Old Town Crier - January 2022 Full Issue by Old Town Crier

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

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Setting the Standard In Old Town Since 1979

january‘22 A Division of Crier Media Group OTC Media LLC PO Box 320386 Alexandria, VA 22320 571-257-5437 office@oldtowncrier.com oldtowncrier.com Published the first week of every month. Worth waiting for! PUBLISHER Bob Tagert MARKETING & ADVERTISING Lani Gering Bob Tagert Meg Mullery SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE Erin Koons DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, VA 20175 703. 669. 5502 Stephen Bearce Sarah Becker Alexander Britel Cheryl Burns F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Carolyn Cockroft Scott Dicken Doug Fabbioli Matt Fitzsimmons Nicole Flanagan Lani Gering Christina Hitchcock Tom Horton Miriam Kramer Genevieve LeFranc

CONTRIBUTORS Timothy Long Cindy McGovern Meg Mullery Melinda Myers Billy Phibbs Ron Powers Kim Putens Julie Reardon Ashley Rosson Ashley Stimpson Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lisa Velenovsky Lori Welch Brown

A Bit of History ............................................................... 8

First Blush ........................................................................ 37

Open Space .................................................................... 42

After hours ...................................................................... 11

Fitness .............................................................................. 38

Personality Profile........................................................... 5

Art & Antiques.................................................................17

From the Bay ................................................................. 22

Events .................................................................................. 2

From the Trainer............................................................ 39

Business Profile ............................................................... 4

Gallery Beat..................................................................... 14

Caribbean Connection .............................................. 20

Go Fish .............................................................................. 41

Publishers notes ............................................................ 2

Dining Guide................................................................... 31

Grapevine......................................................................... 35

Road Trip .......................................................................... 24

Dining Out ..................................................................... 30

High Notes ...................................................................... 11

Events................................................................................... 3

Let's Eat..............................................................................29

Exploring VA Wines ................................................... 36

Let's Get Crafty ............................................................. 33

Festive Facts...................................................................... 2

National Harbor ........................................................... 44

To the Blue Ridge ......................................................... 26

Financial Focus ............................................................... 6

On the Road .................................................................... 1

Urban Garden ................................................................. 7

Pets of the Month ........................................................ 19 Points on Pets ................................................................ 18

Take Photos, Leave Footprints.................................16 The Last Word ................................................................12

© 2021 Crier Media Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The Old Town Crier is published monthly and distributed to select Alexandria residents, hotels, restaurants and retail shops. Also distributed in the Annapolis, Fredericksburg, Blue Ridge and Washington, DC areas and St. John, USVI.

About the Covers of 2021 Just like an old pair of jeans, The OTC makes you feel good. FEBRUARY – It’s all about the romance at Shadow Mountain Escape. Photo by Karen Riddle MARCH – It’s Cherry Blossom Time. Photo by Ольга Бочкарева APRIL – “Don’t Mess with Mother Nature”. Painting by Jim Warren MAY - Brood X is On The Way. JUNE - The Wharf of Leonardtown on Breton Bay. Photo by Lani Gering JULY - Old Glory. Photo by Todd Trapani AUGUST - The Dog Days of Summer. Photo by David Sites.

On the road with OTC Former Alexandrians and avid readers of the Old Town Crier, Allan and Cheryl Knutsen, took time out to peruse the November issue on her “Sunny California” birthday trek. She was celebrating a milestone. This photo was snapped at Ragged Point just above San Simeon on the Pacific Coast Highway! If you would like to see your photograph in this space, take a copy of the OTC with you and snap a high resolution image and send it along with information for the caption to office@oldtowncrier.com. Your photo will appear both online and in the print version. Please include your mailing address so we can make sure you get a hard copy.

SEPTEMBER –“El Chippo”. Photo Mary Ann Redmond OCTOBER - Celebrate Virginia Wine Month. Photo by Bob Tagert NOVEMBER – The Crescent Moon and Fairy Celine. PHOTO BY LANI GERING DECEMBER – The wreath on the door makes a statement. Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Old Town Crier

January 2022 |

PUBLISHER’S NOTES

BOB TAGERT

Wishing You All a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous 2022! — Lani & Bob This month begins another milestone for us. We begin our 35th year of producing the Old Town Crier. With this issue that makes 409 issues. Back in January 1988 our Old Town friends never thought we would complete 9 – issues that is. We are proud of the service that we have provided to not only Alexandria but also the connection of the Bay to the Blue Ridge. It always was our intention to make Old Town and Alexandria the centerpiece of the magazine while including the Chesapeake Bay area around southern Maryland and the Blue Ridge mountains, the Shenandoah Valley and the Virginia wineries. We have accomplished that while others have tried to copy our plan. When we started, the heart of Old Town was only eight blocks long with a few shops on Cameron Street. Now Old Town stretches from the Potomac River to the Metro station and more shops and restaurants have filled the side streets. Reaching this milestone would not have been possible without a number of folks who have made our trip easier. I will not attempt to name them for fear of leaving out someone, but you know who you are! In addition to those who gave a helping hand, we also could not have done it without those who supported us with their advertising dollars...and you know who you are! Please take a look through this issue and make it a purpose of the New Year to patronize those businesses in this publication. They are truly our partners. We started the publication when I was 40 years old. I turn 75 this year. I have seen a lot, but nothing like January 6th of last year. Say a prayer for our country or better yet, get active. I grew up here. The Capitol building was always sacred ground. When touring one talked in hushed tones out of respect. That has changed. There is no respect. Exercise your right and responsibility and vote in the upcoming mid-terms. And while I’m on my bandwagon….please get vaccinated and “boosted” so we can contribute to the world getting a handle on the damned virus!! On a much lighter note…because you are holding the Old Town Crier in your hand, I want to say THANK YOU for picking us up!

| January 2022

A FEW e v i t s e F FACTS

From the origins of “Auld Lang Syne” to traditional foods, find out more about the history of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day What does “Auld Lang Syne” mean, and why do we sing the song at midnight on New Year’s Eve? “Auld Lang Syne,” the title of a Scottish folk song that many English speakers sing at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, roughly translates to “days gone by.” The poet Robert Burns is credited with transcribing, adapting and partially rewriting it in the late 18th century. Its lyrics, which rhetorically ask whether “auld acquaintance” should “be forgot,” have been interpreted as a call to remember friends and experiences from the past. Though sung on New Year’s Eve since the mid-19th century, it became firmly cemented as a holiday standard when Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians played it during a radio broadcast from New York’s Roosevelt Hotel at midnight on December 31, 1929. The band went on to perform the hit every year until 1976, and loudspeakers continue to blast their rendition after the annual ball drop in Times Square.

Who were the first to make resolutions for the new year? People have been pledging to change their ways in the new year—whether by getting in shape, quitting a bad habit or learning a skill—for an estimated 4,000 years now. The tradition is thought to have first caught on among the ancient Babylonians, who made promises in order to earn the favor of the gods and start the year off on the right foot.

(They would reportedly vow to pay off debts and return borrowed farm equipment.) The age-old custom of breaking one’s newly formed resolutions within several months—a fate that befalls the majority of would-be reformers, according to statistics—probably originated shortly thereafter.

When was the first New Year’s Eve ball dropped in New York’s Times Square? An estimated 1 billion people around the world watch each year as a brightly lit ball descends down a pole atop the One Times Square building at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The world-famous celebration dates back to 1904, when the New York Times newspaper relocated to what was then known as Longacre Square and convinced the city to rename the neighborhood in its honor. At the end of the year, the publication’s owner threw a raucous party with an elaborate fireworks display. When the city banned fireworks in 1907, an electrician devised a wood-and-iron ball that weighed 700 pounds, was illuminated with 100 light bulbs and was dropped from a flagpole at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Lowered almost every year since then, the iconic orb has undergone several upgrades over the decades and now weighs in at nearly 12,000 pounds. In more recent years, various towns and cities across America have developed their own versions of the Times Square ritual, organizing public drops of items ranging from pickles (Dillsburg, Pennsylvania) to possums FESTIVE FACTS > PAGE 43

Old Town Crier

Alexandria ALEXANDRIA EVENTS – JANUARY 2022 Photo by Mike Lennet

8TH AND 29TH Tea with Martha Washington George Washington’s Mount Vernon 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway 703-780-2000 Join Martha Washington for tea and conversation at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant. Mrs. Washington will share memories of her and the General’s life as a young married couple, during the Revolutionary War and presidency, and at their beloved Mount Vernon. Following the program,

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS OLD TOWN FARMERS MARKET Market Square 301 King Street Saturdays, 7 am – 12 Noon Year Round The Old Town Market is thought to be the one of nation’s oldest continuing markets operating since 1753. It is said that George Washington sent his products from Mount Vernon to be sold here. Today the plaza is a mecca for farmers and artists to sell their wares. The Market is a primary source for meats, dairy, fish, fruits, vegetables and flowers for all those who visit.

DEL RAY FARMERS MARKET Corner of Mt. Vernon and Oxford Avenues Saturdays, 8 am to Noon Year Round

21ST TO 30TH Alexandria Winter Restaurant Week 2022 For 10 days and two weekends, more than 60 restaurants in Alexandria, Virginia will offer a $35 prix fixe dinner for one or two people during Alexandria Restaurant Week, January 21 to 30, 2022. Special menus will be available in-person at participating restaurants, many with heated outdoor dining options and more than 50 restaurants will also offer to-go options. Visitalexandriava. com/event/alexandria-restaurant-week

15TH TO FEBRUARY 5TH “Bright Star” Little Theatre of Alexandria 600 Wolfe Street 703-683-5778 This Tony Award nominated musical, created by comedy legend Steve Martin and Grammy winner Edie Brickell, is a sweeping tale of love and redemption set in the American South during the 1920s and 1940s. This emotional story weaves two chapters in the life of literary editor Alice Murphy and an ambitious young soldier just home from World War II. Their connection helps discover a stunning secret with the power to transform their lives. This original and hopeful musical, based on a true story, is propelled by a rousing country and bluegrass score. Don’t miss it! *All patrons are required to wear a mask (even if vaccinated) for the duration of the performance. Thelittletheatre.com guests are invited to take a self-guided tour of the estate. Mountvernon.org

Old Town Crier

This market is strictly a producer grown market. Lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and salmon, fresh mushrooms, baked goods, hard cider. Farmers are within a 150 mile radius of Alexandria. A non-profit is featured each weekend.

OLD TOWN NORTH FARMERS & ARTISANS MARKET Montgomery Park 901 North Royal Street Thursdays, 3 pm – 7 pm Year Round Alexandria’s favorite dog friendly market! The Old Town North Thursday Market is a growers only market with a focus on produce from small family farms and local artisans. Products sold at the market include fresh fruits and veggies from Virginia’s Northern Neck, Micro Greens from an urban farm, Empanadas, Fresh baked pastries with a European flair and much more.

FOUR MILE RUN FARMERS & ARTISANS MARKET 4109 Mount Vernon Avenue Sundays, 9 am – 1 pm Year Round This market offers fresh, nutritious food to people of all income levels and strives to reflect the diversity of Alexandria’s community. Local artisans display their arts and crafts as well Due to the restrictions of the pandemic, all guidelines suggested by the CDC, the Virginia Department of Health and the City of Alexandria are followed by the market managers and the vendors at these markets. January 2022 |

BUSINESS PROFILE

LANI GERING

URBAN EVOLUTION: Get A New Perspective On Life

URBAN EVOLUTION 5505 Cherokee Avenue 855-646-5271 Urbanevo.com

oing into the New Year, I believe we all need to focus on changing up some of our dayto-day routines. With the unstable situation with the ongoing pandemic, we need to remain diligent in taking care of ourselves so we can continue to take care of others. A bit of change is always good for the mind, body and soul. It’s time to step out of your workout routine box. Urban Evolution (UE) is just the place to start. Located in a nondescript commercial/industrial type building in the western part of Alexandria just off of 395 and Edsall Road, this place is amazing inside. It has to be one of the most eclectic exercise based business in the DMV. Instead of weights, treadmills and stationary bikes, there is a full blown Parkour course, an aerial silks room and space dedicated to adult gymnastics, doing yoga and hip hop dance routines. Owner Bill Wotowiec told me that UE is a fitness “facility” NOT a “gym”. They don’t compete with the Gold’s and Planet’s in the area. UE focuses on movement in a structured environment. This is evident in the programs that are offered. Each of them involve training you to use your mind as much as your body as you navigate through your environment. Most everyone I know understands the basics of gymnastics and yoga as well as the concept of Hip Hop dancing, but I’m not so sure you all may know what Parkour and Aerial Silks entail. PARKOUR – A training discipline where practitioners move from one place to another in a complex

| January 2022

Publishers Note:

environment without assisting equipment and in the fastest and most efficient way possible.-Wikipedia Bill tells me that Parkour is a “philosophy” as much as it is a workout. It is an exercise that is designed to get your body to tune in to what is around it and what you have to do to navigate it from point A to point B. The course that they have at UE is challenging and they plan to do some renovating this winter to expand the course by adding new levels. AERIAL SILKS – A type of performance in which one or more artists perform aerial acrobatics while hanging from a fabric.-Wikipedia If I were younger, I would give this a shot. I would fantasize that I was part of a Circe de Soleil performance for sure! I am looking forward to going back to UE to watch some of their clients working out on the silks. The

room they have reserved for it is very inviting. The gymnastics at UE are geared for adults and families, not as training for competitions. The Hip Hop dance classes sound like fun. Bill says it is much different than Zumba and that the yoga classes are a little looser than most. All of the classes are meant to be fun as well as providing a vigorous workout. The motto at UE is “We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” All classes are offered to kids (9-14 years) and adults (15+ years) and they offer a 401PK Parkour course to those 35 and older. Check out the photos accompanying this column and get yourself psyched up for another kind of workout that revolves around having some fun instead of upping your bicep reps or pace on the treadmill!

2022 will be the second year that Wotowiec has been at the helm at Urban Evolution. He retired from a 30 year career with the Department of State and jumped right in to the entrepreneur pool. While his main focus is making UE a successful enterprise, he is looking to getting involved with the community and those local entities that benefit the less fortunate. His team is currently coordinating a couple of events with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Boys and Girls Club in the area. Not only do they have the capacity to host events at their facility, they can bring the event to other locales. They are looking at partnering with businesses who also want to make a contribution to the community. With the monetary help of a sponsor, they will provide memberships to the children involved in the clubs giving them the opportunity to expand their lives. If you know a business or you own a business in the area that would have an interest in partnering with UE, call 855-646-5271 or email info@urbanevo.com.

Old Town Crier

PERSONALITY PROFILE

BOB TAGERT

It seems like only yesterday ... Marc Miller today with the twins..

Taking a Trip Down Memory Lane with Marc Miller As you are probably aware by now, this issue of the Old Town Crier marks the beginning of our 35th year. It seems like a long time ago that we printed our first issue, but sometimes you run into some people that makes it seem like it was yesterday. That is the case with Marc Miller. One afternoon last month we were at our usual spot for an early evening libation...the bar at Landini Brothers restaurant, and as we were engaged in casual conversation, a young man a few seats down from me asked, “Hey, didn’t you tend bar at the Fish Market restaurant a while ago?” I said that I did and was reintroduced to a customer from 35 years ago. “I thought you looked familiar,” he proclaimed. This is how I met Marc Miller and relived my past for a few moments. I met Marc a week or so later at the Fish Market to interview him for this article. As we both noted, the restaurant has changed a bit since those early days in Old Town. The Anchor Bar is now the only bar downstairs at the Fish Market. Back when I met Marc there were four bars on the lower floor and the restaurant consisted of three buildings extending all the way to Union Street. I worked the Sunquest Bar which is now a dining room on the first floor. Those were the days when the big Old Town Crier

Marc and Mary Miller back where it all started. schooner of beer was king and probably comprised 85 percent of alcohol sales back then. Although the schooner is still served at the Fish Market, most beers are of the pint sized and the back bar has way many more choices than 35 years ago. Naturally we spent a good bit of time talking about the old days. Marc said that he noticed me at Landini’s one day but wasn’t sure if I was his former bartender. He heard us talking about the Old Town Crier and then picked up a copy at Chadwick’s and saw my photo and then knew he was right. As he said, “I grew up here, spent a lot of time in Old Town, and you are sure to run into someone you knew before eventually.” He was right about that! Marc was born and raised in Alexandria growing up in Seminary Ridge. After graduating from St. Stephens

school he attended Yale where he received his degree in 1991. “I took a job in D.C and worked for a year and then went to George Washington University Law School and graduated in 1995,” he tells me. “I practiced law in D.C. until around 2009 while living in Alexandria. After that I worked for Redmon, Peyton & Braswell in Old Town. This past April I started my own firm with two colleagues of mine.” The law firm is Donohue, Themak & Miller, PLC. The firm specializes in real estate, land use, litigation and general corporate work. “We handle civil cases”, he says, “no criminal cases!” Marc met his future wife Mary at the health care firm where they both worked after Marc graduated from Yale. They got married on spring break in 1995, the year he graduated from law school. That is not the way I remember spring break! I am beginning to think that Marc loves a heavy work load. In January of 1998 the couple were blessed with the birth of twins, Bennett and Zach. “The twins grew up here too and now they come to the Fish Market... a lot,” he says with a knowing chuckle. “So it is now kind of like a full circle.” As we talked more about the changes we both have seen in Old Town over the years, he says, “First of all I think the pedestrian (100 block of king street) walk way is genius,

and I think that if one good thing can come out of the pandemic, that is probably it. It totally transformed down here (lower King street). It has really made Old Town a destination! There are also a lot more destinations today, when we were younger the destinations were the Fish Market and Bullfeather’s (Now O,Connell’s). I see a lot more people just walking around Alexandria, not just tourists but locals looking to go out,” he continues. “For example, Friday or Saturday Landini Brothers is just a zoo, it is hard to find a seat because so many people want to go there,” he laments. In his spare time, which is limited, Marc would go to his boys Lacrosse games. “They played in high school and college,” he tells me. “I am a HUGE Washington Football Team aka Redskins fan,” he exclaims. When I asked if he is a Nationals fan he responded, “I am, but I grew up a Yankees fan so it makes it kind of tough. I did like the Nationals run, the Caps run was great, it’s kind of weird that I have brainwashed my kinds into being Washington Football fans and they have never been around for the good times, and it doesn’t look like they are going to be good any time soon!” Then Marc and I reminisced about the Hogs, the Super Bowl years and Joe Gibbs. As we talked about the old

days Marc brought up a good point, “there was so much talking going on and no TV’s, no TV’s. So now you come into a bar, you got TV’s, you see people sitting alone staring up at a game.” “Back then there was no way to do that so you started talking to people.” During the pandemic Marc took up the game of golf again. “That really was the only thing you could do during the pandemic due to the social distancing inherent with the game. “I played a little early on, then my kids were born and I couldn’t get away. The weekends were tied up with family so now the pandemic gave me another opportunity to play golf.” “When the pandemic hit the boys were out of college and still living with us, their sport activities were over so a family of four was perfect for golf, so it gave us something to do on the weekends,” he continues. From this point our interview was pretty much over but we continued to talk about Old Town and the early days. It is really nice to run into someone who has been an acquaintance for 35 years and get the chance to get to actually know one another. That is the quality of character this young man brings to the table. If you are looking for experts in real estate, land use, litigation and general corporate work, you might want to consider Donohue, Themak & Miller, PLC. January 2022 |

FINANCIAL FOCUS

CARL TREVISAN, CFP© & STEPHEN BEARCE

eneficiary designations can provide a relatively easy way to transfer an account or insurance policy upon your death. However, if you’re not careful, missing or outdated beneficiary designations can easily cause your estate plan to go awry. We often complete these designations without giving it much thought, but they’re actually important and deserve careful attention. Here’s why: Beneficiary designations take priority over what’s in other estate planning documents, such as a will or trust. For example, you may indicate in your will you want everything to go to your spouse after your death. However, if the beneficiary designation on your life insurance policy still names your ex-spouse, he or she may end up getting the proceeds.

Where you can find them… Here’s a sampling of where you’ll find beneficiary designations: • Employer-sponsored retirement plans [401(k), 403(b), etc.] • IRAs • Life insurance policies • Annuities • Transfer-on-death (TOD) investment accounts • Pay-on-death (POD) bank accounts • Stock options and restricted stock • Executive deferred compensation plans Because you’re asked to designate beneficiaries on so many different accounts and insurance products, it can be difficult to keep up. However, it’s worth the effort; failing to maintain the beneficiary designation on that 401(k) from three employers ago could mean money will go to the wrong place. When you first set up your estate plan, go over all the designations you previously made and align them with your plan. After that, you should review and update them regularly – a least once a year. 6

| January 2022

beneficiary may actually want to decline (disclaim) assets on which they’re designated as beneficiary. Keep in mind disclaimers involve complex legal and tax issues and require careful consultation with your attorney and CPA.

Next Steps

10 Reasons Why Beneficiary Designations Are Important 10 Tips About Beneficiary Designations Because beneficiary designations are so important, keep these things in mind in your estate planning: REMEMBER TO NAME BENEFICIARIES. If you don’t name a beneficiary, one of the following could occur: The account or policy may have to go through probate court. This process often results in unnecessary delays, additional costs, and unfavorable income tax treatment. The agreement that controls the account or policy may provide for “default” beneficiaries. This could be helpful, but it’s possible the default beneficiaries may not be whom you intended. NAME BOTH PRIMARY AND CONTINGENT BENEFICIARIES. It’s a good practice to name a “back up” or contingent beneficiary in case the primary beneficiary dies before you. Depending on your situation, you may have only a primary beneficiary. In that case, consider whether a charity (or charities) may make sense to name as the contingent beneficiary. UPDATE FOR LIFE EVENTS. Review your beneficiary designations regularly and

update them as needed based on major life events, such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. Beneficiary designation forms are not all alike. Don’t just fill in names – be sure to read the form carefully. COORDINATE WITH YOUR WILL AND TRUST. Whenever you change your will or trust, be sure to talk with your attorney about your beneficiary designations. Because these designations operate independently of your other estate planning documents, it’s important to understand how the different parts of your plan work as a whole. THINK TWICE BEFORE NAMING INDIVIDUAL BENEFICIARIES FOR PARTICULAR ASSETS. For example, you establish three accounts of equal value and name a different child as beneficiary of each. Over the years, the accounts may grow unevenly, so the children end up getting different amounts – which is not what you originally intended. AVOID NAMING YOUR ESTATE AS BENEFICIARY. If you designate a beneficiary on your 401(k), for example, it won’t have to go through probate court to be distributed

to the beneficiary. If you name your estate as beneficiary, the account will have to go through probate. For IRAs and qualified retirement plans, there may also be unfavorable income tax consequences. USE CAUTION WHEN NAMING A TRUST AS BENEFICIARY. Consult your attorney or CPA before naming a trust as beneficiary for IRAs, qualified retirement plans, or annuities. There are situations where it makes sense to name a trust – for example if: • Your beneficiaries are minor children • You’re in a second marriage • You want to control access to funds Even in cases like these, understand the tax consequences before you name a trust as beneficiary. BE AWARE OF TAX CONSEQUENCES. Many assets that transfer by beneficiary designation come with special tax consequences. It’s helpful to work with an experienced tax advisor, who can help provide planning ideas for your particular situation. USE DISCLAIMERS WHEN NECESSARY — BUT BE CAREFUL. Sometimes a

When creating, updating, or simply reviewing your estate plan, pay attention to your beneficiary designations. Remember, beneficiary designations take precedence over what you may have specified in a will or trust. Put a reminder on your calendar to check your beneficiary designations annually so you can keep them up-to-date. Trust services available through banking and trust affiliates in addition to nonaffiliated companies of Wells Fargo Advisors. Wells Fargo Advisors and its affiliate do not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult with your tax and/or legal advisors before taking any action that may have tax and/ or legal consequences. This article was written by/ for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing DirectorInvestments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice PresidentInvestments in Alexandria, VA at 800-247-8602. Investment and Insurance Products are: • Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency • Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate • Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2020 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved. Old Town Crier

URBAN GARDEN

NIKKI TILLEY

What To Do With Poinsettias After Holidays So you’ve received a poinsettia plant over the holiday season, but what on earth are you to do next, now that the holidays are over? Read on to find tips on how to care for a poinsettia after Christmas in this article so you can, hopefully, enjoy your plant year round. With their brightly colored bracts swaddling the plants during the drearier days of late fall and winter, and just in time for Christmas, who doesn’t love the poinsettia? That being said, once the holidays are over, many of us are left with questions about what to do next. Do we keep the plant or toss it? After all, won’t there be another one available next year, like the ever abundant chrysanthemums lining storefronts and nurseries each fall. Well, the good news is that caring for poinsettia plants after the holidays is possible BUT keep in mind that your poinsettias will require specific attention. After Christmas poinsettia care begins with suitable growing conditions. If you’ve taken care to keep your poinsettia in a nice, warm sunny window (free of drafts) thus far, you’re halfway there. It should receive at least 6 hours of bright, indirect sunlight each day. For continual bloom of your poinsettia care following Christmas, the plant also needs day temps between 65 and 70 degrees F. (18 and 21 C.) and slightly cooler at night, though keep it above 60 F. (15 C.) to avoid leaf drop. Continue your normal watering routine until spring (or first of April), then allow it to dry gradually. Around the middle of April or May, or if your plant becomes leggy, cut the stems back to about 4 inches (10 cm.) above the soil and repot Old Town Crier

in a larger container with fresh, sterile potting mix (soilless mix is good too). Water thoroughly and then put the plant back in a sunny window. Check the poinsettia periodically to make sure the plant has adequate moisture. Water again only when the surface of the soil is dry to the touch. After new growth begins, feed your poinsettia every couple weeks at the recommended rate with an allpurpose houseplant fertilizer. In early summer, when nighttime temperatures remain above 50 F. (10 C.), you can move the plant outdoors (in its pot) in a slightly shady location. Gradually, allow the plant to get more light until finally giving it full sun. Continue watering and fertilizing the plant as usual. Trim again as needed in summer (typically around the first to middle part of July), pinching about an inch (2.5 cm.) of terminal growth from each stem. Give it another pruning towards the first part of September. Trim off two to three inches (5-7.6 cm.) to promote side branching, allowing 3 or 4 leaves to remain on each shoot. By this time, it should be getting cool enough outside, 55-60 F. or 12-15 C., to warrant bringing the plant indoors near a sunny window. Once again, maintain similar indoor temperatures as before (65 to 70 F. or 18 to 21 C.) and continue watering and fertilizing. Now comes the fun part… getting it to bloom in time for Christmas. Poinsettias require short day lengths to bloom and form those colorful bracts we love so much. Begin keeping your poinsettia in complete darkness for about 12-14 hours from the first part of October until Thanksgiving – or an 8- to 10-week period. Simply stick it in a closet or

cover with a large box every evening and then return the plant to its sunny window during the remainder part of the day. By Thanksgiving, you should be able to stop the dark period altogether, placing the plant in a sunny area for at least six hours daily. Reduce water and fertilizer. Then, by Christmas, your blooming poinsettia, hopefully, will be the centerpiece of holiday decor and ready to begin the cycle anew. While there’s no guarantee that your poinsettia will bloom again even with the best care, it’s certainly worth a try. Remember, though, that the foliage is pretty too. Caring for poinsettia plants after Christmas is that easy. Note: You can remove any faded or dried parts of the plant anytime. About the author: Nikki Tilley is the author of The Bulb-o-licious Garden and a regular contributor to GardeningKnowHow.com. Read more about “What To Do With Poinsettias After the Holidays” at https://www. gardeningknowhow.com/ ornamental/flowers/poinsettia/ poinsettia-care-after-christmas. htm

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A BIT OF HISTORY | ©SARAH BECKER

One 1/6/21 Year

Later 8

| January 2022

“A nation’s character, like that of an individual, is elusive,” World War II Navy and Marine Medal recipient John F. Kennedy professed in 1946. “It is produced partly by the things we have done and partly by what has been done to us. It is the result of physical factors, intellectual factors, and spiritual factors. It is well for us to consider our American character, for in peace, as in war, we will survive or fail according to the measure.” So the 2022 New Year begins. “Acquiring the qualities of virtue requires consistent effort,” Benjamin Franklin observed. “Pleasure, position, popularity, wealth and appearance are among the whistles in life… for which many people pay too much.” Franklin considered character and integrity to be one. And so the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th [2021] Attack on the United States Capitol continues. “Almost all the literature in the first 150 years or so focused on what could be called the Character Ethic…things like integrity, humility, fidelity, temperance, courage, justice, patience, industry, simplicity, modesty, and the Golden Rule,” Stephen Covey author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People wrote. Matthew 7:9-12, NIV Archaeological Study Bible: “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him? So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” “Shortly after WWI the basic view shifted from the Character Ethic to…the Personality Ethic,” Covey continued. “Success became more a function of personality; of public image, of attitudes and

behaviors, skills and techniques, that lubricate the processes of human interaction.” “Some of this [later] literature… compartmentalized character rather than recognize it as foundational,” Covey concluded. “The Grand Old Party of Abraham Lincoln, the rail-splitter, has just held its national convention,” Representative John F. Kennedy [D-MA] told the East Boston Knights of Columbus in 1947. “But in this solemn hour I would remind you that it also… has been the Grand Old Party of General Grant [1869-1877] full of graft and insufficiency; the Grand Old Party of Harding [1921 -1923] and the Forty Thieves; of do-nothing Coolidge [1923-1929] and impotent Hoover [1929-1933]...And who was more responsible than anyone else for the huge campaign funds which elected Harding, Coolidge and Hoover? It is the man who maneuvered the nomination of the present Republican candidate [Thomas E. Dewey] for President…old Joe Grundy of Pennsylvania; Old High Tariff Joe, the man who pulled the strings.” The Gilded Age, a term coined by Mark Twain, refers to the time period dating from the late 1860s to 1900. It was an Age of rapid industrial growth, robber barons, and increasing racial and economic inequality. Joe Grundy [1863-1961], an Andrew Mellon ally, was involved in the textile and banking industries; a conservative Republican appointed to fill a U.S. Senate vacancy in 1929. “They had old Joe up on the witness stand when the 1929 Depression started,” Kennedy continued. “They asked him how much he had raised from among his friends in the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association for the Coolidge campaign. Why, about $700,000, he said. Then they asked him how much he raised for the Hoover campaign. About the same—$700,000, he figured. Is it any wonder that Old Joe Grundy’s man was Old Town Crier

named Chairman of the Republican National Committee to run the 1948 [presidential] campaign? ” The Democratic Party split in 1948. When President Harry S. Truman [D-MO] introduced his civil rights package to Congress on February 2, 1948, then again introduced the package as a Party platform plank, many disgruntled delegates walked away. Conservative Southern Democrats nominated Governor Strom Thurmond [D-SC] “to run on their States’ Rights ticket.” Liberal Democrats, already in the throes of reconstructing the 1911/1924 Progressive Party, picked one-time Vice President Henry Wallace [D-IA] as their Presidential candidate. Pollsters predicted a landslide win for Truman competitor Thomas E. Dewey. I tell you no lie: Harry Truman won the presidential election in one of the biggest upsets in political history. Truman’s controversial message: “We know our democracy is not perfect…But if we wish to inspire the peoples of the world whose freedom is in jeopardy…we must correct the remaining imperfections in our practice of democracy. [By] establishing a permanent Commission on Civil Rights, strengthening existing civil rights statutes, providing federal protection against lynching, protecting more adequately the right to vote [and more].” “Along with Old Joe’s hand-picked candidates, the Grundy Old Party, at its Philadelphia Convention, adopted a platform,” Kennedy clarified. “It contains many nice phrases and pledges of what the Party will do if the legislative and executive branches of government are entrusted to it for the next four years. But most of those phrases and pledges contained in the platform were adopted by the Grundy Old Party four years ago. There is nothing… which can lead any person to believe that those Old Town Crier

“I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain (what I consider the most enviable of all titles) the character of an honest man.”

“No matter how big the lie, repeat it often enough and the masses will regard it as truth.”

“The real explanation was that the GOP doesn’t want to give Democrats a political platform from which to make the 2022 midterm elections a referendum on President Trump and his Big Lie.”

– GEORGE WASHINGTON

– JOHN F. KENNEDY

– SEN. JOHN CORNYN

promises will be fulfilled in the future.” “The Republican Party follows the Hitler line,” Kennedy concluded, “no matter how big the lie, repeat it often enough and the masses will regard it as truth.” “The forces of reaction are at present in control of the Congress,” Kennedy counseled. “They are the same forces dominated…by [those] who for 50 years have sought to enslave American workingmen and women; [who] fought every effort of President Roosevelt and President Truman to protect your rights.” “Since the permanent formation of our Government under the Constitution, in 1789, most

of the periods of crisis in our history have related to our domestic affairs,” President Franklin Roosevelt said in his 1941 Annual Message to Congress. “Only one of these—the four year War Between the States—ever threatened our national unity.” Conservative Southern Democrats, including Strom Thurmond’s Dixiecrats, remained loyal to the Democratic Party until 1964. Most, including Thurmond, switched to the Republican Party when President Lyndon B. Johnson [D-TX]—one of the South’s own—signed both the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. ONE YEAR LATER > PAGE 10

January 2022 |

One Year Later

“You can fight to tell the truth, you can fight against the cancer in the Republican Party: the lies, conspiracy and dishonesty.”

– REP. ADAM KINZINGER

“Millions of Americans have been sold a fraud that the [2020] election was stolen.”

– REP. LIZ CHENEY

ONE YEAR LATER | FROM PAGE 9

California’s Ronald Reagan became a Republican in 1962; the ever-changing Donald Trump joined, again joined the Republican Party in 1987, 2009, and 2012. Bottom line: the Radical Republicans, the alleged racial equalizers associated with post-Civil War Reconstruction were feared no more. Reagan’s 1980 pitch to the Christian Right was icing on the cake. The Radical Republicans Civil Rights Act of 1875 was first introduced in 1870; the same year the Rockefellers incorporated Standard Oil Company of Ohio; Virginia was again admitted to the Union, and AME minister Hiram Rhodes Revels [18271901]—a free Negro his entire life—became the first black to serve in the U.S. Senate. Revels, a Mississippi Republican, assumed Jefferson Davis’ seat. Massachusetts Senator and Radical Republican Charles Sumner celebrated Revels arrival: “All men are created equal, says the great Declaration, and now a great act attests this verity. Today we make the Declaration a reality.” To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, “we [did not] extinguish our resentments [for the sake of] harmony and union.” It is fascinating that the unfinished Civil War memorial, a Peace Monument designed by a Union Admiral and located on the U.S. Capitol grounds is now seen as “an enigmatic emblem” of the insurrectionists’ aftermath. As is the 1861-1865 Confederate flag. In the aftermath of the January 6th, 2021, Capitol riot “many Republicans agreed on the need for an independent commission to investigate the attack,” The Week wrote on June 11, 2021. “However, a Republican filibuster killed a bill creating such a commission. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s justification was that the proposed commission would be ‘slanted’ against Republicans though it would have featured five Republican and five Democrat appointees.” In fact the ongoing Select Investigating Committee is composed of seven Democrats and two Republicans. “The real explanation,” as Senator John Cornyn [R-TX] admitted, “was that the GOP doesn’t want to give Democrats ‘a political platform’ from which to make the 2022 midterm elections ‘a referendum on President Trump’ and his Big Lie that the election was stolen.” Proverbs 24:26, NIV Archaeological Study Bible: “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” “I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain (what I consider the most enviable of all titles) the character of an honest man,” General George Washington wrote Alexander Hamilton in 1788. Perhaps January 6th Select 10

| January 2022

“Perpetuating the Big Lie is an attack on the core of our constitutional republic.”

– GA. SEC. OF STATE, BRAD RAFFENSPERGER

“January 6th was an unconstitutional attempt led by the president of the United States to overturn an American election and reinstall himself in power illegitimately. – REP. ANTHONY GONZALEZ

Committee Representatives Liz Cheney [R-WY], Vice Chair, and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), a military veteran himself, have read the General’s letter. Kinzinger, a Trump critic who voted in favor of impeachment, has decided not to seek reelection. “You can fight to tell the truth, you can fight against the cancer in the Republican Party: the lies, conspiracy and dishonesty,” Kinzinger said on October 31, 2021. “Still there are about 190 people in the Republican Party that aren’t going to say a word.” Millions of Americans have been sold a fraud that the [2020] election was stolen,” Cheney said on October 10, 2021. “Republicans have a duty to tell the American people that this is not true. Perpetuating the Big Lie is an attack on the core of our constitutional republic.” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a conservative Republican who supported Trump, tells all in his new book Integrity Counts. Retiring Representative Anthony Gonzalez [ROH], another conservative Republican who voted to impeach Donald Trump, describes the attack on the Capitol as “the line that can’t be crossed.” Said Gonzalez: “January 6th was an unconstitutional attempt led by the president of the United States to overturn an American election and reinstall himself in power illegitimately. That’s fallen nation territory. That’s third-world country territory. My family left Cuba to avoid that fate [and] I will never let it happen here.” Scuttlebutt suggests investigators are now examining whether a group of powerful Trump backers [advocates like political tactician Roger Stone] used a “war room” in Washington’s Willard Intercontinental hotel to incite the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows—held in criminal contempt as of December 15, 2021—has shared more than 9,000 documents with the House Select Committee to Investigate, as well as a bombshell copy of another’s 38-page PowerPoint presentation—Election Fraud, Foreign Interference & Options for 6 Jan. The presentation includes “recommendations for Trump to pursue in order to retain the presidency.” Donald Trump’s newly formed social media company Trump Media & Technology Group [TMTG] launches this month. “Big Tech platforms demonetize, throttle, and cancel those who stray from the mainstream narrative,” the TMTG website says. The CEO is former Congressman Devin Nunes [RCA], a prominent member of both the “tax writing” House Ways and Means Committee and House Intelligence Committee. “Devin understands that we must stop the liberal media and Big Tech from destroying the freedoms

“He’s got to condemn this shit ASAP.”

– DONALD J. TRUMP, JR.

that make America great,” Trump said. TMTG’s social platform: TRUTH Social. In truth Donald Trump’s son, Don Jr. thought the ongoing Capitol riots condemnable. “He’s got to condemn this shit ASAP,” Don Jr. messaged White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on January 6, 2021. “The Capitol Police tweet is not enough.” To date more than 650 U.S. Capitol protesters have been charged with individual crimes. Also D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine has filed suit— against the participating Poor Boys and Oath Keepers “for conspiring to terrorize the District of Columbia.” On December 9, 2021, the House of Representatives passed [220-208] the Protecting Our Democracy Act, an Act “To protect our democracy by preventing abuses of presidential power, restoring checks and balances and accountability and transparency in government, and defending elections against foreign interference.” The Senate has yet to vote. As the House Select Committee to Investigate moves forward “Let us,” Senator John F. Kennedy said in 1958, “seek not the Republican answer or the Democratic answer but the right answer…In the words of the poet: ‘Now has come the time for action, Clear away all thought of faction, Out from vacillating shame—Every man no lie contain, Let him answer to his name—Call the roll.’” Character: a collection of qualities, attributes, and or elements, especially mental and moral that distinguish a person or thing: a moral strength— strength of a type the country sorely needs. A Bit of History ©2021 Sarah Becker Sarah Becker started writing for The Economist while a graduate student in England. Similar publications followed. She joined the Crier in 1996 while serving on the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association Board. Her interest in antiquities began as a World Bank hire, with Indonesia’s need to generate hard currency. Balinese history, i.e. tourism provided the means. The New York Times describes Becker’s book, Off Your Duffs & Up the Assets, as “a blueprint for thousands of nonprofit managers.” A former museum director, SLAM’s saving grace Sarah received Alexandria’s Salute to Women Award in 2007. Email abitofhistory53@ gmail.com Old Town Crier

HIGH NOTES

RON POWERS

Spoon, one of the most consistently excellent bands in indie rock history will release their 10th full-length studio album in February. quickly resolves itself with subtle tension creating a seamless transition into the chorus. It’s amazing how much mileage Spoon manages to get out of a minimalist guitar riff. Yes, “The Hardest Cut” is as simple as they come. Yet, all the virtuosity in the world couldn’t deliver the satisfaction it provides with just a few cleverly arranged

notes. The band switch gears for the chorus where we hear the guitars delivering staccato quarter notes along with interesting variations of the original riff. Sustained vocal notes along with a catchy melody provide contrast to the staccato vibe of the guitars. This combination makes for a chorus that lifts

“The Hardest Cut” to true rock-n-roll gem status. And with the song coming in at just 3 minutes and 13 seconds, you almost can’t resist playing it twice. Spoon currently has two shows booked for early 2022 and more shows will likely be added by the time this article reaches you. If you’d like to check tour dates you can find them at www.spoonband.com. If you’d like to learn more about Spoon you can find them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. If you’d like to listen to “The Hardest Cut” or any of Spoon’s many other fine songs, you can find them on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and most other places music is streamed or sold. Ron Powers is an independent A&R specialist and music industry consultant, and is constantly searching for, discovering and writing about new talent.

“The Hardest Cut” by Spoon I hope you had a nice holiday season and are ready to make 2022 a great year. This month I’m going to focus on a fantastic number called “The Hardest Cut” by Austin, Texas rock-n-rollers Spoon. “The Hardest Cut” is the first single off their upcoming album, Lucifer On The Sofa, due out in February. This song makes you want to put on a pair of sunglasses and swivel your hips from beat one. It’s stone-cold cool and fun at the same time and if you like rock-n-roll music you’ll love “The Hardest Cut”. The song begins with room microphones picking up the sound of handclaps and snare drum rimshots. In the midst of this, one of the band members counts off the song before one of the best guitar riffs I’ve heard in a long time is introduced. Under the crispy and grooving riff, the band layer thick 70s style drums and bass which combined to produce a tone and weight most rock bands only dream about producing. Old Town Crier

“The Hardest Cut” is the sort of song that feels so fresh and appealing from the start that you almost don’t need to listen to the song to know you love it. Singer Britt Daniel deepens the cool vibe of this song with plucky and headstrong lyrics. The first verse sets the stage with the lines, “You took off in the dead of night / But before you did, got your hair combed right, yeah / The neighborhood watch knows the score / And they’re knockin’ at your door, let them knock some more”. Under the vocal the main riff along with drums and bass keep things grooving as the song twists its way to the prechorus. For the pre-chorus, the top line shifts to a new rhythm and note pattern while the main groove of the song remains the same. Additionally, a second guitar part is introduced which loosely follows and accentuates what the lead vocal is doing. This section

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January 2022 |

THE LAST WORD

MIRIAM R. KRAMER

Vengeance! Comedy! Suspense! Unfortunately we are seeing another round of shutdowns with the advent of this new Omicron variant, so many are canceling plans to travel or go out for entertainment. Razorblade Tears, by S.A. Cosby; All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business by Mel Brooks; and The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz will take you away from home, but in quite different psychological directions. S.A. COSBY has made a mark for himself with his provocative Southern noir prose. The latest, Razorblade Tears, is a fast-paced tale of guilt and vengeance in which an unlikely duo of two fathers and former felons, one Black and one white, join up to find out who killed their two sons, who are married to one another. Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee’s relationships with their sons are fraught with tension and distance, since both are homophobes who have come close to disowning their children for the perceived crime of 12

| January 2022

being gay. As both reckon with their individual pain and grief, they start examining their own discomfort with people who are “other,” whether they be gay, Black, or white. They begin to try clumsily to cross a color divide and use each other’s strengths to pursue the murderers. Cosby creates a lively, modern twist to the classic theme of polar opposites who cross boundaries to value and

bond with one another. He vividly brings to life these two men who have tried to put away the violent or murderous impulses that landed them in prison in order to create a life on the outside, only to find that they are forced to use these tools to punish their sons’ killers. If I have a quibble, it is that Ike Randolph’s speech as a Black man seems more authentic than that of Buddy Lee, the alcoholic, trailer-living white father. Sometimes a reader also has to suspend belief at various plot twists. Otherwise, this bloody, moody, and sometimes introspective book offers more depth than an average suspense novel while blasting forward like a runaway train. In a different vein, MEL BROOKS’ professional memoir, All About Me! is a straightforward, buoyant piece of writing in which he traces his funnyman trajectory from childhood to today. At 95, he has much to relate. Brooks started his life as Melvin

Kaminsky in the outer boroughs, a kid destined, like his Jewish neighbors, to find work in the Garment District in Manhattan. Growing up he started drumming, which sharpened his sense of rhythm and timing, along with his appreciation for music. A poor student, he wanted to be in show business. THE LAST WORD > PAGE 13

Old Town Crier

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THE LAST WORD | FROM PAGE 12

Drafted into the Army during World War II, Brooks eventually applied to be a part of Special Services, the branch which entertained other troops. There he began honing his comedy skills. He also spent time not as a stand-up comic, but in related jobs in the Borscht Belt. Brooks eventually went on to become a writer for Sid Caesar’s highly popular variety show, Your Show of Shows, which in the early to mid-Fifties reached close to 60 million viewers on Saturday nights. There he met talented writers like Neil Simon and comedians such as Carl Reiner, who became his best friend for life. After making his bones as a comedy writer in Sid Caesar’s pressure cooker, Mel eventually met his wife, the actor Anne Bancroft. Since this memoir is focused more narrowly on his professional life, he does not spend much time exploring personal relationships, other than calling someone a “dear friend” or describing how he collaborated with people and friends he valued dearly. Yet he does focus on Bancroft and their adoration of one another, in which she helped him overcome self-doubt, devoted herself to their son, Max, and earned an Oscar, two Tony Awards, and two Emmy Awards as a remarkable success in her own right until her death in 2005. Along the way Brooks describes the genesis of the movie The Producers, in which he began to write music and lyrics. He also worked on the classic TV series Get Smart and met comedic friends and writers who helped create edgy, absurd, and widely loved vanguard comedies such as Blazing Saddles; Young Frankenstein; History of the World, Part 1; and Spaceballs, among others. Brooks also discusses the origins of the Broadway production of The Producers, which won a record twelve Tony Awards. Winning the Tony Award made him an EGOT, one of only 16 people who have achieved the honor of winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards, the Grand Slam of show business. In the memoir Brooks employs a light touch and shows a relish for both his successes and the wonderful creative collaborations he has generated. He speaks little of flops, failures, or any personal crises, preferring to focus on the positive. This is a fun romp through the life of a veteran comedian, who like so many Jewish entertainers made his way from regional New York origins to changing mainstream comedy. If you are a biography and comedy aficionado, you will find this memoir endearing and uplifting. The Plot, by JEAN HANFF KORELITZ, relates the story of Jacob Finch Bonner, an alienated writer who has diligently attained a prestigious writing degree and written one critically successful book noted by the New York Times. Unfortunately, he has followed up with flops and then run out of ideas. To make ends meet, Jacob has left expensive Brooklyn and taken a job as a writing seminar teacher at a third-rate writing program in Vermont. He feels dull dread at facing yet another group of writers with mediocre abilities and ideas, not believing that anyone can teach someone else to write well. When he meets the writers in his course, he encounters cocky Evan Parker, who is Old Town Crier

secretive about his work and confident that it will succeed commercially and critically. Evan believes that writing is all about plot, with the quality of the writing less important. He informs Jacob that he has a compelling and unique plot that avoids all the typical tropes of literature: one that will automatically hook the public, put his book on bestseller and Oprah’s Book Club lists, and get him a movie deal. Jacob finds his initial written chapter decently written but unremarkable, until Evan tells him the plot, a plot that makes Jacob furious with envy and sure that Evan will receive the acclaim he expects. Three years go by, and Jacob’s writer’s block has continued, moving him even further away from his initial success. He has looked for Evan’s book but never seen it for sale. Then he finds out that Evan died without ever publishing it. With this knowledge Jacob takes a fateful step: using Evan’s plot to pen his own novel. When Jacob’s book Crib is released, he soaks up the celebrity and success Evan predicted. Suddenly, however, he receives a series of e-mails calling him a thief for stealing the plot from Evan. His feelings of terror at being unveiled and perceived as a plagiarist by the world begin as the unknown writer’s secret campaign towards him intensifies. The Plot ultimately describes the soul and practice of writing: mundane struggles to find an agent and a route to glory, what writers find satisfying in their craft, their envy of fellow authors’ triumphs, and their longing for readers to resonate with their work. Even a successful author often finds only a solitary, often lonely way of connecting with the world at large outside of public readings. At the same time this novel is a propulsive, well-written thriller and a twisty plot inside another, easy to read yet also provocative in the questions it raises. Who owns a story? Is every tale based on another? Is a plot proprietary? Can people truly own their personal stories? The tone of The Plot reminds me of the massive bestseller Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, clever, nasty, and cold with a similar build of tension. Yet it is also sympathetic to writers and their struggles. In the end this novel describes itself, and author Jean Hanff Korelitz lurks unseen outside the story, a writer pulling our puppet strings to her own ends.

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January 2022 |

GALLERY BEAT

F. LENNOX CAMPELLO

Calling All Artists: Let’s Get You to the Fair Many times via this column, I’ve discussed how the the founders and organizers of a European art fair called Art Basel (which of course, takes place in Basel, Switzerland), decided to try an American version of their successful European model and started an art fair in the Miami Beach Convention Center a couple of decades ago, and they called it Art Basel Miami Beach or ABMB for short. And I’ve also told you how that one mega art fair spawned a few satellite art fairs in Miami at the same time and how by now there are over two dozen art fairs going on around the Greater Miami area each December, and art collectors, artists, gallerists, dealers, curators and all the symbionts of the art world descent on America’s coolest hot city in December and art rules the area. I’ve also pointed out that if you are a visual artist in 2021 and are not aware of these events, and are not trying to get there (get your artwork there is what I mean), then something really big is missing from your artistic arsenal (unless you’re happy just painting or drawing or photographing or sculpting, etc. and could care less who sees and possibly acquires your work – if that’s the case, then skip the rest of this column and more power to you!).

Chicago artist Tony Porto became a social media star for one day at the Scope Art Fair. But, if like some of us, the commodification of your artwork doesn’t bother you, and the fact that when you or your gallery sell one of your pieces, you feel honored and pleased that someone laid out their hard earned cash to simply add one of your creations to their home or collection, then Miami in December should be in your radar. But how to get there? The fairs are mostly gallery-based – that means that galleries are invited or juried to exhibit; not usually individual artists --- more on that later – but there are some other ways to begin to crack the Miami art fair presence, and today I want to share some of my ideas. Let’s start with gallery-based artists. If you are already represented by a gallery, why not discuss Miami with them? The enormous expenses associated with the art fair scene are the main reason that most art galleries do not consider them. And this is a darn good reason, as most galleries are run by the skin of their teeth and the expense associated with doing an art fair are enormous and could wreck an entire financial plan in less than a week. GALLERY BEAT > PAGE 15

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Art is Everywhere at ABMB Week.

Old Town Crier

GALLERY BEAT | FROM PAGE 14

But, what does it hurt to bring it up to your gallerist? Who knows where that may lead? I am still shocked at how many art dealers are not even aware of the potential financial and exposure rewards of doing an art fair. Let me be clear: I don’t want to hype this issue as a surefire path to moving artwork. But, this much I know… for roughly the same amount of money that a gallery spends on a full page ad in a national art magazine, you can get a small booth in some of the satellite fairs and the return on their investment has a lot more avenues than taking a chance with an ad. Gathering information is the key thing… bring the subject up to your dealer, and if they want more info, have them email me… the best thing for art is more art. How about if you are a

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cooperative gallery? Why not consider applying to one of the art fairs and spreading the cost of the booth amongst the exhibiting artists? A word of warning: the better fairs are juried and that means that someone gets always rejected. But the same key that allows cooperatives to survive for decades (spread the expenses) should and must be the key to give them a presence at the art fairs! And many, many co-ops are routinely showing now at art fairs in Miami, NYC, LA, London, Madrid, etc. The fact that they are returning to the fairs means that they’re having a positive experience there. The look and feel of the fairs is different as well. Many of them are booth fairs – that means that a white cube booth of plain white walls, ready to be drilled and hung with art, is the main model. Fairs such as the original Art Basel Miami Beach, Volta, Scope, Art Miami, Untitled,

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etc. are on this model. There are also hotel fairs. These are fairs that essentially take place in a local hotel, where the room is often emptied out and turned into a temporary gallery by the out of town galleries. The best hotel art fair in the world, according to many, is the Aqua Art Fair, held at the Aqua Hotel in Miami Beach, and having participated in it many times in the past, add my name to the list of people who thinks that this is the best hotel art fair on the planet. And at Aqua I’ve seen cooperative galleries, and universities, and artists’ leagues, etc. A little Googlin’ of Miami art fairs (or just art fairs in general) will reveal just how many fairs there are and where. The key thought to leave you with: think art fairs and think Miami, New York, LA, Chicago... and think of a way to get there. Kelly’s Art & Frame 510 N. Washington Street Oerth Gallery 420 S. Washington Street Jeffrey Winter Fine Arts 110A S. Columbus Street Johnston Matthew 105 N. Union Street Huddy Studio 105 N. Union Street Mezzanine Multiples 105 N. Union Street

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TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS

SCOTT DICKEN

All Photos by Scott Dicken

Over-Touristed Destinations: What are your Alternatives?

t happens to the best of us: you spend months researching holiday destinations and tourist attractions. You sit online fawning over photos of picture-perfect vistas and iconic sights devoid of crowds. You spend thousands of dollars on flights and hotels hoping for the perfect vacation. And then you arrive. That iconic sight you had your heart set on is teeming with droves of tourists all clambering for the perfect photo opportunity. Ticket lines stretch for miles. Hawkers and unlicensed tour guides are crawling all over you trying to offload everything from cheap trinkets to “the best tour in town”. With this in mind, and based on an assumption that you don’t want to spend a two-week vacation fighting off other tourists for the best photo spots, what are your options? In this article I look at some of the worst-offending destinations and alternatives that, whilst mirroring the charm or grandeur of their more famous counterparts, benefit from the absence of the tourist hordes.

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt The pyramids have long been known to be challenging when it comes to the sheer numbers of tourists that visit, keeping control of those tourists, and the borderline harassment exerted by hawkers and guides. Online images inferring that the site is hundreds of miles from civilization also bely the 16

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on to what a phenomenal destination Meroe is – so much so that you can wild camp around the pyramids for the night. But that’s likely to change as an increasing number of tour companies offer the chance to visit.

fact that you can take pictures of them from inside a nearby KFC! None of this is to say you should never visit the Pyramids – they truly are one of the most aweinspiring sites a traveler can behold. But what if you’re looking to witness something akin to the Pyramids of Giza but without the nearby KFC? The Overrated Tourist Attraction Alternative: The Nubian Pyramids of Meroe, Sudan I’ll admit, the alternative is a little off-the-beatenpath; Sudan isn’t on most traveler bucket-lists. However, believe it or not, Sudan is home to over 250 pyramids, which is significantly more than Egypt. Meroe, which was once the capital of the Kushite kingdom, represents the largest field of pyramids anywhere on earth and dates all the way back to 250 BC. Most tourists haven’t yet cottoned

Santorini, Greece The Greek island of Santorini is a shutterbugs dream! In fact, Santorini’s blue-domed churches, pastel houses, and jaw-dropping sunsets mean that even those with only a faint interest in taking holiday snaps, and armed with the most basic of equipment, can capture postcard perfect pictures with minimal effort. Given the real danger that you’ll spend your entire visit seeing Santorini through a viewfinder it’s no surprise that the island, and in LEAVE FOOTPRINTS > PAGE 17

Old Town Crier

LEAVE FOOTPRINTS | FROM PAGE 16

particular the town of Oia, with its fantastic sunset views of the island’s volcanic caldera, is an Instagram hit. These days you can barely scroll down your Instagram feed for ten minutes without seeing a scantily clad influencer posing next to one of the town’s whitewashed walls or pastel-blue domed churches. It’s gotten so bad that I’ve heard rumors of scuffles breaking out over the amount of time some people have spent dominating the best photo spots. So, what to do if fighting over photo spots in Santorini doesn’t sound like how you want to spend your hard-earned relaxing vacation? The Overrated Tourist Attraction Alternative: Paros, Greece The island of Paros, a few hours boat ride from Athens, is regularly described as Greece’s best kept secret. However, its historic sites, including the Delian Apollo and Artemis, pristine beaches, excellent nightlife, and quaint fishing villages are luring ever-increasing numbers to the island at the heart of the Cyclades. If you’re looking to emulate the white-washed walls and blue-domed churches if Oia on Santorini, then look no further than the port village of Naousa!

(but not always), be a nightmare of queuing, dodging unlicensed tour guides, and being offered, at times forcibly, souvenirs for sale. Forget getting the perfect photo – that might well be the least of your worries! So, where should you visit if you’re looking for something a little more relaxing and serene? The Overrated Tourist Attraction Alternative: Itmad-ud-Daula, Agra, India Whilst nothing can really compare to the Taj Mahal, the mini-Taj as it’s affectionately known, is arguably more intricate in design although not on the same grandiose scale. Designed as the burial tomb of Mizra Ghiyas Beg it dates back to 1622. The added good news is that it’s located within easy reach of the Taj Mahal. I’d personally consider combining a trip to Itmad-ud-Daula with Mehtab Bagh, which are both on Agra’s east bank. Mehtab Bagh, which consists of ornate gardens, offers phenomenal views of the Taj Mahal on the opposite side of the river but without the same crowds!

Dubrovnik, Croatia The first time I visited Dubrovnik I remember being charmed by the quaint, narrow, cobbled streets and imposing fortresses overlooking the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean. It was a relaxed and, dare I say, quiet old town that you could explore in relative solitude. That was some 15 years ago, and a lot has changed. Game of Thrones fever has taken over Dubrovnik. The old town, which features several GoT filming locations, has witnessed a rapid rise in tourism. Largely gone are the quiet cobbled street scenes; replaced by feverish hordes of GoT enthusiasts and cruise-goers following umbrella-wielding guides in full medieval costume. Don’t get me wrong, you can still escape the crowds with some careful planning, but where’s the impromptu enjoyment in scheduling a vacation down to the second? Wanting to avoid Game of Thrones fever altogether? The Overrated Tourist Attraction Alternative: Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina Only 120km from Dubrovnik, across the border in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the town of Mostar is one of the rising stars on the Balkan backpacker circuit. Best known for its incredibly aesthetic bridge, Stari Most, which was originally built during the reign of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th Century, Mostar

is also home to a multi-cultural old town that rivals Dubrovnik. So, if you find yourself in Dubrovnik and have had just about all you can take of the umbrella-wielding tour guides, consider a day trip and get two countries for the price of one.

Blue Lagoon, Iceland The turquoise geothermally heated 37-39°C (99–102 °F) swimming waters of Iceland’s manmade Blue Lagoon are a modern-day international phenomenon, and Iceland’s #1 tourist attraction. I remember first visiting the Blue Lagoon in the 90’s and other than some fairly basic shower facilities the site was ‘under-developed’ and ‘under-visited’. I could wallow in peace and solitude, enjoying the warm turquoise waters. Not anymore. Today, without exception, not a day goes by without my Instagram feed showing scantily clad, perfectly preened individuals meditatively staring into the pool’s otherworldly blue waters as though unaware their picture is being taken (belying the fact that they’ve been setting up the photo for the last 20 minutes). Put simply, it gets extremely busy and has lost some of the rustic, natural charm it once had. If you’re looking for a more traditional Icelandic experience that doesn’t involve Instagram influencers wielding selfie-sticks and go-pros around, where should you head? The Overrated Tourist Attraction Alternative: Secret Lagoon or Myvatyn Nature Baths The Secret Lagoon is a less daunting, and more traditional, alternative. Secret Lagoon is also handily placed within the Golden Circle, meaning that it’s an easy day trip from Reykjavik and no further away from the capital city that Blue Lagoon. However, if you have a little more time and you’re planning a trip around Iceland’s entire ring road, then you might wish to consider Myvatyn Nature Baths. The last time I was there I was the only one swimming (admittedly, I was there at a very late hour), and whilst it might not have quite the same level of facilities as Blue Lagoon, that solitude makes it entirely worthwhile. Looking to discover more underrated tourist destinations? Make sure to check out the takephotosleavefootprints.com website.

The Taj Mahal, India The Taj Mahal sits in second place behind Angkor Wat on the list of best UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1983. Commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the remains of his cherished wife, the Taj Mahal stands on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, India. Built over more than 20 years, the famed mausoleum complex is one of the most outstanding examples of Mughal architecture combining Indian, Persian and Islamic influences. At its center is the Taj Mahal itself – built of shimmering, white marble that seems to change color depending on the sunlight or moonlight hitting its surface. It remains one of the world’s most celebrated structures and is a stunning symbol of India’s rich history. There’s no doubt that it’s one of the most architecturally stunning sights I’ve ever visited. But that’s only half the story. What the guidebooks and google image searches won’t tell you is that the Taj Mahal can, at its worst Old Town Crier

January 2022 |

POINTS ON PETS

LISA VELENOVSKY

Patience is Truly a Virtue and a Gift: Introducing a New Pet to Your Home It’s 2022, and you’re determined that this year will be better than ever! Perhaps your personal happiness plan includes adding a new pet to your family. Whether you’re a first-time pet owner or a seasoned pet parent adding another furry (or not-so-furry) friend to the household, the road to success begins well before a pet crosses your threshold.

What’s Your Perfect Pet? Of course, step #1 is deciding what type. It’s important to be realistic about your lifestyle and what’s required to responsibly care for a specific pet. Longing for a puppy, but no time for training, regular exercise, and dealing with a high-energy ball of fur? Maybe a mature, independent cat is a better fit. Or perhaps it’s really a goldfish you need. If you’re not sure, head to Chewy’s “What Pet Should I Get” quiz - https://be.chewy.com/what-petshould-i-get-take-our-quiz-and-find-out/ - or check out Best Friends Animal Society’s list of questions to ask yourself when choosing a pet - https://resources. bestfriends.org/article/choosing-pet. Whatever you decide, everyone who will be living with the pet, including children and other pets, should be part of the selection process whenever possible. And while you may be tempted to surprise someone with a new pet as a gift, consider giving a gift certificate for the pet instead, allowing the recipient to be part of the selection process since a pet is a lifetime commitment. Next, you need to prepare for their arrival into 18

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your home and life. Patience is key, especially if your new pet is a cat or dog, which the overwhelming majority are. Even if you’re an old hand at this, every pet will have different requirements.

Have a safe room or space already set up ...with appropriate bedding, crates, gates, food, water and toys, and set up a few hiding places if it’s for a cat. Allowing immediate access to the entire house can be overwhelming and cause anxiety, so it’s best to provide your pet with an area where they can feel safe and secure.

Have an integration plan. In addition to all the “stuff,” you need a plan to slowly and safely introduce the new pet into your home to build trust and comfort. Dogs especially like a routine; a consistent schedule can help alleviate some stress. There are many great resources for successfully integrating your new pet to your home online, such as https://www.animalhumanesociety. org/adoption/introducing-new-pet-your-household and https://www.goodpetparent.com/2017/02/25/ introducing-new-pet-into-home/.

Have patience. It’s normal to hope your new pet will feel instantly at home. Some do. The reality is, your new companion needs time to decompress and adjust, even if they are wagging their tail or purring

when you meet them. You know they’re heading to a great new life, but in their minds, their world is turning upside down, which can cause wariness and fearfulness in a new environment. The timing will differ from pet to pet and can take hours or months. Don’t get discouraged! According to the Richmond SPCA, a typical shelter dog takes at least 6-8 weeks to fully adjust, and around 6 months for full integration. As for cats… well, they have their own timeline, and they’re not talking, but experts say three months (at a minimum) is not unusual. Certified animal behavior consultant Janet Velenovsky of Kaizen Pet Training & Behavior says patience during the adjustment period is extremely important. “My clients never regret taking it slowly, but lots of them regret pushing too fast.” During this period, it’s important to keep a close eye on your new pet for signs of stress, anxiety and depression; address them immediately, adjust your plan accordingly, and get professional help from your vet or an animal behavior consultant or trainer quickly. Your pet’s body language is key to understanding how they’re doing. For more information on body language, see https://www. mypet.com/new-pet-owner/understanding-petbody-language.aspx.

If you have children… The new-pet-introduction process gives parents an opportunity to teach important, lifelong lessons in empathy and responsibility through modeling appropriate behavior and age-appropriate education.

Children should learn, among other things: • To always approach animals calmly. • To recognize common signs of distress in cats and dogs, respect your pet’s boundaries, and not agitate them. Old Town Crier

POINTS ON PETS | FROM PAGE 18

• That a new pet, even if it’s the same type or breed as an existing pet, doesn’t necessarily have the same personality, and may react differently. • Very young children do not have the maturity to control aggression and anger, so they should be monitored with pets at all times. For more information on children and pets, see https://www.petassure.com/newnewsletters/caring-for-pets-teaches-childrenresponsibility/. If you have existing pets… As with children, it’s important to approach introductions carefully to start pet-to-pet relationships off on the right paw. No matter how much experience you have, remember: If a new pet lived with other dogs/cats in the past, that doesn’t guarantee that they will get along with your pets. If you have multiple pets, introduce them one at a time so that the new pet does not get overwhelmed. Keep pets at a distance and separated with their own space, toys, and feeding areas until they’ve had time to adjust. • Pay attention to body language at each step. • Reward positive behavior and interactions. • Pull back and repeat process steps as necessary. • Contact your vet or a certified animal behaviorist or trainer sooner rather than later to deal with persistent signs of anxiety and stress or behavioral issues. • And, of course, patience! While some integrations will be lightening quick, most will take days, weeks or even months. No matter how hard it is, you need to

be on the pet’s adjustment schedule, not yours. Your job is not to decide how long that is; it’s to help your new pet get there well and happy. Perhaps A.A. Milne said it best in Winniethe-Pooh: “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” And, oh, what a wonderful day for a new pet that will be!

Start Out the New Year

By Adopting a Furry Friend!

Lisa Velenovsky is a long-time resident of Alexandria, an animal lover and a volunteer at King Street Cats. She wishes to thank her cats Windsor, Nina and Parker for all their “help” in completing this article.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: be.chewy.com/what-pet-should-i-get-take-our-quizand-find-out/ resources.bestfriends.org/article/choosing-pet richmondspca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ Introducing-Dogs-to-Other-Dogs.pdf richmondspca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ Introducing-Cats-to-Other-Cats.pdf www.animalhumanesociety.org/adoption/ introducing-new-pet-your-household

Meet former King Street Cats Alumnus

Peppercorn She now resides in the office of The Old Town Crier and it has been rumored that she is quite helpful with the paperwork.

www.mspca.org/angell_services/pet-tipintroducing-a-new-pet-to-your-household/ dogtime.com/advocacy/dog-adoption/35621-tipsdecompressing-new-rescue-dog be.chewy.com/is-this-normal-my-cat-is-afraid-ofmy-new-dog/ getyourpet.com/introducing-dogs-cats/ www.goodpetparent.com/2017/02/25/ introducing-new-pet-into-home/ www.mypet.com/new-pet-owner/understandingpet-body-language.aspx www.petassure.com/new-newsletters/caring-forpets-teaches-children-responsibility/ www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/ Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Pets-AndChildren-075.aspx

ADVERTISE WITH US office@oldtowncrier.com

PETS

OF THE

MONTH CHUNKY

4101 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, VA 703-746-4774 alexandriaanimals.org Mon-Fri, 1-8 pm Closed Wed Sat & Sun, 12-5 pm Old Town Crier

2-year-old Chunky thinks he is in great shape, and we agree that this terrier mix is pretty close to perfect! Chunky is an active fellow who would love an adventurous, outgoing adult household where he could show off his skills and maybe even learn a few more. Visit AlexandriaAnimals.org/ Adopt to learn more about Chunky.

TESSIE

Startling tortoiseshell Tessie hasn’t let her beauty go to her head! She’s been spending her time in foster care learning all the best games (she’s nearly caught the laser beam) and even a few new tricks, like how to High Five. Tessie is currently in the care of one of the AWLA’s amazing fosters, but you can schedule time to meet her by emailing Adopt@AlexandriaAnimals.org or calling 703.746.4774 x2.

ADDISON & CAROL

What’s better than one black-and-white polka dot rabbit? A pair of nearly identical bonded bunnies, and Addison and Carol have you covered. These 7-month-old siblings are the best of friends, but they can’t wait to welcome you to the Bun Club. Their adoption fees have been pre-paid by a generous donor, so schedule time to meet them today at AlexandriaAnimals.org/ Adopt-By-Appointment.

The AWLA has a lot of amazing adoptables at the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter and even more in foster care throughout the community. Meet some of our foster favorites and schedule time to meet them by emailing adopt@alexandriaanimals.org. January 2022 |

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION CARIBBEAN JOURNAL STAFF Now that we're all working remotely

Wouldn't you REALLY rather work from the beach?

15 Best Caribbean Beach Bars for 2021

NAPLES FL TOPS THE LIST FOR BEST BEACHES IN USA BEACHFRONT SEASONAL RENTAL AVAILABLE Naples has again claimed the top spot by Travel and Leisure and several other groups for best beach town in the US. The jewel of SW Florida’s Paradise Coast has sugar sand beaches, turquoise clear waters and every amenity worthy of a world class resort town. Seasonal lease of well furnished 2BR 2BA condo in the very best beachfront location is available this winter (90 day minimum lease term). No finer view from inside and better beach access at any price and most rentals in area start at twice the price. Includes carport parking, heated pool, elevators and privacy; uncrowded beach and, onsite management. Photo is the view from inside! Call (no texts), email or visit our Facebook page @NaplesOceanfrontCondo. 540-364-9480 • hopespringsfarm@gmail.com

Ann Street Gardens

The right beach, the right chair, the right drink. It may sound simple, but, like the greatest cocktails, you only need a few ingredients. In a time when travel has been significantly disrupted, this is the kind of experience we all dream about: the tropical idyll — an afternoon at a Caribbean beach bar, the thing we all think about when we’re stuck at home, moored behind a desk, or surrounded by wintry air. For those who are traveling right now, these beach bars are the perfect Caribbean venture: outdoors, socially-distanced, breezy. For those who aren’t traveling, think of them as your to-do list for when the world returns to “normal”. Either way, it’s worth celebrating these Caribbean institutions and the people who’ve worked to build them. Here are the best Caribbean beach bars for 2021.

Karibuni, St Martin

ey west getawa

There may be no more memorable beach bar experience in the entire Caribbean than an afternoon at Pinel Island, the intoxicating little cay just off the coast of the “mainland” in St Martin. You take a oneminute ferry boat and reach Karibuni, the beach bar that belongs to the St Martin hotel by the same name. Plainly, this is what it’s all about — a Crusoe-chic beach bar that will make you feel like you’ve somehow landed on a desert island — one that just so happens to have marvelously fresh seafood and the best cocktails of the French Caribbean. A true bucket-list experience.

Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands The Mecca of beach bars is back, having relaunched after the British Virgin Islands reopened its borders for tourism in early December. Because after 2020, we could all use a few Painkillers (now with the bar’s own Soggy Dollar Rum).

Key West Getaway One Block from Sloppy Joe’s Contact: historichideaways.com • 1-800-654-5131

| January 2022

Bikinis on Beach, St John, US Virgin Islands We call it the best beach bar in St John, and Sybille Sorrentino’s

Honeymoon Beach outpost continues to draw in travelers thanks to the perfect mix of painkillers, pizza and St John personality. But the biggest draw is still the gorgeous scenery of Honeymoon Beach, set on the grounds of Caneel Bay.

Iggie’s Oasis, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands There’s no more authentic, beloved bar in St Thomas than Iggie’s at the Bolongo Bay Beach Resort, and now in its current form as Iggie’s “Oasis,” it’s open and welcoming guests. It’s all here — the food, the cocktails and even regular live music. Just make sure you make a reservation in advance.

Sunshine’s Nevis There’s a handful of cocktails in the pantheon of Caribbean mixology, ones that stir up a combination of anticipation, respect and even fear when you hear their name. And the Killer Bee is one of them. Nevis’ world-famous beach bar is back and ready for 2021, and this place is still all about the eponymous Sunshine and his legendary hospitality.

Le Petibonum, Martinique Martinique’s leading beach bar just keeps getting better thanks to the creative efforts of 2021 Caribbean Chef of the Year Guy Ferdinand, who has helped turn the fishing village of Le Carbet into one of the region’s great beach bar destinations. The French Caribbean cuisine is spectacular, there’s an onsite Rhum Agricole bar and now you can even stay the night at a floating hotel.

Jacqui O’s BeachHouse, Antigua Still something of a well-kept secret regionally, this beach lounge on the southern coast of the island is the pinnacle of Antigua cool, with great music, capacious chairs on the sand a standout cuisine, 15 BEST FOR 2021 > PAGE 21

Old Town Crier

Beach, the beloved beach bar and eatery in St Jean that serves up endlessly creative drinks and some superb seafood with the island’s classic, carefree vibes.

15 BEST FOR 2021 FROM PAGE 20

including the best Caribbean burgers this side of Le Select.

beach bar that marries French chic with Antiguan character. And the Sunday jazz lunches are one of the great pleasures in Antigua.

da’ Pink Chicken, Cat Island, The Bahamas This is what you imagine a Caribbean beach bar to be. It’s simple, it’s rustic, it’s perfect. Set in the Flamingo Hills Resort complex on still underthe-radar Cat Island, da’ Pink Chicken is, as it says, “a good place to do nothin” — and we couldn’t say it any better. Pull up, grab a Kalik and, well, spend a wonderful day doing, well, nothing at all.

Da Conch Shack, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos You can’t go to Provo without stopping here for at least some conch fritters and a rum punch. One of the

Garvey’s SunShine Shack, Anguilla This has long been our favorite beach bar in Anguilla, and with good reason: it’s set on the breathtaking sands of Rendezvous Bay, and it’s got the perfect mix of rum cocktails and fresh BBQ, all expertly stewarded by the wonderful Garvey.

Roxxy Beach, St Maarten When it opened its doors in St Maarten’s Simpson Bay in 2019, it immediately added a new level of cool to the island. And Roxxy Beach continues to serve up a different kind of beach bar experience for the island, with exquisite Rivierastyle food, great music and a beautiful little beach.

Shellona, St Barth

From the team behind the island’s renowned Sheer Rocks eatery, this Pigeon Point Beach signature is the place to see and be seen in Antigua, a

Old Town Crier

CLIFFHANGER

The Naked Fisherman, Saint Lucia The signature beach bar at the Cap Maison luxury hotel is open once again, providing inspired cocktails and arguably the best seafood on the island in a spectacular setting at the foot of a cliff. The bar is open to all guests at other hotels in Saint Lucia five days a week, and reserved for locals and Cap Maison guests on the weekend.

Just a short walk from downtown Gustavia, Shellona is a wonderful amalgam of the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, with heavenly food by Athenian Chef Yiannis Kioroglou, copious cocktails and an unrivaled beach scene.

Catherine’s Cafe, Antigua

region’s classic beach bars, it’s got it all: great conch in every form, a beautiful stretch of sand and even a separate rum bar to boot.

The OTC is happy to partner with Alexander Britell, Founder and Editor-In-Chief of the Miami, Florida based Caribbean journal, and his staff. Check them out online at caribjournal. com for valuable information on all of the fabulous travel options and things of interest in the Caribbean.

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Pearl Beach, St Barth It doesn’t get any more glamorous than the white sands of St Jean in St Barth. And this is the epicenter: Pearl

January 2022 |

FROM THE BAY

MOLLY WINANS

Off Season? What Off Season? Frostbite Racers Sail On “We do not consider it the off-season,” says Annapolis frostbite racer Kristen Robinson. “It is a great opportunity to hone your sailing skills, stay sharp, and try new things. Although it seems daunting to go out in freezing cold rain, we view it the opposite. Who would want to miss racing on a 60-degree day in December with eight to 10 knots of breeze? You can always stay home if it rains or is subzero temperatures.” Kristen and husband Brian Robinson—both SpinSheet Racing Team and SpinSheet Century Club members—sail as a “family syndicate.” They explain, “Each week we race the J/80 and J/105 out of Eastport Yacht Club with Krissy driving the J/105 and Lizzie Scales (age 11) driving the J/80. We then divide the available crew with Brian Robinson, Tracey Golde, Rob and Shay Sampson, and Pete Deremer primarily crewing on the J/105. John Chiochetti and Ben and Andrew (7) Fransen primarily crewing on the J/80. Bryan Stout and Mary Howser have generously been our floaters to go where needed most.” Chiochetti, who races in said family syndicate, says, “Many of us are missing the big fall/winter regattas, especially the pre-pandemic loss of Key West Race Week, so being able to race this time of year is a real treat… I’ve been racing J/80s in frostbite for years, but these last two seasons have given us a special chance to see the skills and traditions passing to a new generation. Sailing with Lizzy and Andrew is a real treat. We do still drink hot chocolate… sometimes with a little extra warmth!” Bruce Irvin, who races his J/30 Shamrock with Dale Eager and Leon Bloom, says, “Frostbite racing is a distillation of all the great elements of sailboat racing: a nearby course, good breeze, flat water, and good friends. It’s similar to snow skiing on a perfect day; the thrill of getting around the course is worth putting on some extra clothes.” Mark Rickling, who races on the J/33 Delirium on winter Sundays with Herrington Harbour Sailing Association, says, “It’s usually not really all that cold here in the mid-Atlantic, and this year it was great to get more time on the water given how the pandemic affected sailing season.” Sarah Bova races out of the Downtown Sailing Center (DSC) in Baltimore. She says, “Our frostbite racing, like many DSC programs, is focused on creating opportunities for all community members who want to sail. We typically meet at the dock and divide up into teams to race on the DSC’s fleet of J/22s.” Having grown up on Lake Erie, Bova says, “Sailing during the winter was not an option. My family’s boat had to be taken out of the water in late fall before the water froze. Completing my pharmacy residency over the past two years and now working as a healthcare provider during a pandemic, sailing has provided a great opportunity to relax and have fun. Why stop when the weather gets cold? Just bundle up and get out there. It’s so much fun!” 22

| January 2022

Photo by Will Keyworth.

Gearing up for the weather Fair-weather sailors or landlubbers always ask frostbite racers the same thing: “Don’t you get cold?” Winter sailors tend to have specific items they favor in their kits. Choosing effective sailing (or fishing) gloves is an important part of frostbite racing success. The Robinsons covet hand warmers. “We hand them out like candy! Brian can’t live without his fleece-lined jeans, and Krissy loves fleece leggings. Some of our crew favorites are extra warm or waterproof socks. A great set of bibs are another crew favorite (we seem to be partial to Gill and Musto on our boat). Because of the ‘feet in the cockpit rule’ (during the Annapolis Yacht Club Frostbite Series), you do not seem to get as wet frostbiting, so you can often wear gear that can do double duty for skiing.” Chiochetti says, “There are always seasonal costumes that show up, such as the Santa hat—but on the serious side, I swear by Goretex socks with wool sock liners; warm, dry feet are the best.” Scales says, “Anything with thumbholes;” she loves the long sleeves with thumb holes. Casey Firth, a SpinSheet Racing Team member, who does frostbites on a J/24 with Ian Connors, Alli Gutenkunst, and Kelsey Bonham (with Allie Howe and Nat Bonham as alternates), doesn’t sail in winter without her blue zinc—you may have seen photos of her on SpinSheet’s Facebook and Instagram feeds with bright blue nose or lips. She says, “Skin care is important and getting sunburnt in December is just weird.” Bova says, “My favorite cold weather gear is an Under Armour base layer, Gill waterproof bibs and jacket, and West Marine waterproof heavy winter gloves.” Rickling says, “Waterproof gloves are a must.” Many veteran frostbite racers have out-of-the-box glove suggestions. We’ve heard of many non-sailing gloves such as garden gloves or Atlas insulated gloves. SpinSheet Racing Team and Century Club member Julianne Fettus, who sails her Rainbow 24

Wiggy Wiggy in winter, discovered something new last season… “Ice fishing gloves… they’re amazing! They’re slightly fleece-lined, warm, waterproof (I can dunk my hands in Wiggy’s bilge and pluck out the ice chunks), and the texture is just enough for a good grip. They’re surprisingly sturdy, but not completely bulletproof. They’re cheap enough that when you do destroy them, it’s by the time that they don’t owe you anything. And you can get the right size for your hand.” They’re called the Glacier Bay Ice Bay Fishing Glove.

On-water winter adventures Over the years, several frostbite racers have described winter racing as a great way to extend the season. Others aim to improve skills—or work through the kinks before more serious sailing on the southern circuit. Even those who describe it as good silly weekend fun with a strong sense of camaraderie all say they learn a trick or two. As per her philosophy of honing skills in winter, Kristen Robinson mentions something her team recently worked out onboard: “We learned to attach two sets of jib sheets to the J/105 jib to have the ability to alternate the lead between upwind and downwind.” When asked to share a short story from his winter adventures, Irvin says, “Old sails tend to be used for frostbite racing. Two years ago we had a very old cruising mainsail up, and with two minutes to go to our start, several of the plastic sail-track slides broke separating the mainsail from the mast. My crewmember, Andrew Moe, was confident he could drop the main, cut off all the slides, and re-raise the main using the luff bolt rope, all before the start. I was not so sure, but he got it done, and we had a great race.” Publishers Note: This column first appeared in the January 2021 issue of SpinSheet Magazine and has been edited to fit this space. Old Town Crier

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Take A Road Trip Down Memory Lane in 2021 In keeping with tradition, I like to recap the Road Trips that we took the previous year in this space.

FEBRUARY With February being Valentine’s month, we took a drive over the mountain at THORNTON GAP TO VISIT SHADOW MOUNTAIN ESCAPE, the dream of Karen and Ralph Riddle (really great people). You will find Shadow Mountain about three miles on the Luray side of the Thornton Gap entrance to Skyline Drive on Jewell Hollow Road. In an attempt to provide an environment conducive to happiness and fulfillment, they focused on exposing the beauty and spirit of the natural landscape and the remarkable life that flourishes there. The use of Timber Frame construction in all of the buildings adds to that theme. Ralph wanted to create the “Old World” charm that comes from his German heritage. There are four cabins on the fifteen acre property. In celebration of the abundant wild life, all of the cabins were given indigenous “bug” names. The SME Bear Dance Lodge was the first rental built on the property and the two cabins were named the Dragon Fly and Bumble Bee. The Butterfly loft opened in 2003 and the final rental, the Ladybug, was completed in 2011. Our March issue took us to ELLICOTT CITY, MARYLAND. Ellicott City sits in a Maryland valley and the Patapsco River runs through it. The historic town is subject to flooding when heavy rain visits the area. There were devastating storms in 2016 and 2018. In spite of this rare occasion the town is thriving and is a great destination. Ellicott City was founded in 1772 and is located 10 miles west of Baltimore. Walking is the best form of transportation as street parking is minimal but the town does have large free parking lots. This quaint city is a picture perfect place with many shops, restaurants, galleries, salons and museums. Most of the shops are situated on Main Street which runs through the center of town. There are also many shops, etc. located on the side streets that intersect Main Street and they are walkable as well. On the snow covered day that we visited last year the town 24

| January 2022

MARCH took on the vibe of a ski resort nestled at the bottom of the mountain. Indeed, on snowy days the 150 foot elevation from the town can make for a nice short ski run. The City is a five-block historic district. Ellicott City is also home to the oldest surviving railroad station in America and was the original terminus of the first 13 miles of commercial railroad in the country. Today the train station is a museum that was built from the abundance of granite from the surrounding hills. For lunch we chose the Phoenix Brewery on Upper Main Street. This is my kind of place. A converted old lumber yard is now a very comfortable restaurant and bar. All of the old wood is indicative of the old buildings heritage and two large beer vats behind a glass partition provide the libations of the restaurant.

APRIL

In April and May of last year I was rehabbing from a long overdue knee replacement so our “Professional Travel Writer” friend Vanessa Orr covered for us. Vanessa lives in a suburb of Pittsburg and is also the Executive Editor of North Hills Monthly Regional Magazine based in Pittsburg. She took us on a trek to some off the beaten attractions in BIKES, MANNEQUINS, MUSIC & MORE

IN STEEL CITY. When you think of a museum, what first comes to mind? Priceless art? Imposing dinosaur skeletons and “taxidermized” beasts? Civil War relics or Revolutionary War cannons? While Pittsburg has all of those and more, it is also home to some odder—but still just as intriguing—museums that cater to more specific interests. BICYCLE HEAVEN SHOP & MUSEUM, for example, has more than 6,000 different types of bicycles on display; JOHNNY ANGEL’S GINCHY STUFF is filled to the brim with rock-n-roll history and collectibles from the 1950s. RANDYLAND pretty much defies description-part art museum, part Pittsburg social hub and one of the happiest places in the ‘burgh. Its main attraction is its owner and artist-in-residence Randy Gilson. While all of these museums are well worth a visit simply for their cool facto alone, the fact that they are all free, and located on the Northside of Pittsburg, makes them a must-visit when stopping in the Golden Triangle.

MAY In the merry month of May, Vanessa took us on a tour of the LAUREL HIGHLANDS of Pennsylvania in Outdoor Adventure, Iconic Homes Make the Laurel Highlands a Must-Visit. I’ve always thought of the Laurel Highlands as a magnet for those who love outdoor adventure, from skiing at Seven Springs Mountain Resort to whitewater rafting at Ohiopyle State Park. But as I recently realized while enjoying a peaceful outdoor picnic and lightly oaked Chardonnay at GREENDANCE-The Winery at Sand Hill, it’s also the perfect place to relax and just take in everything nature has to offer. Even before the pandemic, people were flocking to the Laurel highlands, located about an hour’s drive east of Pittsburg to enjoy its spectacular natural scenery and outdoor recreation. The area is also a huge attraction for those who love iconic buildings as it is home to four Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieces. And since the establishment of the LAUREL HIGHLAND POUR TOUR in 2019, it’s become even more popular as a place to spend reinvigorating time away. The waterfalls in the Laurel Highlands are so inspiring, in fact, that one was the impetus for the creation of one of America’s most famous homes. FALLINGWATER, the MEMORY LANE > PAGE 25

Old Town Crier

MEMORY LANE | FROM PAGE 25

home designed for the Edgar J. Kaufmann family by world renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, was originally supposed to sit across from a waterfall on Bear Run Creek so that the homeowners could enjoy the view.

ESCAPE - remember them from the February issue? The Loop actually runs along the east and west sides of the mountains and Skyline drive bordered by Route 340 to the west and Route 522 on the east. The Whiskey Wine Loop includes restaurants, overnight accommodations, wineries, breweries and distilleries. You can google The Whiskey Wine Loop for all the locations...It is a Trip!!

SEPTEMBER JUNE I was back in business in June so we returned to one of our favorite places, ST. MARY’S COUNTY, MARYLAND. This time last year we thought that the pandemic was winding down. Folks were beginning to get out and visit wineries and hitting the road. St. Mary’s County is the southernmost county in Maryland on the western shore. The county is actually a peninsula bordered on the northeast by the Patuxent River, the east by the Chesapeake Bay and the southeast by the Potomac River, and the west by the Wicomico River. As you might guess, the county is well known for its water activities whether it be boating, crabbing, fishing or just spending a lazy day by the water. LEONARDTOWN is the largest city in the county and also the county seat. There are some great restaurants in Leonardtown as well as many shops, and museums. THE OLD JAIL MUSEUM is a jailhouse built in 1876 and in use until 1945 by the oldest sheriff ’s office in the nation. The granite block and brick structure retains its original upstairs cells where prisoners were once segregated by gender and race. The jailkeeper’s quarters downstairs house related artifacts. The location also serves as the official Leonardtown Visitors Center. St. Mary’s County is renowned for their working museums. One is a few miles from Leonardtown on the Potomac River. PINEY POINT LIGHTHOUSE was built in 1836 located at Piney Point just up the river from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

JULY

In July we returned to the Shenandoah Valley and the BLUE RIDGE WHISKEY WINE LOOP. The “Loop” is the brain child of Karen Riddle, who along with her husband Ralph built and own SHADOW MOUNTAIN

Old Town Crier

AUGUST In August Ashley Stimpson took us to northern Maryland on a Road Trip to HARVE DE GRACE. Before it was a capital city contender, Harve de Grace was called Harmer’s Town. But when a visiting Marquis de Lafayette mentioned that the town reminded him of a charming French seaport called Le Harve-de-Grace, residents honored the Revolutionary War hero by incorporating under that name in 1785. (No need to channel your high school French when in town. Locals pronounce it HAV-er-dee-grace.) While the quiet charm Lafayette admired is still on display, Harve de Grace also feels very much like the busy crossroads that garnered the Founding Fathers attention. During my visit on a hot day in May, cars poured down Market Street, many with kayaks and stand-up paddleboards strapped to their roofs. Pleasure boats roared by on the wide Susquehanna River, which hugs the east side of town as it flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Trains rumbled over bridges. While there are many modes to see the sights, Harve de Grace is a pedestrian’s paradise. To get from one end of town to the other only requires a trek of about 1.5 miles, a pleasant walk punctuated by museums, murals and gorgeous vistas. To make it simple, the city has continued to improve its selfguided walking tour along the Lafayette Trail, which meanders past just about every attraction Harve de Grace has to offer. Visitors who would like a narrated experience can download the DISTRX app and learn about each of the 57 stops along the way. Our Road Trip in September took us back to the Shenandoah and the SUMMIT LODGE AT RIVERBEND FARM in Bentonville, VA. Bentonville is halfway between Luray and Front Royal along the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. The Lodge is a magnificent five-story escape nestled on 64-acres along a bend in the river. There is more to this property than a getaway, it was formerly the home of Tom and Bettina, a couple who started out in the cabin up the hill where their love story began and the concept of the Lodge was born. Check out the book The River Oak Suite by Tom and Bettina’s friend Tony Baker. The book will tell the story from the beginning. With wrap-around porches this structure is immense - 5

bedrooms with baths and many inviting spaces to just chill. As you walk into the great room you notice the glass paned wall with a huge stone fireplace centered in the middle. The huge kitchen is off of the great room and leads out to the porch with a covered dining area. The kitchen is amazing and made to prepare food for a group. The fifth floor is an enclosed “skybox” topping off the tower. The skybox offers a 360-degree view of the valley. There have been many times I have seen the Shenandoah Valley from Skyline Drive, but it is awesome to sit in a rocking chair in the valley and watch the sun set over the Blue Ridge Mountains.

OCTOBER In October we visited ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND. Whether you call it Crabtown, Naptown or Anne City, it is still America’s Sailing Capital. For most of the 18th century, the city enjoyed a golden age due to its prominent position in the shipping industry. It served as the Nation’s Capital during this time and the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War was signed here. The oyster-packing, boatbuilding and sail making industries brought wealth and prosperity to Annapolitans and this cultural epicenter’s social season was pretty epic. Even today, Annapolis maintains its maritime stature as the home to the U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY. The City also boasts the largest In-the-water boat shows in the world every fall. Like Old Town Alexandria, Annapolis has a large shopping district and many fine restaurants. Our favorite pubs and eateries over the years have been MIDDLETON’S TAVERN, MCGARVEY’S and O’BRIENS at the bottom of Main Street. Others include BUDDY’S CRABS, CHICK AND RUTH’S DINER and CASTLE BAY IRISH PUB where you can sometimes find the Eastport Oyster Boys performing. MEMORY LANE > PAGE 28

January 2022 |

TO THE BLUE RIDGE

JULIE REARDON

COVID In the Country

“The problem with hiding your worsening health from friends and family is that you start to believe yourself that your health problems are no big deal.”

| January 2022

A year ago, as COVID cases and rules about masks, social distancing and cancellation of gatherings dragged along, we considered how lucky we were to live in a rural area where it’s easy to social distance and avoid exposure to the virus. It’s also easy to hide stuff like your own declining health, filling me with a false sense of complacency. Unbeknownst to me, I got COVID early on, which I mistakenly treated as a garden variety respiratory infection. After all, in January and February 2020, no one had heard of COVID—not until March. So I never saw a doctor about my nagging respiratory infection. Only marginally improved after 2 months, pollen season hit with a vengeance. My lungs, already scarred from chronic asthma, struggled. It was also very easy to hide how short of breath I’d gotten, and the weight I’d gained. With my compromised lungs I took no chances and neither of us went anywhere unless we absolutely had to. I only went to the grocery for curbside grocery pick up and the post office. Our post office is tiny, so it was easy to wait until no one else was in the little building to go in. Anything picked up outside our farm was disinfected and our hands washed before entering the house. The problem with hiding your worsening health from friends and family is that you start to believe yourself that your health problems are no big deal. The pandemic and related restrictions made it easy to keep my shortness of breath and worsening asthma well hidden from friends and family as well as myself. And 2021 started on a bad note. In January we lost my oldest dog, a male Chesapeake that was almost 15. In the spring, along with the return of the tree pollen and worsening shortness of breath, my younger brother passed away from an accidental overdose of fentanyl. My asthma attacks were becoming more frequent and taking longer to recover from, and in late May an asthma attack landed me hospitalized for acute respiratory failure. It was the first time I’d ever been hospitalized overnight. This time I was scared and finally forced to

face the cold truth about my health. My lungs were failing. I was placed on oxygen, prescribed a mountain of medications and sent home after 4 days. No longer able to hide my condition, I started a program of respiratory therapy and exercise and was able to wean myself off using oxygen during the day. Not until a visit with a pulmonologist in July did I realize that I’d actually had COVID early in 2020, even though I’d had all the signs: lack of taste and smell and even the “COVID toes”. But I was reminded late in September when I was hospitalized again for pneumonia, this time spending 10 days there. By now I was staying on a hospital bed in the living room, since all 4 bedrooms in our farmhouse are upstairs—13 steep stairs I was too weak to navigate. Kept at bay but not eliminated during that last hospital visit, the pneumonia returned in late October. This was, perhaps, the scariest incident of all especially since I remember nothing from the first week. Pneumonia, paired with my lungs’ inability to expel carbon dioxide, produced a toxic build up that is preceded by vague symptoms others noticed but I did not. I passed out and was taken by ambulance back to the local hospital. I was placed in an induced coma and on a ventilator, none of which I remember, and transported to the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. My first memory there is being taken off the ventilator and then learning my husband had to make the agonizing decision to put our favorite dog to sleep. She was almost 14 and in declining health; it was the right decision but a heart breaking loss nonetheless. After a 10-day stay I returned home, breathing better but greatly weakened by 3 weeks of ICU. And a new resolve not to keep my health issues hidden from friends and family. Publishers Note: We are very glad to have Julie getting back in the swing of things. She has been a contributing writer since almost the beginning 35 years ago. We hope you take something away from her column and pay close attention to your body. Getting vaccinated may be a very good place to start. Old Town Crier

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Old Town Crier

January 2022 |

MEMORY LANE | FROM PAGE 25

NOVEMBER In November we returned to the mountains and the Blue Rock in RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY. After watching the restoration of this beautiful property over the last year, we finally had a chance to pay a visit when they opened their doors in late October. The new BLUE ROCK has a tasting room for their fine selection of wines and whiskys, the main dining room and terrace have all been revamped and there are now rooms available for those who want to spend the night/weekend. The old stables are gone and the landscaping has taken on a whole new life. The Blue Rock is a modern take on the classic country inn. The 80-acre equestrian themed property, set against the Blue Ridge Mountains, features five uniquely designed inn rooms, an onsite restaurant lead by esteemed chef, Bin Lu. An adjoining five-bedroom farmhouse, also recently

DECEMBER restored, is available for private rental. In December we stayed home as is the tradition and wrote about our home town, OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA, Virginia. Her story has been in these pages each month for 34 years! Come Visit! We are looking forward to many new adventures and treks to places we haven’t featured as well as some visits to those that we haven’t been to in a while!

Still traveling ... Watch this space for more Road Trips in 2022

These are brief descriptions of each road trip from last year. If you want to read the complete columns go to our online version at oldtowncrier.com and pull them up. from the archives.

Visit the Blue Ridge Whisky Wine Loop and show a receipt from any 3 members dated the same week to receive 50% off a Mimslyn room. Sunday-Thursday ONLY. One night, non-holiday thru January 31, 2022. Corkage fee applies to bottles from the loop and enjoyed on our front porch! www.discovershenandoah.com.

| January 2022

Old Town Crier

LET’S EAT

JUDY EICHNER W/LANI GERING Serving Old Town Since 1986

Brunch

Dinner

Jewish Penicillin aka Homemade Chicken Soup and Matzo Balls The OTC published this recipe 11 years ago and I ran across it looking for some old photos. I thought that it would be a good to reprint since we are going into “Cold and Flu” season and the lingering of the Covid variants still plagues us. Judy has since passed away and we are happy to remember her in this space. See her recipe below: Whether or not the claim that homemade chicken soup is a cure-all, also known as Jewish penicillin, its use is widespread in many cultures around the world. Doctors have differing opinions, but most of the parent’s I know swear it’s so. Try making the soup using the following recipe and see if it makes you feel better the next time you have a cold or an upper respiratory infection.

The Chicken Soup 1 whole chicken, or 3 chicken breasts (6 pieces) 4 large celery ribs 4-6 large carrots 2 large onions Salt and pepper to taste Put all the ingredients in a large soup pot. Use enough water to just about cover the ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil and then lower the flame to medium and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove the vegetables and put in a food processor or blender. Process until the mixture is thick and the vegetable pieces are not distinguishable from one another. Remove the chicken from

Old Town Crier

the pot and cut into bite sized pieces. Add the veggies and the chicken to the pot and slowly cook covered for about 1 to 1 ½ hours. If it looks like a good part of the liquid has evaporated, add a container of clear chicken broth, preferably organic. Serve with either matzo balls (recipe to follow) or very fine egg noodles.

The Matzo Balls In a large bowl, put: 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil 4 large eggs, slightly beaten 2 teaspoons of salt, if desired 4 tablespoons of chicken soup or water 1 cup of matzo meal

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Blend the vegetable oil, eggs, matzo meal and salt together. Add soup stock or water and mix until mixture is uniform. Cover and place the mixture in the refrigerator for 15* minutes. Bring 3 quarts of water to a brisk boil. Reduce flame and drop balls approximately 1 inch in diameter formed from refrigerator mixture. Cover the pot and cook 40 – 50 minutes. Add to soup. Enjoy - Here’s to a Healthy, Happy New Year! *Be sure and refrigerate the matzo mixture for just 15 minutes. Leaving it in the refrigerator longer, makes the matzo balls tough. Taking the mixture out before 15 minutes sometimes makes the balls fall apart.

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DINING OUT

THE GASTRONOME

Sisters Thai – A North Old Town Gem! If any of you are followers of the local “Alexandria Dining-Curbside, Inside & More” Facebook page you know that Sisters Thai is a popular recommendation for outstanding Thai cuisine in the area. It has lived up to its reputation every time we have dined with them. Full disclosure here – since the closing of Po Siam on Mount Vernon Avenue years ago, I haven’t found one Thai place that has lived up to its standards but Sisters is very, very close. Located in the North Alexandria section of our fair city, Sisters joins Oak Steakhouse, Woo Boi Chicken, St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub, and Hinata Sushi Bar & Grill in the 500 Block of Montgomery Street. The block is bordered on the other three sides by North St. Asaph, First Street and North Pitt and is home to The Gables Luxury Apartments, West Elm Home Furnishings, Row House Old Town and several other retailers and services including the best – in our humble opinion - ABC Store in the Old Town area. The décor in this eatery is very interesting and even a bit eclectic. I’ve never really understood the relevance of the theater marquis that is above

SISTERS THAI

503 Montgomery Street Alexandria, VA 571-777-8154 Sistersthaialexandria.com Open Daily 11 am – 10 pm

the bar and a couple of the “murals” to Thailand but it is a very pleasant space. Also in the space is a separate dessert and coffee bar “room” designated as Magnolia’s. We have yet to sample any of the goods in this section of the restaurant but have put it on the list for a future visit. We don’t feel the need to reiterate what is in store for you on their extensive menu since you have it at your fingertips with your electronic communication devices, laptops and PC’s. The offerings in all categories – apps, entrées, sides, etc. – are many and feature all of the traditional Thai and Asian dishes in addition to a whole section featuring Thai “Street” food. There are a couple of things we want to try from this section next time we are in. On our last visit, we opted to start off with two of our go-to favorites SISTERS THAI > PAGE 32

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“A Washington Post Capitol Cuisine Favorite” The Very Best Alexandria has to offer in the Heart of Historic Old Town Famous for our She Crab Soup, Steaks and Crab Cakes

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| January 2022

GRAB ABITE Old Town Crier

DINING GUIDE AMERICAN

ADA'S ON THE RIVER 3 Pioneer Mill Way 703-638-1400 AUGIE’S MUSSEL HOUSE 1106 King Street 703.721.3970 BLACKWALL HITCH 5 Cameron St. 703-739-6090 CAFE 44 44 Canal Center 571-800-6644 CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442 CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080 CITY KITCHEN 330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE 109 S. St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776 EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051 EXECUTIVE DINER & CAFE 1400 Duke Street 703-299-0894 FIVE GUYS 725 King St. 703-549-7991 FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288 GRATEFUL KITCHEN 727 N. Henry Street HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050 HEN QUARTER 1404 King St. 703-684-6969 HOPS 'N SHINE 3410 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-566-1509 HUMMINGBIRD 220 South Union Street 703-566-1355 JACKS PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372 JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777 JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO 1508 Mount Vernon Avenue Alexandria 703-436-0025 LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313 THE LIGHT HORSE 715 King Street 703-549-0533

Old Town Crier

LORI'S TABLE 1028 King Street 703-549-5545 LOST DOG CAFE 808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511

MACKIE’S BAR AND GRILL 907 King St. 703-684-3288 mackiesbarandgrill.com MAGNOLIA’S ON KING 703 King St. 703-838-9090 MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117 MASON SOCIAL 728 Henry Street 703-548-8800 mason-social.com MURPHYS IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com NORTHSIDE 1O 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-888-0032 OAK STEAKHOUSE 901 N. St. Asaph St. 703-840-3395 OCONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699 THE PEOPLES DRUG 103 N. Alfred Street 571-257-8851 RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 riverbendbistro.com ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274 RT's RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.com SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266 SLATERS MARKET 1552 Potomac Greens Dr. 703-548-3807 SMOKING KOW BBQ 3250 Duke Sttreet 703-888-2649 SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550 SOUTH BLOCK 106 N. Lee Street 703-465-8423 SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222 SWEETGREEN 823 King St. 571-319-0192

Please Contact your favorite restaurants for updates on their "Social Distancing" policies. SWEET FIRE DONNA'S BBQ & HOPS 510 John Carlyle Street 571-312-7960 T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com TOASTIQUE GOURMET TOAST & JUICE BAR 1605 King Street 571-312-1909 UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669 VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669 VOLA’S DOCKSIDE GRILL & THE HI-TIDE LOUNGE 101 North Union St. 703-935-8890 THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868 warehouseoldtown.com ASIAN

ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515 KINGS RANSOM 728 King Street 571-319-0794 KISSO ASIAN BISTRO 300 King Street 703-888-1513 MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710 MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600 NASIME 1209 King St. 703-548-1848 SIGNATURE THAI 722 King Street 707-888-2458 STREETS MARKET AND CAFE 3108 Mt. Vernon Ave. 571-431-6810 THAILAND ROYAL 801 N. Fairfax St. 703 535-6622 TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878 CAPHE BANH MI VIETNAMESE 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800 KAI ZEN TAVERN 1901 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-836-1212 SISTERS THAI 503 Montgomery St. 571-777-8154 THE SUSHI BAR 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue 571-257-3232

MEDITERRANEAN

CONTINENTAL

CEDAR KNOLL GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-780-3665 OLD HOUSE COSMOPOLITAN 1024 Cameron Street 703-717-9361 TEMPO 4231 Duke St. 703-370-7900 temporestaurant.com VILLAGE BRAUHAUS 710 King Street 703-888-1951 villagebrauhaus.com FRENCH

BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com BISTRO SANCERRE FRENCH 1755 Duke Street BRABO 1600 King St. 703-894-3440 LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661 FONTAINES CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151 LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854 TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141 ITALIAN

ALDO'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 2850 Eisenhower Avenue (behind the building) 703-888-2243 BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998 HANK & MITZI'S PIZZA AND PASTA 600 Montgomery Ave. 571-312-4117 IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833 LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086 MIA'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 100 King Street 703-997-5300 MICHAEL’S LITTLE ITALY 305 S. Washington St. 703-548-9338 PIECE OUT 2419 Mount Vernon Avenue 703-398-1287 RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873

BARCA PIER & WINE BAR 2 Pioneer Mill Way 703-638-1100 TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194 DELIAS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. 703-329-0006 VASO'S MEDITERRANEAN BISTRO 1118 King Street 703-566-2720 VASO'S KITCHEN 1225 Powhatan Street 703-548-2747 SEAFOOD

HANKS OYSTER BAR 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834 WHISKEY & OYSTER 301 John Carlyle 703-567-1533 INDIAN

DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd. 703-660-6085 DIYA 218 North Lee, 2nd Floor 703-706-5338 NAMASTE 1504 King St. 703-970-0615 MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN

CASA TEQUILA (next to Crate & Barrel) 1701 Duke 703-518-5312 CHOP SHOP TACO 1008 Madison Street 571-970-6438 DON TACO TEQUILA BAR 808 King St. 703-988-3144 LOS CUATES RESTAURANT 1116 King Street 703-548-2918 LOS TIOS GRILL 2615 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-299-9290 LOS TOLTECOS 4111 Duke St. 703-823-1167 TAQUERIA POBLANO 2400-B Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-TACO (8226) TEQUILA & TACO 540 John Carlyle Street 703-721-3203 URBANO 116 116 King Street 571-970-5148

January 2022 |

SISTERS THAI | FFROM PAGE 30

Garden Rolls and Steamed Dumplings. I normally add in some Tom Yum Soup with shrimp (which is very good here) but didn’t want to overload myself for a change. The Garden Rolls are always very fresh and served with their house peanut sauce concoction and the dumplings at Sisters are stuffed with pork and shrimp and served with a sweet soy sauce. I followed up the appetizers with my standard Drunken Noodles aka Noodles of the Drunks with pork. These guys do a great job with this dish and offer it at every level of “heat”. I always order mine a touch on the hotter side but still avoid the green Thai chili peppers that are in the dish. My dining partner stepped way outside of his normal Pad Thai box and ordered the Sisters Fried Rice. In all of the years I’ve been dining with him, I don’t remember him ever ordering fried rice of any kind. In any case, he really liked it. It is a house specialty comprised of fried rice (duh), shrimp and chicken with egg, pineapple, scallions and cashews. This was a fantastic combo for him since he is a pineapple on pizza lover and cashews rank right up there with his favorite nuts - pistachios. The ingredients in everything we have ever had here are fresh, the service has always been exemplary – our server, Nene, had only been on the floor for 2 days and she was amazing

- the portions are very ample - we both brought left overs home - and the prices are very fair. They also have a very impressive drink menu and a well-stocked bar as well as a balanced wine and beer list. The bartenders that have been on duty on our visits do a great job and are pros at making the drinks look tasty from the onset! They are good with the cool garnishes – dried fruit, pineapple leaves, flowers, etc. If you haven’t been to the north end of Old Town in the last year or so, do yourself a favor and venture there. January is a good month to head in that direction. The holidays are over, the pace has slowed down and Sisters is a good place to sit back, decompress and have a good cocktail and an enjoyable meal! *Sisters also offers takeout and free delivery in a limited area with a minimum order of $25.

GOOD SPORTS GOOD FRIENDS GREAT EATS! Weekend Brunch Sat & Sun $5 Mimosas $7 Bloody Mary’s *See details and full menu offerings at MACKIESBARANDGRILL.COM

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| January 2022

Old Town Crier

LET'S GET CRAFTY

TIMOTHY LONG

Gifts Of The Charred Oak Barrel In the world of alcohol, the charred oak barrel is one of mankind’s greatest inventions. It gives us many gifts. The first, and most important, gift of the charred oak barrel, bourbon. You must have new charred oak barrels to produce bourbon. This part of the production process is part of our heritage. Those barrels give bourbon its distinctive flavor. Bourbon is American, as much as Mom (or at least mine), baseball, and apple pie! But I’ll get back to that. Let’s get to the bottom of the charred oak barrel first. No one knows who charred the first barrel. Legends and rumors abound as to its origins. It makes for fun conversation. The Elijah Craig website claims that their founder, Reverend Elijah Craig, became the first distiller to age his whiskey in newly charred oak barrels in 1789. According to the Angels Envy website, cognac distillers in France would store their spirits is charred oak barrels as far back as the 15th century. They also cite that charring barrels may be a by-product of barrel making, or coopering: “The barrel-maker would toast the interior of a stave in order to make it more pliable and able to be bent inward. Over time, distillers might have noticed that a heavier level of char imparted better flavors in their Old Town Crier

FATHER OF MODERN BOURBON? REV ELIJAH CRAIG Born 1738 Orange County, Virginia, USA

spirit, and the process could have been a gradual evolution that spread slowly over time. It’s reasonable to assume that this practice could easily have made its way to Kentucky amongst the waves of Scotch and Irish

immigrants. It’s even possible that Kentucky distillers began to char their barrels like the Cognac producers in France to appeal to the French settlers in New Orleans, where the whiskey was often shipped.” Another reason stated for charring the insides of barrels is that distillers were not as discerning in their tastes in the old days They would reuse barrels without regard as to what had already been stored inside. Fish, pickles, or hog parts, it did not matter. They would deeply char the barrel interiors to get rid of offensive smells that may transfer to whatever spirit they were storing. The stories go on and on. So be skeptical when someone claims to definitively know the truth. But there is one point that is always agreed upon, the invention of charring was a wonderful thing. It imparts enticing flavors into and smooths the taste of whiskey. Wherever it started, it was a gift to all of us. So back to bourbon. Bourbon is the only spirit made in the United States whose production is regulated by the government. As stated on bourbonbuzz.com: “On 4 May 1964, the United States

Congress recognized Bourbon Whiskey as a “distinctive product of the United States.” The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits (27 CFR 5) state that bourbon must meet these requirements: • Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn. • Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume). • Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. • Bourbon may not be introduced to the barrel at higher than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume).” The rules also state that “only whiskey produced within the United States may be called “bourbon”. Not just in Kentucky, which is a common misapprehension. Although bourbon is as American as, well, Mom, apple pie, and baseball, it’s rarely mentioned in conjunction with those three. And it should be. But that doesn’t really matter. We know how special it is. It is BOURBON BARRELS > PAGE 34

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BOURBON BARRELS | FFROM PAGE 33

the first gift of the charred oak barrel. And the second gift of the charred oak barrel? Bourbon Barrel Aged Beer! Beer that has been aged for a period in a discarded bourbon barrel. What a wonderful invention this is! This process of barrel aging beer has been used in Belgium for decades, mainly for Lambic beers. But the process became popular here rather recently, in the mid mid1990s. According to beervanablog.com: “The story began, unexpectedly, at a beer, bourbon and cigar dinner at LaSalle Grill in South Bend, Indiana. The still-small Goose Island brewpub, one of the co-hosts, came with growlers of beer (the brewers weren’t bottling yet). “And then representing bourbon,” Goose Island’s Greg Hall recalls, “was Booker Noe himself, the master distiller from Jim Beam.” Noe was Jim Beam’s grandson and a legend in the business. According to accounts from both Hall and Seth Gross, another Goose Island brewer who was in attendance, Noe was incredibly engaging and charming. Gross (now with Bull City Burger and Brewery in Durham, North Carolina) remembers one story in particular, when, after emptying a barrel, “they would fill it with a couple gallons of spring water and roll it around in the yard, drain that, and put it in a tall iced-tea glass with a bunch of ice. They drank it like iced tea at the end of the day.” By the end of evening, the first seed of the idea of aging a beer in one of Noe’s barrels had been planted. “ And so, the idea began, and grew rapidly. Greg Hall went on to create Bourbon County Brand Stout. Most beers aged in bourbon barrels are stouts. The process takes away the roughness that stout can have and makes the beer smooth. The bourbon and oak flavors also blend very well with stout. Bourbon barrel aged ales have become popular recently as well and are quite delicious. My first recommendation is the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. An Irish Red Ale, bourbon barrel aged for six weeks and with hints of vanilla and oak. You also need to try that Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. A rich Imperial Stout with flavors of chocolate,

oak, vanilla, whiskey, caramel, and almond. Both will cut through the winter cold in a heartbeat. Be mindful of the ABV of each one of these. The Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale is 8.2% ABV, and the Bourbon County Stout is 15.6%. It can pack a wallop! So, what whiskey should you be drinking during this cold month of January? Woodford Reserve. This wonderful and affordable bourbon is my go-to. It is comprised of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malt, and it matures for six years. The nose is creamy with notes of honey and spice. Woodford is thick and full on the palate with notes of espresso beans, winter spices, and vanilla. The finish brings cereal to mind. The cigar to pair your Woodford Reserve with is the Romeo y Julieta 1875. This cigar is a great everyday cigar, a real “walking the dog” smoke. It maintains a consistent 92 rating. The review from Cigars International describes it perfectly as having “strong, toasty flavors (that) smack of wood and leather. There’s a sweetness to the long finish.” This cigar is another go-to of mine. I find January to be a bleak month. It’s often dull and dreary. But nothing cuts through the dreariness like a good beer, bourbon, or cigar. They’ll all put a smile on your face. Enjoy. Publishers Note: To take in the whisky experience and the aging process in used bourbon barrels visit our long time advertiser Copper Fox Distilleries. They have two locations - one in Williamsburg and the other in Sperryville, Virginia. Most all of their whisky’s are aged in used bourbon barrels and they make their own Dawson Reserve Bourbon Whisky which is available only at the distilleries. Check them out for a truly unique experience or ask for their products at your favorite ABC or liquor store. Timothy Long is an educator, writer, consultant, and experienced restaurant operator. Instagram and Twitter: @wvutimmy. Blog:What Is That Fly Doing In My Soup? https://whatflyinmysoup.com/ Email: tlong@ belmarinnovations.com

10 Days 2 Weekends Alexandria 2022 Winter Restaurant Week January 21st - 30th VisitAlexandria.com

| January 2022

Old Town Crier

GRAPEVINE

MATT FITZSIMMONS

Small Batch Wines Pushing Virginia’s Creativity Boundaries Virginia is ranked #7 in the nation in terms of number of wineries, with over 300 in the state. While this is an impressive figure, it actually undercounts the number of brands available to wine lovers. For those willing to try something more experimental, try one of the state’s small batch wines. Defining a ‘small batch’ wine can be difficult, especially in a state where few wineries make more than 3,000 cases a year. Many of these operations are colloquially referred to as ‘side hustles’, although that encompasses only part of this trend. However, as a ballpark definition, I’d broadly define ‘small batch’ as smaller brands whose wines are designed to be stylistically ‘different’ in some way. Being different is something of a hallmark in the Virginia wine scene. As a young wine region, many vintners are still experimenting to find the styles and grapes that work best. While they usually draw more inspiration from the Old World than California, the reality is that only by experimenting will they move the industry forward. These small batch wines are the wine industry’s proverbial front line. It’s a broad category for sure. Some are made in tiny lots by owners who lack a production facility or tasting room so they make & market their wines wherever they can. Others are crafted by winemakers at established locations who use a private label to play with different techniques or use fruit from a different terroir. Established wineries are tapping into this trend as well, including Horton Vineyards’ “Gears and Lace” series and Gabriele Rausse Winery’s “Vino dal Bosco” lineup. Both feature wines that are labeled & marketed separately, usually featuring different blends or Old Town Crier

production methods. In discussing her Pinotage rosé and Tannat sparkling, Caitlin Horton stated, “This is my personality in a glass. Some people see the Steampunk-themed artwork and based on that alone say ‘That’s what I want.’” All of these ventures have one thing in common; they are creative. Many use different styles of winemaking or natural yeast fermentation. A few use blends that are rarely seen elsewhere. The use of hardy grapes such as Petit Manseng or hybrids that grow well in Virginia are recurring themes. While some of these products are sold at the winery they are made, you are more likely to find these labels at local wine stores.

Odd Birds Make Great Wine If there was ever a wine where necessity became the mother of invention, it’s Bluestone Vineyard’s “Odd Bird”. “2020 was a bad frost year, so we had less quantity and ripening was shortened by 1.5 months,” said winemaker Lee Hartman. Since weather precluded him from making a traditional Bordeaux-blend, Lee looked outside the box. His solution was to whole cluster press the fruit. Although 93% of the wine came from red Bordeaux grapes, this process allowed Lee to leave the red pigments behind. The result is a fat but balanced white wine, with a citrusy nose and notes of orange and nectarine on the palate. Working within the scope of their size and budget forced Guild Wine and Quartzwood Farm down a similar path. The final result showed what they lack in quantity they made up for in creativity. Guild Wine’s “Field Blend” is made

with Petit Manseng and Viognier that were picked and fermented together. According to winemaker Rich Sullivan, “My thought was to do something a little different. I chose those two grapes specifically because Viognier is softer and would complement the Petit Manseng by softening the edge of its acid”. For Ben Sedlins and Sarah Searle of Quartzwood, making wine in a sustainable way is an important component of their business. Sarah explained, “We’ve been long nagged by a sense that Virginia wine shouldn’t only be growing finicky European grapes that might not be suited for many sites nor our climate, and that there are likely some beautiful ferments to be created by stepping outside a narrow conception of what is ‘typical’ or ‘serious.’” Currently Quartzwood makes three wines; a Noriet pét-nat, a Vidal-heavy pét-nat, and a soon to be released semicarbonic Tannat. While they don’t use the phrase ‘natural wine’ (which is hard enough to define) to describe their creations, the use of hybrid grapes and limited intervention is in line with that concept. Both Quartzwood and Guild Wine are sold at Walsh Family Wine.

Side Hustles Arriving At Center Stage Nearly a half-dozen Virginia winemakers have side hustles to various degrees, but Ben Jordan is perhaps Virginia’s king of side hustles. In addition to being head winemaker at Early Mountain Vineyards he’s part of two smaller ventures, Lightwell Survey and his family-operated Midland Wine. Both brands emphasize limited intervention and unusual blends, including a Riesling/Petit Manseng

named “Riesl-ing”, a Cabernet Franc/ Blaufränkisch combo called “Cabernet Frankisch”, and a Cabernet Franc spiced with Petit Manseng named “The Weird Ones are Wolves.” The blends (and names) get weirder from there. Both brands have received critical acclaim, but Ben isn’t the only winemaker whose side hustles are getting noticed. Wine Advocate recently rated the 2017 “F8” from Hark winemaker Jake Busching’s Jake Busching Wines as one of their favorites in a recent review of Virginia. The list goes on. King Family’s Matthieu Finot makes wine for Turk Mountain Vineyard and his own Domaine Finot, which includes a Malbec made using carbonic maceration. Enologist Dr. Joy Ting has her eponymous label Joy Ting Wine, where she experiments with wholecluster fermentation. Maya Hood White, associate winemaker at Early Mountain, makes a Petit Mansengbased appassimento-style wine named R.A.H. More brands are likely to follow as winemakers flex their creative freedom. But it’s not just about creative freedom – it’s about collaboration. Jake is a big fan of working with his fellow winemakers and winegrowers. He’s also made a few one-off wines, including a Cabernet Franc/Petit Manseng blend named Orphan #3. In explaining the idea behind Orphan, Jake stated, “It speaks to the idea that we always have a barrel of something sitting around. The goal of a collaboration is to experiment”.

Matthew Fitzsimmons is a blogger who has visited nearly every winery in Virginia – most of them twice. Track his progress at winetrailsandwanderlust.com/. January 2022 |

EXPLORING VA WINES

DOUG FABBIOLI

Learning more about the pour

t’s easy to think that once the grapes are off the vine and the wine is in the barrels, the work is done. As I have touched on in the past, we have many jobs and priorities after the harvest. One that is easy to forget but critical to the success of the operation is gaining knowledge for personal or professional growth. Each level of our organization needs to look at what we can do to improve, and find whatever training, research, or seminars that are available to help us learn and grow. I am always looking for ways to learn more about improving wine quality. This can be through different techniques, products, or equipment that can help with the challenges in the winemaking process. Or it can be through making a job more consistent so the wine is less vulnerable to spoilage situations. Working with the Winemakers Research Exchange has helped me to address challenges I have had and I have gained knowledge from the experiments that others have already tried. This organization has been a great help to me in growing my wine knowledge and quality and in helping me avoid problems. For my production team some of this down time is spent in language classes. We have had a teacher from Loudoun Literacy come to the farm for weekly English classes for several years now. Our teacher has the program and support that helps to provide our team with the language skills they need both for their work here and for the support of their family and kids. Having the words and the ability to communicate with your child’s teacher or with a health care professional is an important life skill that is just as valuable to our business as being able to understand work instructions. We “heavy up” on these classes at this time of year while the demands from the farm are a bit lighter. In the tasting room, the education is just as important but looks a little different. Many Saturdays, after the customers have left and the closing and cleaning duties are finished, we will review and taste different wines. There is usually a theme or a particular focus: varietal, region, style, or even some experimental blind tasting. Training the palate and

| January 2022

learning about the wine helps to build confidence in our team members. That knowledge and confidence helps to build customer trust. Of course we want to sell our wines, but we want our guests to have a warm and hospitable experience and leave feeling fulfilled. We want our staff in the tasting room to be ambassadors to the complex and sometimes intimidating world of wine. At The New Ag School we have just finished building a Tasting Room and Hospitality package to provide a foundational education for future winery staff here in Virginia. This program includes the best of what we believe Virginia wine tasting experiences can be, and if you have any questions about this or other education programs, please feel free to reach out to me.

The work of learning is never finished and, whatever our focus or goals are, our end product should reflect the constant journey of knowledge. The beginning of a new year is a good time to reflect on what we have learned in the past year and to make plans and goals for filling in any gaps we may see. Raise a glass to the efforts of our Virginia wineries and to all the learning that goes on. Happy New Year! Doug Fabbioli is the proprietor and wine maker at Fabbioli Vineyards. He has also consulted with many of the Commonwealth’s winemakers and vineyard managers over the last several years.

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FIRST BLUSH

GENEVIEVE LEFRANC

It’s Time for Some DIY & TLC

t’s January and more than a few of us are feeling completely spent from the holidays. Literally. After weeks of shopping and stacks of bills piling up, January is a time for thrifty resourcefulness. Smart beauty means never paying too much. Knowing a few DIY - Do It Yourself - beauty remedies can really help you save money. This month it’s about taking a break from all the holiday madness—the overindulging with rich food and alcohol, and the staying up and out way too late—things that wreak havoc with our skin and hair. With dry, flaky skin and flat, static-stricken locks, it’s time for a little DIY at-home, self-pampering using inexpensive, common items you have around the house. After a season filled with honey-glazed ham, Christmas cookies, and approximately two thousand peppermint lattes, the fridge is probably the last place you want to turn to. However, there are more than a few excellent beauty ingredients hiding in your kitchen. AVOCADO acts as a great moisturizer and skin softener due to its high, unsaturated fat content. Mash the pulp into a paste for a quick and easy hydrating facial treatment. You can also combine plain yogurt and oatmeal to make a hydrating mask. Yogurt is especially good for dry, sensitive skin. Leave this concoction on for about 10 minutes for a wonderful skin softener. Legs can be a ghastly sight after suffocating under jeans and tights all winter long, so show your gams a little TLC – Tender Loving Care - by sloughing off the dry, excess skin. Add OATMEAL OR SEA SALT to your favorite body wash or gel for a really effective exfoliator. Or for an invigorating citrus scrub, dip HALF OF A LEMON, pulp side, into common table salt and rub over rough spots like elbows, feet, and knees. The lemon contains acid that rejuvenates and revives skin while the salt detoxifies by helping draw waste out of the skin. Tip: Don’t use sugar, it dissolves much faster in water than salt! Try olive oil as a hair conditioner, or heat it up for an at-home hot oil treatment. It also works great as a makeup remover, and you can even rub it on your cuticles to keep them from peeling and hang nails at bay. Add a quart of FULL-FAT MILK to your bathwater for velvety skin. Relax and soak away in the tub while the lactic acid smoothes skin and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. Cleopatra used to do this! You can also add baking soda to a warm bath. Add one teaspoon with two teaspoons of salt and 3-4 drops of your favorite essential oil, like lavender or sandalwood. BAKING SODA creates an alkaline solution in the bath, which tends to make the body release dead skin cells. If your cupboard is bare of all but a can of “Who Hash”, there are other common household or inexpensive drugstore items you can work into your beauty regimen. VASELINE. It’s one of the cheapest, most versatile, and all-time greatest beauty products that actresses and models swear by. The oils in Vaseline help to keep it slick and spreadable so that it flows into the many surface cracks and crevices of the skin, forming a protective barrier that

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seals in moisture. Rub it all over your feet at night and wear cotton socks while you sleep to smooth out rough spots, or slather your hands with it before wearing your gloves to help retain hands’ natural moisture. You can even use it as brow gel to keep thick brows in place and as a cure for ultra-chapped lips. My personal favorite Vaseline trick is to mix a small amount with any powder makeup to make a cream formula of the original. Creamy products are ideal for dry, winter months, so combine Vaseline with your favorite eyeshadow or blush to create a dewy, youthful, glowing complexion. Essentially, Vaseline will do the trick effectively and cheaply, no

matter which way you choose to implement it into your beauty regime. WITCH HAZEL. Use it as a toner. It is the perfect astringent because it doesn’t strip the skin, but does remove traces of oil while making the skin smoother. It will also reduce the inflammation that comes with the occasional pimple, often a result of holiday overindulgence. Try this at-home facial that will help gently clean out blackheads: Put your head over a bowl of hot, steaming water and cover with a towel. Allow the steam to work its magic on your face for several minutes, taking care not to burn your face. Follow with a mild face wash and finish with a splash of cool water to close pores temporarily. This can also help clear a stuffy nose! Over the counter products from your favorite drugstore rival many upscale department store versions; continue to improve with better quality ingredients; and won’t turn your budget upside down. For the ultimate in fun and savings, host an at-home day spa with a friend or two using these techniques and recipes. After a season of overindulging, an in-home treatment with your best gal pals will leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed.

January 2022 |

NICOLE FLANAGAN

FITNESS

The Annual New Year Resolution Pep Talk Do you have a New Year’s Resolution? Well, if you’re like most, you have at least one resolution, and, if you are like the majority of these promise-makers, your resolution is probably related to health and fitness.

| January 2022

While resolutions are well-intentioned, unfortunately most people fail at keeping them. With all the hype surrounding these promises, it’s easy to get caught up in them without really taking them seriously.

We live in a throw-away society and even our resolutions, I’m afraid, are not immune. However, especially for promises that include improving our health it’s in our best interest to not take them lightly.

So, what’s the secret to successful resolutions? While you can’t wave a magic wand and make your resolution come true, there are some easy steps PEP TALK > PAGE 40

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FROM THE TRAINER RYAN UNVERZAGT

Time to get S.M.A.R.T! It’s time to start putting those New Year’s fitness resolutions to work again. If you were lucky enough to receive a “fitness gift” as I recommended in my last article, now is the perfect time to put it to good use. Did you know fifty percent of people who decide to start exercising will drop out within the first six months? Why does this happen? Because it does take a little effort and worth-while time to develop a habit. I have a few ideas that can set you up for success this year. Use the SMART Principle to set Goals: (Specific- Measurable- Attainable- RealisticTime oriented) When setting your goals, be sure to consider all five of these principles, especially the time oriented one. If you don’t nail down a time frame, you are not holding yourself accountable and that’s when your exercise routine begins to fade away.

Keep an Exercise Journal Writing down every workout may seem like a lot of work, but it will pay off in the long run. This provides a visual so you can actually look back at all the hard work you put in and bring you a sense of pride and accomplishment. Your journal should include specific things such as your goals, the time and date of the workout, list of exercises or lifts, amount of weight used, sets, repetitions, duration and intensity of your workouts, as well as how you felt that day. Another great asset of keeping an exercise journal is that you can track your progress (or lack of progress) to help you stay on track of your goals. You may discover that a change is warranted if you are not progressing toward your goal and that’s ok.

in a day, so it’s a matter of organizing and prioritizing your schedule.

Exercise in the Morning I prefer morning workouts because it eliminates the, “I’m too tired after work” excuse. Exercising early can help wake you up, sharpen your mind, and prepare you for the day. You will also have peace of mind knowing that you won’t need to workout after work. Another common excuse is, “I’m not a morning person.” The solution to this barrier is simple. Go to bed earlier!

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Expect Bumps in the Road Nobody is perfect. Don’t get down on yourself just because you missed a few workouts. Whether it’s due to sickness, injury, or laziness, there will be bumps in the road. I can guarantee that these things will plague you once in a while. There will be days that you will not want to workout, but my next suggestion can alleviate this problem.

Exercise with a Friend This is the easiest way to stay on track. If you know that your buddy is waiting for you at the gym, the more likely it is that you will actually show up. You can hold each other accountable by motivating and inspiring one another through every workout.

No Excuses Identify any possible barriers and find solutions to break through them. Pack workout clothes the night before so you don’t forget to take them with you to work in the morning. The most common excuse I hear is, “I’m too busy to workout.” Everyone has 24 hours

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January 2022 |

PEP TALK | FROM PAGE 38

to take to make it easier to fulfill your promise to yourself.

Choose an obtainable goal. Resolving to look like a super model is not realistic for the majority of us, but promising to include daily physical activity in our lives is very possible. Avoid choosing a resolution that you’ve been unsuccessful at achieving year after year. This will only set you up for failure, frustration and disappointment. If you are still tempted to make a promise that you’ve made before, then try altering it. For example, instead of stating that you are going to lose 30 pounds, try promising to eat healthier and increase your weekly exercise.

Create a game plan. At the beginning of January, write a comprehensive plan. All successful businesses start with a business plan that describes their mission and specifics on how they will achieve it. Write your own personal plan and you’ll be more likely to succeed as well. Break it down and make it less intimidating. Rather than one BIG end goal, dissect it into smaller pieces. Set several smaller goals to achieve throughout the year that will help you to reach the ultimate goal. Then even if you aren’t able to reach your final

goal, you will have many smaller, but still significant, achievements along the way. For example, if your goal is to complete a 10K race, your smaller goals could be running a 5K in less than 30 minutes, adding upper and lower body strength training to increase your muscular endurance, and running 2 miles with a personal best completion time. Ask friends and family members to help you so you have someone to be accountable to. Just be sure to set limits so that this doesn’t backfire and become more irritating than helpful. For example, if you resolve to be more positive ask them to gently remind you

when you start talking negatively. Reward yourself with each milestone. If you’ve stuck with your resolution for 2 months, treat yourself to something special. But, be careful of your reward type. If you’ve lost 5 pounds, don’t give yourself a piece of cake as an award. Instead, treat yourself to a something non-food related, like a professional massage.

Don’t go it alone! Get professional assistance. Everyone needs help and sometimes a friend just isn’t enough. Sometimes you need the help of a trained professional. Don’t feel that seeking help is a way of copping

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out. Especially when it comes to fitness, research studies have shown that assistance from a fitness professional greatly improves people’s success rate. Limit your number of promises. You’ll spread yourself too thin trying to make multiple changes in your life. This will just lead to failure of all of the resolutions. On average only about 20% of us keep our New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, some of the biggest failures are found in fitness resolutions. But don’t let the statistics get you down. By following the tips above you’ll be better equipped to fall into the successful 20% category.

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GO FISH

STEVE CHACONAS

Fishing Resolve Who keeps New Year’s resolutions? We make them and for a few months, or weeks or days, they stay front of mind. Then they vaporize and we go back to the bad habits we ended with the previous year. Not many hobbies or professions lend themselves for sharing with those close to us. In the DC area, resolving to share our passions with others won’t work if you’re a government worker, lawyer, or lobbyist. But fishing can be enjoyed once, twice or for a lifetime. Professional anglers develop skills to enable a higher rate of success and take much of the luck out of the sport. Guides, especially, are skilled in transferring the years and often decades of experience to their clients, making them well suited to resolve to take friends and family out on the water. Resolving again to take more friends out on the water, 2022 will be memorable. For nearly 20 years, I’ve fished with my client, turned buddy, Alan Friedlander. Almost every week we took to the water, and in recent years we took guided smallmouth bass trips with Capt. Matt Miles on the Upper James where Alan introduced me to his love of fly fishing. But 2021 greeted Alan with medical issues and he was unable to get out on my Skeeter. We noticed his stability on the boat was getting shaky towards the end of 2020, but managed a full season and our annual fly trip with Capt. Matt. When it became apparent Alan wouldn’t, or couldn’t, get on my boat, we considered scheduling our Upper James trip later in the year. Alan worked all year to prepare himself physically for our scheduled October trip. Normally we make the 4-5 hour drive to our fishing spot to meet Capt. Matt, spend the night in Lynchburg, fish the next day, then rest the night in Lynchburg to return home. Our daily conversations revolved around his physical therapy to be able to travel and fish. Covid hit home and might have put a kink in our plans, however that resolved. Our usually two-day small mouth fishing trip was extended with an additional day of trout fishing. Certainly not as exciting, or as reliable, trout fishing for natives in Virginia is a much bigger challenge. Less about casting and more about a controlled drift, Capt. Matt instructed us to mend the line upstream as we drifted to maintain drifting baits at the proper speed. We caught a few as we listened to Alan recount childhood fishing trips with his dad and how he really enjoyed the lure of trout fishing. Coming prepared with seldom used high end fly gear, Alan opted for special line and a 5 weight rod. There was a lot of discussion about our 3-fly set ups Capt. Matt prepared for us. The lowest bait bounced along the bottom and a foot up, another fly was eye to eye with wary trout. The highest offering served as a long shot topwater slurp but a true indicator of the slight and subtle trout bite. Probably should be called a nibble or a tentative peck. Keeping an eagle eye on the indicator was the only advantage we would have. Adding to the challenge was the width of the stream we floated. The rubber raft slid over the moss covered rocks, however it was only about 15 feet from either shore. Do the math. A 9 foot rod and 15 feet of line often put our back casts in overhanging trees. A roll cast would normally be prescribed in this situation; however, 3 baits prevented this option. Capt. Matt re-tied a lot this day. Cast, snag, retie and repeat. Early on, it became a long day. The size of our native rainbow trout wasn’t much to brag about, until Alan loaded up with a giant. After making a perfect cast and a skillful up-current mend, the indicator fly stopped. In my case this would have been a snag along the bottom. But Alan stripped his fly line, and the fight was on! “Oh boy!” He repeated several times. And more times after that. Our guide calmly offered instructive advice to insure a good landing. Alan likely heard his father’s voice giving instruction to the adolescent. Capt. Matt readied his net. My line was out of the water to avoid any possible escape for this beautiful fish. A slight scoop and the net held this prized fighter to its recovery, but not before measuring, weighing, and photographing this amazing fish. Alan was very pleased. I was pleased. Capt. Matt was relieved. In a sport where so many things can and do go wrong, this time it was all right. Alan might not have been as mobile, however after this trip, he was walking on air. Capt. Steve Chaconas is Potomac River bass fishing guide. Potomac fishing reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/purchase gift certificates: info@NationalBass.com

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s n o i t u l Reso 2 2 0 2 r fo . g n i h s i Go f . g n i h s i Go f . g n i h s i Go f

Potomac River Bassing in January • TARGET HARD COVER NEAR DROPS as fish head into winter holes. Downsize to GAMMA 6-pound test Edge fluorocarbon either as a main line or leader with 10-pound test GAMMA Torque braid on reels with smooth drags. • DROP SHOT, SHAKY HEAD, AND SPLIT SHOT are best bets. Use Mustad 1/0 Mega Bite hooks along with 3/16-ounce Water Gremlin BullShot weights for drop shots and split shots. Time for 3” avocado stingray grubs on ¼ ounce ball head jigs made with Mustad Ultra Point hooks. Also break out hair jigs with matching chunks. Use slow horizontal presentations. Soak soft plastics and jigs in bait spray. • TIME FOR ½ OUNCE SILVER BUDDY LURES: silver when sunny, gold when cloudy, on 10-pound test GAMMA EDGE on casting reels on spinnerbait rods with tip flex for casting and hook-setting backbone. On all of these, keep an eye on the sharpness. • FLAT-SIDED CRANKS on 10-pound test EDGE work along warmed surfaces. Shad patterns in clearer water or sunny days, craw otherwise. When water reaches 50, try suspending jerkbaits.

January 2022 |

OPEN SPACE

LORI WELCH BROWN

Good riddance 2021. Well, Hellooooo 2022 Gosh—it’s so good to see you. Come, come. Take your coat off. Have a seat. What can I get for you? Hot toddy? BMW 3 Series? Court-side Lakers’ tickets? Gas under $3/gallon? Whatever makes you happy. We need you to be happy, unlike your predecessor. Hey, man. He tried. I get it. It was a tough start. Talk about guys who got the wrong end of the stick. I mean, hello. He got handed the baton from COVID Guy. He couldn’t even touch it without gloves and sanitizer for God’s sake. What was he supposed to do with that? Don’t even get me started about COVID Guy. Someone needs to go back to Interviewing 101. Seriously though. Did anyone lose their jobs for bringing that guy on board? Anyhow, at least 2021 got us vaccines and opened some joints back up. I love my home and family and all that, but there’s only so much Netflix a girl can take. Thank God we could finally dine out—like really out, outside in fact. Then those crazies stormed the Capitol, and we were reminded why maybe it’s best if some of us stay home. While I’d like to give you credit for getting Señor Crazy out of the oval office, I’m afraid that was 2020’s doing. Anyhow, politics is soooo 2021 so let’s not date ourselves. So—dare I ask what you have in mind for the coming 365 days? Maybe a little break from making world headlines, i.e., perhaps no pandemics, tsunamis, earthquakes, or alien invasions? That would be cool. Maybe just hang a bit and do some low key stuff. Maybe give Will Smith a call. He’s got a chill vibe going these days. Maybe you guys could toss around a few cool sunrises and sunsets, a few mild thunderstorms. Hurricane? Sure. Why not? Could we find a happy medium somewhere between Katrina and a Category One Lite? Heavy rain, some wind, lots of toilet paper purchases? You know the drill. I’m just saying I think we could all use a little break. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed or not, but alcohol consumption has gone up a bit. You know the ol’ saying—you can turn a cucumber into a pickle, but you can’t turn a pickle into a cucumber. If things continue down this road, I think we are going to start seeing Amazon drivers delivering valium. Not good, my friend. Not good.

| January 2022

Perhaps you could ask the Big Guy (or Gal, right?) if he/she (maybe no pronouns is best)…Anyhow, I’m wondering if you could ask THEM for not only a reprieve, but perhaps a bit of a morale boost. You know—maybe a surprise snow dusting or an angel sighting. Maybe instead of cicadas, butterflies could come out of the ground? That sounds kinda nice, right? Maybe some fireflies at night with little starry twinkle lights? Maybe lavender scented? I’m not trying to do your job or tell you what to do or anything, but I was just trying to think of ways that might make your job a little easier for you and a little easier on us. All these natural disasters and virus mutations really take a toll on a person. I know you’re only a few days in and still getting the lay of the land and all, but maybe take it slow. Ease into things. I know Haiti would like that. And, you know California would probably like to see you ease off the pedal a bit. We all know Jose Andres could use a break from feeding the world. And, what about all those poor nurses and doctors. They deserve a break, right? And for real—those Amazon dudes do not need to keep killin’ it year after blessed year. Here—come put your feet up. Wait—is that too personal? Inappropriate, right? It’s so hard to know these days—especially when we’re not in a ‘real’ office environment. Speaking of which, we had to give up your sweet corner office back in 2020. You know—pandemic and all that jazz. We’re all still just hanging at home on laptops, doing laundry and Zooming. Maybe another thing to take into consideration—we’re all still dealing with COVID-19. Know what I’m saying? I can’t run like I used to, and I bet there are a few others out there who would be hard pressed to run from an avalanche or tsunami situation like they could back in Spring 2019. I don’t mind wearing a mask, but I get winded a little more easily. And I swapped out my gym card for some yoga pants and a membership to Ben & Jerry’s. Now that 2021 has officially left the building, we’ll burn some sage and it’ll be full steam ahead. But—normal steam, not like from a volcano or fire-breathing aliens, okay? Pinky swear? Cheers to a bright, happy and healthy New Year. May your homes and hearts be filled with joy, wellness, and prosperity! Please follow Lori on Medium. She is a local writer, painter and pet lover who loves to share her experiences and expertise.

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FESTIVE FACTS | FROM PAGE 2

(Tallapoosa, Georgia) at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Who made January 1 the first of the year? Throughout antiquity, civilizations around the world developed increasingly sophisticated calendars, typically pinning the first day of the year to an agricultural or astronomical event. In Egypt, for instance, the year began with the annual flooding of the Nile, which coincided with the rising of the star Sirius. The first day of the Chinese New Year, meanwhile, occurred with the second new moon after the winter solstice. In ancient Rome, the original calendar consisted of 10 months and 304 days, with each new year beginning at the vernal equinox; according to tradition, it was created by Romulus, the founder of Rome, in the eighth century B.C. Over the centuries, the calendar fell out of sync with the sun, and in 46 B.C. Julius Caesar decided to solve the problem by consulting with the most prominent astronomers and mathematicians of his time. He introduced the Julian calendar, which closely resembles the more

modern Gregorian calendar that most countries around the world use today. As part of his reform, Caesar established January 1 as the first day of the year, partly to honor the month’s namesake: Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, whose two faces allowed him to look back into the past and forward into the future. In medieval Europe, Christian leaders replaced January 1 as the first of the year with days carrying more religious significance, such as December 25 (the anniversary of Jesus’ birth) and March 25 (the Feast of the Annunciation). Pope Gregory XIII reestablished January 1 as New Year’s Day in 1582.

What are some traditional New Year’s foods? At New Year’s Eve parties and celebrations around the world, revelers enjoy meals and snacks thought to bestow good luck for the coming year. In Spain and several other Spanishspeaking countries, people bolt down a dozen grapes—symbolizing their hopes for the months ahead—right before midnight. In many parts of the world, traditional New Year’s dishes feature legumes, which are thought to resemble coins and herald future financial success; examples include

lentils in Italy and black-eyed peas in the southern United States. Because pigs represent progress and prosperity in some cultures, pork appears on the New Year’s Eve table in Cuba, Austria, Hungary, Portugal and other countries. Ring-shaped cakes and pastries, a sign that the year has come full circle, round out the feast in the Netherlands, Mexico, Greece and elsewhere. In Sweden and Norway, meanwhile, rice pudding with an

almond hidden inside is served on New Year’s Eve; it is said that whoever finds the nut can expect 12 months of good fortune. HAPPY NEW YEAR! From Lani Bob Publishers Note: Many thanks to History. com and the members of their talented editorial staff.

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January 2022 |

NATIONAL HARBOR

LANI GERING

Out With the Old, In With the New (kinda) As I was brainstorming about what the subject matter for this column was going to be going into the New Year I decided to dig back into the archives and see what inspired me in years past. Well…2020 found me introducing Ollie - the vehicle that drove itself - and now it’s gone and last year I talked about how to “safely” navigate the stupid virus while dining in the Harbor and that’s still hanging around. I really would have preferred Ollie to stick around! January is normally a really slow month everywhere but after having such a flurry of holiday activity this December compared to the almost total absence of it in the Harbor last December – remember that the Gaylord was totally shut down in 2020 – this January is on its way to being a record setter. And…tack on the fact that there is yet another new variant of the virus roaming around, it isn’t looking like the mask mandate in PG County is going to be lifted again anytime soon. Let’s just hope that those who have yet to be vaccinated and boosted get with the program, follow the science and get taken care of. January is a good month to reflect on the last year and revel in the good stuff and shine on the bad. There is only one way to go and that is forward. I’ve

| January 2022

never been one to make a New Year’s resolution because it seems I can never live up to it. It’s the same way when I pretend I’m Catholic during Lent – I am actually Episcopalian aka Catholic lite. In my 68 years I’ve never made it past a week with the Lent business. I guess maybe if my “sacrifices” were more attainable than giving up beer, wine or pizza I would fare much better. Enough of the Debbie Downer talk. I am going into 2022 with a good attitude! I have been attending classes at the Row House since November and I hit my 50,000 meters a couple of weeks ago. I have found something that I really like doing so am carrying that into the New Year. Since I had to move from the Harbor in July of 2020 because of lost revenue due to Covid, I haven’t been able to keep my finger on the pulse of the Harbor like I had for the previous 10 years. I am going to make it a point to head across the bridge from Old Town often to see my pals at Bond 45, Fiorella’s, Brother Jimmy’s, Public House, Irish Whisper and Old Hickory and the Belvedere Lobby Bar in the Gaylord. I also plan to buy some of the fantastic ramen noodles and chicken noodle soup at Potomac Gourmet – I really miss just putting on my bunny slippers and running

down to this store from the condo without having to go outside. I would like to encourage all of you reading this column to give some consideration to spending an afternoon or evening in the Harbor during this quiet time of the year. The crowds from the holidays will be gone and the stores will have post-holiday season sales in full swing. If the weather this month is anything like it was in December, you may have some 60 degree days to enjoy a stroll along the waterfront and up American Way. And we can’t forget the Capital Wheel…they always have great packages available - thecapitalwheel.com - and no matter the temp, the gondolas are heated so they are nice and cozy. Good time of year to take a spin! Wishing you all a fabulous 2022! We have been considering adding another dimension to this column and feature a short Harbor Business Profile each month during 2022. If any of you have a particular business you would like to see in this space, contact me via email at office@oldtowncrier.com with the name, address and a contact person information.

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Here’s hoping your glass glass is is half-full half-full ininthe Here’s hoping your thecoming coming year. year. Cheers 2022! Cheers to to 2021!

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Old Town Crier - January 2022 Full Issue

Articles inside

National Harbor

Go Fish

Fitness

First Blush

Exploring VA Wines

Grapevine

Dining Guide

Let's Eat

To the Blue Ridge

From the Bay

Dining Out

Points on Pets

Caribbean Connection

Art & Antiques

A Bit of History

Urban Garden

Financial Focus

Business Profile

Take Photos, Leave Footprints

Personality Profile

Events

Gallery Beat