to them. We took requests, but most of them simply said they would like whatever we sang. It was a lovely evening, warm and clear, and I very much enjoyed walking under the stars and singing with my friends. Where else, I thought, can you do this and not worry about getting run over by a car?
On Saturday morning, my friend Nancy had a fabulous yard sale with items from the shop she has run for the past couple of years but will soon be closing. Yes, this was a Christmas-related event: I bought Christmas presents!
I went straight from Nancy's to my guitar lesson, and straight from there to a wonderful facial with Amy Borland-Hilton at Deep Blue Day Spa. It was a full day, and an excellent one!
On Sunday afternoon, John and I helped at the annual Children's Christmas Party at the Community Center. It was really well organized, and included several activities for the kids to do while they waited for Santa to arrive. John and I manned the "reindeer food" station, where we helped the kids make bags of food for the reindeer. In case you are wondering, reindeer food is oats with red and green sprinkles...you toss it on your lawn on Christmas Eve, and the sprinkles sparkle in the moonlight, so the reindeer can find your house and their snack! There were also stations to make hot chocolate packs (in cone shaped bags, with marshmallows on top), bead necklaces, and t-shirts. There were delicious snacks and drinks, too, of course...must keep the sugar quotient up during the Holidays! Finally, Santa arrived on the Ocracoke Fire Truck. The kids lined up to sit on his lap, and he very patiently listened to all of their requests and smiled for pictures with them. It was an excellent party, and much fun was had by all (yes, including me!)
Finally, on Sunday night, I watched the Ocracoke Assembly of God Christmas Pageant. I say I watched it, because John did not merely watch ~ he participated! He played a "wise guy", and he is quite the actor! I think he is a ham at heart, but just doesn't get to explore that part of his personality much. The show was great, and there were some seriously delicious treats available afterwards. Sundae was there with Caroline and Emmett, but Emmett wasn't feeling well and didn't want to stay for the treats (the line to get to them was long and moving slowly.) I volunteered to drive Caroline home after we ate treats, so she could stay and enjoy some goodies while Sundae took Emmett home. Caroline and I enjoyed the munchies, then walked to The Cove to get the car. I took Caroline home and stayed and visited with her family for a while, which led to a fun game of Yahtzee. I hadn't played in years, but caught on pretty quickly, although I didn't do very well overall! Sundae won both games we played, even rolling a Yahtzee on the second game! Even though I love Christmas, and had truly enjoyed all of the activities of the weekend, it was this quiet time with friends that I liked the most. This is one of my favorite things about the community of Ocracoke. Here, people really do drop in on their neighbors simply to catch up or pass on the latest news. Sometimes games or musical instruments are played. Every time, people enjoy one another's company.
Hope you will enjoy not only activities, but also the company of family or friends, during this busy season!
Things got started on Friday morning. Mary Ellen and I had planned a special activity for the first graders. They came to school dressed in pajamas (as did I), and we read the book The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Or, more accurately, William Hurt read it on tape, while I held up the book so the kids could see the pictures. John dressed in a suit and played the conductor. We gave the kids tickets, which they handed to him to punch as they returned from outside play time. Then they entered the classroom and took their seats on the "train" (we had lined the chairs up like seats on a train) to listen to the story. After the "reading", they drank hot chocolate and ate nougat candies (aka Milky Way bars), just like the kids in the book. We then played a game, and sent the kids home all sugared up for the afternoon! It was a really fun way to spend an hour.
On Friday evening, a group of people went caroling. We walked around the village (often in the middle of the street!), visiting community elders and shut-ins, and singing to them. We took requests, but most of them simply said they would like whatever we sang. It was a lovely evening, warm and clear, and I very much enjoyed walking under the stars and singing with my friends. Where else, I thought, can you do this and not worry about getting run over by a car?
On Saturday morning, my friend Nancy had a fabulous yard sale with items from the shop she has run for the past couple of years but will soon be closing. Yes, this was a Christmas-related event: I bought Christmas presents!
I went straight from Nancy's to my guitar lesson, and straight from there to a wonderful facial with Amy Borland-Hilton at Deep Blue Day Spa. It was a full day, and an excellent one!
On Sunday afternoon, John and I helped at the annual Children's Christmas Party at the Community Center. It was really well organized, and included several activities for the kids to do while they waited for Santa to arrive. John and I manned the "reindeer food" station, where we helped the kids make bags of food for the reindeer. In case you are wondering, reindeer food is oats with red and green sprinkles...you toss it on your lawn on Christmas Eve, and the sprinkles sparkle in the moonlight, so the reindeer can find your house and their snack! There were also stations to make hot chocolate packs (in cone shaped bags, with marshmallows on top), bead necklaces, and t-shirts. There were delicious snacks and drinks, too, of course...must keep the sugar quotient up during the Holidays! Finally, Santa arrived on the Ocracoke Fire Truck. The kids lined up to sit on his lap, and he very patiently listened to all of their requests and smiled for pictures with them. It was an excellent party, and much fun was had by all (yes, including me!)
Finally, on Sunday night, I watched the Ocracoke Assembly of God Christmas Pageant. I say I watched it, because John did not merely watch ~ he participated! He played a "wise guy", and he is quite the actor! I think he is a ham at heart, but just doesn't get to explore that part of his personality much. The show was great, and there were some seriously delicious treats available afterwards. Sundae was there with Caroline and Emmett, but Emmett wasn't feeling well and didn't want to stay for the treats (the line to get to them was long and moving slowly.) I volunteered to drive Caroline home after we ate treats, so she could stay and enjoy some goodies while Sundae took Emmett home. Caroline and I enjoyed the munchies, then walked to The Cove to get the car. I took Caroline home and stayed and visited with her family for a while, which led to a fun game of Yahtzee. I hadn't played in years, but caught on pretty quickly, although I didn't do very well overall! Sundae won both games we played, even rolling a Yahtzee on the second game! Even though I love Christmas, and had truly enjoyed all of the activities of the weekend, it was this quiet time with friends that I liked the most. This is one of my favorite things about the community of Ocracoke. Here, people really do drop in on their neighbors simply to catch up or pass on the latest news. Sometimes games or musical instruments are played. Every time, people enjoy one another's company.
Hope you will enjoy not only activities, but also the company of family or friends, during this busy season!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Twinkling lights
We have had some lovely warm weather here for the last few days, accompanied by very clear skies. I have walked outside late (after 10 or 11 PM) on the last few nights, and have enjoyed seeing thousands of stars. One night, while standing and looking out at the water and the stars, I noticed a lighted outdoor Christmas tree to my right. Then, as I walked back home, I saw a lighted angel down the street. (Tideland EMC, our electric company, puts stars and angels up on some of the poles around the village with the help of the Fire Department). Finally, I looked up and saw my favorite "nightlight", the Lighthouse. (Yes, I do think of the Ocracoke Lighthouse as my personal nightlight, although I'm happy to share with everyone else!)
By the way, the Lighthouse is looking truly excellent during the day as well, as it is in the process of being repainted. So far only the primer coats have been completed, but it already looks much whiter and cleaner than it has in a while.
I enjoyed all of these lights and hope to go see them on many more warm, clear evenings. Many of the seasonal celebrations this time of year, regardless of the culture or religion, have in common a celebration of light. Christmas celebrations traditionally included candles on trees, replaced by the modern (and safer) electric lights in the more recent past. Hannukkah, of course, is the Jewish "Festival of Lights" and includes lighting candles each evening. St. Lucia celebrations in Switzerland include lighted candles on headdresses worn by young girls. Kwanzaa involves lighting candles to remember the core values of the African American community. I'm sure there are more examples. Whatever your culture or religion, I hope that you enjoy your celebration and that there is plenty of light (literal and figurative) in your life.
By the way, the Lighthouse is looking truly excellent during the day as well, as it is in the process of being repainted. So far only the primer coats have been completed, but it already looks much whiter and cleaner than it has in a while.
I enjoyed all of these lights and hope to go see them on many more warm, clear evenings. Many of the seasonal celebrations this time of year, regardless of the culture or religion, have in common a celebration of light. Christmas celebrations traditionally included candles on trees, replaced by the modern (and safer) electric lights in the more recent past. Hannukkah, of course, is the Jewish "Festival of Lights" and includes lighting candles each evening. St. Lucia celebrations in Switzerland include lighted candles on headdresses worn by young girls. Kwanzaa involves lighting candles to remember the core values of the African American community. I'm sure there are more examples. Whatever your culture or religion, I hope that you enjoy your celebration and that there is plenty of light (literal and figurative) in your life.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Holiday celebrations and preparations
We are truly in the midst of the holiday season around here, with multiple events happening each week, and I am enjoying it! There were several holiday activities this weekend, which I (of course) attended. Some of these events were to celebrate the holidays, and some were to help prepare for the season.
The weekend started with the annual Ocrafolk Christmas concert on Friday night. I was blessed to be a part of it again this year, singing with my friends Sundae, Marcy, Jamie and DeAnna. We named our group the Madri-Gals, and we sang a couple of Christmas madrigal songs, one which I had never heard before we started rehearsing called "Masters in this Hall" and another more familiar one, "I Saw Three Ships. We also sang the traditional carol "We Three Kings". Our performance seemed to be well received by the audience, and was a lot of fun. I was wide awake after the show, and stayed up until midnight (which is quite late for me). The concert included many excellent performances by local musicians, including Noah Paley (who is from Hatteras Island). I enjoyed being in the audience as much as I enjoyed performing.
On Saturday morning, Ann Ehringhaus (a local photographer and B&B owner/innkeeper) had a yard sale. Ann has great, eclectic taste, so I knew I wanted to go. I was glad I did, picking up a Christmas gift and something for myself for a bargain. On Saturday afternoon, I helped the local Brownie troop create cute gifts for friends and family. The girls' enthusiasm was contagious, and my excitement about Christmas grew a bit more.
Saturday night (yes, Saturday was a full day!), we went to the annual Garage Party, which is the largest potluck of the year. I ate much too much, but thoroughly enjoyed it. At one point, we had a conversation about it being difficult to "weight watch" during the holiday season, to which my friend Charles quipped "well, you can watch...you just watch the weight piling on!" How true!
After the Garage party (Saturday still isn't over!), a small group of people went out to the beach to see the space shuttle as it went by the East coast after taking off from Florida. It was a beautiful clear night, perfect for gazing at all things (man made and natural) in the sky. The people gathered on the beach complained good-naturedly about the cold, but all the grumbling (in fact, most of the conversation) stopped when we saw the fast-moving light that was the space shuttle shooting across the horizon. It looked like a shooting star, only it didn't burn out quickly, but rather continued until it was out of sight. The whole thing was over within a few minutes, and we immediately headed back to the warmth of cars and homes.
Today, the shops on School Road had a holiday open house, including sale prices and sweet treats for shoppers. I went into each one and bought gifts in several of them. I spent a long time in Books to be Red, which is one of my favorite shops on any day of the year. But Philip Howard, owner of another of my favorite shops on the island (Village Craftsmen) was there even longer - he arrived before I got there, and was still shopping when I left. He was building a small pile in a corner of the shop, wandering back and forth into its different areas and adding items to his stack as he found them. We teased him for putting his items near the food, so each time he added a gift to his stash, he could get another treat too! Philip commented that he thought he would do all his shopping right there. It was a great example of the way island business support, rather than compete with, each other. Philip could easily get all his holiday shopping done in his own store, but he chose instead to shop at Leslie's place.
Thinking about that, I realize that all of the events I experienced this weekend have one thing in common: sharing. Musicians sharing our talents at the Christmas show, Ann sharing her extras with her neighbors, the Brownies sharing the gifts they made with friends/teachers/family members, the community sharing a meal at the Garage party, a hardy group sharing the experience of watching the space shuttle, and holiday shoppers "sharing the wealth" with store owners. This truly, is the spirit of the holiday season at work here in our community. No wonder I'm in a festive, joyful mood! I hope you have the opportunity to share some joy, peace and love with those around you, during the holiday season and every day.
To know more/related links:
Books to Be Red/Deepwater Pottery: http://www.deepwaterpottery.com/index.html
Village Craftsmen: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com
The weekend started with the annual Ocrafolk Christmas concert on Friday night. I was blessed to be a part of it again this year, singing with my friends Sundae, Marcy, Jamie and DeAnna. We named our group the Madri-Gals, and we sang a couple of Christmas madrigal songs, one which I had never heard before we started rehearsing called "Masters in this Hall" and another more familiar one, "I Saw Three Ships. We also sang the traditional carol "We Three Kings". Our performance seemed to be well received by the audience, and was a lot of fun. I was wide awake after the show, and stayed up until midnight (which is quite late for me). The concert included many excellent performances by local musicians, including Noah Paley (who is from Hatteras Island). I enjoyed being in the audience as much as I enjoyed performing.
On Saturday morning, Ann Ehringhaus (a local photographer and B&B owner/innkeeper) had a yard sale. Ann has great, eclectic taste, so I knew I wanted to go. I was glad I did, picking up a Christmas gift and something for myself for a bargain. On Saturday afternoon, I helped the local Brownie troop create cute gifts for friends and family. The girls' enthusiasm was contagious, and my excitement about Christmas grew a bit more.
Saturday night (yes, Saturday was a full day!), we went to the annual Garage Party, which is the largest potluck of the year. I ate much too much, but thoroughly enjoyed it. At one point, we had a conversation about it being difficult to "weight watch" during the holiday season, to which my friend Charles quipped "well, you can watch...you just watch the weight piling on!" How true!
After the Garage party (Saturday still isn't over!), a small group of people went out to the beach to see the space shuttle as it went by the East coast after taking off from Florida. It was a beautiful clear night, perfect for gazing at all things (man made and natural) in the sky. The people gathered on the beach complained good-naturedly about the cold, but all the grumbling (in fact, most of the conversation) stopped when we saw the fast-moving light that was the space shuttle shooting across the horizon. It looked like a shooting star, only it didn't burn out quickly, but rather continued until it was out of sight. The whole thing was over within a few minutes, and we immediately headed back to the warmth of cars and homes.
Today, the shops on School Road had a holiday open house, including sale prices and sweet treats for shoppers. I went into each one and bought gifts in several of them. I spent a long time in Books to be Red, which is one of my favorite shops on any day of the year. But Philip Howard, owner of another of my favorite shops on the island (Village Craftsmen) was there even longer - he arrived before I got there, and was still shopping when I left. He was building a small pile in a corner of the shop, wandering back and forth into its different areas and adding items to his stack as he found them. We teased him for putting his items near the food, so each time he added a gift to his stash, he could get another treat too! Philip commented that he thought he would do all his shopping right there. It was a great example of the way island business support, rather than compete with, each other. Philip could easily get all his holiday shopping done in his own store, but he chose instead to shop at Leslie's place.
Thinking about that, I realize that all of the events I experienced this weekend have one thing in common: sharing. Musicians sharing our talents at the Christmas show, Ann sharing her extras with her neighbors, the Brownies sharing the gifts they made with friends/teachers/family members, the community sharing a meal at the Garage party, a hardy group sharing the experience of watching the space shuttle, and holiday shoppers "sharing the wealth" with store owners. This truly, is the spirit of the holiday season at work here in our community. No wonder I'm in a festive, joyful mood! I hope you have the opportunity to share some joy, peace and love with those around you, during the holiday season and every day.
To know more/related links:
Books to Be Red/Deepwater Pottery: http://www.deepwaterpottery.com/index.html
Village Craftsmen: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
New and old
On Tuesday, there was an event to show off the newest building in the community: the additional (and much needed) school building. For the ribbon cutting, they used a blue ribbon covered with individual yellow dolphin shapes (the school's mascot) which had been signed by most of the students. After the ribbon was cut, the community and parents gathered were invited to tour the new building. It is a great facility, with really LARGE classroom spaces and tiny toilets in the pre-K/Kindergarten restrooms. The closet and sink areas are colorful, with primary shades on the cabinet doors rather than plain white. But the building, at this point devoid of furniture or any decoration, still doesn't look like a school. I am looking forward to seeing it again, once the vibrant colors of bulletin boards and student's work fill the walls, and the lively voices of teachers and students fill the spaces.
Today (Wednesday), the Ocracoke Preservation Society held its annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting and Wassail Party. There was musical entertainment on the museum's front porch by island musicians (including kids), and delicious treats baked by residents were available inside. Linda Scarborough was in the kitchen serving traditional wassail as usual, and she told me that the recipe is from Kenny Ballance. I bet it's an old family recipe (the Ballance family has been on the island for many years), and I love that the tradition of sharing wassail with friends continues here. A new tradition was added to this celebration as well: island kids hung wooden ornaments on the cedar tree in the museum yard. The ornaments had been made several years ago, but needed some refurbishing, so the kids worked over the last few weeks to add some sparkle to them. I loved this combining of the old and new. I also loved the handmade ornaments. There's nothing wrong with lovely store-bought tree decorations, but there is something magical about the old-fashioned homemade variety.
On Ocracoke, the community is constantly finding ways to welcome the new while cherishing and embracing our history as well. It's important to have the balance of both, a fact that unfortunately seems to have been lost in our modern society. This Christmas, I plan to take some time to reflect on family traditions and also to start a new one (no details here, it's going to be a surprise for my family, and they read the blog). Whatever your traditions, old or new, I hope you enjoy them and cherish the time with your loved ones.
To know more/interesting links:
Ocracoke Preservation Society - http://www.ocracokemuseum.org/
Ocracoke School - http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/schools/schools021.shtml
(there is also an article about the school in the Sept. 2006 issue of Our State magazine)
Today (Wednesday), the Ocracoke Preservation Society held its annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting and Wassail Party. There was musical entertainment on the museum's front porch by island musicians (including kids), and delicious treats baked by residents were available inside. Linda Scarborough was in the kitchen serving traditional wassail as usual, and she told me that the recipe is from Kenny Ballance. I bet it's an old family recipe (the Ballance family has been on the island for many years), and I love that the tradition of sharing wassail with friends continues here. A new tradition was added to this celebration as well: island kids hung wooden ornaments on the cedar tree in the museum yard. The ornaments had been made several years ago, but needed some refurbishing, so the kids worked over the last few weeks to add some sparkle to them. I loved this combining of the old and new. I also loved the handmade ornaments. There's nothing wrong with lovely store-bought tree decorations, but there is something magical about the old-fashioned homemade variety.
On Ocracoke, the community is constantly finding ways to welcome the new while cherishing and embracing our history as well. It's important to have the balance of both, a fact that unfortunately seems to have been lost in our modern society. This Christmas, I plan to take some time to reflect on family traditions and also to start a new one (no details here, it's going to be a surprise for my family, and they read the blog). Whatever your traditions, old or new, I hope you enjoy them and cherish the time with your loved ones.
To know more/interesting links:
Ocracoke Preservation Society - http://www.ocracokemuseum.org/
Ocracoke School - http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/schools/schools021.shtml
(there is also an article about the school in the Sept. 2006 issue of Our State magazine)
Monday, December 4, 2006
Still on the planet...
Yes, I'm still here. It was a full weekend, so I didn't find time to blog. First, Jamie (the kitten) was really sick on Friday morning, so I had to take him to the vet. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but when you live on Ocracoke, a trip to the vet takes all day! (We do have on-island vet services, but they are only once a month which doesn't help much when you have a situation which needs immediate attention). Anyway, I spent all day taking Jamie to the vet in Manteo. Good thing I took him up there, too: he had a fever of 104! He spent a few nights there, but is home now and is fine (in case you were worried).
On Saturday morning, there was a cookie swap at the library. I bet it was fun, and I had intended to go, but after TWO failed batches of cookies, I decided to skip it. I went to the beach instead, and threw my pathetic attempt at Hershey kiss cookies into the ocean. They actually probably tasted okay, but were so stuck to the muffin pan I couldn't get them out in one piece. I briefly considered throwing the whole darn pan into the ocean, but decided against it. So I scraped them out of there and threw in the chunks. The ocean didn't seem to mind. :)
On Saturday evening, there was a semi-formal Flat Cat performance (island kids playing instruments and/or singing). It was preceded by a potluck, and I try to never miss a potluck, so I went to that! (I did manage to pull out of the kitchen failure streak which had started with the cookies, and make something presentable and tasty to take with me!)
On Sunday, I had a guitar lesson and somehow managed to sound somewhat musical, even though I hadn't practiced much. So it was a busy few days! Sorry if you were wondering where I was. I say that, assuming that someone is actually reading this blog. For all I know, nobody is! That gets me thinking about why I write it. It's partially in the hope that there will be an audience of readers, of course. But it's also something I enjoy doing. It's good to make time to do the things you enjoy. It's also the only way to get better at them. I'm hopeful that writing every day will make me a better writer, even if no one ever reads my blog.
The coming week on Ocracoke will be filled with activity, too. (I will try to blog more often, though!) Many Christmas events are planned, including the biggest potluck of the year, Jimmy's Garage Party, which is held each year in (you guessed it) Jimmy's Garage. Yes, the car repair/oil change/inspection place - they clean it up, add tables and a dance area, and put on quite a party, starting with a huge potluck meal and followed by dancing to the Ocracoke Rockers. It is great fun and I am looking forward to it.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...lights are going up all over the village, the Lighthouse will be decorated soon, and everyone seems to be getting into the Holiday spirit. My sister challenged me to be able to play a Christmas carol on the guitar by the time she arrives to visit, so I'm off to work on that. Happy holidays!
On Saturday morning, there was a cookie swap at the library. I bet it was fun, and I had intended to go, but after TWO failed batches of cookies, I decided to skip it. I went to the beach instead, and threw my pathetic attempt at Hershey kiss cookies into the ocean. They actually probably tasted okay, but were so stuck to the muffin pan I couldn't get them out in one piece. I briefly considered throwing the whole darn pan into the ocean, but decided against it. So I scraped them out of there and threw in the chunks. The ocean didn't seem to mind. :)
On Saturday evening, there was a semi-formal Flat Cat performance (island kids playing instruments and/or singing). It was preceded by a potluck, and I try to never miss a potluck, so I went to that! (I did manage to pull out of the kitchen failure streak which had started with the cookies, and make something presentable and tasty to take with me!)
On Sunday, I had a guitar lesson and somehow managed to sound somewhat musical, even though I hadn't practiced much. So it was a busy few days! Sorry if you were wondering where I was. I say that, assuming that someone is actually reading this blog. For all I know, nobody is! That gets me thinking about why I write it. It's partially in the hope that there will be an audience of readers, of course. But it's also something I enjoy doing. It's good to make time to do the things you enjoy. It's also the only way to get better at them. I'm hopeful that writing every day will make me a better writer, even if no one ever reads my blog.
The coming week on Ocracoke will be filled with activity, too. (I will try to blog more often, though!) Many Christmas events are planned, including the biggest potluck of the year, Jimmy's Garage Party, which is held each year in (you guessed it) Jimmy's Garage. Yes, the car repair/oil change/inspection place - they clean it up, add tables and a dance area, and put on quite a party, starting with a huge potluck meal and followed by dancing to the Ocracoke Rockers. It is great fun and I am looking forward to it.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...lights are going up all over the village, the Lighthouse will be decorated soon, and everyone seems to be getting into the Holiday spirit. My sister challenged me to be able to play a Christmas carol on the guitar by the time she arrives to visit, so I'm off to work on that. Happy holidays!
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