Do you know what I know? Hark, some angles have been seen hovering over some dune near a sheep farm on the north side. No sightings of any wise men however, and last I hear they were coming by foot and ore so would be a year or two getting here. Well I hope you had a great and wonderful Christmas, and we now set our sights on New Years eve and day. Reflecting back on this years, disasters, ho hums, and achievements, while contemplating the should ofs, would ofs, could ofs if only. Christmas should be a time of reflection, meditation, soul searching, and giving. Instead it has turning into a self gratifying, egocentric grab-bag of commercialized hoop-la. Now don't get mer wrong here, I love Christmas, and I enjoy the given and ok let's face it the getting of gifts. But what I'm saying is we have so lost the meanings of Hanukah, Christmas and even in some degrees Kwanzaa. I hope as we finish this week and head into the New Year, we can slow it down just a bit, put our differences aside, forget about all the hoop-la of politics, religious and government misunderstandings, economic and social separations and think less of ourselves and put others before our own greed. Here are the Cape we see it all, from one end of the scale to the other. From the have-nots to the we have so much we don't know what to do with it all. I am all about Capitalism and having the abilities to make it, it does create some chasms deeper and wider then the Cape Cod Canal, but to those who are blessed, be a blessing and to those who are not, at least be willing do what you can to help others in whatever way you can. We all have something we can offer to help our families, friends, and neighbors even if it is a smile and a kind word. This holiday season, as we here on Cape Cod have so much to be thankful for, Listen and see if somewhere you can here what I here, and know what I know, and together lets work to make this place a little better place to live. And in all of it, just maybe we will see one of those angles above the dunes and discover what true peace on earth and goodwill to all men is really about, and discover it all started in a tiny manger, long, long ago, and is still reaching out to all in these troubled days. Hum, just food for thought. Have a wicked awesome this coming week, and may the spirit of Christmas be in it every day, whether here on wonderful Cape Cod, or over the bridge and through the woods. Talk to you next week. time for a little Silent Night.
Small/local business report: first up our friends at Gustare Oils & Vinegars in Chatham located at 461 Main Street have an update on winter hours. They will be closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, but open Thursday through Sunday 10-5 daily. But fear not, the online store never closes and is always open for shopping and there is always free shipping for qualifying orders of $75.00 dollars or more. New in the shop is a Bourbon Maple Balsamic Vinegar that is to dye for. Use it in baking, in a cocktail or just about anything else. This stuff is wicked awesome, (ok I have to tell you, we were in there just before Christmas and Catherine slipped a small bottle into my bag, WOW WOW WOW thank you). I have to admit, I was not planning on buying anything this round, as I am jut getting back into my kitchen but they had a new Maple Syrup product that I had to try and ended up walking out with 3 bottles. IT is called Runamok Maple Syrup. An Organic Maple Syrup from Vermont. I ended up with Cinnamon & Vanilla infused syrup and a Bourbon Barrel Aged syrup. Folks this stuff is to dye for, I am pretty picky about my Maple Syrup, and this stuff ranks right up there with some of the top stuff I have ever had. So take the time to get into Chatham and make sure you visit Gustare Oils & Vinegars.
Another one of our favorite shops in Chatham are adjusting there hours for January and February that would be Ducks in the Window located at 507 Main Street, also find them online at
www.ducksinthewindow.com. For the next two months she will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesday. This is to relook at some things, check on inventory, check out trade shows, and just take some time for herself. But as noted with Gustare's their online shop never closes and is always open for business. She has stuff for birthdays, holidays, celebrations and can even do wedding favors. With over 700 different styles to choose from she has a rubber ducky just waiting to find a home with you. So check her out when in Chatham or online.
Last but not least, earlier this week, as I was able to take this week off, (at my place of employment, seniority only goes so far, and for the holidays if we got Christmas off last year we can not take it again the next year. Last year I had the week of New Year, so that was out for this year but Christmas was in, so I got to take this week off.) As my daughter is here from Ohio, she loves potato pancakes and what better place then Keltic Kitchen in West Yarmouth at 415 MA-28. Find their menu online at
http://www.keltickitchen.com/ and don't forget to check out their Irish shop behind the restaurant before you leave. I had the Irish Christmas French toast, Let me tell you, you better come with a hearty appetite cause this so filling I brought half of it home. And the girls split the order of potato pancakes. As always the staff is outstanding and we could not have had a more enjoyable time anywhere else. Keep this place on your radar for an outstanding breakfast, any time of the year.
Welcome and I hope your Christmas has been a blessed & quiet day, with much thoughts on just what we are celebrating and not just another one of "those" holidays. Whether, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or any other holiday you might be celebrating, I hope you and yours has had a wonderful one. Remember that the holiday lights and ornaments will be up here at the lighthouse this weekend and next, then we shut her down for a while and give everyone some time off to breath and relax. It has been an awesome season this year with many coming to join us to learn about a keepers holiday going ons and how many had to struggled through hard times during the holidays in order to keep things going. This year has been a calm and milder Christmases, but in the past we have had some mighty wicked storms. Reports of gale winds, sidewards blowing snow and ice, and boats and ships that did not make it home. So this year we will take this any year it comes our way. To wrap up the year, the summer numbers are in and the number of visitors is up about 7 percent from last year. And the off season private tours and school tours was up about 3 percent, not bad for the times we live in. So a big thank you to all you who came our this year and visited us, and more thanks to all you who have followed this rant I have been posting. We will see where next year brings us, You know I am getting up there and that as much as I love my job, there does come a time that I will need to consider handing the keys off to someone else. I just pray they allow the station to be manually maned and not turn it into one of those automated stations. But I guess that is another signs of the times, but I will fight that as long as I have breath. So ya'll have a great rest of this year, come visit us one last time and we will see you come the new year, if the good Lord allows us to continue. Be safe in all you do, on land, in the air and on the seas. And whatever comes your way may you have a great and wonderful, especially if you can do it right here on old Cape Cod. (Be sure to check out the first nighters around the Cape and keep us on watch in your prayers. Till we meet again,,,,,,,
So comes the end of our year and last to bring up the rear is a great New Years dessert that ill just be that warm yummy in the tummy kind of thing that is so needed to ship out the old and bring in the new. I have total had fun with the Cobblers and Crisps, but I have to admit I am ready to move on and look forward to a new year. But to end with some Apple Crisp, vanilla bean ice cream and some whipped cream, with a glass of apple/vanilla whisky, OH please hold me back now. Se let's get this show on the road and make the most of one last time
This week's recipe: Apple Crisp
6 each Granny Smith apples
lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 stick butter, melted
Peel and cut up the apples. Put in baking dish (9 x 12, 9 x 13 or even oval Pyrex will work.) Dash apples with lemon juice and sugar. mix remaining ingredients in a bowl. Top apples with mixture. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. And as the contributor of this recipe notes, this is great not just for a dessert, but for breakfast as well. YUM
