Island Daily

So...

2012-01-17T18:48:00.003-07:00

I quit blogging for a while. It was a very full and also unusual year in my life last year. My sister got married on July 1st, so I was busy helping her plan and get ready, and also planning a shower for her. Then in August, we transitioned Connor to living with her...or we thought we did. It turned out he had to come back and live with John and me again for a while after the first transition. So then in October, there was a second transition. Getting used to living without him has been hard. And for several months (during the first transition, and immediately after the second and final one), it seemed like I was off the island more than I was on it.

Anyway, something had to give. That something was blogging.

I've actually sort of enjoyed the break, so I'm not sure yet whether I'm coming back to blogging or not. I strongly suspect it will not be daily ever again. Maybe I'll rename the blog. Maybe not.

Easter services

2011-04-21T21:41:00.000-06:00

In case you are on the island for the Easter weekend, here's the schedule of planned services for Sunday:
- Sunrise Service - 6 AM, Lifeguard Beach
- United Methodist Church - 11 AM Service
- Assembly of God Church - 11 AM Service

Happy Easter!

Toni was smarter than they thought...

2011-04-17T20:44:00.000-06:00

My Mom and I attended the final performance of "We Must Kill Toni" today, and it was terrific! The cast was made up of 5 Ocracoke School students, all of whom did a great job and had many lines to memorize. The set was amazing...the Community Center was completely transformed! Oh, and don't worry...they didn't kill Toni. She was a smart cookie.

Breakfast with a bunny?

2011-04-16T20:42:00.000-06:00

Does this sound like fun or what? I may have to take Connor.

Breakfast With The EASTER BUNNY!
Pony Island Restaurant
Friday, April 22nd 8-10am
Percentage of proceeds go to Ocracoke Child Care

Spring auction

2011-04-15T20:40:00.000-06:00

SPRING AUCTION!

On the front lawn of the OPS Museum

Wednesday, April 20th

Preview 4:30; Auction begins @ 5:00

Please come bid on (and take home) some treasures.

Furniture, artwork, linens, antiques, too many unique items to
mention…come see for yourself!
~Visa and Mastercard accepted~

I hope...

2011-04-02T21:50:00.001-06:00

...that it doesn't go straight from cold to hot (i.e. skip spring). The weatherman is predicting temps in the 80s next week!

New menu

2011-04-01T21:35:00.002-06:00

I didn't get to go to the Cafe Atlantic's first open night of the season as I was off the island all day today (left on the 7 AM ferry, came home on the 10 PM...no wonder I'm tired!) But I did get to see their new menu thanks to the wonders of technology (it was posted on facebook). There weren't any major changes that I noticed. I'm looking forward to going to check it out in person as soon as I can.

Re-opening

2011-03-31T21:33:00.002-06:00

Things are starting to reopen for the season around here.

Here are a handful of dates I've heard about when some of my favorites will be open again.

Cafe Atlantic - 4/1

Flying Melon - 4/7

Ocracoke Coffee Company - 4/8

Sloppy lunch

2011-03-29T22:41:00.002-06:00

I have several blogs in draft about the rest of my vacation, and I'll get them posted once I've had some time to upload the photos.

In the meantime, here's some info. that you'll like if you're hungry for lunch and on the island on Thursday. (Assuming, of course, that you like either hot dogs or Sloppy Joes. I happen to love Sloppy Joes and can't remember the last time I had one, so I like this info. very much.)

OUMC Lunch
Hot dogs and Stella's homemade Sloppy Joes, plus baked goods and drinks
Thursday March 31 at 11 AM
Methodist Church Rec Hall

Yum. I'm officially craving a big ol' sloppy Sloppy Joe now...

What season is it?

2011-03-27T21:56:00.002-06:00

Just when it seems like spring has sprung, today was gray and downright cold. I am really ready for spring to come and stay, rather than this back and forth between warm and chilly weather.

Glass...beads and otherwise

2011-03-24T20:39:00.003-06:00

Today's craft adventures involved glass. First, we made watches using glass beads. (I was too busy obsessing about what color beads to use on my watch to take any pictures.)

Then, we made glass etchings. Several of them. Seven, to be exact. What can I say? I liked the designs, the etching process itself was fun and easy to do, and I thought why not have one in nearly every room in the house?

Here we are prepping the glass.

A couple of the designs in progress.

Jewelry, cooking, and mystery

2011-03-23T20:15:00.004-06:00

We had a very full day today at Massanutten! In the morning, we made jewelry (matching bracelet and earring sets). I can't wear anything other than gold in my ears, unfortunately, but I still had fun making a set for my sister! Here's a picture of my Mom working to get her beads in just the order she wants them.

After jewelry class, Mom and I went back to the condo to get John and the three of us attended a cooking demonstration, and enjoyed a wonderful lunch to boot. (We got to eat what was demonstrated - a delicious fruit salad, veal marsala, and bananas foster. Yum.)

Here's our chef flambeeing the bananas foster.

I didn't know until this demo that chef toques have holes in the tops. It makes sense, of course, to keep cool heads in the kitchen...it was just something I hadn't known until I saw the top of the chef's hat in the demo mirror.

Finally, tonight, Jocelyn and Mom and I went to the Murder Mystery Dinner. (Yes, it was a major eating day!) The food was good and the show was really fun. We didn't win the prize, unfortunately, as we over-thought the question of whodunit.

Pretty ladies, wearing their new jewelry sets.

The murder mystery play cast. Don't ask what a goth, a lady detective, a cheerleader, a guy pretending to be a detective, a woman with a dog in her purse and a funky steam punk girl have in common...it would take too long to explain!

Glass and balloons

2011-03-22T20:55:00.003-06:00

Today, we acted quite glassy. :) We went to glass etching class, and etched to our hearts' content. Between Mom, John and me, we made 7 items! Unfortunately, I didn't get any good pictures of the final product, but here are a few of the work in progress.

The train is for Connor. Yes, the Princess one is for me, of course!

As if that wasn't enough fun for one day, the evening show was a blast. It was a magician/comedian/balloon artist. And just in case you think that sounds corny, it wasn't. This guy made some seriously amazing balloons, and made his show hilarious and engaging from start to finish. I took loads of photos, but I'll just share a few that give a sense for how amazing the balloons were.

Sir Connor, Knight of the Balloon Brotherhood.

Basket cases

2011-03-21T21:36:00.003-06:00

In our ongoing quest to become complete craft-nuts, today my mom and I made baskets.

This is our teacher Janet getting the materials ready.

The "before" shot - Mom with her base, soon to become the bottom of a napkin basket.

And "after" - aren't we cute little basket cases?

Crafty

2011-03-20T22:01:00.002-06:00

I mentioned in yesterday's blog that Massanutten has many activities to choose from. Lots of those activities are craft classes...and learning to do new craft activities is one of my favorite things to do. (Yes, I know...I don't need another hobby! But anyway...)

Today's class was "Handmade Greeting Cards", and it was a good one. I had thought we might be doing something a bit goofy, like stamping, but it actually was different, and much better than expected. We used decorative paper and designs created by the class leader Nancy (an art teacher and very creative person) to make some lovely cards. I'm planning to start giving them away soon!

Here's a photo of my mom working on one of her cards, under Nancy's helpful eye.

And this photo gives a better sense of the cards themselves.

Off island, maybe still daily

2011-03-19T21:47:00.003-06:00

I will be out of town for the next week, enjoying a family vacation at Massanutten Resort, in the mountains of Virginia. So the blog for the next few days won't be island related. It may or may not still be daily. (Depends how busy I am with all my vacation fun. This resort has many, many activities, and I'm planning to stay pretty busy.)

Here are a couple of pictures of the view from our condo.

The mountains (and other parts of the resort) in the distance.

The ski slopes (closed now for the season).

Why...

2011-03-18T21:46:00.002-06:00

am I so disorganized when it comes to packing to go on vacation? It's really pretty ridiculous, since I need to leave at a particular time of morning to make the ferry...so it's not like I have the luxury of dawdling. But I do this to myself every time. At least I'm consistent!

Firemen's Ball

2011-03-17T23:15:00.002-06:00

Story time

2011-03-16T20:29:00.003-06:00

Donald Davis has written a new book, called "Stories from a Free Range Childhood", and he'll be sharing stories from it on Friday April 1st at Deep Water Theater. I always love to hear Donald tell stories, but will unfortunately have to miss this particular event as I'll be off the island that day. Darn!

Meeting tomorrow

2011-03-15T20:43:00.003-06:00

If you want to make your voice heard about the potential ferry fees, there is a meeting tomorrow night (Wed. 3/16) at the Community Center. Hyde County Manager Mazie Smith is planning to be at the meeting.

I, however, am not. I have to go to Virginia Beach tomorrow for a follow up appointment and will not be back on time.

Someone go for me and tell them that I think a moderate fee for visitors is appropriate, but that there should not be fees for full time permanent residents. I'm afraid if we try to go with a "guns blazing" NO FEES approach, it will backfire. Obviously the state needs the ferry system to generate some revenue, so a reasonable, meet in the middle solution will be better received. That's my two cents, anyway. Wish I could go to the meeting to share it!

Kittens

2011-03-14T21:21:00.002-06:00

I have recently volunteered to foster and tame Ocracats kittens who might be candidates for adoption. Apparently, I'm reasonably good at it, as the two I've had so far have become wonderful loving pets. The only downside? I got attached to and adopted them, so they are my pets. That's not a bad thing at this point, but it does mean that I need a new strategy if I'm going to continue doing this for Ocracats. (Either that, or I'm going to get started early on working toward my retirement goal of becoming the crazy cat lady of Ocracoke!) I have four cats at the moment, which is enough for now. I think that, going forward, I should only foster and tame cats who already have a person identified who plans to adopt them.

Working with feral kittens is an interesting experience, and provides several life lessons about things like patience, how slowly trust builds, and unconditional love. I find it rewarding and don't want to stop doing it...but need to figure out how to do so in a way that doesn't end with me keeping all of them!

Turtles

2011-03-13T22:37:00.001-06:00

We went to Gaffer's tonight for dinner (it has become Connor's favorite place). The next time we go we're going to have to a) sit at the same table and b) take the camera, because there are a bunch of turtles who live in the marshland/pond area next to the restaurant (which you can see through the windows of the tables along the wall which is furthest from the entrance door). Connor had a blast watching them swim around and pop their heads up out of the water. The staff at Gaffer's is feeding them chicken, meaning the turtles will definitely stick around in that area. So you can be pretty sure to see one if you look!

Baby boys

2011-03-12T18:31:00.002-07:00

I went to a baby shower today for a young lady who is having a baby boy in April. His due date is one day before Connor's third birthday, so I'm hoping he'll be a day late so he can have a great birthday! (Yes, of course, I know that whatever day he is born will be perfect as long as he is healthy.)

Anyway, at the shower, a lady realized that she had been misinformed about the due date for the baby (someone had told her he was due in May). She was mildy embarrased because she had written a cute poem in the card about being born in May. Of course the mommy-to-be didn't mind at all and was very gracious about it.

The lady then realized that when she asked the person who told her the baby was due in May, that person was thinking of another lady on the island who is also having a baby boy, who IS due in May. It sure seems like recently most (more than 50%) of the new babies on the island have been boys. Something in the water?

Almost....

2011-03-11T20:19:00.002-07:00

...time for Daylight Savings Time! I love the longer days and warmer air that indicate spring is on the way. I am more of a "daylight later in the day" person than a "daylight first thing in the morning" person, though, so I'm really ready for the switch to DST this weekend.

Hope you're enjoying the last bit of winter and the fade into spring, wherever you are!

Ferry fees?

2011-03-10T18:54:00.004-07:00

The island is abuzz today with news of potential fees for the Hatteras Inlet ferry, after the fact that the NC legislature is discussing the possibility was presented during the Civic and Business Association meeting last night.

From the conversations I've had with folks about it, there seems to be some disagreement regarding whether charging visitors to ride the ferry will be a problem. Some feel that a moderate charge ($5, no more than $10) would be fine. I personally have had many visitors tell me they would be happy to pay to ride the ferry, and that they fully expected there to be a charge and were quite surprised when they arrived to find there wasn't. Some others on the island feel that charging visitors to ride the Hatteras ferry will reduce the number of people who come to the island. What do you think?

The other part of the potential fee announcement, however, seems to have very few supporters (quite possibly none). There is a proposal to charge residents $100 per month for a commuter pass! Yes, you read that right! That would be $1,200 per year. That, in just about everyone's opinion, is beyond ridiculous.

There's an article in the Island Free Press about it, which you can read here, and an editorial in the Star News Online, here.

Wrecks and reefs

2011-03-09T22:25:00.002-07:00

National Park Service News Release

For Immediate Release:: March 7, 2011
Contact: Cyndy Holda, Public Affairs Specialist, 252- 473-2111, ext. 148

Know Your Park: Wrecks and Reefs of the Battle of the Atlantic
Presentations to be held at the Fessenden Center in Buxton and the Ocracoke
Community Center.

The National Park Service Outer Banks Group Know Your Park citizen science
program series continues with presentations from nautical archeologist Dr.
Nathan Richards on Monday, March 14th at the Fessenden Center in Buxton at
7:30 p.m.; and education specialist/researcher John McCord on Tuesday,
March 15th at the Ocracoke Community Center at 7:30 p.m. These programs
are free and will last approximately 1 hour.

The presentations will focus on recent the recent research and filming of
German U-boats and Allied and merchant vessels sunk during WWII off of the
Outer Banks. In addition to locating and documenting these shipwrecks, the
Battle of the Atlantic research team has been collecting data on the fish
and other marine life that live on the reefs now growing on the sunken
vessels. Using a super high-resolution video camera, the research team
shot digital video of a variety of these shipwreck sites ton dives ranging
from 80 to 250 feet. The video was recorded in 4096x2048-pixel
resolution—about four times better than the best high definition television
picture—giving the researchers an incredibly clear view of the details of
the shipwrecks and the abundant marine inhabitants.

Dr. Nathan Richards, an assistant professor of Maritime Studies at East
Carolina, is also head of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Coastal
Studies Institute's Maritime Heritage Program. Dr. Richards specializes in
maritime history and nautical archaeology. He has an interest in
non-traditional subjects in maritime archaeology focusing on non-shipwreck
sites such as ship graveyards, the archaeology of harbor infrastructure,
and maritime terrestrial sites.

John McCord is the Education Programs Coordinator for the UNC Coastal
Studies Institute. As part of Battle of the Atlantic expedition team,
McCord filmed much of the high-resolution video.

For the last three years Richards, McCord, and other researchers from the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, East Carolina University,
and the UNC Coastal Studies Institute have worked with the Minerals
Management Service, the National Park Service, and the state of North
Carolina to document the Battle of the Atlantic. The multi-year project
will result in detailed site plans of the shipwreck sites, documentation of
the diverse marine life that live on and near the wrecks, and documentation
of the degradation of the vessels caused by humans and the environment.

In 1942, the Germans aimed to sink U.S. merchant ships that were carrying
supplies to England. U.S. and Royal Navy ships patrolled the coast to
protect them and, when necessary, take on the Germans. One of the most
overlooked engagements of World War II, this battle claimed 80 ships and
hundreds of lives.

The Know Your Park citizen science program series is designed to further
connect the Outer Banks communities and residents with the rich natural
world and cultural heritage of their neighboring national park sites; Cape
Hatteras National Seashore, Wright Brothers National Memorial, and Fort
Raleigh National Historic Site. “These presentations offer park visitors
as well as local residents an opportunity to learn more about, and better
enjoy, the coastal environment and their National Parks” stated Mike
Murray, Superintendent, Outer Banks Group.

Fire and Vine

2011-03-08T22:03:00.002-07:00

If you're ever in Virginia Beach, and you find yourself hungry for a terrific meal, I seriously recommend Fire and Vine. I ate there tonight with friends Marcy and Kathleen, and everything about the place was wonderful. The food was delicious, dessert was decadent, the salad bar looked amazing (we didn't try it, since Marcy and I had enjoyed large salads for lunch on our way up to VA Beach), the service was outstanding, and even the bathroom was lovely! Seriously, go eat there if you have a chance. It's not cheap, but it's well worth it.

Timely

2011-03-07T07:52:00.003-07:00

Spring is on the way, and as is usually the case this time of year, my yard and "flower bed" (I use that term very loosely...it really would be more accurate to call it a "weed bed") both look terrible. In case you've ever walked past my house and wondered if I just don't care, that's not the case. I really do care, but I have no clue how to garden. I've tried a couple of different things and am going to try again this year, but this growing stuff activity is hard. Maybe (well, definitely) I need this:

GARDENING CLASS
Friday, March 11 @1:30pm
at the Ocracoke Community Center
The indoor portion of the class should last around 1 1/2 hr.

Topics to be covered in the class:
 Soil sampling
 Soil amendments(fertilize, compost, etc)
 Vegetable planting dates
 Starting plants early
 Tools for gardening
 Container gardening
 Rose Care

After the indoor portion of the class, we will move to several spots on the island for demonstrations of what we have learned.

This is a free class brought to you by the N.C. Agricultural Extension Agency. Mac Gibbs, the Extension Agent for Hyde County, will be teaching the class and will be available for questions or visits after the class.

After the indoor portion of the class, they could move to my yard for abundant examples of what NOT to do.

Pancakes and ashes

2011-03-06T20:43:00.002-07:00

This week, the United Methodist Church is doing a couple of activities to prepare for the season of Lent. First, there's a Fat Tuesday Pancake supper on...well, Tuesday, obviously. (It's at 6 PM at the Rec Hall - pancakes by Ruth Toth, so you know they're going to be good!) And then the Ash Wednesday service is at 7 PM (on Wednesday, obviously).

I may have to miss both, unfortunately, as I'm going to Norfolk tomorrow, and not sure when I'll be back (Tuesday or Wednesday). If you go to either or both events and don't see me there, enjoy the pancakes on Tuesday and reflect on Wednesday. I'll enjoy and reflect vicariously through you!

Upcoming book signing

2011-03-05T20:13:00.004-07:00

If you've ever had the pleasure of listening to Donald Davis tell a story (live or on CD), or to read any of his previous books, I bet you will like this event. And for once, I'm posting about something that is happening not only on Ocracoke, so even if you aren't here, you may be able to enjoy this at another location in NC. (You may need to click on the second picture in order to view it in a larger size, so you can read the details.)

Poetry

2011-03-04T23:13:00.002-07:00

Winter sunsets and clear nights

2011-03-03T20:29:00.002-07:00

One of the things I love about winter on the island is the clear skies. They make for lovely sunsets, like this one...

...and wonderful star gazing (which, of course, is not as easy to photograph). I spent all day today going up the beach for a the dental appointment (Buxton) and an eye exam (Nag's Head). It was a long, tiring day...I left on the 8 AM ferry and returned on the 9 PM. But the night sky during that 9 PM ride was star-filled and lovely, making it all worth it.

New signs

2011-03-02T21:59:00.003-07:00

I noticed several new signs around the community square recently.

An improved sign for an existing shop.

And a new sign for a new shop.

And coming soon to this building - a new shop (along with, I have to assume, a sign). Rob and Sundae are working to open a nautical shop and sailing school here. I'll post updates and more pictures later.

Jazz it up!

2011-03-01T20:27:00.003-07:00

Here's something you might enjoy tomorrow night. I plan to enjoy it myself.

Music for a Friday evening

2011-02-28T20:30:00.002-07:00

Ocrafolk Festival Winter Concert Series Presents
Mandolin Orange in Concert, 7:30 PM, Friday, March 4, at the Deepwater Theater
Admission at door: $10 Adults, $5 Kids

Mandolin Orange will be coming to the Ocracoke Community on Friday, March 4 for performances for the students of Ocracoke School and a 7:30 PM evening concert at Deepwater Theater. Audience favorites from the Ocrafolk Festival, Mandolin Orange is a duo driven by Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz, with songwriting & vocal harmonies at the core. The duo ornaments lyrical tunes both tender and tough with acoustic & electric guitars, fiddle, and of course mandolin. The debut album "Quiet Little Room" released May 1 to critical acclaim, and reflects the influence of traditional music on the duo's contemporary folk style. Take a listen at http://www.myspace.com/mandolinorange.
The Mandolin Orange concerts are part of the Ocrafolk Festival Winter Concert Series, made possible by the Ocrafolk Festival in partnership with the Beaufort County Art Council, the North Carolina Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and local sponsors (Peter Vankevich, DJ & Sue Jones, Skill Sense, Island Free Press, Books to Be Red, Robin Turner, Anchorage Inn, Bobby Rondthaler, Beverly & Leonard Meeker, David and Susan Schwarz Jones, and Creekside Cafe).
The Ocrafolk Festival is housed under the Ocracoke Preservation Society, a not-for-profit 501(c)3.

Sushi!

2011-02-27T21:10:00.002-07:00

Jason's has been open through the winter, and is now preparing to take a few weeks of well-deserved time off. Before they do, though, they are going to do a sushi night, for those of us who have been craving a spicy tuna roll ever since they stopped doing weekly sushi nights last fall. (Can you tell I'm planning to go?)

Let's shop!

2011-02-25T22:09:00.002-07:00

There are at least three yard sales planned for tomorrow morning. There may be more, but I know of three: one on Back Road, one on Cedar, and one at the Ocracoke Pizza Company building. I think Connor and I might need to take a walk around and do some shopping!

I don't need another single thing, but I usually find some little treasure that I like at yard sales. Sometimes I find gifts for others. I almost always come home with several books. What are your favorite yard sale finds?

Plenty to eat and drink

2011-02-24T21:28:00.004-07:00

If you're planning to be on the island this weekend, you have plenty of choices for food and beverages. No, all the restaurants haven't suddenly reopened...but there are some fundraiser meals planned.

On Saturday, head over to the Ocracoke School Commons between 11:00 and 2:30 to enjoy a homemade chili and cornbread lunch. According to info. posted on Facebook, "This event is sponsored by the Ocracoke Youth Center Saturday Basketball teams. Proceeds will be used for trophies and other equipment."

For your Saturday evening meal and entertainment, you might choose Gaffer's, which has good food, including daily specials. Martin and Friends (Lou, Brett and Clifton are the friends) will be playing starting at 9:30 PM.

On Sunday morning, get some delicious pancakes to support OCC.

If you're thirsty after all that food, and if you like beer, head to Zillie's on Monday night. Get more info. on that here.

(Eat and) drink up me hearties, yo ho!

Planning an island visit in March?

2011-02-23T21:04:00.002-07:00

If so, you may need to know this...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: Feb. 23, 2011
CONTACT: Lucy Wallace, (252) 473-3461

OCRACOKE-CEDAR ISLAND ROUTE WILL HAVE ABBREVIATED SCHEDULE FOR MONTH OF MARCH
Two Sound Class boats will be at shipyard for Certificate of Inspection

MANNS HARBOR — The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division
will be running an abbreviated schedule on its Ocracoke-Cedar Island
route beginning Tuesday, March 1.

The Motor Vessel Silver Lake is currently at the shipyard undergoing
extensive work during its dry dock period. The MV Pamlico is scheduled
to come in for its U. S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection March
1. Since both boats will be temporarily out of service, the route will
go to a two-boat schedule.

The route will include the following runs:

Departing from Cedar Island at 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; and
Departing from Ocracoke at 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

This schedule will remain in place until the required work on the
ferries is completed and they are inspected. The Swan Quarter-Ocracoke
route will not experience any changes during this time period.

NCDOT awarded contracts to build two new Sound Class vessels to serve
this route to Orange Shipbuilding Co. The new ferries are currently
under construction and are expected to be delivered later this year
and in 2012.

For updated information about ferry schedules, call 1-800-293-3779
(BY-FERRY) and press 1 or sign-up to receive messages on Twitter by
going to www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry.

***NCDOT***

Lucy M. Wallace
Communications Officer
NCDOT - Ferry Division
252-473-3461
252-473-1490 (Fax)

The only bad thing...

2011-02-22T20:40:00.002-07:00

...about early spring weather, is that it brings other early things, like mosquitoes (yes, really, although thankfully only a few) and pollen. My eyes itch and I have a bit of a sniffle...something that normally happens in April, not February. Oh well. I still enjoyed those few lovely warm days we had! Now the chill seems to be coming back, brought in my a cold wind. Darn.

Duh!

2011-02-21T20:09:00.002-07:00

I went to the Post Office today after going to Turbo Kick (exercise class). Now why wasn't there any new mail? Duh! It was President's Day. Whoops. I didn't remember because I didn't have the day off work. The kids here also didn't have the day off school - it was a make up day for one missed earlier in the school year (last fall, I believe).

So, anyway...Happy President's Day, wherever you are!

Some days

2011-02-20T19:38:00.002-07:00

I just don't have anything to say! Hard to believe, I know...

More pancakes

2011-02-19T21:30:00.002-07:00

Another pancake breakfast fundraiser is planned for next Sunday the 27th at Jason's. The first one was delicious, so I think Connor and I will go to this one, too!

Here are the details:

Pancakes and sausage, juice or coffee. Butter and syrup included with other toppings available. $8/plate. To Go plates only. No seating available. 8am until we sell out or 11am.

Come help support Ocracoke Child Care

Know Your Park

2011-02-18T20:25:00.004-07:00

National Park Service News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cyndy Holda, Public Affairs Specialist, 252-473-2111, ext. 148

Know Your Park: The Civil War on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands -
Presentation to be held at the Fessenden Center and Ocracoke Community
Center.

The National Park Service Outer Banks Group Know Your Park citizen science
program series continues this winter with a presentation from Civil War
historian Drew Pullen on Monday, February 28th at the Fessenden Center in
Buxton at 7:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, March 1st at the Ocracoke Community
Center at 7:30 p.m. The program is free and will last approximately 1 hour.

Civil War activities on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands are a timely topic as
the sesquicentennial (150 year anniversary) of these events is fast
approaching. Some of these activities are important “firsts” during the
Civil War, including:

* July 10, 1861 -The first hostile shots fired by the U.S. Navy at
Southern-held territory on the oceanfront—The side-wheel steamer-boat
Harriet Lane shelled Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark at Hatteras Inlet;
* July 21, 1861 – The first true naval engagement—The USS Albatross
fought the North Carolina steamer Beaufort off Oregon Inlet;
* August 28, 1861 – The first amphibious landing – Union troops came
ashore to capture Fort Hatteras;
October 1, 1861 – The first capture of a United States
vessel—Confederate forces captured the Union tug Fannyin the Pamlico
Sound; and
* November 18, 1861 – The first provisional Unionist government within
a seceded state—Formed at Hatteras, it consisted of two men and did
not last long.

Mr. Pullen is the author of two books on the Civil War, Portrait of the
Past: The Civil War On Hatteras Island, North Carolina and Portrait of the
Past: The Civil War On Roanoke Island, North Carolina.

The Know Your Park citizen science program series is designed to further
connect the Outer Banks communities and residents with the rich natural
world and cultural heritage of their neighboring National Park sites; Cape
Hatteras National Seashore, Wright Brothers National Memorial and Fort
Raleigh National Historic Site. “These presentations offer park visitors
as well as local residents an opportunity to learn more about, and better
enjoy, the coastal environment and their National Parks” stated Mike
Murray, Superintendent, Outer Banks Group.

-NPS-

Sunday dinner

2011-02-17T22:36:00.001-07:00

After church a couple of weeks ago, Connor and I went to the lunch which was held in the Rec Hall. Ever since, he asks me every Sunday if we can go eat in "the rectangle". This Sunday, he'll get his wish!

Food stands

2011-02-16T19:39:00.005-07:00

You may already know about Eduardo's, the taco and burrito stand at the edge of the Variety Store parking lot. (If you haven't been there yet, go. It's delicious!)

It appears that sometime soon, there may be another food stand choice in that area. This appeared on the other side of the Variety Store lot recently.

(The "For Sale" sign that was in the window the day I took the photo is no longer there.) I'm not sure whether this stand is going to sell what the sign currently says (coffee, smoothies, parfaits, chocolate covered strawberries), or if that's simply what it was in its previous life and it will be changed. I guess if it stays "Fruplosion", you'll be able to get lunch from Eduardos, and then walk across the parking lot for dessert!

Eat to support basketball

2011-02-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

I like to eat (food is wonderful!) And I like to support...well, several things on Ocracoke (and off). I specifically enjoy supporting the youth of the island, because I know and like many of the youth of the island. So I'm sure I'll like this, which combines eating and supporting.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T22:02:00.001-07:00

...from me and the Ocracoke School first grade!

(Photo to follow...as soon as I get it from Mary Ellen!)

Valentine's dinner options

2011-02-13T21:54:00.003-07:00

If you're here on the island and want to take your sweetheart - or yourself! - out to dinner tomorrow, there are a couple of options which both sound delicious to me.

Jason's is offering a meal of bacon wrapped filet mignon, fried or sauteed shrimp, baked potato, garlic bread and your choice of either garden salad or broccoli with hollandaise. Cost is 21.99, and it starts at 5:00pm and will be available until it runs out. I recommend you go early, as they have run out in previous years.

Gaffer's is also offering a meal. Here's the info. on theirs:

SOCK HOP!

2011-02-12T21:36:00.006-07:00

The Valentine's Sock Hop and CD Release Party was so much fun, I don't think words could do it justice. So I'm going to let the photos speak, instead!

Grammy night

2011-02-11T20:33:00.004-07:00

Gaffer's is having a Grammy night party this weekend. Sounds like fun, but I scheduled our next ladies movie night that same night (before I knew about Grammy night). If you go, tell me all about it!

In other news...this is my 1200th Island Daily blog post. Wow.

In case you were wondering...

2011-02-10T21:07:00.004-07:00

...what is happening with the Youth Center and why, here's a press release about it.

Press Statement-Ocracoke Youth Center Scales Back Operations

The Ocracoke Youth Center is a local nonprofit that has provided activities and services for youth and families on this island since 1995. In September of 2010 we received word that Ocracoke school had been awarded a 21st Century Community Learning Grant. The Youth Center had signed on as a collaborative partner in the application, so naturally we were excited about the possibilities of working with the school and having funding for some of our programming that the kids enjoyed. Our thoughts were that since we already offered programming that was best described as enrichment (music club, cheerleading, reading groups, art, etc) the school would allow students to participate in these programs with funding from the grant. We looked forward to and eagerly anticipated how we would collaborate with the grant. We never would have dreamed that four months into our collaboration we would be ceasing programming at the Youth Center.

As we learned more about the operational guidelines of the grant, we noticed a couple of warning signs. First, to be a participant in the grant you have to attend academic remediation from 3:30-4:30 followed by enrichment from 4:30 to 6:00pm. This is required Monday thru Thursday. Throw in dinner and much needed family time and there is no time for anything else. Secondly, the grant requires 100 participants to continue to receive funding. Since there are only 150 students in the school, the bulk of past participants of Youth Center activities would need to participate in the grant for it to remain viable. The demand on the kids’ time required of the grant simply does not leave them with the time or the desire to attend programming outside of school.

As for individual programs, any instructors that did programs for the Youth Center can now do them within the framework of the grant with the added benefit of being paid more money. The grant program has its own coordinator so there is no need to have a facilitator from an outside organization like the Youth Center. In short, this means that there is no longer a need for the Youth Center. Anything that could be done by the Youth Center can now be done with the grant. There simply are not enough kids on the island to support both organizations.

Our board met in early January and decided to place Youth Center programming on hiatus while maintaining our nonprofit status. We have given up our lease on the Youth Center facility on Highway 12, and by April will have released our staff. We will continue to operate Village Thrift, located behind Ocracoke Coffee Co., to raise funds for future community needs. We will re-evaluate next year to see if there is a need for our programming. There are a few gaps in what the school program can offer and the needs of the community and we will continue to evaluate that need. Should anything happen to the grant we will be ready to renew our efforts.

Bob Chestnut
Chairperson, Ocracoke Youth Center Board

Again?

2011-02-09T20:10:00.004-07:00

Apparently, more snow is on the way. (I'm sorry, Annie! I swear, if I were psychic and could have known we would have all this snow this winter, I would've said come visit for a month so you can see it!) There are school closings/delays (for the mainland only, so far) running along the bottom of the TV screen tonight, and Hyde County has already issued the following announcement.

"Due to current weather forecasts and advisories, Hyde County Government Offices will be closed Thursday, February 10, 2011.

Should there be a delay for Friday, it will be determined Thursday afternoon and there will be notification.

Please drive with caution."

There's nary a flake to be seen so far on the island, but it is raining, and the forecast calls for it to turn to snow overnight. We'll see in the morning, I guess.

Brand new...briefly

2011-02-08T21:28:00.002-07:00

This morning, I got my outfit for the sock hop, and of course I had to immediately try it on. (I'll post a photo later, after the event.)

Anyway, as I took all the parts of the outfit out of the box and then out of their individual bags, I marveled at how fresh, new and clean everything looked. Then I put it on.

I swear, I only wore the outfit for about 5 minutes (long enough for one of the cats to look at me funny). But when I took it off...well, it just wasn't brand spanking new and perfect any more. The socks had a bit of dust on them from the floor, one shoe had a crease, the skirt had a tiny pilled spot, and - good grief - I might've gotten a teeny bit of deodorant on the shirt as I pulled it over my head!

So this started me musing on how nothing can be perfect or new for long. Once used, it is forever changed and can't be put back to pristine condition. The only alternative would be to never use anything. I could have left the entire outfit in the neat plastic bags it came in. But then I wouldn't wear it to the sock hop. And, of course, going to the sock hop (even if I sweat in the outfit, or - horrors! - spill something on part of it!) will be much more fun than just looking at clothes in plastic bags could ever be.

There's a metaphor for life in there, especially for borderline-OCD-with-perfectionist-tendencies types like me. Yes, everything deteroriates. But the alternative is not truly living. So the healthy choice is to learn to accept the imperfections that come with life. (I'm working on it...)

Adopt a kitty

2011-02-07T21:05:00.004-07:00

If you love cats and would like an Ocracat kitten, there are a couple who might be available for adoption soon. They are feral, but can be handled. Still need to be further tamed, and spayed (which Ocracats will pay for). Here's a picture (they are pictured with their mommy, who is not up for adoption, FYI). Let me know if you are interested!

Hungry?

2011-02-06T20:41:00.003-07:00

Next Saturday night, you can have dinner twice! Start with spaghetti...

...and then head to the Sock Hop for some soda shop style food.

Mmmm...both of those sound good. Guess I'll have to skip lunch.

Dreary...and go Dolphins!

2011-02-05T18:32:00.002-07:00

It has been raining here nearly nonstop for two days. It's gray and dreary and I just want to sleep.

In more exciting news, the Ocracoke Dolphins basketball teams (middle school and high school) are having a good season. No, they don't win every game, but they have won several. And given the size of our school (and therefore the teams), and the fact that most of the kids have to play the entire game (whereas the other teams can send in substitute players when some begin to tire), that's pretty darn impressive! Want to support the Dolphins? Here's one option.

New radio show

2011-02-04T20:24:00.002-07:00

I don't keep up with news very well. It's partially out of conscious choice, because most of what's presented as "news" is depressing, annoying, one sided, or all three. But it's also partially out of busy-ness. What I need is a single show which will catch me up on the major headlines of the last week in an hour or two. Apparently, I'm in luck.

Calling all youth

2011-02-03T20:17:00.003-07:00

There's a new youth group starting up soon at the Methodist Church. Here's the poster just in case anyone is interested.

Maybe I should...

2011-02-02T20:34:00.004-07:00

When I was a little girl, if I was having a bad day, my mom would suggest that maybe I should go back to bed and get out again on the other side. I think she had a good general thought there...some days you just need to start over.

Yesterday morning was like that. I had three errands to run: mail something, deposit some checks (and get some money), and pay a bill. I got to the Post Office before they opened, which is not usually a problem when something needs to be mailed...but in this particular case, I needed to purchase a mailer. So strike one for the first errand.

The bank wasn't open yet either, which wasn't a big deal because I thought I would just use the ATM to get some money and then come back later to deposit the checks. That didn't work, however, as I didn't have my ATM card with me. Strike two for the errands.

Not having gotten any money, and not having my checkbook with me, I couldn't go pay my bill, either. So strike three.

I gave up, went home, and just started working instead. Maybe I should have gone back to bed!

50s fun!

2011-02-01T19:37:00.003-07:00

Press Release
50's Sock Hop on Ocracoke Kicks Off New CD Release

The new CD Backin' to the '50s - Vol 1 release party will be a '50s Sock Hop held on February 12, 2011 at 7pm at the Ocracoke Community Center. The CD is the
latest release of Outer Bank musicians John Golden and Martin Garrish - an
update of thirteen 1950s rock and roll tunes they felt had influenced their own
music. It was recorded at Soundside Studios on Ocracoke, and Golden
and Garrish are joined on the CD by several local players.

The Sock Hop will feature live dance music by John and Martin, joined by several
other local musicians - Jamie Tunnell, April Trueblood, Gary Mitchell, to
name a few. There will be contests for '50s costumes and trivia, hula hoops,
limbo and dance contests, root beer floats and much more '50s nostalgia.

Ocracoke Childcare will be serving up a sweet treat bakesale. Tickets are $20
per couple and $15 for singles - at the door, with any profits donated to
Ocracoke non-profits. So slick your hair back, put on your poodle skirt and your
dancin' shoes, and come see the Community Center transformed into your old high
school gym for the Sock Hop. It should be a rockin' good time.

Budgeting

2011-01-31T20:45:00.003-07:00

I volunteer my time to a handful of local organizations. Tonight, I attended a meeting of one and listened to (and participated in) a discussion about the budget. I bet you've heard this before from organizations you support, but it bears repeating: the difficult economy has created some major challenges for not for profit organizations (everywhere and of all sizes) that depend on donations as their primary source of income. If you can, please consider choosing your favorite (on Ocracoke or elsewhere) and giving a gift.

If you would like to support an Ocracoke not-for-profit, here are a few options. This is by no means an exhaustive list, it's just the first few I thought of in no particular order. So please let me know which groups I'm forgetting. All addresses are Ocracoke, NC, 27960. I also provided links to websites for organizations that have them - you can donate to many of them online.

Ocracoke Fire Protection Association (aka Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department) - PO Box 332

Ocracoke Preservation Society - PO Box 1240

Ocracoke Child Care - PO Box 284

Ocracats - PO Box 993

Ocrafolk Festival - PO Box 604

Ocracoke Working Watermen's Association - PO Box 1165

Friends of the Library - not sure of their PO Box - leave me a comment if you know it!

WOVV (Ocracoke Community Radio) - PO Box 1447

Chocolat and chocolate

2011-01-30T21:57:00.002-07:00

I hosted another ladies movie night this evening. (I'm planning to do them once a month all year, twice during these colder, slower winter months!)

Anyway, tonight we watched Chocolat, so of course for our snacks we decided to have chocolate. Sundae brought some delicious dark Belgian chocolate which was oh so creamy. I had a bar of dark chocolate with orange peel in it to share. There were chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered cherries, and chocolate covered macadamia nuts (from Hawaii). And we drank our chocolate, too! No, it wasn't as simple as hot chocolate. Leslie brought chocolate wine! It was delicious and reminded most of us very much of Baileys.

We enjoyed indulging (and laughing) together, and then we enjoyed the movie.

There's plenty of chocolate left over so I'm thinking the next movie might need to be Like Water for Chocolate. And then I think we ought to continue the "match snack to movie" theme. The only obvious excellent match I've thought of so far, but which will have to wait for the summer, is Fried Green Tomatoes. So let me hear your creative suggestions - what movies go well with particular foods? (They don't necessarily have to match our other theme, which is "movies with good looking guys in them", but it wouldn't hurt if they did!)

Previews

2011-01-29T19:35:00.002-07:00

I'm one of those odd people who doesn't skip the previews before watching a movie. I actually really like previews. Often, I end up adding the previewed movies to my Netflix queue, which is one of the reasons my queue is always so darn long. A side effect of having such a long queue is that I've often forgotten what a movie is about, or why I put it in the queue, by the time it arrives at my house. This is another reason I think it's good to watch the previews, since they often provide a general sense of the movie I'm about to watch. If it's a romantic comedy, the previews will most likely be for other romantic comedies, for example. Tonight, as I saw previews for movies I had never heard of, some in foreign languages, several which had been selections at Cannes and other film festivals, I knew I was in for an independent flick. It was, and I thought it was an excellent one. If you enjoy that type of movie, or if you want an excellent example of how good an actress Sigourney Weaver can be, I recommend Snow Cake.

Icy

2011-01-28T19:25:00.003-07:00

There was a thin layer of frost over everything this morning, and I nearly wiped out on the slick surface of my deck as Connor and I left for daycare! That's about all the excitement I had today, though, as I spent most of the rest of it indoors. Work has been very busy for the last few weeks, so I spend most of the daylight hours in my office.

I did manage to get out this evening to go to Turbo Kick. I had hoped to go to the Basso concert tonight, as well, and this blog would be about that if I had. But I didn't. After my long week and Turbo Kick, I was just tired and ready to go home, get all snuggly in my PJs, and read a good book.

So now that I'm finished with this blog, I think I'll go do just that! (I'm already in my PJs...good book here I come!)

Have a good weekend, wherever you are...

Workshop

2011-01-27T20:53:00.002-07:00

Last night, around 20 women (and one brave guy!) attended a workshop in the school commons area. It was taught by Betty Shotton, with input from her husband, Chris Ryland as well. Betty is a terrific public speaker who does leadership training through her company, Liftoff Leadership.

The workshop last night was about clarifying personal values. Not morals, but values - those things that make us who we are, that we wouldn't want to live without. Betty presented us with a long list of potential core values (things like honesty, faith, hope, fun, order, freedom...there were many on the list), and asked us to choose the ones that resonated with us. We then looked at how we spend our time, and whether we are living in a way that is consistent with our values, and is a "fit" for our core selves. It was eye opening and thought provoking, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

And you thought there wasn't anything interesting to do in the winter around here...

Good eats!

2011-01-26T21:42:00.002-07:00

If you're going to be here this weekend and don't want or like to cook, you are in luck! (At least on Sunday. On Saturday, you're on your own.)

Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
Jason's Restaurant
Sunday, January 30, 2011
8 am until sold out!
TO GO Only!! No seating inside. First come - First serve!
Pancakes, butter, syrup, sausage, and juice or coffee
$8.00
Come and support Ocracoke Child Care and enjoy an excellent breakfast!!

Followed by...

Sunday, January 30, 12:15 p.m.
Roast Beef Dinner
Roast Beef, Potatoes, Gravy, Green Beans, Rolls, Dessert
Methodist Church Rec Hall
Ocracoke United Methodist Women
Donations appreciated

I'm hungry already. Come on Sunday!

Winter concert

2011-01-25T20:02:00.002-07:00

***
Ocrafolk Festival Winter Concert Series Presents
Basso in Concert, 7:30 PM, Friday, January 28, at the Deepwater Theater
Admission at door: $10 Adults, $5 Kids

The Basso quartet will be coming to the Ocracoke Community on Friday, January 28 for performances for the students of Ocracoke School and a 7:30 PM evening concert at Deepwater Theater. These talented musicians of all play low instruments. It's beautiful music, interesting instruments (for some of you this may be your chance of a lifetime to see a theorbo up close) and, well, they're all pretty darn good! The concert will also feature special guest island musicians! This performance will include Barbara Blaker Krumdieck on baroque cello, Robbie Link on viola da gamba, baroque cello and violone (baroque upright bass), William Simms of Baltimore on baroque guitar & theorbo, and Sally Blaker on baroque cello. They will be playing works by Vitali, Platti and Vivaldi.
The Basso concerts are part of the Ocrafolk Festival Winter Concert Series, made possible by the Ocrafolk Festival in partnership with the Beaufort County Art Council, the North Carolina Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and local sponsors (Peter Vankevich, DJ & Sue Jones, Skill Sense, Island Free Press, Deepwater Pottery, Robin Turner, Anchorage Inn, Bobby Rondthaler, Beverly & Leonard Meeker, & David and Susan Schwarz Jones).
The Ocrafolk Festival is housed under the Ocracoke Preservation Society, a not-for-profit 501(c)3.

Hope to see everyone there!

Mostly gone

2011-01-25T19:43:00.005-07:00

It rained overnight last night, so almost every bit of the snow was gone this morning. There were a few patches here and there, but the rain cleaned the vast majority of it out. I actually think that's about the perfect way to finish up after a snow storm, compared to my previous experiences where the snow stays around for days or weeks and after a while is just dirty, dangerous, slushy ice.

I did take a few pictures on the beach and on South Point road, so here are some of the better ones. Sorry I didn't get out there (with my camera!) while it was still good and snowy!

Snow slide down the dune

I liked the pattern the snow interspersed with sand created.

Snowy marsh grasses

Frozen over next to South Point Road.

Snow on the beach

2011-01-24T21:08:00.004-07:00

I drove out to the beach this morning to see if there was still any snow on the dunes. There was, and it was a fun sight, especially since it's so infrequent. Unfortunately, however, I forgot my camera! I hoped to go back out later in the day but alas work intervened and the next thing I knew, it was dark! I'll go again tomorrow, WITH the camera, and get some photos if there's still snow on the beach (I think odds are decent that there will still be some, as it wasn't very sunny today).

In the meantime, if you want to see what the village looked like during the height of the storm, here's a video. (Thanks and credit to Dale.)

More snow photos

2011-01-23T20:43:00.007-07:00

I drove around the village a bit after church this morning, and then later in the afternoon I took a walk, to get more pictures of Ocracoke in the snow. It was quite sunny today so most areas were melting, but I still saw some pretty snow scenes. Here are a few.

Lighthouse

This kitty braved the snow, but kept lifting his paws as if to say "what is this cold stuff?"

The Cove B&B is closed in January, so the parking lot there was still pristine.

Loop Road ducks "walking on water".

I loved the scalloped effect (I assume the result of wind) on this boat in the Schramel's yard.

Snow family...which matches the actual family who lives in the house where it was.

Another pristine parking lot.

The snow took a slide...

Not a good day for the daycare kids to take a ride in their group stroller!

Or to walk down this ramp to their playground...

...or play on this toy!

Snowy trees.

I really liked the scroll effect of the snow "peeling" off our Jeep.

Snow on adirondack chairs is just funny.

Won't be eating at this table today...unless we make and eat snow cream!

More snowy foliage.

The long planter in our yard.

I loved the patterns the snow created on our outdoor chairs.

The yard of a house near mine.

Guess the birds could eat snow!

No grilling today!

This way to the office...

Harbor's edge

I think these are yaupon berries?

Waterfall effect

Wow!

2011-01-22T18:29:00.003-07:00

It started snowing this morning at about 9:30. I'm not sure what time it stopped, since it was dark by the time it did, but it snowed for many hours. In addition to the constant snow, it was quite windy, creating white out conditions at times. I was at a friend's house, enjoying wonderful conversation and watching through the windows as the snow came down, and there were multiple times when we could not see the houses right across the street. I took a few pictures, and I'll definitely take some more tomorrow. Here's what I have so far.

I loved this pattern on my deck.

My planters seem to be growing snow!

There are steps under there, I think...

This closeup gives a good sense of the depth.

My poor garden angel (snow angel today!) is nearly buried.

Coffee shop. It was hard to get a good picture since it was snowing so hard!

The dock behind the Community Store.

Snow blanketed bushes.

Crepes and conversation

2011-01-21T20:34:00.002-07:00

I went to Norfolk today for an appointment. Before my appointment, I met with a friend for lunch. We went to a lovely little restaurant which served crepes - both savory and sweet. We each enjoyed a delicious lunch crepe (mine had turkey, avocado, mushrooms, and spinach), followed by some seriously yummy gelato. We had plenty of time, and we hadn't seen each other in a while, so we talked and talked and talked. We covered several months, all sorts of updates, and lots of interesting ideas.

I adore crepes, and hadn't had one in a couple of years, but the conversation was the better part!

Love, work, volunteer, play

2011-01-20T21:28:00.003-07:00

My day today was filled from beginning to end, but it was oddly balanced. I started, as I do each day, by taking care of Connor - getting him up and dressed, fed and ready for school. Love.

I spent the next many hours doing my job, which continues to be extremely busy. Work.

Then I went to an Ocracoke Preservation Society meeting and took notes (I'm the secretary). Volunteer.

Finally, I went to Gaffer's with Sundae to eat some dinner and shoot three games of pool (she won two). Play.

It was a full day, but it was rewarding in that it contained so many of the important elements of life. Too many of my days are mostly work, without time for play, so I was pleased that even though today was quite busy, I still had time for some fun!

Odd thoughts

2011-01-19T20:54:00.003-07:00

I was a bit melancholy this morning, thinking about the recent death of a friend. That got me thinking about things I would like to do in my life. Which got me thinking, "what if I don't get to do those things?" So sometimes I think we have thoughts for a reason, and I really felt like I was supposed to make sure that people knew these things, in case I'm suddenly not around. (No, I'm not sick or suicidal. But accidents happen every day and I might get hit by a bus. Although that's relatively unlikely since there aren't too many buses here. But anyway...I digress.)

So here's what I want people to know, if I go to heaven earlier than expected.

I want all the parts of my body that are viable to be donated to whoever can use them, including people who need transplants and scientists for study.

I want whatever is left to be cremated, and my ashes put in Pamlico Sound off Springer's Point. (Because I'm a detail freak: I specifically want this done at sunset, right after the lighthouse comes on for the evening.)

If I don't live long enough to dance with Connor at his wedding, someone had better make sure that the third song played (after he dances with his bride and his mommy) is "You've Got a Friend in Me" (yes, the one from Toy Story) and that the videos of us dancing are shown while it is played.

That is all. So, now...back to focusing on life. I have lots more to do and as long as it is within my control, I will be around for a long while. Thanks for sharing this journey with me, wherever and whoever you are...

Soggy and foggy

2011-01-18T20:51:00.003-07:00

After all that rain yesterday, the island is seriously soggy. I don't mean just puddles in the usual low spots in the roads. I mean puddles pretty much everywhere! This is the yard of the house next door.

It's a bit warmer today, which would be nice except for the fact that there's one reason warm days in winter aren't necessarily a good thing when you live on an island. Warm air + cold water = fog. And fog sometimes = no ferries.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: Jan. 18, 2011
CONTACT: Lucy Wallace, (252) 473-3461

SOME FERRY ROUTES ARE SUSPENDED DUE TO DENSE FOG
Warmer temperatures could also cause problems tomorrow

MANNS HARBOR — The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division has temporarily suspended operations at its Hatteras-Ocracoke and Ocracoke-Cedar Island routes due to dense fog.

The Hatteras-Ocracoke route runs hourly during the winter and runs were missed at 10 a.m., 11, 12 and 1 p.m.

The Swan Quarter-Ocracoke route made its 10 a.m. run but it was delayed by fog. The return trip scheduled for 12:45 p.m. was also delayed.

The 1 p.m. runs from both Ocracoke and Cedar Island were cancelled. The 4:30 p.m. runs from both sides will take place, if visibility allows.

Operations will return to normal once the fog lifts but weather forecasters say fog could also be a problem tomorrow.

For further information, call Hatteras at 252-986-2353 and Ocracoke at 252-928-5311. Travelers who have reservations for any of the Pamlico Sound runs that have been cancelled due to fog should call 1-800-293-3779 and press 2 to speak to a reservation specialist. To receive fog cancellations and other ferry related posts, sign up at www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry.

***NCDOT***

Lucy M. Wallace
Communications Officer
NCDOT - Ferry Division
252-473-3461
252-473-1490 (Fax)

Dark, damp and dreary

2011-01-17T20:13:00.002-07:00

It started raining at about 12:30 today. It's 10:30 now and it is STILL raining. Even before the rain came, it was overcast and gray...a big change from the sunshine of the weekend. I have wished multiple times today that I could just crawl back into bed and sleep until tomorrow. (The fact that I only got about 5 hours of sleep last night certainly didn't help, either!)

I went out earlier today, both to take Connor to daycare this morning and to get a little exercise this afternoon, and I'm really glad that I did, because I think otherwise I might be getting a serious case of cabin fever already. (As it is, I'll probably still get it tomorrow, if this rain keeps up.) What do you like to do for indoor fun when the weather is dreary? Leave a comment and let me know. Seriously. I might need some ideas!

Anyway, I'm finally going to get my wish and get back into bed. Good night.

Dolphins

2011-01-16T21:51:00.001-07:00

Many people wonder when is the best time to see dolphins in the waters surrounding Ocracoke. The answer is in the dead of winter, I think. After hearing from multiple people about the many dolphins swimming just off shore on the beach, I decided to go see them, too. Part of me expected to be disappointed. I mean, what are the odds that, hours later, the dolphins are still right where people saw them earlier? Apparently those odds are pretty decent in the winter. I had been told to look for dolphins between the airport ramp and South Point road. So we took a drive out to the beach to see what we could see.

We drove to the beach via South Point road, and I realized that I hadn't done that in far too long. I love how that area is a wonderful place to observe the changing seasons. In winter, the sea oats are fuzzy and the black needle rush on the marsh turns a wonderful silver/gray color. It was another beautiful sunny day, so I thoroughly enjoyed the drive.

When we arrived at the beach, we went toward South Point for a bit. We saw not only dolphins but friends, as well. (The word was out about the dolphins at this point, I guess.) Connor ran around for a while, until his nose went pink from the cool air...at which point, I required him to get back in the car - left to his own devices, he would have kept running! We drove north east up the island toward the airport ramp and saw several additional groups of dolphins. I found it very enjoyable, because I simply love dolphins.

It's all relative

2011-01-15T20:49:00.002-07:00

It was a sunny, warm day today. Okay, "warm" may be a bit of a stretch since the high temperature was in the 50s, but compared to the frigid weather we (along with nearly everywhere else in America) have been experiencing it seemed downright tropical!

It was a great day to be outside, and many people were, including me. I didn't make it to the beach, but heard it was a lovely day to be out there, and that there were dolphins just off shore. There are some great videos of the dolphins posted on Ocracoke Island blog. Enjoy!

Busy, busy, busy

2011-01-14T21:09:00.002-07:00

I am completely overloaded at work at the moment. I am hopeful that it will settle down (it is often this way in January when all the projects for the new year get started), but it's frustrating for now. I've decided, though, to act on my belief that work is not the most important thing in my life (although it is certainly one of the most time consuming). Therefore, today, even though I felt like I was drowning in email, I left work three times throughout the day: in the morning, to read to the first graders; in the afternoon, to eat lunch with my friend Amy; and in the evening, to go to Turbo Kick exercise class. I'm still behind at work, but all of those emails will still be there on Monday morning.

Hope you're not too busy, wherever you are...

Laughing ladies

2011-01-13T21:05:00.002-07:00

A bunch of ladies just left my living room, after the January ladies movie night. We watched Notting Hill, and there was plenty of laughter. I have to say, I love having my living room full of friends, especially when they are laughing. What a great way to spend a cold winter evening!

Ferry naps

2011-01-12T20:55:00.002-07:00

I had an appointment in Kitty Hawk today, so I rode the 9 AM ferry, spent a good part of the day on the northern end of the Outer Banks, and then rode the 5 PM ferry home. On the 9 AM ride, I covered myself with my coat and took a short nap. I love naps on the ferry, because I feel like even though I am sleeping, I am still making some sort of progress (since the car is getting somewhere, even though I'm not actively driving it). I guess that's why I like sleeping in a car when someone else is driving it, too.

I did not take a nap on the ferry on the way home, because I was nearly at the end of the book I was reading and wanted to finish it, so I did that instead. I was home for an hour - just enough time to eat some dinner and print the agendas - and then I headed back out, to the Ocracoke Civic and Business Association meeting. I'm serving as the secretary (again) temporarily. Well, theoretically it's temporary. After I told Rudy I could take notes for the winter meetings while the current secretary was traveling off the island, said current secretary sent out a note saying she was resigning that post. So now OCBA needs a secretary (again)...and since I'm "filling in", just "for now", I suspect it will end up being me (again). I don't mind - it's a good way to keep up with some of what is happening on the island, specifically in terms of county politics/policies, business activities, and NPS updates.

Anyway, it has been a long day and I'm tired. (Probably should have taken a nap on that second ferry ride, too. Instead, I'll go take a long (i.e. overnight) "nap" in my bed!)

Sleep well, wherever you are...

1 fine day

2011-01-11T20:59:00.002-07:00

Earlier today, it was 1:11 on 1/11/11.

Yep, that's all I've got to blog about today. If I hadn't had to take Connor to daycare this morning, I wouldn't even have managed to step outside, so I have no idea what might be happening on the island (other than the fact that it is COLD and windy). I worked 12 hours yesterday and 12.5 today and am really needing to keep reminding myself that I like my job. Really, I do. I am ready for all the beginning of the year, "let's start a whole bunch of new projects" craziness to settle down, though! Guess it's job security, so I'll take it.

Hope you're not overwhelmed with the beginning of a new year, wherever you are...

Amiable

2011-01-10T20:32:00.002-07:00

We went to Gaffer's last night, for dinner and also to watch the Green Bay - Philadelphia game. We were cheering for Green Bay, as were several other people there. There were also several people cheering for Philly. Most of these people were sitting side by side at the bar, amiably drinking together regardless of which team they liked. I liked that. It was a simple thing, but with so much negativity and division in the world these days, it was nice to see people decide to just get along and enjoy each other's company, even though they disagreed on something.

Broken

2011-01-09T19:19:00.002-07:00

Sometimes, it is the interior, which becomes visible only when the exterior is broken, which is the most lovely.

Weird weather

2011-01-08T18:27:00.003-07:00

This morning it was sunny but windy. Then the wind dropped (it was still sunny). I happened to drive by Silver Lake during this calm period and it was slick as glass and really pretty with the sunlight reflecting off the water. A couple of hours later, I looked up and out the windows and it was snowing! (Nothing stuck, but there were definitely flurries for about 10 or 15 minutes.) Now, it's freezing cold and windy again, but there's no precipitation at the moment. I'm not quite sure what to expect next.

It just struck me that the weather is a kind of metaphor for life. We try to analyze its patterns, predict its future, and sometimes wish we could control it. But, like weather, life is stubbornly unpredictable, the future is not promised to anyone, and we have far less control than we like to think we have. None of this is necessarily bad. As Seinfeld might say, it is what it is.

Organizing...and I love visitors!

2011-01-07T19:58:00.004-07:00

I'm a really good organizer. I don't mean that in a bragging way, it's just that I work as a Project Manager, and when you do something for 40+ hours a week for 14+ years, you almost can't help but get really good at it. So I'm good at organizing things. I manage all sorts of stuff in my life via spreadsheet - keeping track of everything from charitable giving, to projects I want to do on the house, to the next family vacation. I even have an amortization table for my mortgage, and I've been known to use spreadsheets to compare the attributes of different brands of a big ticket item I'm planning to purchase, to help me choose which to buy. (Okay, so I'm a bit of a spreadsheet geek, I admit it.) Anyway, I am really good at applying my organization skills to the "big" things, like vacations and taxes and big purchases. But I often fall down on the job in terms of organizing the "little" things, like drawers (desk and kitchen), countertops (mine often goes missing, covered under what I fondly call "the detritus of life"), and wrapping paper.

Wait, did she say wrapping paper? Yes, wrapping paper. When you live on an island, you don't take for granted that the next time you need to give a gift you'll be able to run out to WalMart and buy a really cute gift bag. So you keep and reuse things like gift bags, ribbons, and tissue and wrapping paper. At least I do. I even have one of those cute organizer bags (of course!) to keep it all in. But the thing about those organizer bags is they don't actually organize the wrapping paper for you...if you just shove it in there, it's nearly as bad a mess as if you didn't have an organizer bag in the first place. (It's slightly better because at least the mess is all contained within one area.)

Anyway, I really wish I had taken a "before" picture of my wrapping paper organizer bag, but you will just have to believe me...it was a wreck. (My family, who needed to use said wrapping paper while here for the holidays, can attest.)

So today, I spent a while organizing my wrapping paper organizer. And now, it's marvelous! Everything is in its place (something which makes me inordinately happy), and the interior sections of the bag are even labeled. I thought about posting an "after" picture here on the blog, but without a "before" it's not really worth it.

Something unexpected happened while I was organizing. I discovered that I have tissue paper. LOTS of tissue paper. Now the reason this is unexpected is when my sister asked me for tissue paper while wrapping gifts recently, I said "this is all I have" and referenced three measly, previously used, wrinkled almost beyond belief, torn sheets which were in the organizing bag, near the top. I was so wrong. I have many, many sheets of tissue paper. Most of them are used, but I actually even found several brand new totally flat ones too. It's amazing what you'll find when you organize. There might be something really great under all that clutter!

I have a friend who started a blog this year to track one of her resolutions, which is to throw away something (or multiple somethings) every day. I bet, as she clears things out, she'll find some nice surprises, and probably learn some great lessons along the way, too.

So why the sudden need to organize my wrapping paper bag? Well, I have guests coming to visit this weekend, and whenever people will be staying in my house, I get all motivated to tidy up (especially, to find the aforementioned missing kitchen counter). Often, that motivation spills over into organizing things that the guests are unlikely to see, just because I get "in the zone" in terms of my energy - I want to put it all toward tidying, organizing, neatening things up around here.

So that's why I love visitors! Left to my own devices, I would probably have really- well-organized "big" things, most likely on a spreadsheet on my laptop. But I might not be able to find the laptop itself under the general clutter. (Okay, it's not that bad, really. There's plenty of clutter on the desk where the laptop sits...but not on top of the laptop. Just to the left. And the right. Oh, and yeah, behind it, too. Guess I need to work on the desk next!)

Updated ferry schedule

2011-01-06T19:54:00.002-07:00

Just a quick FYI in case you are planning a trip to the island - there have been some changes in the mainland ferry schedules. You can get the details here.

Lunch and resolutions

2011-01-05T18:32:00.002-07:00

I went to lunch with a friend today, because one of my resolutions is to do a better job of keeping up, and spending time, with the ladies I love. I don't necessarily believe in New Year's resolutions per se - I think you can make a decision and a commitment to do something on any day of the year. (I have made choices and started life changes on a wide variety of dates.) But I do love the "clean slate" feeling of a new year...or a new month, or a new week, or heck even a new day for that matter! What a blessing that we are able to start anew, make amends, learn from our mistakes and continue becoming better people.

When you live on Ocracoke, one nice thing about making choices to start new activities at the beginning of a new year is that it can be a bit easier to implement things during the winter, when the island is quiet and there's significantly less of all the busy-ness that will come in just a few months. Hopefully I can use the quiet winter time to develop some good new habits, and they'll be so ingrained by the time the busy summer arrives that I will keep right on doing them.

If you make resolutions, or even if you don't, I wish you all the best with whatever choices you make this year, wherever you are...

Secret Santa

2011-01-04T22:26:00.001-07:00

I saw a note posted in the Post Office yesterday from a local family. They were thanking the anonymous "secret Santa" who had ensured that their kids had a good Christmas. I love little examples like this of how the people of this community care for each other in tangible ways.

Pool shark, part 2

2011-01-03T10:46:00.004-07:00

Many months ago, I wrote a post about the fact that I won (okay, on two technicalities) the first annual summer sister getaway contest, which happened to be a best-of-three pool playing match. I mentioned that there was video of my amazing "sit-on-the-table, put the cue behind your back" shot, which I would post when I got it from my sister. Well, I finally got it, so here it is.

Oh, if you're wondering about all the giggling...yes, we were slightly tipsy. Which just makes the fact that I got that shot all the more amazing!

Last week at Gaffer's, I won the first annual winter sister dress up, go to a pub and play shuffleboard contest. And yes, again, on a technicality! (Although at least this time there was some strategy involved. I didn't win by reaching 21 points first, I won by forcing her to get 22 instead of 21 on her final turn. Other than that, it was pretty similar to the pool contest, in the sense that I am not very good at shuffleboard either, and she was beating me soundly up to that point.)

Yes, she is wearing my tiara - we're sisters, we share! And yes, she is drinking at the same time as playing shuffleboard. Apparently being tipsy is part of the theme of these sister contests.

If you like to play pool and/or shuffleboard, Gaffer's is the place to do that on the island. (Unless you happen to be staying at The Castle, in which case you can play pool there.)

Foggy

2011-01-02T20:04:00.001-07:00

The bad thing about when the weather suddenly warms up during the winter is that it almost inevitably leads to thick fog (warm air and cold water is a winning combination, assuming fog is your idea of winning). And fog, on a day that you need to take your family to the airport in Norfolk and therefore need the ferry to run on time, is not a terribly helpful thing. So I've had a very long day. This, therefore, is the end of this blog post.

Quick summary

2011-01-01T20:27:00.015-07:00

Here's what has been going on in my full, busy life for the last few months while I've been invisible on the blog.

I got seriously creepy makeup for my role as a zombie in the annual Spook Walk. I had a blast scaring people, and then several of us went to the Back Porch in full makeup which was hilarious.

The annual Ocrafolk School was a success, and the shrimp boil dinner was fantastic, as usual.

I dressed up as a Minnie Bar for Halloween.

There were lots of other great costumes at the Pub, as usual. Here's one of a couple whom I promised I would post their photo to the blog. (Of course, odds are good that they gave up looking for the picture and/or lost the napkin on which I wrote the URL long ago...but a promise is a promise.)

I went with my family to Walt Disney World for two weeks in late November/early December.

Yes, I'm wearing my Minnie ears.

Yes, I'm wearing my tiara.

We got home just in time to enjoy the festivities of Christmas!

I was a shepherd in the live nativity.

We enjoyed the Christmas Eve service and pageant at the Methodist Church.

Santa was good to us.

We attempted to go to the All Academy Ball (in honor of my sister, who will graduate from the Air Force Academy on May 25, 2011), but it was cancelled as a result of the snow storm. So we got dressed up and had our own ball...at Gaffer's Sports Pub!

Yes, I'm wearing my tiara again. I love having (and/or making up) a reason to wear it!

The second annual ladies Christmas tea was a wonderful time with some of my favorite ladies on the planet.

We enjoyed a family wine tasting.

And my sister and I rang in the new year together.

Whew. Hope you've been well for the last few months, and that 2011 will be a great year for you, wherever you are...

Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T13:22:00.002-07:00

It's 1-1-11, and I got up this morning at 11. Sleeping in on New Year's Day is a wonderful thing. Wishing everyone a wonderful new year!

Maybe I'll blog more often this year. Or maybe not. Guess we'll see.

Still alive...

2010-12-11T21:18:00.002-07:00

...but now officially so far behind that I might as well just quit and start over. Just kidding!

Yes, I'm still on the planet. The blog has been behind for some time (I have blogs in draft about Halloween, for goodness sakes!) but it only got worse when we were off island for 17 days. We went to Disney World for 2 weeks and it was more fun than people should be allowed to have! (Not really...but it was LOADS of fun. I acted like a child for 2 weeks and loved every minute of it!)

Anyway, I'm back but now I'm buried in Christmas preparations. Ack.

I promise I'll get back to posting (and maybe even get those old blogs that are sitting in draft waiting for me to write and attach pictures posted, too.)

In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying the holiday season, wherever you are!

Yard sales galore!

2010-11-05T17:01:00.004-06:00

I love yard sales. Not that I need to buy another single thing...but I love them anyway! The first Saturday in November is always a good one, as several recurring annual sales happen that day, and tomorrow is no exception. I know of three sales:

- Methodist Church - annual bazaar and lunch. The yard sale starts at 9 AM, and lunch (clam chowder, soup, assorted sandwiches) begins at 10:30.

- Assembly of God Church - yard sale and BBQ plate lunch. Yard sale begins at 8 AM and lunch starts at 11 AM.

- Ocracats yard sale - support a good cause by donating items, volunteering to help, or just shopping at this sale from 8 AM to 2 PM on the Pony Island Motel lawn.

There may be others that I just don't know about yet. But I'll find out tomorrow morning when Connor and I go wandering around the village to these three!

Sometimes...

2010-10-21T21:22:00.004-06:00

...I post blogs out of order. So scroll down for some new ones which are below the last three posts. :)

Nutty putty

2010-10-21T21:11:00.003-06:00

I went to the last Molasses Creek concert of the season tonight, and met a group of college students who are bicycling across the US to raise money for the Liz Logelin Foundation, which provides support to young widows and widowers and their children. I have read the blog of Matt Logelin, who started the foundation many times over the last few months and have been very inspired by the good he has brought out of the unexpected tragedy that came into his life not too long ago.

You can learn more about the Liz Logelin Foundation, and the Nutty Putty Cyclists (yep, that's what they call themselves) here.

Sea oats

2010-10-21T20:59:00.003-06:00

I love sea oats (a fact you already know if you've been reading this blog for long). I love them all year, and especially enjoy watching the changes with the seasons. Since we don't have trees that change colors and drop leaves during the fall, I have to enjoy the changing sea oats instead!

Spaghetti for the Scouts

2010-10-21T20:57:00.004-06:00

I love when I can combine delicious food with supporting a good cause!

I always like the fact that the Boy Scouts actively participate in this fundraiser, serving and cooking.

Yum!

After working hard, the Scouts got to eat too.