Christmas challenges

I usually try to keep my blogs very positive (or at least informative, when they are about controversial or difficult topics). I'm not Pollyanna, I just have a really blessed life, with friends and family I love (and who love and support me), and a beautiful place (my favorite on earth) that I am lucky enough to call home. That said, I do of course sometimes have more difficult experiences and thoughts. If you read this blog to be uplifted and don't want to hear anything about life challenges, that might be construed as "negative", stop reading this one now and come back tomorrow. :)

I think our culture has completely missed the point of Christmas. Yes, I know I'm not the first person to express this, but my recent experience with that holy holiday really is making it hit home. Why am I suddenly blogging about this now? My sister Jocelyn just called me to tell me that Mom was complaining about the gifts Dad bought her for Christmas, and one of the things she said (to my sister, remember) was "that glass church he got me is so kitsch". My sister's response? "I got you that, Mom." Whoops. (For those of you not familiar with Yiddish, "kitsch" essentially means "tacky".)

Now for the record, I thought that the glass church my sister got my Mom was quite pretty, and it even reminded me of the United Methodist Church here on the island (it had the same simple, classic structure and shape). But that's not the point. What I started thinking about after talking with Jocelyn was how it can sometimes be difficult to shop for people, especially if they haven't mentioned something specific they would like. I literally have a spreadsheet on which I keep thoughts about potential future gifts, so that if someone oohs and aahs over an item, or mentions in conversation that they could use a particular something, I can save that thought until the next gift giving opportunity. Failing that, I often fall back on buying items that "fit" with something the person collects or enjoys, which is easier the more things that are in that category. My Dad, for example, loves the Three Stooges, is a drummer, likes to play pool, and writes left-handed, so I can usually find a gift related to one of these things which hopefully he will like. (Even that strategy is not foolproof, though...I remember one year overhearing my Dad say that he was tired of receiving golf themed items from me. I don't buy those any more.) I often joke that I should be incredibly easy to shop for because I collect angels, sunflower and seashell themed items, decorative cow things for my kitchen, gold or brass Christmas ornaments, and pitchers, plus I have multiple hobbies which can lead to gifts (scrapbooking, knitting, cross stitching). Some of my favorite gifts ever are the ones which combine two of the above: I love the creativity and thoughtfulness of the people who have given me cow-angels, seashell-angels, and other combinations; this year I even got a seashell-angel-Christmas ornament!

I also love to eat, so any gift of food will be deeply enjoyed (most of my friends gave me munchies this year...I got delicious roasted peanuts, a mug full of chocolates, a plateful of assorted Christmas cookies, and a delightful looking home baked bread which I haven't tasted yet but I know will be fantastic). The great thing about gifts of food is that they are neutral enough to give to almost anyone, but personal enough (whether the giver made them him- or herself, or just put them together in or on a decorative mug, bowl, tray, plate, etc.) to seem thoughtful.

Which brings me to where I'm going with all this musing. When people are difficult to shop for (which can happen with people we hardly know and people we have known all our lives), another option is to fall back on the "neutral" or "generic" types of gifts. I received several of these this year, and I've already put them in my re-gifting box. (If you gave me a gift this year and you want to know whether it's in the re-gift box, forget it...I'm not going to tell you!) I actually appreciate re-gift-able gifts, because, remember, I live on an island! When I need a gift for a last minute event, I am thrilled to be able to find one quickly (no muss, no fuss, no shopping). I also put some thought into my re-gift giving and try to choose one (from my reasonably wide selection) which "fits" either the person or the occasion (I have some gifts which are perfect housewarming gifts, others which would be great to give to a couple together and therefore could be used for a wedding or anniversary gift, etc.) Now I know that some of you are just horrified by the concept of re-gifting, and think it's the tackiest (should I say "kitsch-est"?) thing anyone could ever do. I'm okay with that, I just disagree with you.

So here's my actual point: the fact that we are so pressed to give something (or possibly multiple somethings) to everyone at Christmas that we end up falling back on generic gifts even for our closest loved ones indicates we're really missing the point. Every year, there is a large pile of gifts under our tree. I know, I should be grateful and feel blessed by that (and I do). But I also feel overwhelmed and acquisitive and materialistic. Even before I'm finished unwrapping, I'm thinking either "where am I going to put this?" or "great re-gift". The fact is, I have everything I need, and all the rest is really just STUFF. And I've got more than enough STUFF too! Also, remember the thing that started this whole musing was my Mom's "open mouth, insert foot" comment to my sister. The fact that Mom didn't even remember who the gift she was maligning came from speaks volumes about getting too many gifts.

There are five people in my close family who get together for Christmas (our extended family members are spread out all over the world), so each of us should only have four gifts under the dang tree! Why don't we each just give each other ONE gift, which we've either picked out especially for that person based on our knowledge and love of him/her, or made by hand especially for him/her? (One of my favorite gifts this year is a picture of lilies which my sister hand painted for me.) The point of Christmas is to remember Christ's birth and celebrate God's amazing gift to the world. Even if you don't believe in that, then the point for you can be to celebrate life, love, and togetherness with your friends and family. Either way, mounds of gifts aren't necessary, and perhaps create more challenges than they are worth.

Okay, I think I'm done ranting now. I hope that any gifts you received this year for whatever you celebrate made you feel loved, appreciated, and known. And any that didn't, or that you just didn't need or have room for, re-gift those babies! :)

A fabulous day

I enjoyed a completely decadent, splurging, pampering kind of day today. First, I went to Deep Blue Day Spa to enjoy a wonderful package, which included a body scrub, a wrap, a hot stone massage, and a facial with lymph drainage therapy (which is incredibly relaxing). What made this even better was that it was a gift! I received a gift certificate for this lovely experience. Lucky me!

If that wasn't fabulous enough, I left the spa and went straight to the Second Annual Ocracoke Working Watermen's Association Oyster Roast. I munched on steamed shrimp and oysters until it got cool, started getting dark, and the event ended! I heard they had 22 bushels of oysters, and all of them were eaten and enjoyed. There was a large crowd at the event, and I hope it raised plenty of money for OWWA.

There are multiple events planned to ring in 2008 here on the island:
- the annual New Year's Eve party will be held at the Community Center, with music by the Ocracoke Rockers as usual
- the Assembly of God church is hosting a get together and showing a movie
- my friend Amy is having a party at her house, which will include...more oysters! If John has any say in the matter (which of course he does), we'll be going to that one, because that's where the oysters are. That man loves oysters.

Hope you enjoy your new year's celebrations, with or without oysters!

Open-ish

Jocelyn and I went shopping today. We went into several stores, although not everything is open. The sign on one of the stores spoke volumes about living in a small town. It said "We are open Monday through Saturday from 10ish to 4 or 5ish. If we are not here and you need something, call Leslie at ... "

Another small town moment which I really enjoyed today happened when I realized that my wallet with cash and credit cards was in my car at the garage. I was not at all concerned about that fact, but did want to go get the money (paper and plastic) to go shopping. I went into Jimmy's garage, where they greeted me by name, asked how Christmas had been, and told me to go ahead and grab whatever I needed from the car.

In every store, we chatted with the staff about how Christmas had been, and life in general. On the way home from shopping, we stopped to visit DeAnna. We traded stories and laughed together for a couple of hours. Later in the evening, Sundae stopped by to deliver Christmas gifts for us. She passed on a request from her kids that I go outside to say goodbye to them, as they will be leaving tomorrow on the 7 AM ferry to spend the winter in Florida. We chatted for a few minutes, then traded hugs and goodbyes. I'll miss them and look forward to seeing them when they get back again.

Just another day of loving life in my favorite town, where I enjoy being known, being of use, and being home. (With credit to Sundae.)

Puzzling...weather

John and Jocelyn (my sister) and I started working on the traditional holiday puzzle today. Usually, someone will buy one for the family for Christmas, and we'll put it together over the following few days. This year, there were actually two as gifts: one is a painting of the nativity scene, the other is about 18 years of Mardi Gras posters. We're working on the nativity one, partially because it seems more fitting, but mostly because it has only 500 pieces, while the Mardi Gras one has 2000! I am not that great at putting puzzles together, although I do enjoy working on them. John and Jocelyn are both really good at puzzles (we call Jocelyn "the puzzle master") so luckily I have them around to help me, or the darn things would never get done! I'm hoping to glue and possibly frame this one, and use it when decorating for Christmas over the coming years.

The weather was quite odd today. It started out very warm (I estimated the temperature was in the mid 60s, but my Dad said he thought it was as high as the low 70s). By the afternoon, it had gotten windy and rainy...and downright cold! The temperature must have dropped a good 30 degrees. It was a good day to stay inside and do a puzzle.

To catch you up...

...on what I've been up to lately, here are several mini blogs in one.

Friday Dec. 21 - an early morning ferry ride, a long drive, and a BIG meal

I got up before the crack of dawn this morning, to take the 6:30 ferry to Swan Quarter. After arriving there, I drove all the way to Asheville, on the other side of the wide north state! I went to meet my Mom and my sister Jocelyn there for our annual girls' weekend (they drove from Ohio, an only-slightly shorter trip). This year, we stayed at the Grove Park Inn. We booked a weekend package which included dinner on Friday night. Dinner turned out to be a seafood buffet, and we ate enough for dinner, and the next couple days worth of breakfast and lunch too! Okay, it wasn't quite that bad, but we certainly ate and enjoyed plenty! After our meal, we settled down in our room for a good night's sleep, because we needed to be well rested for Saturday. We had big plans to fill Saturday with...relaxation.

Saturday Dec. 22 - Spaaaah, Christmas tour, and a bit of an adventure

The Spa at the Grove Park Inn Resort is the best spa in the state of North Carolina. I say this with some authority, having personally experienced the spas at most of the other high-end/upscale resorts in the state (Ballantyne in Charlotte, Grandover in Greensboro, The Spa at Pinehurst, The Sanderling in Duck, and a handful of others); yes, I like to spa (and yes, I do believe "spa" should be a verb). Mom, Jocelyn and I spent most of Saturday in the spa at (or should I say under?) the Grove Park Inn. The spa, like the Inn, is built into the side of the mountain, and is partially underground. It has been designed to take advantage of this fact, and is built out of natural rock, giving it an underground "grotto" feeling. It has multiple pools, whirlpools (indoors and out), saunas, steam rooms, calming inhalation rooms, and cozy dark rooms with fireplaces for total relaxation. This was my second time at the spa, and I enjoyed it even more than the first. I am already planning for the next time (I want to go back with several friends to celebrate my 40th birthday, in just under 5 years). I will also start SAVING for that next visit too, since the best spa in the state is also by far the priciest. It is, however, more than worth every penny!

After our spa day, the girls headed for Biltmore Estate, where we had a wonderful 4 course meal in the Stable Cafe followed by a tour of the house to see the myriad beautiful Christmas decorations. If you haven't experienced Biltmore yet, I highly recommend it. If you've been but not at Christmas, go back during the yuletide season ~ the yards and yards of garland, lovely (and enormous) wreaths, and multiple trees (including a HUGE one in the Great Hall) are a visual feast.

After touring the house, we rode the shuttle bus back to the car to head back to the Grove Park. I unlocked the car with the remote lock control, and we all hopped in. That's when I noticed that I did not have the car key. Now I have to say that you really should attempt not to lose your car key anywhere, but the absolute worst possible place to lose it has got to be a chateau with 250 rooms! Jocelyn and I rode the shutle bus back up to the house, where we worked with the wonderful staff, who checked their "lost and found" area (to no avail, as no keys had been turned in), then helped us call a locksmith (who wasn't sure whether he could help and suggested we work with another local guy - a specialist in car keys - in the morning to assist, as it was nearly midnight at this point), and even arranged a ride for us back to the Grove Park (with shuttle-driver Tom). Tom took us back to the car in the shuttle, then went to get his car to chauffeur us. As Jocelyn climbed into the back seat to wait for Tom's return, what to my wondering eyes should appear if not the key, partially under the car where I assume it fell as I slipped into the driver's seat the first time we tried to leave! We waited for Tom to come back, to let him know we had found the key and could be safely on our way without his help, then drove back to the Inn. We got in at shortly after 1 AM and were all quite tired and grouchy, but I suppose that all's well that ends well. I was happy that we would not have to continue dealing with the situation on Sunday morning, when we really needed to be enjoying our last big meal before heading home to Ocracoke.

Sunday Dec. 23 - another BIG meal, and a REALLY long drive

Before leaving the Grove Park, we enjoyed the last item included in our girls' weekend package: Sunday Brunch in the Blue Ridge Dining Room. We had a corner table with windows on two sides which provided a fabulous view of the lovely mountains for which the room is named. Brunch was marvelous; we feasted on Eggs Benedict, cheese blintzes with fruit compote, lobster with drawn butter, chilled strawberry bisque, and many other delicious choices. I was a bit concerned we would all be drowsy for the long drive to the island, but we made it back here with no mishaps or falling asleep behind the wheel. It took 10 hours total (including the Hatteras ferry ride) to get to Ocracoke, and we were all ready for bed when we arrived at midnight. During the drive, however, we were lucky enough to see the full moon rise and then hang, low and huge in the still-light sky, before ascending and shining down on us. The sky was clear for much of the drive, and the amount of silver light provided by the huge full moon was remarkable.

Monday Dec. 24 - getting ready for Christmas!

The family (my Dad arrived this morning) spent the day wrapping gifts and hanging stockings for Santa to fill. John and I drove around for about an hour in the afternoon, delivering gifts to (and stopping to chat with) several of our friends. After a quick dinner, we went to the traditional Christmas Eve service at the Methodist Church. When we returned home, we opened the "First Gift of Christmas" (this is a tradition I recently started; the first gift is a beautiful nativity music box and we open it first to take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas before diving in to the serious gift unwrapping). Each of us then opened one of our gifts from under the tree (another family tradition - we'll open the rest tomorrow morning). Then we watched the movie "The Nativity Story". Or more accurately, I watched the movie: John went to bed, and the rest of the family fell asleep in chairs as the film played. Now I'm the last one up, getting caught up on my blogging and enjoying the quiet. I do need to head to bed now, though, so I am not too bleary eyed to enjoy the celebration in the morning. Besides, if I'm not asleep, Santa won't come!

My wishes for the merriest Christmas (or Hanukkah, or whatever you're celebrating) and for a new year filled with joy!

All aboard!

We took the first and second grade classes for a ride on the Polar Express today. Well, we used our imaginations to pretend that the chairs lined up in the classroom were the seats on the train, anyway. It certainly seemed real, since the kids were required to have tickets and the conductor (my hubby John, in a three piece suit!) punched the tickets before they came inside from the playground.

We listened to Chris van Allsburg's magical story read by William Hurt on cassette, complete with train whistle and steam sounds and, of course, the lovely ring of the bells on Santa's reindeer. The kids listened very well. They were wide eyed at some of the pictures, especially the one of all the elves at the North Pole. I was heartened to see how much they enjoyed the simple story and beautiful illustrations, in this day of slick digital effects (I'm sure they all have seen the movie as well, but I realized anew this morning that the story itself is what holds the wonder).

After the story, we drank hot chocolate (stirred, of course, with candy canes...the fact that they disappeared turned into a vocabulary/science lesson on "dissolving"), ate "candies with nougat centers" (aka Milky Way bars) and delicious home baked cookies (courtesy of Macky's mom), played a rousing round of "The Conductor Says" (Lupita won for the second year in a row, having won last year as a first grader - she really pays attention!), and gave each other Christmas hugs and presents. We gave each child a bell on a ribbon; most of them tied the bells to their wrists, and the classroom was soon filled with the sweet sound of ringing. I loved that sound!

"Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe."

The big show

On Ocracoke, the biggest show of the year is the school Christmas program, and this year was no exception. The gym was packed with community members of all ages, from the youngest babies to the oldest grandparents. There were smiles on all the faces, as the standing room only crowd watched the kids (from pre-kindergarten through high school) perform (and project) their hard-prepared Christmas songs, skits and even one short movie.

The first and second grade classes kicked off the show with a wonderful performance of "We Need a Little Christmas", utilizing several props and featuring one of the kids as the Christmas tree, which they decorated during the song! It was an adorable and festive way to start the program. The pre-K and kindergarten students then performed "Here Comes Santa Claus" (the Elvis version: several of the kids wore Elvis wigs!) and "Jingle Bells".

Several more excellent performances followed, both sung and played on musical instruments from guitars and keyboards (the pep band) to violins and harmonicas (the 4th grade music club) and even handbells (the 7th grade class). The 6th graders performed a hilarious version of "I'm Getting Nothin' for Christmas" (starting with a "breaking newscast" reporting the "bad behavior" of kids on Ocracoke, including stealing the wreath from the Lighthouse).

The 8th grade class recited (and acted out) a poem about Santa getting stuck in the chimney. Luckily the jolly old elf escaped, so Christmas won't be delayed this year - whew! The High School students then presented the short film they produced, which was an Ocracoke version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It was excellent, and the "blooper reel" at the end of the credits was quite funny. The final act of the evening was the entire school singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". I love that the entire school body (pre-K through 12, plus teachers and staff) can all fit on one stage. Good thing it's a strong stage!

Hope you're enjoying the holiday season. My advice: go see a show performed by kids - it's good for the soul and heart to smile that much.

Thank heaven...

...for online shopping with fast shipping! I managed to buy a couple more Christmas presents today, which will be delivered on Dec. 24th! I even found something for my Dad, who is nearly impossible to shop for. There are still at least two additional people I need to get gifts for, so I'll be shopping on the island tomorrow or the next day for them. Luckily we have fabulous stores around here!

On a sad note, I'm a bit disappointed that this year I will miss an island Christmas tradition: caroling. Every year, a group gets together and walks around the village, stopping at homes of many of the island's elders to sing on porches, in front yards, and sometimes in living rooms. At the end of the evening, the group meets at one of the two island churches for a warm dinner (usually chili) to thaw out from walking around outside in December. This year, the "official" caroling night is this Friday the 21st. I'll miss that one because I'll be in Asheville NC that evening (will be spending the weekend there with my Mom and sister, staying at the Grove Park Inn and pampering ourselves in their fabulous spa).

Several other caroling regulars also will not be available on the 21st, so another outing was planned for this evening. I missed that one, too, because I have not been able to fully lose the lingering head cold I've had for a while, and I thought that perhaps I should not walk around with a group of friends who probably don't want to share it with me! Jamie called me while they were out to make sure I hadn't forgotten, which is always a possibility (ever since I burst into tears after realizing I had missed Charlotte's welcome party (i.e. baby shower) for no good reason other than just not remembering to go, I actually have a standing request to my friends to call me if I'm ever not at something at which they expected to see me, to make sure I'm not at home doing nothing except having a brain freeze). Anyway, I have been a member of the caroling group every Christmas since I moved here, with the exception of this year, which is why I'm sad that I didn't get to go tonight.

On another sad note, two of my favorite guys to sing to aren't here on earth to listen any more. But I suspect Roy and John Thomas were listening from heaven tonight. Probably playing guitar and singing along, too!

Aaaarrrggghhhh!

I am not ready for Christmas and it is next Tuesday!

I have been so distracted and unfocused recently, I swear I have adult ADHD. I can't seem to get anything done! I should clarify, though. It's not actually that I've been UNfocused, I've just been focused on things other than Christmas preparation (read: gift buying).

Today, I spent quite a while focused on several other blogs, most of which were examples of often-hilarious misuse of English grammar, orthography, and punctuation. Yes, I'm a grammar geek and I believe that the world is in dire need of editors. I also really enjoy laughing, and these blogs caused me to do so this morning, often and heartily. If you also find this kind of thing interesting (and don't worry, I won't be offended if you don't...I've found enough similar thinkers online to make me happy), check out these links:
Apostrophe Abuse
Literally, A Web Log
lowercase L
Why a Tittle
And finally, the one that started it all (thanks, Sundae!) The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks

Windy and wet

The last 24 hours or so have been quite blustery and rainy. The rain started yesterday afternoon, and the wind picked up overnight. At the moment (11:45 on Sunday night...yes, I need to go to bed!) it is still windy but no longer raining. While I was out driving around this afternoon (after touching salt water), I had the good fortune (and timing) to arrive at the park service boat ramp just in time to see the sunset over the waves. Normally, sunrise is the only thing you can see over waves around here, since the sun sets on the Pamlico Sound side of the island, rather than the ocean side. Today, however, there were whitecaps on the sound!

The power has been stable throughout the wind-storm, which is good since it is also quite cold. During my drive, I noticed the cable and electric wires blowing in the wind, and thought it was just a matter of time before we lost power, so I was pleasantly surprised when that didn't happen (at least it didn't happen in the "down point" part of the village where I live, I suppose it might have happened in the "round creek" area where I saw the wildly flapping wires.)

Hope you are safe, dry, and not getting blown away, wherever you are!

A party and a pageant

Today I was lucky enough to watch island kids enjoying the Children's Christmas Party at the Community Center. This annual event is organized by Leslie of Books to Be Red, and is always well attended. The kids I talked with all seemed to be enjoying themselves very much. For the first hour or so of the event, they played games, worked on crafts (making popsicle frames, painting t-shirts, etc.), participated in Christmas-related activities (preparing "reindeer food", for example), and ate delicious cookies and other treats. Then a siren was heard and everyone got excited and ran outside. No, there wasn't a crime in progress (this is Ocracoke, remember?) It was Santa arriving, on the fire truck. He came inside and spoke to everyone there (kids and adults alike) as he walked through the room, then settled down in his chair to meet the kids, who lined up to sit on his lap, tell him what they wanted for Christmas, and have a photo taken with the jolly old elf himself. I had so much fun watching all this happiness, I found myself with a goofy grin on my face through most of the event and feeling like a big kid by the end of it. So when Leslie asked me if I wanted my picture with Santa, of course I said yes! I "sat" on his lap (I was kind and spared Santa my full adult weight), chatted for a moment, and smiled for the Polaroid camera. It was a ball!

This evening, the kids (assisted by a handful of adults) of the Assembly of God Church performed in the annual Christmas pageant. This year, the title was "The 12 Days of Christmas". The main part of the show (involving all the kids from toddlers to teens) included a re-written version of that popular Christmas carol, which described the nativity scene (8 angels, 6 donkeys, 5 golden stars, 4 shepherds, 3 wise men, 2 parents smiling, and one baby Jesus are some of the verses I remember...I can't seem to bring to mind what number 7 was). As each group was introduced in song, the kids playing those characters joined the scene, until the stage and the area in front of it was filled with costumed, singing children. The toddlers playing sheep (with adorable cotton-ball ears) were the cutest in the bunch, in my opinion. The angels (8 first through third grade girls) looked lovely and sang beautifully. Several other songs were sung, including "Isn't He", one of my favorite worship songs, and Pastor Sam spoke a brief message. After the secular fun of the Christmas party with Santa, it was lovely to see and enjoy a celebration of what the holiday is really about.

Hope your celebrations, whatever they are, are both fun and meaningful.

Beach weather

I went to the beach today, wearing capris, a 3/4 length sleeve shirt, and no shoes. It has certainly been a mild December so far. I'm told that there's bad weather (wind and rain) coming in the next few days, but I don't mind particularly. I need to hole up a bit this weekend, to get caught up on preparations for both Christmas and our annual January vacation.

So I am ready for a rainy day or two. But I surely enjoyed the sunshine which enabled my walk on the beach today. I even put my feet in the ocean, which was quite enervating (read: chilly). The sand was warm from the rays beating down through the few puffy clouds, and I had the beach almost entirely to myself (there was one additional car in the parking lot when I arrived, and I could just barely make out another person, presumably its driver, quite a distance down the beach). I love walking across the dune crossover at the "Lifeguard Beach", with its slow introduction to the wonder that is the ocean. First, I hear the waves. Then, I see the dunes with their waving sea oats (stalks only now, the full heads having dropped off to seed new ones). In a moment, I get the first glimpse of the horizon, that lovely line where light blue sky meets dark blue ocean. Next is the glimmer of sunlight dancing on moving water. And finally, the rolling surf breaking and arriving on the shore. If I'm lucky, I might see some dancing dolphins, and there are almost invariably several birds sharing the area. I haven't seen a whale yet, but I know plenty of others who have, and believe I will be blessed by that vision at some point.

Today was clear and the light made it easy to see for miles. As I climbed the steps to the platform at the end (or beginning, depending on how you look at it) of the ramp from the beach back to the parking lot, I looked up and saw the village, which made me smile in the same (and yet slightly different) way that seeing the ocean always does. I thought "there's home", and almost burst with the joy of that truth. In the parking lot, I stood next to my car, looked up at the sky and its wispy clouds and said "thank you, thank you, thank you", crying tears of gratitude and happiness. Later I was talking to a lady who said that every time she gets out of her car at night, she stops and looks up at the star filled sky for a moment before proceeding into her house and on with her evening. I think this attitude of gratitude, this taking time to stop and appreciate the beauty of home and of our lives here, is a wonderful way to live.

Okay, I'll stop waxing poetic now. :) Go look at the sky (or something else in nature) wherever you are. It is a beautiful world!

Shooting stars and snaps

I did enjoy the Geminids meteor shower last night, sitting on a balcony and watching the dark sky with a cat in my lap. I saw several shooting stars, which streaked very quickly in short bursts across the sky. They were easy to miss, so I felt lucky to have seen the few I did.

I didn't have to set my alarm to wake me up in the middle of the night to go look at them, as I stayed up until the middle of the night on my own. Wonder why? I became slightly obsessed and completely embroiled in attempting to figure out a game called Snaps. I found a link to this frustrating amusement when browsing the site of the soon-to-be-released movie P.S. I Love You. I wasn't been able to determine how it works (and thereby to have much success at playing it) last night, but I did solve it today. Want to try? You can play online here. See if you can figure it out without cheating (aka searching on the Internet for clues). Have fun!

Stars and stillness

After yet another potluck, followed by the Civic and Business Association meeting, I stopped by Silver Lake for my salt water moment. It is a beautiful evening: warm, still and clear. Multitudes of stars are easily visible, both above in the dark sky and also reflected in the completely still surface of the harbor. I stood at the edge of the water for a minute, enjoying the image and listening to the...well, to nothing. It is wonderfully quiet.

The Geminid meteor shower is happening now, and tomorrow night (Dec. 13) is supposed to be the peak of the activity. Unfortunately I have to get up early on Friday the 14th, so there will be no star gazing for me on the peak night. Tonight is so lovely and clear, however, that I think I may try it this evening. I'll set my alarm for the middle of the night, then get up to see what I can see. I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes.

Links to more info. about the Geminids:
space.com article
Top 10 Tips article - this one has a great picture!
Nasa article - the science behind the Geminid shower

Happy stargazing!

Soup and cookies

It was a soup day. No, I didn't eat soup today. I'm speaking meteorologically. The weather was what John calls "froggy". The fog rolled in overnight, and got thicker as the day proceeded. By mid morning, there were no ferries running, so we didn't get any mail today. I love days when the island is truly inaccessible because the ferries have been shut down. It feels like a giant, cozy cloak wrapped around me, holding me safe. That feeling is heightened when the reason the ferries aren't running is fog, which literally wraps the island in its shroud.

I drove around for a while during the afternoon to see the fog over the water, where it was much thicker than over the land. It was impossible to see the Lighthouse from the other side of the harbor. This evening, I drove around in the fog again. Light refracts differently in fog, seeming to go straight up toward the sky. Walking back to the car after stopping to touch salt water, I looked at the fog in the glow of the headlights. Seeing it that way, you can really see what fog is: hundreds of tiny raindrops, glittering as they hang suspended in midair. It was lovely.

The reason I was driving around this evening was to go to the annual Friends of the Library cookie swap. What a sweet event! The Library was packed with adults and kids of all ages. Each individual or family had brought at least 2 dozen (some people brought more) cookies, and an empty container. The cookies were all laid out on a table and, after enjoying performances of Christmas music by several Ocracoke School students, each person visited the cookie table to hand pick an assortment of 2 dozen to take home. I got about 21 kinds of cookies, because there were a few I needed to get more than one of: the Heath sparkling sugar cookies (I love anything with Heath in it), and the "poodles" (no-bake cookies made with chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal). Part of the reason I got 2 poodles was because I made poodles, without total success. Oh, they turned out okay, but did not harden very well. So I had to get a sample of a correctly made poodle to taste, to figure out what I did wrong! Actually, this year was a grand triumph for me, compared to my attempt to make cookies for the exchange last year. That resulted in TWO destroyed batches of cookies. I threw the first batch in the trash, and the second one in the ocean. At least this year's cookies, though not perfect, were definitely edible, and pretty tasty. Just a bit "gooey". Baking cookies is clearly not my forte, and next year I am going to take brownies. I'm good at brownies.

Holiday activities and songs

I'm a soprano, so I love Christmas carols, because many of them are written in a high key. Consequently, I am a happy person this time of year, and sing daily without even trying. I try to sing every day all year (I firmly believe that you get better at anything you do every day, one reason I want to write (i.e. blog) daily, but we won't get into that...). Anyway, it's no challenge to sing daily this time of year! I suppose I could sing Christmas carols all year, though, so perhaps I'm limiting myself. Anyway, I digress. My point was that I have had several opportunities to sing recently, as well as chances to just have some holiday fun.

The holiday season has officially kicked off on the island, starting with the annual OPS Tree Lighting and Wassail party last Wednesday. I missed the actual tree lighting as usual (one of the down sides of being late to everything...see my blog dated 4/12/07), but still enjoyed the wassail, cookies, and seeing friends at the party. There were many terrific confections, but my favorites were the marshmallow chocolate snowmen, and Jamie's haystacks. Yum!

The following night (Thursday 12/6), the Annual Ocrafolk Christmas Concert was held at Deep Water Theater. The Madri-gals sang a few songs a capella as usual. This is our 3rd year performing, and each year we have added a new lady (the first year, it was Sundae, Jamie, Marcy and me; the next year DeAnna joined us, and this year we were further balanced when Kitty added her lovely alto voice to the mix). The six of us sang 3 songs for the show: Masters in This Hall, The Holly and the Ivy (one of my personal favorites), and Away in a Manger. The entire show was excellent, with performances by musicians from Ocracoke, Hatteras and even one from the mainland (John Golden). Jamie reprised her sultry rendition of "Santa Baby", and also sang "Blue Christmas" with our island Elvis (aka Bob Ray), to add some fun touches to the show. Philip told a story about the wreck of the Ariosto on Christmas Eve 1899. John Golden led a sing along of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", including teaching all the adults the "extra" words so that the kids in our lives will think we're cool. April Trueblood from Hatteras and 2 of her friends performed an achingly beautiful rendition of Silent Night, and we finished up the evening with the entire room singing a handful of carols picked out by audience members. It was a great show, and I've heard nothing but compliments from all who attended it.

This past Saturday was the night of the annual Christmas party at Jimmy's Garage, which was well attended as usual. This is the biggest potluck every year on the island. There were large quantities of fabulous food, as usual, and I ate so much my stomach hurt, also as usual! This year's over-produced item was deviled eggs. There were so many plates of deviled eggs it was nearly funny. DeAnna said "I didn't get the 'bring deviled eggs' memo, did you?" which made me laugh. I love deviled eggs, so the fact that there were 14 (I'm not kidding...) kinds to choose from wasn't an issue for me! During the party, I was blessed to hold Charlotte (Marcy's sweet daughter, age 4 months) while her Mommy sang with Martin and Friends. She is a doll, and I enjoyed singing along with the music to her.

On Sunday, it was time for some Christmas shopping, as the School Road shops (Books to Be Red, The Hemp Shop, Zillies, Indulgence, Eleven Eleven, Ocracoke Restoration Company, and The Gathering Place) hosted their annual Holiday Open House, including treats and drinks for holiday shoppers. The Gathering Place had hot wassail, which I'm sure was delicious, but the fact that it was 72 degrees (yes, you read that right...it has been unseasonably warm here recently) outside kept me from drinking it. I did enjoy a glass of white wine while browsing through Books to Be Red, and I have to tell you that shopping while drinking wine feels decadent and heady. I highly recommend it!

Tonight was the annual United Methodist Women potluck and gift exchange. This was another evening with copious amounts of wonderful homemade food. After the meal, Rosemary read a couple of selections from a book called Angels Love Kids. Then Marcy and Jamie led us in singing Christmas carols. The fact that my very favorite (O Holy Night) was one of the choices made me even happier than singing carols does usually. But what blessed me the most was closing my eyes and listening to a roomful of women's voices singing together. It was peaceful and lovely.

I have had a mild cold, which seems to be on its way out now, thankfully. But the TheraFlu I have been drinking while typing this blog is starting to take effect, so I'd better be off to bed. I'll be singing Christmas carols in my dreams...

Fewer - and more - ferries

Hopefully you already know about the plan to replace the 7 bridges on the island starting on January 2nd, during which a large portion of highway 12 from the north end ferry landing down to the village will be closed.

But don't despair! If you have a 4WD vehicle, you can still come visit by way of the Hatteras ferry. You do need to know that there will be fewer ferries running from Hatteras, though. (More details below.)

If you don't drive a 4WD car or truck, you can of course still come to Ocracoke on either the Cedar Island or Swan Quarter ferry. There will be MORE ferry runs to Swan Quarter than there usually are during the winter. The Cedar Island ferry will run the same number of times as usual for this time of year (4 per day), but the scheduled times will be slightly different. See below for details from the official press release I received on this topic today.

Also, you can check status on the progress of the bridge replacement project as it proceeds at this website.

FERRY SCHEDULES TO OCRACOKE TO CHANGE
DURING BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION ON N.C. 12
Schedule changes take effect Jan. 2, 2008

MANNS HARBOR — The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division is adjusting schedules on several ferry routes beginning Jan. 2, 2008 through March 15, 2008, while seven bridges are replaced along N.C. 12 on the north end of Ocracoke Island .

During construction, traffic will be detoured from N.C. 12 onto the beach. Only four-wheel-drive vehicles will be allowed to take the beach detour. Because less traffic is expected from that end of the island, the Hatteras/Ocracoke ferry route will run as follows:

Hatteras to Ocracoke

Depart 5 a.m. (both sides)
Depart Ocracoke on even hours
Depart Hatteras on odd hours
Last departure from Ocracoke at 8 p.m.
Last departure from Hatteras at 9 p.m. (except for scheduled school events or emergencies)

Travelers can also reach Ocracoke by taking either the Cedar Island or the Swan Quarter ferry. The Swan Quarter ferry will run as follows:

Depart Ocracoke Depart Swan Quarter
6:30 a.m. 7 a.m. *
10 a.m. 9:30 a.m.
12:30 p.m. 1 p.m.
4 p.m. * 4 p.m.
*Fuel and delivery priority runs will depart Swan Quarter on Tuesdays at 7 a.m. and depart from Ocracoke on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 4 p.m.
Delivery trucks will use the Swan Quarter route and will have designated days and times to travel. The Swan Quarter ride takes about 2.5 hours and is a toll ferry. Fares for Ocracoke residents will be waived for the Ocracoke-Swan Quarter route during the bridge replacements.

During this time, the Cedar Island ferry will run as follows:

Depart Cedar Island Depart Ocracoke
7 a.m. 7 a.m.
10:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
2 p.m. 2 p.m.
5 p.m. 5 p.m.

The Cedar Island ferry route ride takes about 2.25 hours and also is a toll ferry.

For updated information on ferry schedules as construction takes place, visit the Ferry Division Web site at www.ncferry.org and for more information about tolls and to make reservations call 1-800-BY-FERRY.

A new book

I've written here before about books which are about or set on Ocracoke. Well, now there's a new one to add to the list. Called The Sheltering Cedar, it's a lovely children's book about animals who take shelter in a cedar tree during a storm on the island just before Christmas. It has beautiful illustrations and a sweet story, and will make a great gift for the kids in your life. The publisher has created a web page with additional information about the animals and ecosystems featured in the story, which teachers can use to extend the learning experiences of their classrooms.

If you will be on the island for the Annual Ocracoke Preservation Society Tree Lighting and Wassail Party (Dec. 5), you can buy a copy at the museum and have it autographed by the author Anne Runyon, who will be at the museum for a book signing starting at 4:30. I'll be there getting the four copies I've pre-ordered signed. See you there!

B-ball

It is hard to believe it is December already and another year has almost passed. There will be much activity to celebrate the holidays around here over the next few weeks. I received an email today with the schedule of upcoming events, and it was a long list. I'll post it here if anyone is interested...leave a comment to let me know if you are.

In the meantime, I enjoyed a non-holiday-related island event today - a home basketball game. Both the girls and the boys teams played hard, although unfortunately neither won their respective game. The girls team coach said he expected the matchup with Jamesville to be the toughest one of the season, and it was. I had fun cheering on the team anyway. One of the great things about Ocracoke is that most of the people in the audience were cheering on the players by name. So in addition to "Go Dolphins!", there were shouts of "Good job Luke!", "Great rebound Aaron!", "Nice shot Tristan!", etc. I was one of the shouters, and I almost wore out my voice. But I can't think of a better way to do that.

One of the not-as-great things about Ocracoke basketball is that the school doesn't have a regulation size court, because the gym is too small. It does make for a very involving experience, watching the game. Because there's no room for traditional large bleacher seating, some spectators are sitting literally right on the edge of the court. That's where I found myself today, and believe me it has a way of motivating you to watch the game - you need to know where the ball is because you may need to catch it if it heads out of bounds in your general vicinity! So I've added "new gym for Ocracoke School" to my list of things I would do if I won the lottery (or had some other great financial windfall) and money were no object.

As I watched the game, I reflected on how well rounded many of the players are. Basketball is not all they do. Many of them are good scholars, one is an excellent musician, and at least two are surfers. The coach of the boys team is the High School English teacher, which I have to guess is reasonably rare (I don't know about your High School, but at mine all the coaches taught PE, Shop, or Health classes). I think this is good. It keeps things in perspective. Yes, the team plays hard and yes, they are probably disappointed when they don't win, but they have other things in their lives which are important too. I hope the fact that their lives are rich and full will be reflected in their developing adult selves.