Most people I know refer to most of the restaurants on Ocracoke by a two word name, the first word being "the". Howard's Pub becomes "the Pub", the Flying Melon is "the Melon", the Jolly Roger is known as "the Jolly", even the Gas Station (yes, you can get food there, too) is called "the Station".
"The Cafe" is Cafe Atlantic, which reopened last night. John and I chose to enjoy our first Cafe meal of the season tonight instead, mostly because I had Bible study last night, but also partially because we thought we might miss the initial huge rush of all the locals going to the Cafe for dinner on the first night they could do so in several months. Well, we certainly weren't the only locals with that idea, and we ended up waiting half an hour to get a table. Unlike the tourists who left in a huff, muttering under their breath that it wasn't worth a half an hour wait and that they would go to the Pub instead, we knew that it would be well worth the wait. Besides, since other locals were also waiting, and many others were coming out to head home, we got to spend the time chatting with friends, so it went by quite quickly.
And, of course, the meal did not disappoint. We started with our favorite Cafe appetizer, the herbed chevre (goat cheese) with fig preserves. It is always delicious but seemed doubly so as a result of being deprived of it all through the winter. John then had soup, we both had salads and entrees (my lemon pasta with scallops was fabulous), and we completed the feast with dessert (peanut butter ice cream with hot fudge). It was a marvelous meal, I am completely stuffed, and now I'm going to bed!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
The company of women
I've joined a group of women at the Ocracoke Assembly of God (OAG) church for a Bible study. Yes, I know I really didn't need something else to do in my busy life, but when I saw the title of the study ("Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life"), I thought maybe He was trying to tell me something! Anyway, I have really enjoyed this weekly time spent with island ladies. I love listening to the older women in the group, both for their wisdom, and because I get to hear the Ocracoke brogue! I am blessed to hear the group members my own age talking about things they think and feel, and recognizing some of myself in them; it is comforting to know I am not alone in my struggles.
Ocracoke is a small town and as such can be somewhat clique-ish. (Just in case you thought I was wearing my Pollyanna rose-colored "everything is perfect and everyone gets along here" glasses again, now you know I actually am a realist...sometimes.) But the cliques here are not necessarily exclusive - anyone can join most of them. (Unless you actually were born and raised here, you obviously can't be an O'cocker, but other than that, you're pretty much welcome wherever you want to join in.) The Bible study group is a good example of this - there are ladies who regularly attend the OAG church, some who go to the United Methodist Church, and one who worships with the small Catholic congregation. Everyone is accepted and the mix of perspectives is a wonderful thing, as we all learn from each other.
Ocracoke is a small town and as such can be somewhat clique-ish. (Just in case you thought I was wearing my Pollyanna rose-colored "everything is perfect and everyone gets along here" glasses again, now you know I actually am a realist...sometimes.) But the cliques here are not necessarily exclusive - anyone can join most of them. (Unless you actually were born and raised here, you obviously can't be an O'cocker, but other than that, you're pretty much welcome wherever you want to join in.) The Bible study group is a good example of this - there are ladies who regularly attend the OAG church, some who go to the United Methodist Church, and one who worships with the small Catholic congregation. Everyone is accepted and the mix of perspectives is a wonderful thing, as we all learn from each other.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Flowering
I just wrote an article for the Mullet Wrapper (the Ocracoke Preservation Society newsletter) about a plant which is currently flowering around here: Yaupon. Among the interesting things I learned about this type of Holly tree is that it is quite hardy, thriving in the sandy soil and salty air of the Outer Banks which is much tougher on other plants. The leaves can be dried to make tea, something which was done by both the early Native Americans in the area and the Ocracokers who lived here years later. Contrary to the implication of its Latin name, Ilex vomitoria, Yaupon tea is not actually an emetic. Early Europeans, who observed Native Americans using Yaupon tea for purifcation rituals which involved vomiting, assumed that the tea was the cause, and gave it the misleading name. Scholars of Native American history and culture explain the truth: the vomiting was caused by the over-consumption of the liquid, not the chemical properties of the tea itself. So if you see Yaupon tea available for sale in a store on the island (yes, some people still dry the leaves and package them for purchase), buy some and give it a try! It's not all that delicious by itself, in my opinion (I add honey and lemon when I drink it), but it is said to be healthy (in the past, Ocracokers used it as a tonic and a cure for hangovers). At the very least, it will wake you up: the active ingredient is caffeine.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Greening
The fig trees are starting to get leaves again. Makes me look forward to fresh figs (straight off the tree, pop them in your mouth whole...it's like a shot of honey), fig preserves, and fig cake. Here's a recipe for fig cake I got from Chester Lynn, who is Ocracoke's fig expert (at least the only one I know!) The recipe says that it is from Margaret Garrish, Marie Womac, Frances Kemp, Iva O'Neal, and Etta Spencer.
Fig cake
1 c. salad oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. soda, dissolved in a little hot water
2 c. flour
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. preserved figs, chopped
1 c. chopped nuts
Beat 3 eggs; add sugar and oil. After sifting dry ingredients, add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla and fold in figs and nuts. Pour into greased oblong pan and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or in a well greased tube pan at 350 degrees for just a little longer.
Fig cake
1 c. salad oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. soda, dissolved in a little hot water
2 c. flour
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. preserved figs, chopped
1 c. chopped nuts
Beat 3 eggs; add sugar and oil. After sifting dry ingredients, add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla and fold in figs and nuts. Pour into greased oblong pan and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or in a well greased tube pan at 350 degrees for just a little longer.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Light!
I just returned from my daily walk to touch salt water. It was a little late this evening, as we went out for dinner with new friends and ended up talking several hours away (not a bad way to lose several hours, all things considered).
Anyway, it is one of those lovely clear nights, with enough moon to provide a lot of illumination on my favorite soundside beach area. The tide is still very low, so with the combination of light and shallower than usual water, I could see the shells on the bottom very well. I find the interplay of light and water endlessly beautiful and fascinating, especially the fact that sunlight has a different affect than moonlight.
There was also another light which had an impact on my evening walk. The lighthouse is back on and shining brightly again! Seeing it tonight, I fully realized just how much I had missed its sweet consistency and faithfulness. It is important to have immovable, unchangeable anchors in this crazy life, and the lighthouse is one of mine.
Anyway, it is one of those lovely clear nights, with enough moon to provide a lot of illumination on my favorite soundside beach area. The tide is still very low, so with the combination of light and shallower than usual water, I could see the shells on the bottom very well. I find the interplay of light and water endlessly beautiful and fascinating, especially the fact that sunlight has a different affect than moonlight.
There was also another light which had an impact on my evening walk. The lighthouse is back on and shining brightly again! Seeing it tonight, I fully realized just how much I had missed its sweet consistency and faithfulness. It is important to have immovable, unchangeable anchors in this crazy life, and the lighthouse is one of mine.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Quilting
I finally went to quilting tonight. I had gone a few times several months ago (October-ish) but then hadn't gotten back, although I wanted to. Tonight by some miracle I managed to get through the Monday craziness on time to join the quilters at 7:00. It was a really fun evening. The ages of the women gathered together ranged from mid 20s to mid 80s. The conversation was mostly about quilts, but also about family, friends, and just life. There was a lot of laughter and collaboration. Several ladies brought quilts they have been working on, to share, to get ideas, and to get others to help work on them, too. It was lovely.
I brought home a package of small strips of fabric so I can choose which ones I want to use to make my Ocracoke Cracker pattern pillow. The information provided with the pattern explains a bit of the history of the pattern, and I've copied it below.
For many years it was thought that this was an original Ocracoke pattern but it was discovered to be from Colonial Times. During the documentation of quilts in North Carolina it was found only on Ocracoke Island. It was popular with the ladies here during the thirties and forties. There are a number of them in family collections on the island.
The fabric used in quilts and clothes often found its way to Ocracoke from the West Indies as the island men were seafarers. Often the quilts made by different women looked alike because of the use of the same materials.
In this pattern one of the two inside stripes is always red, either solid or a print. The corner triangles are always te same fabric, often pale pink, blue or yellow. Adjacent squares are turned to lend excitement to the overall quilt pattern.
The quilters group on Ocracoke makes several quilts a year. They always do one for the Ocrafolk Festival raffle and one for the OPS museum fundraising raffle. They are finishing the one for the Festival now, and will soon be starting work on a commissioned piece (a cracker pattern).
You can see a picture of a cracker quilt at Philip Howard's Village Craftsmen blog (link in the menu to the left). I'll post a picture of my pillow when it's finished. It will be a while, though, so don't hold your breath!
I brought home a package of small strips of fabric so I can choose which ones I want to use to make my Ocracoke Cracker pattern pillow. The information provided with the pattern explains a bit of the history of the pattern, and I've copied it below.
For many years it was thought that this was an original Ocracoke pattern but it was discovered to be from Colonial Times. During the documentation of quilts in North Carolina it was found only on Ocracoke Island. It was popular with the ladies here during the thirties and forties. There are a number of them in family collections on the island.
The fabric used in quilts and clothes often found its way to Ocracoke from the West Indies as the island men were seafarers. Often the quilts made by different women looked alike because of the use of the same materials.
In this pattern one of the two inside stripes is always red, either solid or a print. The corner triangles are always te same fabric, often pale pink, blue or yellow. Adjacent squares are turned to lend excitement to the overall quilt pattern.
The quilters group on Ocracoke makes several quilts a year. They always do one for the Ocrafolk Festival raffle and one for the OPS museum fundraising raffle. They are finishing the one for the Festival now, and will soon be starting work on a commissioned piece (a cracker pattern).
You can see a picture of a cracker quilt at Philip Howard's Village Craftsmen blog (link in the menu to the left). I'll post a picture of my pillow when it's finished. It will be a while, though, so don't hold your breath!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
If you're going to be stupid...
...you have to be tough.
That was the lesson I learned today. My friends Randy and Dianne have been visiting, and Dianne really wanted to go to Portsmouth Island. I remembered that Steve Wilson, who owns the Miss Ocracoke, had told me that he would take me over there if I wanted to go someday. So I called him yesterday and asked him if he would take us today. He said sure, and we set a time to meet at his dock.
The weather recently has been beautiful - warm, very little wind, sunny. Today, there was a decent wind, and it was decidedly a northeast one, which cooled things down considerably. Did that stop us from our planned trip to Portsmouth? Of course not! We came home from church, changed clothes, and got ready to go. We packed a picnic snack, beach chairs, the portable hammock John gave me for my birthday last year, towels, and beach reading. We were ready! We loaded all our gear and ourselves into Steve's boat, Net Income (the Miss Ocracoke is not quite ready for the year yet), and set out across Silver Lake. Dianne and I were sitting in the beach chairs in the middle of the boat, and Randy and John were sitting behind us. The first few minutes were idyllic. We saw several dolphins swimming in the harbor and enjoyed the sunshine.
Steve warned us that it was a bit choppy and that he would try to not get us too wet. Well, he did his best, but we all ended up soaked! Shortly after we went through the Ditch, John and Randy moved forward to try to escape the waves crashing over the sides of Net Income. Dianne and I scooted our chairs further forward as well. Pretty soon, the four of us were huddled in a bunch, trying just to keep our heads down and not get completely sopping and frozen.
We were troopers, though, and hung in there. Steve dropped us off on the beach, where we found a reasonably un-windy spot near a hilly area, settled into chairs and let the sun begin to warm and dry us. We drank an entire bottle of wine, enjoyed the fruit, cheese and crackers we had brought, and then Dianne and I went shelling. I found my first whole scotch bonnet! (Yes, that did make the trip completely worth it!)
Steve came back for us shortly after 4:00 as we had agreed. When we saw him pull up in the boat, dressed in his fisherman's wetsuit, I said "we are in deep sh__". He had told us on the way over that it would be even worse on the way back, so we thought we were somewhat prepared for the experience, but we were unpleasantly surprised by just how wet and cold we got going home. We were all freezing and drenched (except Steve, of course!) by the time we pulled into the harbor. That didn't stop my heart from lifting at the sight of home, and I still even sang the song which often comes to my mind when returning to Ocracoke, even after only a short time away:
Home sings me of sweet things
My life here has its own wings
To fly over the mountain
Though I'm standing still
I sang it very quietly, to myself. I knew no-one else was in the mood for song!
We came home and all immediately took LONG, HOT showers (thank goodness for hot-water-on-demand continuous hot water heater systems!)
But before we got off the boat, Steve expressed the lesson of the day: "if you're going to be stupid, you've got to be tough". We took it in the manner it was intended and laughed at ourselves. It was pretty stupid of us to still head over to Portsmouth when the weather was windy and turning cold. I don't regret it, though. I found a scotch bonnet and had an adventure with good friends. One we will certainly never forget!
Related link: Miss Ocracoke
That was the lesson I learned today. My friends Randy and Dianne have been visiting, and Dianne really wanted to go to Portsmouth Island. I remembered that Steve Wilson, who owns the Miss Ocracoke, had told me that he would take me over there if I wanted to go someday. So I called him yesterday and asked him if he would take us today. He said sure, and we set a time to meet at his dock.
The weather recently has been beautiful - warm, very little wind, sunny. Today, there was a decent wind, and it was decidedly a northeast one, which cooled things down considerably. Did that stop us from our planned trip to Portsmouth? Of course not! We came home from church, changed clothes, and got ready to go. We packed a picnic snack, beach chairs, the portable hammock John gave me for my birthday last year, towels, and beach reading. We were ready! We loaded all our gear and ourselves into Steve's boat, Net Income (the Miss Ocracoke is not quite ready for the year yet), and set out across Silver Lake. Dianne and I were sitting in the beach chairs in the middle of the boat, and Randy and John were sitting behind us. The first few minutes were idyllic. We saw several dolphins swimming in the harbor and enjoyed the sunshine.
Steve warned us that it was a bit choppy and that he would try to not get us too wet. Well, he did his best, but we all ended up soaked! Shortly after we went through the Ditch, John and Randy moved forward to try to escape the waves crashing over the sides of Net Income. Dianne and I scooted our chairs further forward as well. Pretty soon, the four of us were huddled in a bunch, trying just to keep our heads down and not get completely sopping and frozen.
We were troopers, though, and hung in there. Steve dropped us off on the beach, where we found a reasonably un-windy spot near a hilly area, settled into chairs and let the sun begin to warm and dry us. We drank an entire bottle of wine, enjoyed the fruit, cheese and crackers we had brought, and then Dianne and I went shelling. I found my first whole scotch bonnet! (Yes, that did make the trip completely worth it!)
Steve came back for us shortly after 4:00 as we had agreed. When we saw him pull up in the boat, dressed in his fisherman's wetsuit, I said "we are in deep sh__". He had told us on the way over that it would be even worse on the way back, so we thought we were somewhat prepared for the experience, but we were unpleasantly surprised by just how wet and cold we got going home. We were all freezing and drenched (except Steve, of course!) by the time we pulled into the harbor. That didn't stop my heart from lifting at the sight of home, and I still even sang the song which often comes to my mind when returning to Ocracoke, even after only a short time away:
Home sings me of sweet things
My life here has its own wings
To fly over the mountain
Though I'm standing still
I sang it very quietly, to myself. I knew no-one else was in the mood for song!
We came home and all immediately took LONG, HOT showers (thank goodness for hot-water-on-demand continuous hot water heater systems!)
But before we got off the boat, Steve expressed the lesson of the day: "if you're going to be stupid, you've got to be tough". We took it in the manner it was intended and laughed at ourselves. It was pretty stupid of us to still head over to Portsmouth when the weather was windy and turning cold. I don't regret it, though. I found a scotch bonnet and had an adventure with good friends. One we will certainly never forget!
Related link: Miss Ocracoke
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