366!

Well, I "cheated" a few times by posting more than one blog on a day, and sometimes posts didn't get published for a few days, but still...

this is my 366th blog in 2008! Since it was a leap year, that means that I managed to make the blog truly island DAILY. (Well, sorta.)

I do not think that this feat will be repeated in 2009, but we shall see.

Happy New Year to you and yours, wherever you are!

Ways to celebrate New Year's Eve on Ocracoke

In case you are here, or planning to be, I thought I would pass on that there are a couple of options for celebrating New Year's Eve on the island. There's the annual dance at the Community Center, which is a fundraiser for the Fire Department. I can't remember the name of the band which will be playing for that party (I do know that it is not the Ocracoke Rockers this year).

Or you can head out to Howard's Pub for live music there, which I think will be provided by Frozen Head and the Squirrels, a group which has performed there before (I haven't heard them and therefore cannot provide a review or opinion).

Or you could always stay home and watch the ball drop on TV. Or go to bed early and miss the darn ball. That's probably what I'll do, since I have to get up early to feed the baby every day, holiday or not. :)

Have fun, whatever you do to celebrate the new year!

A sad day

I learned today of the death of a friend. He was 86 years old and had been ill, so it wasn't a shock, but it's always sad to lose someone nonetheless. I have no idea what (if anything) is going on around the island today, as I've been inside most of the day hanging out with friends who are visiting (it rained all day, so it was a good one to stay inside). Rain or not, any day is a good one to spend with friends, something I was definitely reminded of with the loss of my friend today. Hope you have time to spend with the people who are important to you, wherever you are...

A farewell potluck

We went to a potluck at the Community Center tonight. The food was terrific (of course!), but the reason for the dinner was a bit sad. Matt, the PA at the Health Center, is leaving to take a job on the mainland. He will certainly be missed.

At the moment, for healthcare on the island, we have Dr. Moore on duty one week, then Matt the next week, then back to Dr. Moore, and so on and so forth. Once Matt leaves, we'll have Dr. Moore one week, and then...well, it's TBD. This is one of the unique things about living on Ocracoke - you simply have to accept that some of your options are limited (unless you go off-island). There's one location for health care, one day care center, one school, one place you can get your hair cut. There are no medical specialists or dentists. I don't mind (in many ways, it makes life simpler), but I certainly can understand that it would make some people nervous about living (or even visiting) here.

We have visitors at the moment, and I don't think they are nervous. On the contrary, they greatly enjoyed the potluck (everyone is invited to an Ocracoke potluck, as long as you bring some form of food!) They commented about how great it must be to go to events like this, where you know everyone's name, and even what they will probably cook to bring and share! Things like that make the little inconveniences seem inconsequential. I would much rather live somewhere with the potlucks and sense of community we have here than in a place with multiple options for services which - while important - don't provide the same sense of belonging.

Hope you have both the services you need to care for your body, and community and friends to care for your spirit, wherever you are...

Oysters galore!

The third annual Ocracoke Working Watermen's Association Oyster Roast was held today at the Fish House. It was good eatin' as usual. And the weather was highly cooperative, as usual. It was sunny and warm, although the fog probably prevented some people from attending, as there were very few ferries running all day (even from Hatteras). But the people who did attend had a good time. John ate many, many oysters (also as usual...this is his favorite annual event).

Boxing day treats

We went to Rob and Sundae's house early this evening to enjoy eggnog and treats in celebration of the holidays. There were some seriously delicious snacks there, including fantastic chocolate and lemon dips we spread on pretzels - the combination of tart, sweet, and salty was scrumptious.

If you don't know about the tradition of Boxing Day, you can read about it here.

Merry Christmas!

Here's wishing you a day (and days to come) filled with peace, joy, and the blessing of hope.

Last minute

I did a bit of last minute shopping today, although most of what I purchased was food for Christmas lunch. (I did buy one present as well.) I went into the Variety Store three times and the Community Store twice! Just goes to show that last minute shopping can be done anywhere, even on a tiny island without a mall. Hope all your Christmas planning is coming to fruition, wherever you are...

A show and a party

John and I attended the Christmas show at the Assembly of God Church on Sunday evening. There was some lovely music, followed by a cute show with the kids about the true gift of Christmas.

Here are a couple of pictures of the tree and the nativity scene at the church.





After the show, John and I went home and I picked up my sister Jocelyn so that the two of us could go to a party. (John wasn't invited to this one...it was a "girl's night" thing at Amy's house.) We had a good time, and I enjoyed seeing so many of my girl-friends in the same place at the same time. That's a great thing about the holidays - being with the people we love.

Smart and funny

I'm watching the movie "Get Smart" right now. I have to say, this is not my usual kind of movie, but it is making me laugh. I didn't expect hilarious dialogue from an "action" flick, but it's hard to deny the funniness of lines like these:

"For you, I have a rhinoceros."

"Doesn't he know bones are crunchy? Who wants crunchy pudding?"

"Do you have another one of these?"

"I don't know. Were you thinking 'holy sh*t, holy sh*t, a swordfish nearly went through my head'?"

"Unusual but effective."

and

"I like that tackling part."

Okay, so you need to see the movie for some of those to be really funny. It's all about context.

Sometimes doing something out of your normal pattern can be highly entertaining.

Windy and cold

Brrr. It as been really cold and windy here for the past couple of days. I heard that warmer weather is coming soon, and I'm ready for some! Sorry for the short blog...I think my brain is frozen! :)

Luminaries and lights

We drove past the Methodist Church this evening, after dark. We did it multiple times, very slowly. So did a bunch of other people. The road was lined with luminaries to show the way, so we turned off the car lights. Why did we do this? To see the live nativity, which was lovely. I adore this particular Christmas event, because it's a bit of quiet and peace in the midst of the frenzy of holiday planning and parties. (Sorry, I didn't take any pictures...)

After driving past the nativity, we stayed in the car, wandering around the village to check out the Christmas lights on the houses and businesses. We saw several good ones (including all the award winners), but in general it seems that there are fewer decorated places this year than during previous Christmas seasons. Maybe a result of the general downturn in the economy, which of course affects people on Ocracoke just as it does folks everywhere else (perhaps more, since most island residents are dependent on tourism for their incomes; and discretionary spending - including travel - may be one of the first areas that people cut back when times are tight). I don't know if this is the reason for the fewer lighted homes or not, but it makes sense to me that it might be.

Hope Christmas will be full of light for you, wherever you are, and whatever the economy does...

Full day of Christmas fun

There's a lot going on around here these days, and today was an especially full day. I'm tired, but it's a good kind of tired...the kind that comes after fun!

The activity that started everything off this morning was the third annual Polar Express party for the first grade class. This is always one of my favorite events with the first graders, and this year was no exception. The kids wore their pjs, John dressed as the conductor to punch their tickets, and then we listened to the story. The moms who volunteered to plan the party went all out, providing delicious hot chocolate (with candy canes to stir it, of course) and some fantastic snacks, including a make-your-own popcorn treat. Yum!

Ethan gets his ticket punched, so he can board the Polar Express.

The chairs were in rows as usual (like they would be on a train). They listened very attentively to the story.

The kids enjoyed making their popcorn treats. Of course, with popcorn covered with chocolate, and sprinkles, marshmallows, chopped candy bars, and nuts to add to it, what was not to like?

Hot chocolate just tastes better when stirred with a candy cane!

The afternoon event was the Christmas party at Ocracoke Child Care. Connor had fun, even though his mommy and I made (and then ate) all of the treats on his behalf!

Caroling was the evening activity. A large group of enthusiastic singers set out from the Methodist Church shortly after 5 PM and walked all over the village, singing to island elders, disabled residents, and others who are unable to attend the concerts, church services, and other activities which abound during the Christmas season. It was an incredible blessing to see the smiles on the faces of our numerous small but appreciative audiences. After the caroling, we returned to the church and were treated to a wonderful chili supper.

Pastor Joyce, Dave Frum and Deanna Locke sing enthusiastically.

One of the things I enjoyed about caroling was walking all over the village and seeing the festively decorated houses, lit up in celebration of the season. Here's a particularly "Ocracoke-y" example.

Life affirming

I went to the school holiday concert tonight. When the pre-K and Kindergarten kids started singing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", I nearly burst into tears. No, Rudolph doesn't make me sad. It was just so sweet and life-affirming. I love watching children grow up and learn, something I have a wonderful opportunity to do because I live in such a small town. As Ms. Kitty (the school art teacher, and music club leader, who acted as the master of ceremonies for the show) said, "it really does take a village...and this is is a really great village".

Here are a few pictures, starting with the cute "Rudolph"-singing pre-K and Kindergarten kids.

The first graders showed us how to do the "merry hula".

There were several duet performances by talented young musicians.

The third through fifth graders wished the audience a Merry Christmas, Ocracoke style.

My favorite part is always the finale, when the entire school population (students, teachers, and staff) piles onto the stage to sing "Merry Christmas".

Hope this season is life affirming for you, wherever you are...

Stockin' up

We went to New Bern yesterday to pick up my sister at the airport. After eating some lunch, we hit WalMart. We hit it hard. Especially the baby food aisle. We got so many jars of food that the employee who was stocking took pity on us and gave us boxes to put them in to take home! And we still only got about 3 weeks worth.

You really can get most of what you need right here on the island at either the Community Store or the Variety Store, but there aren't always quite as many options as you find at other places. Many times - like in the often-overwhelming cereal aisle - that's a GOOD thing. Anyway, when we leave the island for any reason, shopping is usually part of the excursion. The challenge for us becomes how to get all the goodies into our car (a Sebring convertible), along with the three adults and one baby already in there! John is really good at packing things into every available space, though, so we got it all in there. The funny thing was we didn't do that much Christmas shopping; instead, we stocked up on neccessities like food, cleaning supplies, etc. But there's only so much space, so something had to give. I think this is one of the reasons that so many of the people who live on the island have large vehicles - trucks and SUVs, mostly.

Tired and stressed

I love Christmas. I enjoy almost everything about it - the carols, the trees, the lights, the food. (Especially the food!) I even love the endless activities, especially because here on the island I see some people more often through the few weeks of the holiday season than I see them the entire rest of the year! It's nice getting caught back up with folks who are enjoying some down time after a long tourist season.

But all that activity often leaves me tired, and the desire to do lots of things to get ready for Christmas (decorating, shopping, planning for family visits, etc.) takes a toll as well. So if I seem a bit stressed (and even possibly grouchy), that's why.

Hope the holidays are not stressing you out, or wearing you out...wherever you are.

Running

I saw multiple people running today:
- One guy was completely bundled up - of course, he's completely covered (head to toe, including hooded sweatshirt) every day when he runs, even in July.
- One was not very covered up at all, especially considering it was a bit chilly.
- One was wearing medium-coverage clothing.

I admire them for running in cold weather. Heck, I admire them for getting some exercise in any weather. I seem to lack the discipline or focus or something.

I believe there are only three reasons that adults should run:
- exercise
- emergency/danger
- the ferry is about to leave; your car is on the ferry, but your body is not. I have run for the third reason, luckily haven't had too many times I needed to run for the second reason. And the first reason? Well, I do believe in exercise. I just choose to walk. I can look much more coordinated and graceful while walking.

Indulging my inner child

Today, I had a ball acting like a child at the 10th annual Books to be Red children's Christmas party. Connor is too young to decorate a goodie bag, make reindeer food, draw on a t-shirt, create a pipe-cleaner candy cane, or glue ornaments on a foam tree. So someone had to do all of the above for him, and I was just the person. I had a blast! Connor seemed to enjoy seeing all the kids, and sitting on Santa's lap (again), too.

For pictures, check out
this entry on Connor's blog.

Christmas is a great time to act childlike. I recommend it!

Cookies and 'cue

There were two holiday events today, both of which were well attended and quite tasty. (Of course, that's one wonderful thing about holiday events...there is usually good food involved.)

The first event was the annual Friends of the Library cookie exchange. Talk about delicious! This was a feast for all the senses, though, not just the taste buds. Before the cookie exchange part started, several Ocracoke School students performed stories and musical pieces.

Here are a few pictures.

The cookie table before...

Musical and story performances:

...and the cookie table after! I took two dozen cookies to exchange, so I got to take two dozen assorted cookies home with me. Aaaah, I feel the sugar rush coming on already...

The second event was also an annual one, and this one was (and always is) EXTREMELY well attended. Literally hundreds of people come to this, the largest potluck on the island each year. I'm talking about Jimmy's Garage Party. Each year, the Jackson family provides the barbecue, and the island brings the side items and desserts. It's seriously good eating! Last year, I overindulged so much I had a stomachache. So this year, I came prepared. I skipped lunch!

I always enjoy seeing the holiday decorations amidst the garage items.

Yum!

Hope you are enjoying delicious holiday celebrations, too!

Concert

The Ocrafolk Christmas concert last night was well attended and enjoyed by an appreciative crowd of mostly local folks. There was excellent music, some hilarious storytelling, and delicious bake sale items and drinks for sale to raise funds for several local organizations. I unfortunately forgot to take my camera, but there are videos of most of the performances available on youtube (link below). If you missed the concert, you may enjoy watching them. And even if you did see the show, you might enjoy it again!

Ocrafolk Christmas 2008

Zicam and chicken soup friends

I have a nasty head cold. I am so congested, I literally cannot get air through my nose at all. This is not good timing, as I'm supposed to sing tonight at the Christmas concert. (So I'm sincerely hoping this illness goes away as suddenly as it arrived...preferably by 3 PM this afternoon!)

A couple of days ago, when I started to feel this cold coming on, I was talking about it to my friend Jamie. She suggested I try Zicam, and I lamented the fact that I would have done just that, if I hadn't discovered that my Zicam sprayer was completely clogged and non-functional.

Yesterday morning, I went to the Health Center (with John, for a previously-scheduled appointment, not for my cold) and saw Jamie there (she works as the receptionist). She told me she was hoping that the Zicam she ordered for me online would arrive today, so I could use it to stop the cold before it got much worse (and hopefully be able to sing with her at the concert). Warm fuzzy moment. I was so touched by the fact that she ordered it for me.

Last night, the cold was unfortunately worse (the Zicam didn't make it), so I called Jamie to let her know I would not be coming to the Madri-Gals rehearsal, partially because I couldn't sing worth a hoot, but mostly because I didn't want to get all the other "Gals" sick. (Madri-Gals is what we call our group. We sing...you guessed it...madrigals.)

Today, Linda (one of the Madri-Gals) brought me some homemade chicken soup, a holiday candle, and her wishes that I get well in time for the concert. The soup was delicious, and wonderfully soothing to my sore throat. I haven't lit the candle yet, because I couldn't smell it right now anyway!

Have I mentioned recently how blessed I feel to have friends like these? Probably not recently enough. So here it is: I feel incredibly, wonderfully, remarkably, ocmpletely blessed to have friends like these. Hope you have fantastic friends too, wherever you are...

Warm

I went to the Community Store this morning and at first I thought that the person who went in before I did forgot to close the door. Then I realized that both doors were open and the ceiling fans were running. It was around 70 degrees, so it was a great day for open windows to let out the winter air and blow away that cooped up, cabin fever feeling.

Later in the day, and on into the evening, it rained for several hours. The temperature was still warm, though. I have heard that the warm weather is supposed to stick around through the weekend, which would be lovely. We just bought a four wheel drive vehicle (finally!) and I want to take it for another drive on the beach!

I love warm weather in winter. It's like an unexpected surprise gift, and I'm much more likely to take advantage of it by doing something outdoors than I am during the warmer months, when I tend to take it for granted and think "I'll do that tomorrow".

Hope you're enjoying the weather (and doing the things you enjoy), wherever you are...

A wassailing

I attended the annual OPS wassail party and community Christmas tree lighting this evening. I am starting to get a sore throat, so the hot wassail felt wonderful. The party was very well attended, so it got quite warm inside the museum with all of those people. It was a relief to step outside onto the porch into the cool night air. That was also a great spot from which to watch the lighting of the tree. I especially enjoyed watching the exuberant children running around the tree.



After the tree lighting, DeAnna led the crowd in singing a few Christmas carols, which got me into the holiday mood. I love singing Christmas carols, and often do so in March and July and...well whenever one comes to mind.

But the best part about the wassail party is always the cookies! There were some seriously delicious goodies this year: Jamie's wonderful haystacks, delectable mint chocolate bars, yummy peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses on top, and fantastic cheese cookies (think cheese straws, but in a cookie shape). Rosemary made those and they were terrific - it was nice to have something to munch on with a savory flavor, in addition to all the sweetness.

My friend Ruth suggested that the recipes for the goodies should be put with the plates, so people could take home the ones they loved the best. I took a plate of petit fours to the museum for the party, and if recipe cards were required, mine would have the URL of the website from which I ordered them on it. Yes, really, that's what I did. I love to bake, but I'm much better with cake than with cookies. And this time of year, with so much going on, sometimes I just have to take the simple road.

Hope your life is full of sweetness (store bought or homemade), wherever you are...

And even more...

...upcoming holiday events:

- Caroling - Friday Dec. 19, 5 PM, meet at Methodist Church
- Assembly of God Church Christmas program - Sunday Dec. 21, 7 PM

Enjoy!

Holiday lights

This morning at church, Joyce asked the kids what was missing on the Christmas tree. They immediately said that it was the lights. So Joyce asked one of the older kids to plug in the cord. The tree sparkled to life and was instantly more lovely than it had been seconds before. The funny thing was that the lights had been there before they were plugged in - but the magic wasn't there until they were lit.

Later in the day, I took a short drive around the village and could see the decorations which had been added over the weekend. It was interesting to see them, but they weren't particularly beautiful. It was daylight. They will be gorgeous after dark, and I will definitely drive around again one night to experience and enjoy them.

I think the fact that it is so dark so early this time of year is the reason that Christmas lights are so magical. It's probably also the reason that many of the seasonal celebrations - regardless of culture - involve a celebration of light in some form. Jews observing Hanukkah light candles to remember a miracle of oil which lasted longer than expected, providing light for eight nights. Children wear candles on their heads during the Swedish celebration of Saint Lucia each year on December 13th. Seven candles are lit during Kwanzaa to commemorate principles of African American culture. Those are just the examples which come quickly to mind.

Hope there's plenty of light in your winter darkness, wherever you are...

Christmas shopping

John, Connor and I enjoyed shopping at several stores during today's holiday open house event. We especially enjoyed the delicious snacks provided at each store! I managed to find something I wanted in every store, and even purchased a couple of gifts as well. Oops. Guess I still need to do my Christmas shopping. (Although I am done with the shopping for myself...)

In case you're wondering where Santa does his Christmas shopping...it's apparently the Variety Store!

Island greenery

As I drove around the village today running errands, I noticed several locations are sporting their holiday best. Here are a few examples for your enjoyment.

Upcoming holiday events...

In case you are planning to be on the island in the next few weeks, here's a list of upcoming holiday events and festivities for your potential attendance and enjoyment. (There may be more added later...but these are the ones I know about now.)

- Photos with Santa - Saturday Dec. 6, 10 AM - 12 noon, Variety Store
- Holiday Open Houses - Saturday Dec. 6, 1 - 4 PM, School Road shops
- OPS Wassail Party and Community Tree Lighting - Tuesday Dec. 9, 5 - 7 PM, OPS Museum
- Ocrafolk Christmas Concert - Thursday Dec. 11, 7 PM, Community Center
- Cookie Exchange - Saturday Dec. 13, 11 AM, Library
- Jimmy's Garage Party - Saturday Dec. 13, 5 PM until..., Jimmy's Garage of course!
- Books to be Red Children's Christmas Party - Sunday Dec. 14, 3 - 4:30 PM, Community Center
- School Christmas Concert - Thursday Dec 18, 7 PM, School Gym
- Live Nativity - Saturday Dec. 20, Ocracoke United Methodist Church (I'm not sure of the time for this at the moment but will update this post once I have that info.)
- Christmas Eve Service - Wednesday Dec. 24 (of course!), 7 PM, United Methodist Church

Have fun if you go to any of these events. (Or, even if you don't...have fun wherever you are!)

Box of Moonlight

Many of the houses on the island have names. Almost all of the rentals do, I suppose as a convenient way to refer to them during the process; but many of the permanent residents have also named their homes. I have an idea for a name for my house, but haven't actually had a sign made to hang on it yet.

I find the house names interesting. They make me wonder about the people who named them, and what the story is which was the inspiration for the name. Some of them are easy to figure out: they feature the names of the owners of the house (Arabella's Summer House, Chris and Mabels, and Gregory, for example). Others are named for island areas or things found here (Blue Crab, Ariosto (a shipwreck), Carolina Winds, and Far Away Oaks are some of these). Some are funny or play on words (A Shore Thing, Art-Sea, Dare to Hyde, Waterfront.calm, and House with No Name are a few of my favorites). There's one near my house named for a feature of a TV show (Bikini Bottom), and another whose name reminds me of a Jimmy Buffet song (Changes in Attitude). Several have "deep thoughts" sort of names (Contentment, Carpe Diem, Serendipity, Serenity, Tranquility).

And there are many which don't lend themselves to an obvious explanation. Why would someone name a house Blind Mullet? Or Court Jester? Fresh Fruit? Nutter Tree?

I had often wondered about the derivation of the name of a house called Box of Moonlight, but I don't need to wonder any more. Philip told me that the owner named it after a movie of the same name. Philip also recommended the movie, so I watched it tonight. It's a quirky independent flick, and I liked it. I wouldn't name my house after it, but I did like it.

Traditions

Tonight, I went to Jamie's house to rehearse with the Madri-Gals for the Ocrafolk Christmas concert. We're planning to sing two songs, one of which we have sung every year for the concert. It has become our tradition. This tradition hasn't become stale, though: we add new ladies to the group each year. The first year, there were four of us, then the next year there were five, and the following year we increased to six. This year, there will be seven.

I love holiday traditions. We already have several in my family, including what we put on the tree, when we open presents (one each on Christmas Eve, everything else the next morning), which of us hands out the presents to everyone else (and the hat she wears!), and the fact that one present will be a puzzle which we'll do later in the day.

Because I love traditions so much, there can never be too many! So I have started a few additional ones in the past few years. This year, I started two more: The Elf on the Shelf and a "countdown to advent" activity. (I can't help it...it's the kid in me who just wants to play this time of year!) I heard a sweet story last night at the Women's dinner, which gave me an idea for yet another tradition. I'll have to start that one next year!

'Tis the season!

We got home tonight at 6:45, having taken the ferry from Swan Quarter at 4:00. It was already dark, of course, so one of the first things I noticed as we pulled into the harbor (after the Lighthouse) was the fact that the snowflakes and angels are up on the light poles. Tideland Electric Cooperative puts these lighted seasonal images up each year, and I always start to get into the Christmas spirit when I see them. As we drove around the harbor, I noticed that the Community Square buildings had lights on them as well. I love the fact that the lights on the Community Store are the old fashioned ones, with the big bulbs.

I hurried home from the ferry, changed my clothes, wrapped a gift, and headed right back out to the annual Ocracoke United Methodist Women's Christmas dinner and gift exchange. I always enjoy this evening of terrific food, singing carols, and giving (and receiving) the first presents of the season, so I wouldn't have missed it for the world even though I had to sneak in the back since I got there late!

After dinner, I updated the calendar on my refrigerator with some of the upcoming holiday events: the OPS Wassail Party and Community Tree Lighting, the Ocrafolk Christmas concert, the Cookie Exchange at the Library, Jimmy's Garage Party, pictures with Santa for the kids, the Books to Be Red children's Christmas party, caroling, the Live Nativity...and I'm sure there will be others I'll have to add to the calendar as I learn about them.

'Tis the season to be...busy! Hope you have fun with your holiday celebrations, whatever they may be and wherever you are...

Christmas shopping opportunity

If you're like me, and you would rather have oral surgery than face a large crowd of shoppers, you should consider doing your shopping on Ocracoke. (This time of year, there isn't a large crowd ANYWHERE on the island!)

To make it even more fun, the School Road merchants are hosting their annual holiday open house event on Saturday Dec. 6th from 1 to 4 PM. They will be offering light refreshments and holiday discounts. And there's such a wide variety of stores there, it may be possible to do ALL your shopping in one trip! Here's a list of the participating stores (and one restaurant):
Books to Be Red
Deepwater Pottery
The Gathering Place
The Hemp Shop
Indulgence
Ocracoke Restoration Co.
The Sunglass Shop
Thai Moon
Zillie's Island Pantry

And if you need some inspiration or encouragement, here's a note on why it's a great idea to shop on Ocracoke, from the flier announcing the event:
When you shop locally you keep money in our economy, you embrace what makes Ocracoke unique, you create local jobs, you help the environment, you invest in our entrepreneurship, and you keep us as a shopping destination.

Who knew? You can do all those good things just by shopping!

Craziness

We did something insane today, something I never thought I would ever do. We went to a MALL (which is weird enough for me) on Black Friday! (We only did this because we were going to the portrait studio there to have family photos taken, so I haven't completely flipped my lid, in case you were worried...)

Strangely enough, it wasn't that bad. We found a parking space pretty easily and the mall was not horribly crowded. There were plenty of people there, but it wasn't so busy as to make it difficult to walk through the hallways. That may be because we were there late in the day, or it may be a bad sign for retailers this holiday season. Time will tell.

Stay tuned...tomorrow's blog will provide info. about a calmer, slower, less crowded holiday shopping method and opportunity.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Here's hoping you have plenty to be thankful for, wherever you are...

More song

If you are on the island this week (and I'm jealous if you are, as I am not and will therefore be missing all of these events I'm telling you about), you might want to plan to attend the annual post-Thanksgiving Ocrafolk Festival fundraiser concert. It will be held at the Community Center on Friday Nov. 28th at 7:30 (doors open at 7:00, and this concert usually sells out so I recommend getting there early). Planned performers include Molasses Creek, Marcy Brenner and Lou Castro (aka Coyote), Donald Davis, Ocracoke Jazz Society, Aaron Caswell, Molly Lovejoy, Rodney Kemp, April Trueblood, John Golden and Jef the Mime. Tickets are $15 for adults, $7 for kids and will be available at the door. All proceeds go to support the 10th annual
Ocrafolk Festival, which will be held June 5 - 7, 2009.

There are usually bake sale items available at the concert, too, which is an added bonus. If you go to the concert, enjoy both the music and a goodie (something chocolate) for me!

Wine and song...

(Sorry, you'll have to find the women yourself!)

Here are a couple of Thanksgiving week events happening in the next few days. If you are on the island, maybe you can enjoy one or both of them! (I'm in Mississippi so will miss both...darnit!)

Wine tastings at Zillie's:

Wednesday November 26 AND Friday, November 28 at 6 p.m.

Enjoy 5 wines paired with light hors d'oeuvres from the Pantry and get 10% off your entire purchase during the tasting! Call (252) 928-9036 to reserve your spot.


And now for the song...Martin and Friends will be playing at Howard's Pub starting at 7 PM on Wednesday November 26th.

Enjoy!

A walk on the beach

I took a walk on the beach today, and reflected on how I don't do that nearly often enough at home. I love walking on the beach, and would do it much more often if a) I didn't have to work and b) the beach was right across the street from my house.

Just kidding on that second part - I am actually really glad that there is no development on the beach on Ocracoke. Even though I appreciated the convenience of the short walk to get to the beach (down the drive of the condo complex and across the street), the fact that the view to my side as I walked down the sand was of high-rise buildings was a reminder of how lucky we are that the island's beaches are still all natural. I also hadn't realized how clean our beaches are until I saw the amount of litter here. Tomorrow I'll have to take a plastic bag with me on my walk.

Finally!

We finally arrived in Biloxi MS late last night, after two days in the car. Getting anywhere from Ocracoke just takes a while. We started at 5 AM on Saturday (that's when we got up, to get ready and get the car packed in time to make the early ferry to Cedar Island), and arrived at about 9:30 PM on Sunday. No, we didn't drive the whole time, of course! We stayed overnight in Columbia SC on Saturday. Splitting the trip up into two chunks helped a great deal. But I was still exhausted by the time we got here. Ah, the joys of travel...

But now I get to stay here for a week, spending time with family and remembering what I'm thankful for.

Hope you get to be with family this Thanksgiving, too, wherever you are...

Snow!

The weather has been warm here recently. Until recently. Today, it actually snowed! Snow on Ocracoke is incredibly rare in general, but almost unheard of in November - before Thanksgiving no less! Of course, none of it stuck around, so I don't have any pictures to share. You'll just have to take my word for it!

Great Greek!

I was lucky enough to enjoy the special "guest chef" dinner at The Back Porch last night. The theme was Greek food, which I adore, and which of course is not usually available on the island. So I had high expectations. I was not dissappointed.

I went for dinner with two friends: Jamie and Linda. The great thing about that was that we shared our meals, tasting each other's items so that we could experience and enjoy several different items. It was all delicious!

Bryan Bowers, storyteller?

I knew that Bryan Bowers was an excellent autoharp player, but I wasn't aware (until the concert last night) that he is also a fantastic storyteller. He didn't merely introduce each song with a short vignette, or a sentence or two about who wrote it; no, he told full fledged stories with great detail, so that I could easily see his Aunt Bess in the chicken coop, the spotless apartment of the college sophomore, and the beauty of Alaska. Talk about multitalented!

I tried to get a photograph of Bryan while he didn't have an autoharp strapped to his chest, so you could see his shirt. I enjoyed the sentiment on it greatly, but unfortunately did not get a picture which shows it clearly enough for you to be able to read it, so I'll just have to tell you: it said "Transcend the bullshit".

And another...

I'm in potluck heaven, having been to three in the past week. I love winter on Ocracoke!

The potluck last night was particularly terrific, for two reasons:

1. The kitchen table at Sundae's house was loaded with steamed oysters. John stayed in that spot the entire evening, shucking and munching. (And he shucked several for other people as well, including me.) Yum!



2. There was terrific music after the meal. Folks often play music at potlucks, and it is usually the highlight of the evening, but last night was particularly great, as Bryan Bowers (whom you can see in concert tonight at Deep Water Theater if you are here on the island) shared several songs.



Bryan encouraged the young 'uns to play as well, so Molly and Caroline played a few on their violins, with support from their instructor Dave.

Girls night

I went to Amy's house last night, for a glass of wine with the girls. It was a really fun evening - the wines (and the snacks) were delicious, and the conversation was terrific. It ranged from bawdy jokes to serious topics like racism, politics, and pro-life vs. pro-choice. Even though I'm sure we weren't necessarily all in 100% agreement on every topic, there was no stress or divisive feeling at all. We just talked and enjoyed one another's company.

It reminded me of a great quote:
Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.
~ Ann Morrow Lindbergh

Scavengers

I suspect that no matter where you live, there are animals which scavenge and forage in trash cans for food. In the mountains, it might be bears. Near wooded areas, it's probably deer. In many towns, it could be raccoons.

Apparently on Ocracoke, it might be a chicken.

Soundfront Inn

I spent the afternoon wandering around, learning about, and then writing about one of the oldest (possibly the oldest) buildings on the island: Soundfront Inn (also known as the Chase-Bragg-Boos house, and formerly known as Cedar Grove Inn). Here are a few pictures of this lovely old building.

The view of Pamlico Sound from the long upstairs porch is terrific!

The old cistern in the back.

Yes, that's a bathtub in a screened porch! No, neither is original to the house.

I love the way Soundfront is still old fashioned - there's no TV or air conditioning, but there are plenty of books and games, and this piano in the parlor.

Guests are still welcome at Soundfront. It's no longer operating as an Inn, but the house can be rented through Ocracoke Island Realty.

Potluck and a movie

I went to Bill and Lida's house tonight, for another potluck. That's two in five days...lucky me! There was plenty of delicious food, as always. My favorite this time was the parmesan fish that Karen made using the Cafe Atlantic recipe. Merle brought a terrific dessert: chocolate volcano cakes in individual ramekins, enough for everyone to have one. There was heavy whipping cream to pour over them, making it even more indulgent. Mmmmm. I haven't had breakfast yet this morning as I type this, and now I am officially starving from thinking about all that food!

After the meal, most of the guests stayed to watch a documentary called "Home of the Brave", about civil rights activist Viola Liuzzo. Most of us had never heard of her, and I suspect you may not have either, but she certainly had an impact on the civil rights movement. Examples like that - of people who are obscure, unknown, certainly not famous, who still make a difference and yet are unremembered - fascinate me. Unfortunately, as in many of those cases, the reason Viola's life made a difference was because it ended - she was murdered while helping drive marchers home after the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. If you are interested in the civil rights movement, you will probably enjoy the film.

Spotted on Ocracoke

There's a recurring column in each monthly issue of the Observer about things seen on Ocracoke, and it usually covers plants and animals spotted on and around the island. Today, I heard a report of a particular person seen here. I had previously been told that this person used to come to Ocracoke somewhat regularly, but that he hadn't been here in several years. He was here again last night, though, and spotted at the Back Porch Restaurant. So he has good taste places to visit, and in food, too. No wonder I'm a fan of Jimmy Buffett.

No, I didn't see him myself (darnit), but yes I do have this information from a reliable source. And unfortunately Jimmy has left the island. Darnit again.

Beach access meeting update

Here's the latest info. I've received regarding the negotiated rulemaking committee work currently in process to develop a plan for off road vehicle management in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

------------------------------------------------

National Park Service News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DATE: November 5, 2008
CONTACT: 252-473-2111 ext. 148
Information Available on NPS ORV Management Alternatives

Superintendent Mike Murray announces that information about off-road vehicle (ORV) management alternatives being considered by the National Park Service (NPS) for Cape Hatteras National Seashore has been provided to the Seashore’s ORV management negotiated rulemaking advisory committee. The information is also available to the public and has been uploaded to the PEPC website, under ORV Management Plan project, entitled 2008 11Nov 05 – ORV EIS Alternatives:
parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=358&projectId=10641&documentID=25051

“For clarification, NPS is not seeking or considering public comment on these materials at this time. We are sharing this information with the negotiated rulemaking advisory committee now solely for members' use in negotiating a consensus alternative for recommendation to the NPS,” said Superintendent Mike Murray. “NPS highly values public input in the planning process and will actively seek public comment on the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) when it is released for public review in the early fall of 2009.”
If you have further questions, call 252-473-2111 ext. 148.

------------------------------------------------------------

The next meeting will be held on Friday and Saturday, November 14-15. The public comment time is still at noon and 5:30 pm on Friday and noon on Saturday.

Upcoming concert

I received a press release recently about a concert to be held next week at DeepWater Theater, so I thought I would pass the info. along, in case you will be here next week and might be interested in attending.

Bryan Bowers in Concert ~ 7:30 PM, Wednesday, November 19th at Deepwater Theater sponsored by the Ocrafolk Festival Outreach Program & the Ocracoke Preservation Society. Bryan will also be giving an autoharp workshop on Wednesday at 4:00 PM at Deepwater Theater. Both events are free and open to the public, donations to the Ocrafolk Festival are welcome. For more information contact David Tweedie at fiddlerdave@embarqmail.com or 252-928-3411 or visit www.deepwatertheater.com or www.bryanbowers.com.

Bryan Bowers biography
Born August 18, 1940 in Yorktown, Virginia, Bryan Bowers was raised in New Bohemia near Petersburg of the Civil War's Battle Of The Crater fame. As a child, Bowers would tag along with the field workers and gandy dancers and learned to sing old call-and-answer songs. Bowers recalls, "The music I heard while working in the fields was mesmerizing. And, I'd see the gandy dancers coming down the tracks, setting the rails and getting their ties straight. You've heard that song `Whup Boys, Can't you line 'em?, Chack a lack.' Whup Boys, can't you line 'em? was the call the leader would sing. Chack a lack was the bounce-back of the hammer after falling on the pin. I just thought that music was something that everyone did. It was years later that I realized what I'd been raised around."

Bowers enrolled at Randolph Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, but found that college was not satisfying an emptiness he felt. Three hours short of earning a degree in Spanish, Bowers dropped out. About the same time (the late '60s), Bowers discovered music when he took up the guitar. "The roots of the music had gone real deep in me. Music was real fulfilling, unlike anything I had ever done before."

It wasn't long before Bowers encountered the autoharp. "I ran into a guy that played several instruments and could get the harp in good tune. He played without any fingerpicks, just with his fingernails. He had a real sprightly style on it. It was the first time I'd heard someone play it in good tune and play it well. It opened my eyes and my ears. I went out and got one the next day."

Bryan relocated to Seattle, WA in 1971 and played for coins as a street singer and in bars for the right to pass the hat. Once he had polished his technique, he headed east in a 1966 Chevy panel truck he affectionately called "Old Yeller." "The Dillards heard me in DC when I went to the Cellar Door," recalls Bowers. "I introduced myself and played the `Battle Hymn Of The Republic' to show them how the harp worked. Sam Bush, Curtis Burch and Courtney Johnson of the New Grass Revival were there. I didn't realize how presumptuous I was being. The Dillards took me to a bluegrass festival at Berryville, Virginia and when they got an encore, they put me out there for their second encore, saying `Here's a guy you ought to hear.' The bluegrass community has been real supportive."

Bower's creativity and talent have won him induction into Frets Magazine's First Gallery of the Greats after five years of winning the stringed instrument, open category of the magazine ›s readers' poll. This distinction put Bowers along side other luminaries, such as Chet Atkins, David Grisman, Stephan Grappelli, Itzhak Perlman, Tony Rice, Rob Wasserman and Mark O'Connor, recognized for their personal accomplishments. In 1993, Bryan was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame to stand only with Maybelle Carter, Kilby Snow, and Sara Carter.

From his rather unglamorous beginning as a street singer, Bryan Bowers has become a major artist on the traditional music circuit. He has redefined the autoharp and is also well known as a singer-songwriter. Bryan has a dynamic outgoing personality and an uncanny ability to enchant a crowd in practically any situation. His towering six foot four inch frame can be wild and zany on stage while playing a song like `Dixie' and five minutes later he can have the same audience singing `Will The Circle Be Unbroken' in quiet reverence and delight.

For nearly three decades, Bryan Bowers has been to the autoharp what Earl Scruggs was to the five-string banjo. He presents instrumental virtuosity combined with warmth, eloquence, expression and professionalism.

"To call Bryan Bowers' performance simply a 'concert' would be inadequate if not inaccurate ... (it) could better be described as an experience!"
-Deseret News

"Bowers is widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp... Bowers also has distinct gifts as a singer and songwriter."
-People Magazine

"...This man makes more music from an Autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and a harpsichord combined. He has more stage presence and charisma than any stage performer in recent memory."
-The Washington Times

Potluck

Tonight was the annual Fall OPS membership meeting and potluck. The food was absolutely fabulous, even better than most potlucks. Which is saying a lot...as linguist Walt Wolfram, the guest speaker for the evening, put it: "Ocracoke has the best potlucks". So this one was the best of the best. One of my favorite dishes was the scallops which were in a terrific creamy sauce and of course were as fresh as can be. I told you this wasn't your average potluck!

After the meal, Walt showed a portion of the recently released DVD from the NC Language and Life Project, "Carolina Brogue". What he showed was the special features, which were three short tributes to well known and loved (and, now, missed) Ocracokers David Esham, Roy Parsons, and Muzel Bryant. Family and friends of the three had been invited to attend the potluck and meeting, and several were there. The tributes were touching, and seemed to be enjoyed by all. If you knew any of those three O'cockers (or even if you didn't, but if you just enjoy hearing and/or learning more about the Ocracoke brogue), I highly recommend the DVD. They are available from the OPS museum and would make excellent Christmas gifts for anyone who loves Ocracoke.

Going out of our way for BBQ

We went to Greenville today for a cardiology appointment for John. It makes for a long day, riding the early AM ferry to Swan Quarter, and then spending the whole rest of the day (or at least it seems that way) driving. Because of the time of John's appointment, we couldn't get back to Swan Quarter for the afternoon ferry home, so we had to "drive around" (go up to Manteo, across to Nags Head, then down the Outer Banks to catch the ferry home from Hatteras). As if that wasn't enough driving, we actually made it take longer intentionally - we took a smaller road, and then took a detour off it to a small building in the middle of nowhere. Why? Because that place sells the greatest barbecue around (at least in John's opinion). It's not a restaurant, it's a smokehouse/processing place. They sell North Carolina style (chopped pork) barbecue in tubs. John filled up a cooler with several pounds of 'cue, which made him very happy. It was well worth the little bit of extra driving!

A long line, and a full jar

The wait for brunch at the Cafe Atlantic today was anywhere between an hour and two hours long. Luckily, it was a beautiful, sunny day so people didn't seem to mind sitting on the porch (or standing in the parking lot) chatting with friends while waiting. I did see a handful of people give up and leave, but most hung in there until their names were called. The tip jar on top of the dessert counter was full, and I overheard a server saying that she had seen tables leaving $50 tips for $50 meals. The general sense was summed up well by a diner at the table next to me. When asked "was it worth the wait?", he said "I wouldn't have waited two hours just for the food, but it was worth it for the cause". I was personally very happy to be able to give to this particular cause, but I probably would have waited for 2 hours for Cafe brunch anyway!

Community support

Today, I enjoyed participating in multiple yard sales. There was the one on the lawn at the Pony Island motel, which supported the Ocracoke Youth Center. And then there was one at each of the churches, which supported...well, the churches, of course! There were lots of people at all of the sales, and I hope that all three organizations benefited.



The structure of the Youth Center yard sale was that you could donate items for them to sell, or you could set up your own table to sell stuff and then give them a portion of your proceeds. I had a box of things I wanted to sell, so I opted for this method. Unfortunately, I failed to consider the impact of being surrounded by other people who were also selling their stuff, not to mention the impact of visiting the other two yard sales. My point? I bought way much more than I sold, returning home with more than I had when I left! Ah, well...it was for a good cause.

This particular set of autumn yard sales has become an annual event, and I always enjoy participating. I love watching the community in action, supporting each other.

After the yard sales, I went to the Post Office and saw two flyers which reminded me about a couple of additional upcoming events of community support. Tomorrow, the Cafe Atlantic will be serving brunch for the only time this season. (I am very excited about this, as I've been jonesing for Cafe brunch ever since they announced they were no longer going to be serving it!) Then, on Friday the 21st a benefit lunch of BBQ chicken plates will be served at the Hyde County Government Center. Both of these events are to benefit a member of the community who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. I know that both events will be very well attended, because that's just one of the things this community does well: support each other.

Cake for breakfast and weather over water

I ate my cake from Cafe Atlantic today - for breakfast. Sometimes, you just have to completely indulge yourself and do something ridiculous. In my opinion, anyway.

This afternoon at 2, I went to the school to read to the first graders. I had been inside all day up to that point. As I was getting on my bicycle, I heard a ferry horn. I thought nothing of it. About a minute later, the horn sounded again. I thought "that's odd". A minute later, it sounded again. Now I was getting really curious. I heard the horn about 6 to 8 times in the time it took me to ride from my house to the school. As Alice would say, I thought it was "curiouser and curiouser".

When I got to the school, I heard the horn again and said something to Mary Ellen about it. She said, "it's because of the fog". Fog? I had no clue there was fog. There wasn't any in the village (or at least I hadn't seen any during my short ride to the school). It's fascinating to me how the weather over the water often differs quite a bit from that over land. (Mary Ellen said that earlier in the day it had indeed been quite foggy in the village, but I had missed that since I was indoors all morning.)

The last supper

We went to Cafe Atlantic tonight, to enjoy a last dinner there before they close for the season on Sunday. I often have a difficult time deciding which is my absolute favorite restaurant on Ocracoke, because so many of them are so great, but I think if I had to choose only one, it would be the Cafe. Everything they do is terrific - from the bread to the salads (with fantastic homemade dressings) to the entrees (I always have a hard time choosing one) to - and most especially - Ruth's delectable desserts.

Tonight, I was a complete pig and ate (well, at least ordered) one of all of the above. I wanted to have a full Cafe experience, since it has to last me several months! So I started with my favorite appetizer (not just at the Cafe - this is my favorite appetizer of all appetizers), then went on to have an entree (which comes with salad and bread). I was too full to eat dessert, but still ordered one and brought it home. It will probably be tomorrow before I have room for it!

Power outage and Lake Sunset

There was a power outage this morning which lasted about an hour. It started relatively early. I remember waking up when it happened. For some reason, power outages always wake me...I suppose it's the sudden cessation of background sounds, like refrigerators and heat/air conditioning running. The baby monitor we have begins beeping a few seconds after it loses power, so that would have startled me anyway, if I hadn't already been awake. I got up a while later, getting dressed in the semi-dark, after (of course) attempting to turn on the bathroom light out of sheer habit even though I knew it wouldn't work. As I was finishing getting Connor's breakfast ready for him, the power came back on, and has stayed on since.

The reason for this particular outage is - I assume - related to the rain we had last night. Here's a view of the street outside my house, which I dubbed "Lake Sunset". The water is not terribly deep, but there's certainly plenty of it.

Funny election day thought

I was seriously considering not voting this year, because I'm just...well, completely disgusted with the whole political process. It's so deeply flawed and corrupt, I hardly want to bother. Now, don't go posting any nasty comments with your opinion about whether I should or should not vote and for whom. I won't publish them anyway, so save yourself the hassle. And I probably will vote. But I won't tell you here whether I did or not anyway. It's my decision and my business. I do promise not to complain about the outcome if I choose not to participate in the process. So I guess if you know me, and you notice I'm not complaining about politics over the next few years, you'll know that either a) I didn't vote or b) the guy I voted for won, and then did everything he said he would. Oh never mind, that won't happen, so you'll definitely know it was option a. Or it could be that I just went back to my previous strategy when it comes to politics: attempt to ignore it completely.

That's not the funny election day thought, though. The actual funny election day thought is available (in song, no less!) on woot.com. It's today's "wootcast", and I found it quite humorous. You can listen to the ditty here. (The song starts after the first few seconds of general wootcast info.) Enjoy!

Last minute book shopping

I made it to the Book Fair just barely before it ended. Literally: I arrived at 5:30 last night; the event (which had started last week) ended at 6:00. That didn't stop me from spending a small fortune on a stack of books, though! Books, however, are one of the few things I don't regret spending on, especially books for children (I bought some for Connor, several I plan to read to the first graders, and a couple which went directly to the classroom from Mary Ellen's wish list). You simply can't underestimate the importance of reading, or do too much to encourage it.

Morning errands, small town style

I ran several errands this morning, and thoroughly enjoyed the many reminders of why I love living in a small town.

First, I went to the church. It was unlocked, of course, so I could pop into the back and pick up a copy of the daily devotional magazine Upper Room for November and December (which I forgot to grab yesterday morning).

Then, I went to the Post Office. I got there a few minutes before they opened. That usually doesn't matter, as the boxes are accessible 24x7, so you can always get your mail, but when I emptied my box I discovered I had a package, so I waited for Celeste to come in for the day, chatting with a handful of other people as they came and went. Once she arrived, Celeste gave me not only my package but also a handful of extra Ocracoker newspapers, as there's a picture of Connor on the front. Then Barbara helped me carry my mail to the car, as I had a medium box, another small package, a handful of mail, and Connor in his carrier.

At the Variety Store, I talked with several people, all of whom oohed and aahed over Connor (he IS really cute). Marcy, specifically, really liked his outfit (she had given it to me for him the day before). After I was done shopping, Jim carried the groceries out to the car for me (since I had hands full with Connor). He got ahead of me while I was putting the cart back, but that didn't matter since he knows which car is mine.

Finally, I went to the water plant to pay my bill. Janie and I picked up our conversation right where we had left it off when I stopped by to pay last month's bill.

When I got home, I realized that through the entire hour or so it took to run my errands, I had been smiling. It was a terrific way to start a Monday!

I've stopped answering my phone...

...because every time it rings, it is another political message or particular person asking (in a recorded message, of course) for my vote. I am ready for the election to be over!

Here's something that bugs me about the calls: I'm a registered (well it doesn't matter, but I'm registered with one party), and that's the only party that calls me. I find that annoying, like the other party has just completely given up on any possibility that I might even consider them. I think I'll change my registration to independent. Of course, that will just double the number of calls I get, so maybe I won't.

Hangin' out at the coffee shop

John, Connor and I took a walk to the Coffee Shop today. Well, John and I walked...Connor rode in his stroller, of course! It was a warm, sunny afternoon...perfect for a walk and a smoothie. So when we got there, I went in and got one. We then sat outside in the shade of the old trees and chatted as I drank it. Connor was happy as a clam, just hanging out in his stroller playing with his toys. We ended up sitting there for well over an hour, talking with different friends who happened by (John treated several of them to smoothies or whatever else they wanted from inside). Sundae and Caroline brought us the Girl Scout items we had ordered, and we had to break open two of them right away: cashews and chocolate covered raisins (more about those in a moment). We chatted and snacked, watching the day go by, and I simply didn't think about the 47 things on my "to-do" list. It was lovely.

Girl Scout chocolate covered raisins, I swear, are more addictive than crack. (No, I don't actually know this by experience, having never compared the two, but I do know that I could eat an entire can of chocolate covered raisins if someone doesn't stop me!) This fact has become well known by Sundae. I called her in a mild state of panic last fall, hoping that she still had cans left over from the sale, only to be disappointed when she didn't. Then in spring, I was crushed to discover that chocolate covered raisins are only sold during the FALL Girl Scout sales, and I would have to wait several more months before I could satisfy my craving! This year, I think I'm set. I ordered several cans from Caroline, to make sure I wouldn't run out.

But that's not the end of the story. Sundae, who is one of the Girl Scout leaders, suggested to Leslie (one of the other leaders) that they order a couple of cases of extra items, and have a "booth" type sale of them, setting up at the Variety Store or somewhere similar. When Leslie expressed concern about ordering a whole case, Sundae said "don't worry about it...if we don't sell any of the chocolate covered raisins, John and Kati will buy the whole case!"

But that's still not the end of the story. While we were sitting at the Coffee shop enjoying our snacks, John asked Sundae how many cans were in a case. She told him, he did some quick math, handed her the money and said "I'll take the whole case of raisins". We stopped by Leslie's house to pick them up, and her husband Bill expressed his surprise, saying "I thought I had heard you wrong when you said you were here to buy a case...I thought surely you meant a CAN". So now I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 cans of chocolate covered raisins in my pantry (good thing we have a big pantry). That certainly should significantly decrease the likelihood that we'll run out before the Girl Scouts fall sale in 2009. Probably.

Writing

Writing is an interesting endeavor. I usually enjoy the final product, but sometimes hate the process. I'll sit and stare at my blank laptop screen, wondering where to start and think "why did I volunteer to write this article?" I sometimes even get partway through something, which hasn't started to "gel" yet, and think "what the heck do I think I'm doing here? I can't write!" The seriously funny thing is when I go back and read my work months, weeks, or sometimes even as soon as just days later, I often think "hey, that's not bad...did I actually write that?"

Blogging is a different type of writing for me. I'm much less formal here, and often use colloquialisms or odd phrases. It's an interesting sensation to wonder whether my readers will hear a sentence like "What's that about?" in their minds the way I hear it in mine and therefore the way I intend it to be heard. It's this need to trust that my audience will find what I mean that makes writing a real challenge. Which is why I'll probably never give it up...even when I'm sitting and staring at a blank Word document or blog entry form and wondering why I'm doing this again.

Ferry schedule changes

I received this in email recently and thought it might be of interest to some of the blog readers, so here you go!

FERRY DIVISION ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO HATTERAS-OCRACOKE
WINTER SCHEDULE
Number of runs reduced to lower fuel costs

MANNS HARBOR — The North Carolina Department of Transportation's Ferry Division today announced changes to its schedule at the Hatteras to Ocracoke route in an effort to reduce fuel.

Ferries are now making hourly runs instead of half-hour runs from 5 a.m. until midnight daily, based upon traffic demands. Double ender vessels will be used on first and second runs to increase capacity and ensure vendor traffic is handled. The 10 p.m. departure will not run unless there is significant traffic.

An amended schedule will be run over the holidays to allow for visitors. From Nov. 25-30 and from Dec. 16 to Jan. 5, 2009, half hour runs will be added from 10:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., with the hourly runs continuing as stated above. Also if traffic is heavy, half hour runs will be added as early as 7:30 a.m. through as late as 6:30 p.m.

Additional ferries will be available to assist with traffic, if needed, and a contingency plan is in place in the event of special circumstances.

Sick

Everyone in my house has been sick this week, including me. I guess that's what we get for exposing ourselves to so many people on Saturday! It's nothing major (we all have colds). It's probably hardest on poor Connor, since he still gets most of his calories through a bottle - it's difficult to suck on a bottle when you can't breathe through your nose! Poor little guy...

Anyway, I have several blogs in draft and need to get caught up for the month of October...but it may be a few days before I do so!

Lost and found

I have often wondered why it is that people seem to lose their shoes on and around the roads on Ocracoke (and many other places). I have seen sneakers, flip flops, boots, and all manner of other footwear (usually singles, but sometimes full pairs) in the middle of, by the side of, and sometimes hanging from power lines over, roads everywhere I have lived. What's that about?

Music, dancing, and stories

I spent a highly entertaining evening at Deep Water Theater tonight. First, there was an Ocrafolk Opry show, which was excellent as always. It was shorter than the shows usually are, though, to allow time for the next fun portion of the night: a traditional Ocracoke square dance.

Philip Howard taught the enthusiastic group (mostly participants in this week's Ocrafolk School sessions) the basic moves, and then called them through the first dance. It looked like everyone enjoyed themselves, although many of them were commenting that dancing is good exercise, and most left after the first round. A smaller group did one more dance, during which I danced with Philip (Merle, who had been his partner for the first dance, decided to sit the second dance out). I always enjoy square dancing with Philip, as he is really great at swinging me around. Tonight, he tried to get me dizzy by swinging us around over and over, but only succeeded in making himself dizzy. It was pretty funny.

My favorite part of the evening, though, was after the event was over. I happened to walk out with Philip, and he told me several funny stories about O'cockers, some of whom are no longer alive. I always love hearing about the lives of the people whose families have made this island home for generations.

Saturday of sales

Before I lived on Ocracoke, I didn't like yard sales. I didn't go to them, and the few times I held one (before moving), I didn't enjoy the process: people showing up at 6 AM (when you've advertised the sale starts at 7 AM) and banging on the door because they want the best deal, folks barging into my house (even after I've informed them that everything that's for sale is outside), and bargain hunters complaining when I explain that I'm asking 50 dollars, not 50 cents, for that entire set of knives which is worth about $250 are just a few examples. I was not a fan of yard sales at all.

On Ocracoke, I love yard sales. They usually start later, no one does any banging or barging, and haggling is minimal or skipped entirely. I've purchased some terrific things at island yard sales, and even enjoyed them even when I didn't buy anything.

I will be in yard sale heaven on Saturday Nov. 8th. There are three sales planned:
- one on the lawn of the Pony Island Inn, to raise money for the Ocracoke Youth Center (starts at 9 AM)
- one at the Methodist church (also starting at 9 AM; they'll be selling food (sandwiches/soup/bake sale items) later too)
- one at the Assembly of God church (this one starts at 7 AM, and they also will be selling food (I think they said fried chicken, but don't remember for sure) at this one as well

Sounds like I have another full Saturday ahead of me!

An interesting way to shop

I just learned about woot.com, which offers an interesting way to shop. They sell one item per day. A new one is posted at midnight (central time), and expires at 11:59 PM or when it sells out (whichever comes first, obviously). But the best part about the site is that it's funny. The item descriptions, blogs, FAQs, even the job postings for working at woot.com are well written and hilarious. Check it out - you may enjoy it, even if you don't buy anything (I haven't yet, although I've spent plenty of time on the site).

Great book

I just finished a book which I enjoyed very much, called The Shack. I found it thought provoking, faith building, and awe inspiring. You can learn more about this novel here. If you read it, I hope you enjoy it!

A full day

A typical statement you hear around here this time of year is about how much quieter the island is. That is basically true, but sometimes we locals take a bit too much advantage of the off season down time, and fill it up with activities ourselves.

Today, I went to several events. It started with baby play group in the morning - a fun time of watching a group of lively toddlers have a blast playing with toys and each other. I especially enjoyed watching Connor watch them.

In the afternoon, I attended a baby shower for Jason and Brooke Wells, to celebrate the impending arrival of their first baby, a boy (Griffin John-Ivey). The food at the shower was terrific (one of my favorite items was the blue M&Ms with Griffin's name on half of them and "It's a Boy" on the other half), and Jason and Brooke were indeed showered with gifts and blessings.

Then, there was the evening activity: the annual "October birthdays" potluck at Sundae's house. It was a time of more excellent food and plenty of great conversation.

It was a very full day, and I was tired at the end of it...but it was fun, and I wouldn't have missed a minute!

Halloween carnival

There are many children living on Ocracoke, and the community enjoys celebrating them. There are several times of year when kids are center stage, but the two biggest ones are Christmas (visits from Santa, parties, church pageants, etc., etc.) and Halloween. Near the end of October every year, there's a huge party at the school. It starts with a costume parade and includes a carnival (in the completely transformed school gym), a cake walk, a haunted house, and an evening of Bingo. It's a lot of fun, and everyone goes all out: the kids on their costumes, and the adults on ensuring the kids have a blast.

Here are a few pictures from the event.

Connor went as the cutest jack o lantern in the pumpkin patch.

Mariah's "barrel of monkeys" costume won the prize for "funniest".


Charlotte made an adorable cheerleader. And Marcy still fits into her high school letter jacket!


Here are a couple of general shots of the parade. The kids (and parents, especially with the little ones) walk around the circle in front of the school.

Face painting by art teacher Miss Kitty is always a favorite activity at the carnival.

There are games of skill and chance for the kids to enjoy, and plenty of prizes!

The coin toss (onto plates or into bottles) is usually popular - with the adults.

There was a lineup of terrific looking cakes waiting for the cake walk. Yum!