More Life on the Cape & a Bikini Martini / 8-7-19

      Memories, travel tips, life on the Cape, what is it this week, Life we all have to live it, but what's it like on a shrinking mid-class income. No I am not a 6 figure income person, I still sign into my computer every morning and go to work, working for a large corporation doing customer service work from the comfort of my home, or so they say the comforts, LOL. Finally happening, it's only taken now about 3+ years but my kitchen either by the end of this week or the sometime next week will be demoed and the task of my contractor to rebuild it. I have my floor tiles and my cabinets sitting in the garage. Fortunately my appliances are all only 3 years old so I do not have to replace them. But a sliding door will be coming out and a farm style door with a disappearing screen will be going in, thus giving me 60 additional inches of counter top space. Yaa. And the flooring will be consistent from the kitchen through the breezeway (enclosed long ago before I came along) and into the all season sun room (now tv room) The house was built in 1971 and has not been updated since, so the kitchen and somewhere down the line the bathroom need desperate attention. It will look nice once I get there but with being a work at home per person it will be interesting to see how I can make this work and survive. Given all the right circumstances it should take about 4 weeks to complete. I can always hope for miracles. So you think living here is so wonderful, its paradise, it's life on a beach. Well, maybe for some of those retirees, or a few over on the islands, or there are one or two areas that most the folks have more money then I will see in a lifetime coming in every 3-6 months. Don't get me wrong I am very blessed to be where I am at, in the house I am in, being able to live here on Cape Cod. (Remind me of this come January when the wind is blowing and the wind chill is about zero) But this is life, this is real, I still have to cook my dinners, do my laundry, mow the lawn, and get bees out of places they should be. Remember what is one persons paradise is another persons hell. You need to find where you are going to be happy and get there and relax with it and then make the most of all it has to offer. And pray all the rest falls in place, and again relax with it. Cause there will be things that happen that you didn't expect, didn't want an will try to upset your apple cart and question your decisions. But for me, am going to love each and eery moment I am given here on Cape Cod and live it to the most. I hope those that call this place home can relate to what I am saying and be encouraged they are not alone. To those not living on the Cape realize home is where you make it, and that we all have our ups and down. But while we are all here, I hope you have a great and wonderful and that the weather is the best that it can be. Have a most Happy, Happy and share it where ever you go.   

      Small business report is one of my favorite things to report on. I get to tell people about new places and have fun finding new places to eat, and reminding you of places we should have going back to a year ago but were trying out all the new places. So I hope you check these places out and tell them you read about them on CapeCodToday.com/ blogchowder by the one the only CapeCod Rockhopper. And no I do not get any special treatment from these folks, or payments or gifts or anything else. I pick who I want to put in, I speak good of those I do pick, and those I don't, well I don't cover them. But the difference between those I don't like and those I just have not been to yet, you will never know. I speak only only good of those I promote and happily will add to that list as I come upon them. Also I do seasonal as well, in the summer those who are around in the summer, but come fall I will start pushing those that are open year round. So with all that, let's get started.

      First up, I am so happy to announce a new shop in Mashpee Commons called The Spice & Tea Exchange, located right across from Cup Cake Charlies. I am so happy since the last one went out and thought they brought a real service both to the Mashpee area but to the Cape. You can all kinds of spices and dried herbs in any amounts from just an ounce to a pound of whatever. If you are a restaurant owner or chief you will want to check them out for those odd or different spices that you only need a small amount at any one time and don't need to keep a lot of inventory on hand. This is even better for the regular home or Cape Cottage Kitchen Chief who is not going to use a pound of anything before gets past it's prime. You can make those special recipes without breaking your bank to make. They will also be open year round which is great for the many of us and for you snow birds they also have a shop in Sarasota Florida area. So support them up here and support the down there and eat well without busting the budget all year round. 

      The Cape is blessed to have some very stilled pottery makers, or throwers, I am always fascinated by just how many differences there are from one studio to another. And with that I have found another artist in our midst that is just fantastic and her work is really different. Blueberry Lane Pottery out of Truro and can be found at http://blueberrylanepottery.com/, and occasional craft shows. Paul Wisotzky is a studio potter and teacher and makes pottery for everyday use. Check our his website for more about Blueberry Studio, his pottery, classes and events. I think this if you are a pottery connoisseur this is one pottery artist you need to be checking out. 

      On category I have not pushed much is photography, but someone that has caught my eye is Beth Higgins, find her online at BethHiggins.com. Check out her events page for shows she will be showing at and go check our her works. She does a lot of the Cape some Florida, Lighthouses and more. I enjoy others who do well at their discipline and Beth does an excellent job. She has an eye for capturing a vision and idea in a camera lens that will amaze you and is something that you will want to hang on your walls. So check her out and add some life to your dead walls.  

      Now go and discover someone new, something you have not tried before and each someplace that you have never eaten at before and have fun while here on old Cape Cod, whether you are just visiting or year round.

      Well, another day another week has passed and at least no more wicked weather, at least like we had a couple weeks, ago. But the heat and the humidity has returned and life on the Cape continues as we all would expect going into August. Wait, did I just August, oh me, oh my, only a few more weeks left to the meteorologist summer calendar. Some schools start the third week of August while others not till after Labor Day. But we are here at the light house and station everyday from 9-7 and from now through the week after Labor Day. However, we are heavily leaning on keeping those hours through Columbus Day like our sister station up at Highland Light. The seas continue to be relatively calm and other than a few mishaps and a few fires on smaller personal boats there is nothing major to report. The seals are still here, and thus so are the Great White Sharks. There are still beach closings going on, so if you are here now or still coming, just keep your eyes and ears open to the watches and warnings going up. Safety does not cost anything, the curse for not heading those warnings could cost you a life, so be smart. I can not say enough thanks to all our volunteers helping out, we can not do it without all your time and efforts you put in here at the station. For those of you still coming, be sure to bring your binoculars with you, cause once you get to the top of the circular stairs and into the lighthouse you will want to get them out and check out all the whale sightings we have had this year. Some you can see with the naked eye but if you have the binoculars you will see so much more. We are scheduling a night climb the third Thursday of this month and we have been able to get the right paperwork in order to do it. So we will be going till 9pm that night, so if you want a unique opportunity come on out and join us and see all the stars in the open heavens, or at least we hope that the clouds will stay away that night. Well, I think that about does it for this week. This young kid, seems to be getting more and more responsibility and chasing down more articles for this here on-line thing. They tell me this how, most of ya'll get your news now so I have to keep up with the feller. So have a great and wonderful all week and the rest of your summer, especially if you can do it right here on old Cape Cod.      

      Well it's that time for another cool and tasty refreshing recipe from the bartenders notebook. This one is right up the alley or should I say right off the beach in terms of names and something fit for this time of year. So if you are a martini lover this one is for you. If not well, when was the last time you gave it a shot, or two. And if you still are not sure about it, go search google and find another one by the same name, this recipe comes in all different colors and locations. Just take my word on it. Anyway, there is something to be said about this time of year, and living life on a beach, I just wish I could get out of the office and enjoy it some time. Oh well, life's a beach and then we enjoy a martini to help finish that one. So have fun, enjoy, be a responsible consumer and host, stay alive and save a life don't drink and drive. Now let's get this show on the road and in the glass. 

      This week's recipe: a Bikini Martini

      1      oz        coconut rum

   3/4      oz        vodka
      1      oz        pineapple juice
      1      dash    grenadine syrup

      

•       Combine rum, vodka and pineapple juice in a drink shaker. Shake firmly until frothy. Pour in a martini glass, add a touch of grenadine in the middle. Garnish with an orange wheel.