Getting Ready For the Holidays & a Pink Bikini / 12-4-19

       Well Thanksgiving is over and the December Holiday season is upon us. Weather is starting to turn and the shopping is in full swing. Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and a host of other smaller religious and seasonal observances, fairs, and festivities. Then there is New Year's Eve and Day festivities, and lets not forget our different Asian New Year's festivities happening from January through March and April. So there are some exciting happenings over the next few months. For me I enjoy and celebrate Christmas, but follow Hanukkah very closely. I'm still trying to find a way to combined the two so I can get 7 days of presents, only issues is my family would also want that from me, and want the same amount every night. I can't afford that, LOL. But I am one that feels strongly that my Christian faith holds it roots within the Jewish faith and we need to know as much about the Jewish faith as we do about our own. I also follow the Advent season as does our church. Around my house I love to decorate, although with the construction just finishing up, I have not been able to get all the stuff out I normally do or like to. However I do have two of the three trees up and decorated with the second just finished as of 12-4. I am really behind as I would have normally had them up Thanksgiving weekend or when it falls late like this year the weekend before. And I will leave them up till the weekend after New Years Day. As I have told you over the years, I love to do theme trees in each of the rooms I put up my trees. This year my front living room is decked out with purple lights and German Stars. The stars range from 3 inches being the larges down to the star that has topped my trees now serving its 60th year. The year I was born 1960 the dear saint who lived next door to us in Philadelphia made it for me, and my folks put it on the top of the tree that year and every year after. When I moved out and onto my own I took it with me and it has continued to top my trees since. It is one of the tiniest stars I have ever seen at about 1/2 inch and is one of my most prized stars. This year I found on Etsy a gal from New Bedford that had some really nice 1 3/4  inch stars all different colors that I got and with these additions now have over 100 stars decorating my tree. And my tree is not huge, it is a 7 foot slim line. So high yes but not wide at the bottom. So with all the stars and the purple lights looks really cool. My second tree is in the day/tv room. That is also a 7 footer and slim tree but a bit bigger than the front rooms. I have multicolor, old fashioned style bulb lights that are the new led lights in them. My ornaments are all hallmark penguin ornaments, with only a few non-Hallmark ones. Those ornaments are a little bigger so only about 50-60 on that tree. So I am ready for just about ready and nearly done all shopping and wrapping. Only thing now is how to keep my 14 pound Pomeranian from thinking he is a Christmas present that needs to stay under one or the other tree on the tree skirt, and every time he gets up takes one or more of the ornaments with him. But I have moved a few up a branch or two and that has seemed to help already. Well I hope you are getting there yourselves and that you can start to enjoy the holidays, whatever faith you practice. And may there be peace on earth wherever you call home, but especially if you can call Cape Cod you home.     

      The small/local business report is more like a collaborative this week in that we have several Christmas Strolls going on this weekend. The first will be the Town of Dennis which is my town, is 12-8-19 from Noon to 3:30, Osterville will be Friday 6th at Noon, The Hyannis Jolly Jaunt Sunday 12-8-19 from 8am to 1pm, Brewster for the Holidays goes 3 days from 12-6-19 to 12-8-19, then Christmas by the Sea in Chatham Stroll is December 13 & 14, Yarmouth Port Stroll is the 15th 1-4. and yes there are more. So go google Cape Cod Christmas Strolls 2019 and get a really good list of what is going on around the Cape the next couple of weeks. These strolls support our local communities and help, showcase what these local business have to offer. So get out and visit your own, stop by your neighboring towns stroll and remember to live local, shop local. Speaking of which also coming up this weekend is the LIVE LOVE LOCAL Fest, this year being held at Barnstable Hight School. Saturday evening from 5 - 9 and Sunday from 11-5, this is another place to be able to support our local crafters, artisans and business folk. Get your Christmas shopping done all between the festival and the strolls. And while your at the strolls find a local restaurant to feed your need to eat and enjoy some really good grub.  

      Well the long awaited winter winds have started to blow and that white stuff has been falling from the skies this week. If you are a winter bunny or fox more power to you. I have to admit the older I get the more my body does not like the cold weather. But this is New England and more important Cape Cod, and really I love this place I call my dream job and home more than I care to move yet. This week has been much calmer than last week in general on the seas. We have our commercial fisherman and women out there doing their livelihood from catching what they can to harvesting scallops and other shellfish. Keep these folks in your thoughts and prayers and these jobs are more  dangerous than most of you understand. But we do enjoy what they bring in. I see more cargo ships now days than cruse ships as most of those are in the warmer waters down south or over in Europe. But the beacon is still shinning out for anyone who needs the help and guidance she has to offer, on the high seas, on land or even in the air. May we always be there for those who need us but hope you never be in a situation to need us. Last but not least, our Holiday decorations are up, and yes we cover a plethora of Holidays, from Hanukkah, and Christmas to Kwanzaa and Ōmisoka, along with Advent, the Winter Solstice and lets not forget Watch Night, and New Years around the world. We are trying to cover as many bases as we can as there are really a lot of holidays and observances that go on during the month of December. We will be open this weekend starting on Friday and go through Sunday from 4pm till 9pm each night. Monday through Thursday the lights will be on we will not have the hot chocolate, hot cider and baked goods or bonfire going on. So you can still drive by and see all the lights. We will go through the weekend after New Years Day. I hope each an everyone one of you have a great and wonderful holiday season and may the peace of God be with you all. See you soon right here on old Cape Cod.                 

      This is the last of the cocktails for this year, so what better way than something hot and sexy and something that you would find on a warm sunny beach somewhere. And for this time of year and for the next 4 months we need all the warm, and hot thoughts we can come up with to get us northerns through the winter months. So get out the glasses, and measuring cups and let's have some fun this final month of the year. Hope you have enjoyed all the bikinis and have tried most of them, in moderation for sure. Have a great and wonderful and remember when celebrating this holidays season, be safe have a designated driver, or stay put, don't make a hardship on your loved ones or worse someone else's loved ones. I know you hear it all the time, but one life saved is worth it. Hope you have enjoyed and hope to see you next year. Now on with the show

      This week's recipe: a Pink Bikini Cocktail (great for parties)

      1-1.75      Liter      bottle raspberry lemonade
        1 3/4      cups     coconut rum
        1            cup       amaretto liqueur

      Mix ingredients together and chill thoroughly. Can be served over ice. ,, to add to the fun, float raspberries or make a raspberry ice ring. Service in 1/2 a coconut, or tiki glasses. Have a beach party in the dead of winter and warm things up.