Old Town Crier - December 2014 Issue

Since 1988–Priceless

December 2014

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

Dining Out

MACKIE’S BAR & GRILL New Kid on the Block Business Profile

KING’S JEWELRY

Old Town’s Gem for Over 55 Years Personality Profile

FRANK SOLIVAN

Hunter, Fisherman, Songwriter, Musician Road Trip

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS IN OLD TOWN oldtowncrier.com

Landini’s

ZAGAT

Setting The Standard In 2006 Old Town For 35 Years AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

AND THE PAST 15 YEARS

Valet Parking Friday & Saturday 5-11 pm

Merry Christmas &Happy New Year from Our Family to Yours

115 King Street 115Town King Street • Old Town Alexandria Old Alexandria 703-836-8404 • landinibrothers.com 703-836-8404

G -11 pm N I RK :30

PArday 5 T E AL atu

V y&S a

Frid

COME FOR THE FUN, STAY FOR THE FOOD!

Old Town’s Favorite Raw Bar Featuring the Freshest Shellfish in Virginia

Fish Market has continued to rise above the tide with its winning recipe for success–good, fresh seafood, excellent service and a great location. Such dedication to high quality and customer service has helped launch Fish Market as an Old Town landmark since 1976!

105 & 107 King St. Old Town Alexandria

703.836.5676 fishmarketva.com

Eat Fish, Drink Beer, Live Longer!

A Division of Crier Media Group OTC Media LLC PO Box 320386 Alexandria, Va. 22320

december’14

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phone: 703. 836. 0132 office@oldtowncrier.com oldtowncrier.com Published the first week of every month.

Worth waiting for!

PUBLISHER Bob Tagert MARKETING & ADVERTISING Lani Gering Bob Tagert

First Blush

43

Personality Profile

4

11

Fitness

40

Pets of the Month

17

Art & Antiques

15

From the Bay…

22

Points on Pets

16

Behind the Bar

28

From the Trainer

41

Publishers Notes

Business Profile

5

Gallery Beat

14

Road Trip

20

SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE Laura Parker

A Bit of History After Hours

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, Va. 20175 Chris Anderson Peggie Arvidson Sarah Becker Frank Britt F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Doug Coleman Ashley Denham Busse Doug Fabbioli Nicole Flanagan Lani Gering

CONTRIBUTORS Frances Killpatrick Miriam Kramer Laura Parker Julie Reardon Chester Simpson Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lori Welch Brown Molly Winans

8

Caribbean Connection

18

Go Fish

39

Spiritual Renaissance

44

Chefs Special

34

Grapevine

36

The Last Word

12

Civil Discourse

9

High Notes

10

To the Blue Ridge

24

Dining Guide

32

National Harbor

46

Urban Garden

13

Dining Out

30

On the Media

3

Virginia Wine Trails

Exploring Virginia Wines

35

On the Road

1

White House Egg Nog

27

6

Open Space

45

Wine Events

37

Financial Focus

© 2014 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 selected Alexandria residents, hotels, restaurants and retail shops. Also distributed in the Annapolis, Fredericksburg, Blue Ridge and Washington, DC areas as well as St. John, USVI.

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About the cover On the road with OTC Assorted ornaments at Old Town Alexandria’s Christmas Attic. photo: Bob Tagert

Old Town Crier

2

Grand Junction, Colorado resident and frequent Old Town Alexandria visitor, Linda Plant Allin, takes the OTC into downtown Grand Junction where she poses with one of the the many fantastic sculptures, “Chrome on the Range,” next to this year’s Christmas tree.

If you would like to see your picture here, take the OTC with you on your next trip, snap a high resolution photo and send it along with information for the caption to office@oldtowncrier.com.

December 2014 | 1

3

Local Farmers Markets

Old Town Farmers Market

Market Square • 301 King Street Saturday 7 a.m. - Noon, year round Free parking in Market Square garage during market hours People who come to Alexandria on Saturday mornings find themselves in a busy plaza where local farmers and artists have been selling their products since 1753. Old Town Alexandrias Market Square is thought to be one of the nations oldest continually operating farmers markets, serving as a primary source of meat, dairy, fish, fruits and vegetables for Alexandrians. George Washington sent his produce from Mount Vernon to be sold here. Today, the market offers folks a way to reconnect to the past, while participating in an ongoing local and national tradition.

Del Ray Farmers Market

Corner of East Oxford & Mount Vernon avenues Saturday 8 a.m. - Noon, year round The Del Ray Market is producer grown, with fresh vegetables and fruits in season. All year round this market offers meats, eggs, fresh pasta and sauces, Amish cheese, yogurt, bakery goods, eggs, jams and jellies, fancy nuts and bakery goods.

2 | December 2014

PUBLISHERS NOTES BOB TAGERT

H

ere we are at the close of another year. The end of 2014 means that we have been printing the Old Town Crier for twenty seven years or 324 monthly issues. That is pretty impressive that we never had a business plan, any large investment or start-up money. We paid our first printing bill on a credit card and have made it from there to here. Not to say there have not been some bumps and hard knocks on the road but we never missed an issue.

If it were not for the folks who have worked with us as vendors, writers, photographers and so much more, we would have never made it.

The people we most need to thank are those advertisers who, in a few cases, have been with us 27 years every step of the way. To all of our advertisers who have supported us and supported Alexandria, we thank you!

Maybe we started here in Old Town, but today the Old Town Crier is a regional magazine entertaining people in three states and even the Caribbean. To those of you who have never been to Alexandria, I invite you to come and visit our quaint but alive and kicking town. December 6 marks the annual Scottish Christmas Walk and boat parade of lights. This is an exciting time to be in Alexandria.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season and thanks again to all of our family and friends!

Old Town Crier

ON THE MEDIA LAURA PARKER

Inspiration and Belief

L

ast month I wrote about the importance of giving thanks to your customers, family, and friends. This month I want to discuss the importance of inspirations and beliefs. When it comes to marketing, the key to any successful campaign is to truly believe in the product or service that you are providing. When you believe in the product or service, only then can you find the inspiration needed to turn naysayers into believers. As 2014 comes to a close I hope that the following words of wisdom will guide you and bring about a successful 2015!

who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt April 1910

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;

Laura Parker is a full-time freelance writer and marketing guru. For more marketing tips or to schedule a marketing advice session please contact her at laura@lauraparker.com; www. lauraparker.com

SANTA AT THE FISH MARKET! Saturday, December 20 1-4 pm FoR MoRE INFo

Get a complimentary photo with Santa and donate a coat for homeless vets

coNTAcT JESSE: 703.973.5735

☞

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December 2014 | 3

Personality profile Laura Parker

Frank, third from left, and his band Dirty Kitchen

Frank and his wife Leah Sturgis

A

s I sat down to begin writing this month’s Personality Profile, I sat for a long time without typing. I found myself remembering my conversation with Frank Solivan and I promptly became stumped wondering where do you begin when one man has done so much? How do you begin to give life to a man who can disappear behind a musical instrument while simultaneously grabbing the attention of everyone in the room with just one, single note? After a few moments I realized that this month’s personality

meeting his lovely wife, Leah.

In his early 20’s, Frank attended an Alaskan Folk Festival, where the fates intervened to give him his first interaction with the love of his life, Leah. As the fates would have it, another year would pass before Frank would meet his future wife again. The following year he once more traveled to the same folk festival. As he puts it, “I went back, we hit it off, and the next thing you know we were falling in love. She was a preschool teacher and owned an artisan shop called Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Leah quickly

Frank Solivan Hunter, Fisherman, Songwriter, Musician Frank at work on his mandolin

profile would not be told with the usual timeline approach; instead, small anecdotes will be used to give you a sense of the amazing person that is known as Frank Solivan.

An Alaskan Adventure Ends in Love

In Alaska antler collecting and fishing.

4 | December 2014

When Frank turned 18 he decided to drive from his California hometown to Alaska. His friend Ginger Boatwright, a fellow musician, had invited him to play in a band. In typical Frank fashion, he jumped at the idea to share his music with the world or in this case Alaskan society.

His time in Alaska was spent hunting, fishing, playing music, working with Ginger’s husband, and eventually

became an integral part of Frank’s life. Together they learned to support each other in a wide-variety of career adventures. “If you give Leah enough paper and tape she could build a house” and Frank is always ready to lend a helping hand cutting up caribou antlers for unique jewelry or donating a used guitar string as a new form of artisan earrings. After a few years, Frank and Leah decided to move to the Washington D.C. area so that Frank could pursue an opening with the Navy’s Country Current band. And that is where the tale of an Alaskan love story comes to an end and the next anecdote starts.

Country Current Gives Way to Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen

When Frank was a teenager he had the pleasure of meeting members of Country Current, a country and bluegrass band in the military. After living and working in Alaska for a few years, he heard about the opportunity to audition as an electric guitarist.

Funnily enough, Frank didn’t play the electric guitar. However, when you are a man that is born with music running through your veins, the seemingly insurmountable obstacle of learning a new instrument in a few short months suddenly seems like the perfect opportunity to test your skills and determination. During the audition Frank had to play behind a curtain so that he was hidden from the band’s sight. He wasn’t allowed to speak during the audition; and so, it was his newly found talent with the electric guitar that landed him the opportunity for a second audition six-months later. The second audition ended with a new gig.

Frank played with the band for a little over six years, until he got the itch to go back out on his own and try something new. To this writer, it sounded like he needed “another electric guitar experience.” Upon leaving the band, Frank started his own band. He recalled that, “the first year was tough. We played 50 or so shows, recorded a record, and put the record out on my own label. I had to send out 1,500 copies to radio stations all over the world, just hoping that someone would pick it up. And then the record started to get a lot of airplay on Sirius XM and a variety of Internet radios. I dove in head first… it was a PERSONALITY PROFILE > PAGE 7

Old Town Crier

business profile

King’sA Family Jewelry Affair

It

is always a good story when local boy makes good, and that is exactly what happened to Alexandria resident Norman “Brad” Bradford.

Attending high school in the morning and working in the afternoon, Brad realized he wasn’t much for book learning, but he loved to interact with people and realized he had a knack for selling.

After school Bradford would go to work as a shoe salesman next door to King’s Jewelry in Old Town Alexandria. In 1962 the owner, Moritz Bier, offered the 19-year-old Bradford a job that would pay him $10 more a week than he was currently making selling shoes. Back in those days, $10 was a lot of money, so Bradford accepted the offer.

His training was on the job. Bier took the young Bradford under his wing and taught him — hands on — about the jewelry business. “I was always doing it under his guidance,”

Old Town Crier

left to right: Tari, Brad, Cathy, Andrew and Helen

Bradford said, “He was kind of grooming me to take over some day.”

As time passed, Bradford took on Cathy, came to work at King’s Jewelry. more of the hand-to-hand operations Cathy was the perfect complement to and in 1978, when Bier and his family Bradford. Where Bradford shunned wanted to retire; they sold the business the book part and loved the front to Bradford. That early-on family of the store, Cathy’s accounting environment is the cornerstone to the background took over the dealings family run King’s Jewelry of today. with insurance, advertising, office Ten years after Bradford started to work and the books. Today, clearly the work at King’s his sister Helen joined working relationship and romantic him at the store working for Bier. relationship have both blossomed.

After Bradford bought the business To insure that this family business in 1978, his daughter Tari joined the stayed together at the same location, growing business in 1983. “Wow, Bradford bought the building at 609 how time flies,” Tari tells me, “I have King Street in 1985. “Although the been working at King’s Jewelry for building was not for sale, I bought it more than 31 years. for more than market Working with family value to encourage and co-workers who KING’S JEWELRY the existing building are like family has owners to sell. It has 609 King Street been very rewarding. turned into a great Old Town Alexandria Over the years Dad long term investment,” 703-549-0011 has taught us so he tells me. much.” kingsjewelry.net To round out this In 1986 Brad’s wife family affair, two years

ago son Andrew joined the rest of the family working with his parents, sister and aunt. He has recently completed the Graduate Diamonds program at the Gemological Institute of America and is currently working on the Colored Stones program and getting closer to becoming a Graduate Gemologist. “I am enjoying the combination of classroom and real-life experience to further my knowledge of gemstones and the jewelry business,” he says.

The friendly sales staff of the store is another one of its greatest assets.

All of the employees of the store have worked there a long time, averaging more than 15 years each with a combined total of more than 100 years of product knowledge and customer service.

The King’s Jewelry family does not BUSINESS PROFILE > PAGE 11

December 2014 | 5

FINANCIAL FOCUS carl m.trevisan, cfp© & stephen m. bearce

Year-End Tax Planning Strategies

A

lthough tax day is still months away, it is not too early to think about ways to curb your 2014 tax bill. Here are some year-end pointers for minimizing or delaying taxes.

A Question of Timing

The most basic form of year-end tax planning involves deferring income and accelerating deductions, keeping in mind the tax consequences for the current as well as the subsequent year. For instance, depending on your circumstances, you may be able to delay receiving commission or bonus compensation until after December 31. However, be sure to consult with a tax advisor prior to using this planning technique to ensure you are not running afoul of the IRS’s "constructive receipt" rule, which treats income as taxable when it is earned as opposed to when it is received. You also may wish to explore opportunities to accelerate deductions for charitable contributions, state and local taxes, deductible interest payments, alimony, or other payments for which you can control the timing.

Timing can also play a key role when assessing the tax implications of your investments. For example, if you have stocks that have performed well this year, consider holding on to them at least until January 2015. Doing so will allow you to delay paying taxes on your gains for another year.

Other Investment-Related Tax Strategies

In addition to timing, there are

some fairly straightforward steps you can take to potentially reduce the long-term impact of taxes on your portfolio.

Offset gains with losses: When you sell securities, the tax on any profits will vary according to the length of time you have held the investment.

Securities sold within a year of their purchase can generate short-term capital gains, which are taxed at the investor’s ordinary income tax rate — up to a maximum rate of 39.6% for the highest earning individuals.

Gains from the sale of securities held for more than one year are considered long-term gains and are taxed at a maximum rate of 15% for most Americans, but that rises to 20% for those with taxable incomes of over $400,000 ($450,000 for joint filers). In addition, a new Medicare surtax on net investment income, which includes capital gains, results in an overall top long-term capital gains tax rate of 23.8% for high-income taxpayers.

What is the best way to make these tax rules work in your favor? If you have experienced gains in your portfolio this year, congratulations, but consider selling assets that will generate a capital loss in order to balance out that gain. The IRS allows you to offset capital gains with capital losses to the extent of your total gains — and above that, taxpayers are allowed to deduct up to $3,000 against ordinary income each year. Losses in excess of that limit can be carried over to the next year.

Make the most of tax-deferred investments: Investments in tax-

“

The most basic form of year-end tax planning involves deferring income and accelerating deductions, keeping in mind the tax consequences for the current as well as the subsequent year.

deferred accounts such as a traditional IRA offer a two-way tax advantage: You can contribute a total of $5,500 — $6,500 if you are 50 or older — in earned income to an IRA in 2014, and you will owe no tax on your investment earnings and principal until you withdraw the money, usually in retirement.1 You may also be able to deduct all or part of your IRA contribution if you meet certain IRS guidelines for income and other eligibility criteria.

Year-end is also a good time to reevaluate employer-sponsored benefits, such as qualified retirement plans that offer tax deferral and typically allow participants to make contributions on a pretax basis, thereby lowering current taxable income. In 2014, the IRS allows individuals to set aside $17,500 ($23,000 for contributors age 50 and older) in an employer-sponsored plan.

An important year-end consideration for those holding IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement accounts is whether or not they have taken required minimum distributions. Account holders aged 70½ or older are required to withdraw specified amounts from these accounts each year. If you have not taken the

required distributions in a given year, tax laws will impose a 50% tax on the shortfall, so it’s important to take the required annual distribution by the end of the year.

Consider tax-exempt investments:

Municipal bonds have long been appreciated by investors seeking tax-free income. Interest earned on municipal bonds is typically exempt from federal taxes and may be exempt from state and local taxes.2 Although "munis" generally pay lower yields than taxable bonds, their tax-exempt status gives them the potential to deliver higher returns than taxable bonds on an after-tax basis.

Income Shifting Through Gift Giving

Year-end is also the right time to make monetary gifts to children, grandchildren, and others. The annual gift tax exclusion for 2014 is $14,000 per individual or $28,000 for spouses combined. This strategy works particularly well for those who want to give away significant assets in a relatively short amount of time.

For instance, assuming you and your spouse have two children (who are both married) and four grandchildren, FINANCIAL FOCUS > PAGE 7

1 Withdrawals from traditional IRAs are taxed at then-current income tax rates. Withdrawals prior to age 59½ may be subject to an early withdrawal penalty.

2 Capital gains on municipal bond investments are taxable as short- or long-term capital gains, depending on how long you have held the investment. Income from certain municipal bonds, known as private-activity bonds, must be reported as taxable income if you are subject to the alternative minimum tax.

6 | December 2014

Old Town Crier

PERSONALITY PROFILE FROM PAGE 4

Shop Early.

Ship Early.

full-effort, but that’s just how I roll anyway.”

Fast forward to 2014 and Frank’s band has released a third album, Cold Spell, that debuted at #3 on Billboard Charts when it came out under Alan Jackson and Nickel Creek. He has received a Grammy nod, played in Europe, and travelled throughout the United States sharing his musical talent and passion.

Old Town Pack & Ship Service, Inc.

It’s All in the Name

Toward the end of our conversation I asked Frank to tell me about how the band got its name. I’m sure it is a question that he has been asked a thousand times, but I couldn’t resist the temptation. He said that the name “combines my love and passion for food and music. I love to cook for people, and as I was thinking about a band name, I wanted something that could be branded and suited my passions. I have worked in every type of restaurant job imaginable, from washing dishes to cooking. I actually first learned to cook with my mom, it started with stirring the pot and finished with me making complete dishes. As I grew older I wanted to bring people together with food and music. I discovered that food could be a common denominator for connecting people.

And so, I started the concept of cooking a meal for groups of people, so that we could connect over local cuisine before we connected over the music that I would be playing for them.” In the end, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen is the perfect name for the band.

When Frank speaks about his life you can see the passion shining through in his gestures. I could imagine myself attending one of his family reunions, where a set list was

Frank with his mom Lorene Solivan

printed out so that all of the musically inclined aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, siblings, and grandparents could know when they would be playing their favorite tunes. When he spoke of meeting his wife and learning to cook with his mom it was with a deep love. And when he told me about making his mandolin, I knew that music was more than a passion, it was and is a way of life for Frank Solivan.

If you would like to know more about Frank and Dirty Kitchen, you can check them out at dirtykitchenband.com or find them on Facebook at facebook.com/franksolivan.and.dirty.kitchen

• In-house packing • Wooden crates for delicate items • Small and large items • Shipment anywhere using UPS, FedEx and others • Free pickup service in Old Town Alexandria

822 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703.549.7167 [fax] 703.549.7168 www.vatopservices.com

FINANCIAL FOCUS FROM PAGE 6

you could give away $224,000 a year — $14,000 from each of you to each family member — without affecting your lifetime gift tax or estate tax exemption. Over time, these annual gifts will help to shift considerable assets out of your taxable estate as well as any future taxable income associated with the gifted money.

On the Horizon for 2015

President Obama’s 2015 fiscal year budget contains a few provisions that — if they materialize into law — could have an effect on your best-laid tax and retirement planning endeavors. The most significant of these are: 1. A proposal to cap itemized deductions at a 28% tax rate for top earners 2. A cap on the aggregate value of qualified plan accounts 3. Required minimum distributions from Roth IRAs 4. An elimination of certain Social Security benefit-claiming strategies While you can’t foresee — or control — the outcome of these or any other proposed policy changes, there are many tangible steps that you can take to help keep your taxes in check. Work with your financial and tax advisor(s) to make tax planning an integral part of your overall financial plan.

This communication is not intended to be tax advice and should not be treated as such.

Each individual’s tax situation is different. You should contact your tax professional to discuss your personal situation.

Old Town Crier

Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications or its sources, neither S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In no event shall S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscribers or others use of the content. © 2014 S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications. All rights reserved. This column is provided through the Financial Planning Association, the membership organization for the financial planning community, and is brought to you by Carl M. Trevisan, a local member of FPA and Stephen M. Bearce. McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc. and McLaughlin Ryder Advisory Services, LLC and their employees are not in the business of providing tax or legal advice. These materials and any tax-related statements are not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used or relied upon, by any such taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties. Tax-based statements, if any, may have been written in connection with the promotion or marketing of the transaction (s) or matter(s) addressed by these materials, to the extent allowed by applicable law. Any such taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayers particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. Securities offered by McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc. and investment advisory services offered by McLaughlin Ryder Advisory Services, LLC. December 2014 | 7

a bit of history sarah becker

Washington and Religion

G

eorge Washington, the great-great grandson of Anglican pastor Lawrence Washington, was “always a strict and decorous observer of the Sabbath.”

Born February 22, 1732 he thought the only Being a citizen had to answer in terms of religion was God. Evangelical George Whitefield and the first Great Awakening made little impression.

“You doubtless remember, that I have often expressed my sentiments, that every man, conducting himself as a good citizen, and being accountable to God alone for his religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience,” newly appointed President George Washington wrote Virginia’s United Baptist Chamber in 1789.

Washington—described as a Deist by twentieth century historians James Thomas Flexner and Paul F. Boller, Jr., also nineteenth century spiritualist Robert Dale Owen—“maintained a relationship with God that was strictly his own.” He was, in fact, an Anglican who became a vestryman in Truro Parish, in Pohick Church; also in Fairfax Parish, in Alexandria’s Christ Church. The Washingtons, by the 1770s, owned family pews in both Churches.

8 | December 2014

“George Washington, like several other Founding Fathers, believed strongly that religion played an important role in the establishment and nurturing of our new nation,” former Mount Vernon Director Jim Rees said in 2008. “He believed our leaders— and our citizens in general—needed to possess strong morals and a national character, and in essence, religion promoted these shared values.”

“Washington realized that democracy could easily descend into anarchy,” Mount Vernon research historian Mary Thompson noted. “Without a citizenry which had internalized a strict moral code, not even an educated citizenry could make up for a lack of religion in people’s lives.”

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports,” President Washington wrote in his 1796 Farewell Address.

“In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation deserts the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” George Washington died on December 14, 1799.

In 1803 evangelical Lyman Beecher, a Protestant “harnessed to the Chariot of Christ,” used Washington’s Farewell words to encourage churches to promote virtue in public life.

Dueling and temperance were but two of his moral causes. Unlike Beecher, Washington never explicitly mentioned the name of Jesus Christ in private correspondence.

“George Washington’s religious beliefs changed over the course of his life,” Thompson explained. “The Revolutionary War played a big part in it. Nelly Custis tells us via her mother that Washington took communion before the War, but not after.”

Young Washington’s early want: to encourage the unifying aspects of religion. “Arrived two or three Families of the Shawnee; We had Prayers in the Fort [Necessity],” Colonel Washington noted in 1754. His later need: to reduce the dissension religious differences cause.

Washington’s God was “the great Governor of the Universe.”

“George Washington went past support of mere toleration,” Thompson concluded. “He took up the cause of religious freedom.” In 1776 nine of the thirteen American colonies participated in established religions, a state supported practice which stopped with ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868.

“No man’s sentiments are more opposed to any kind of restraint upon religious principles than mine are,” George Washington penned George Mason in 1785.

“Of all the animosities which have existed among mankind those which are caused by a difference of sentiment in Religion appear to be the most inveterate and distressing and ought most to be deprecated,” President Washington wrote Edward Newenham in 1792. “I was in hopes that the enlightened & liberal policy which has marked the present age would at least have reconciled Christians of every denomination so far that we should never again see their religious disputes carried to such a pitch as to endanger the peace of Society.”

George Washington may be guilty of prejudice, but if so, it was not for reason of religion. In 1784 General A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 42

Old Town Crier

civil DISCOURSE DOUG COLEMAN

Sex and the Civil War

L.

P. Hartley once wrote: “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” And so it is with the Civil War and American sexual morality during the 1860’s.

Things we outlaw, they tolerated.

Things we tolerate, they regarded as monstrous crimes.

Start with the notion that Americans in the Victorian age were prudes. Not so, unless one is willing to overlook the large families of that age. Domestic terrorist John Brown managed to sire twenty children before Virginia broke his neck on the gallows for trying to start a national slave revolt.

Thomas P. Lowery relates in his The Story the Soldiers Wouldn’t Tell: Sex in the Civil War an incident occurring in Carlisle, Pennsylvania a few days before Gettysburg. It seems a North Carolina regiment captured a good supply of Yankee whiskey and were soon helping themselves to it. One of the Tar Heels reported “some of the Pennsylvania women, hearing the noise of the revel and the music, dared to come near us. Soon they had formed the center of attention and joined in the spirit of the doings. After much whiskey and dancing, they shed most of their garments and offered us their bottoms. Each took on dozens of us, squealing in delight. For me it was hard come, easy go.” “With malice towards none, with charity for all”, our friendly Pennsylvanians rattle the stereotype of Victorian prudishness…

Civil War soldiers, or at least the Yankees, had pornography and dirty books. We know this because the Federal provost marshal complained what a chore it was to have to burn the mountains of the stuff his postmasters intercepted. So, pornography was forbidden, but apparently it was okay to have the government go through your mail. We have all heard of bullets stopped by Bibles, but at least one soldier claimed to have been saved by a dirty novel concealed on his person.

Prostitution was more or less legal

Old Town Crier

in Alexandria. The 1860 census reflects that Alexandria had seven “soiled doves” and two bawdy houses.

Not surprisingly, business boomed in Alexandria once the war was on, our city being described as “a perfect Sodom” with perhaps 75 brothels and 2500 prostitutes. The Federal authorities tolerated the sex trade and generally speaking those arrested at bawdy houses were arrested as AWOL or for drunk and disorderly conduct, not for patronizing the girls.

In Richmond, on the other hand, humorless FFVs consistently cracked down on disorderly houses, at least according to the Dispatch.

When the army moved, the prostitutes moved with them. In 1863, these “camp followers” were given the nickname “Hooker’s Division”, ostensibly after the lifestyle of General Joseph Hooker, who had a reputation for keeping his headquarters wellstocked with whiskey and entertaining women. Actually Hooker was not a big drinker, nor was he much of a womanizer. Similarly, the commonly held belief that “hookers” take their name from General Hooker is probably mistaken, as the term was already in use at least as early as 1845.

If Hooker had kept mistresses, he would not have been out of the mainstream. Confederate general Jubal Early allegedly kept two white mistresses having four children each, plus a mulatto child with a black woman. Custer is alleged to have had an ongoing relationship with his mulatto cook, an escaped slave who was pushed over a cliff in Custer’s carriage when captured

by Confederates. Custer’s letters between him and Mrs. Custer were also captured and raised Confederate eyebrows, being described as “vulgar beyond all conversation and even those from his wife would make any honest woman blush for her sex.”

Even McClellan was alleged to have lived with a young mistress for the duration of his command. However, one doubts this story, at least for the time when he was in Alexandria

Hospital for Prostitutes, National Archives”

headquartered at the Seminary, as an engraving pictures him in front of Cazenove family’s Stuartland with his wife and children in the background.

Occasionally ordinary soldiers would share their tents with their wives. In the Confederacy, Keith Blalock signed up with “Sam” Blalock, a good-looking sixteen year old boy, actually his wife Melinda. Melinda fought three engagements before she was wounded and found out by the regimental surgeon. Upon discharge from the Confederate army, they continued to soldier on together as Union partisans. In the Army of the Potomac, Kady Brownell and Mary Tepe joined their husband’s regiment as vivandieres, enduring all of the hardships of campaigning and both being wounded in combat.

The predictable drawback of all this sex was venereal disease, mostly syphilis and gonorrhea. Among the white troops, 73,382 cases of syphilis were reported and 109,397 cases of gonorrhea, giving a total of 82 cases of venereal disease annually per thousand men. Among the colored troops syphilis had an annual rate of 33.8 cases and gonorrheal infections 43.9 cases per thousand. The cures were scary enough to encourage

chastity. For syphilis, first-line therapy was to cauterize the chancre with a caustic chemical. Secondary therapy might involve highly toxic mercury infusions, hence the phrase “a night with Venus, a lifetime with Mercury.”

For gonorrhea, treatment consisted of urethral injections of nitrate of silver, sugar of lead or sulphate of zinc.

Amazingly, in an era before penicillin, these therapies appear to have worked much of the time. Rudimentary condoms, made from sheep intestines called “skins” and secured with a little pink ribbon, were available, but it is anybody’s guess how much protection they afforded to disease.

The Union’s hospital service certainly appreciated the relationship between prostitution and venereal disease and took pragmatic steps to get ahead of the problem. One of these steps was to license working girls, the license being conditioned upon periodic examination by a physician.

The other, hand in hand with the first, was to establish hospitals to take out of circulation and treat prostitutes found to be infected. The attached photo depicts such a hospital. And in fact these measures were effective, CIVIL DISCOURSE > PAGE 42

December 2014 | 9

HIGH NOTES CHRIS ANDERSON

suspended at aphelion

while heaven wept:

T

wenty years ago, when I was in college, I was in the thick of my hippie phase, playing in bands and singing in the choir and doing all those things that college kids do. One of my buddies in the choir was this guy called Tom Phillips and we would often kill time before and after (and sometimes during) class hanging out in his car and listening to music. Sharing a love of prog-rock, Tom would school me on some of the more adventurous metal bands such as Fates Warning, Candlemass, and Saint Vitus, while at the same time we’d rage to classics like Black Sabbath and King Crimson. Those car sessions were some of the most fun I had in college.

We talked a lot about his own project as well, a doom metal outfit called While Heaven Wept, and he gave me a copy of their first demo. I was immediately struck by the epic nature of their music – it was symphonic, it was complex, it was cinematic, clever, and also very dark. That tape has remained one of my most prized pieces of my vast music collection.

After the semester ended I fell out of touch with Tom and since I wasn’t really following any metal at the time, I also fell out of orbit with While Heaven Wept. Every so often I would pull out that old purple cassette and wonder what became of them. Thanks to Facebook, over the last year or two I got back in touch with Tom and found out, happily, that not only is While Heaven Wept still active, they are stronger than ever, having released 10 | December 2014

four acclaimed studio albums, all while still being based in Woodbridge, Va. Which brings us to this point — the release of the fifth While Heaven Wept album, Suspended At Aphelion, and it is hands down their finest hour.

A full-blown concept album, it is essentially a single extended suite of music that is both dark and uplifting, light and heavy, metal and prog.

Aphelion is that point in a planet’s orbit when it is at its furthest from the sun and that is the running theme of this album — cold, isolation, all that stuff that makes for the best doom and gloom. But orbits always eventually swing back so there is hope within these dense layers and that is one of the things that makes this album so successful.

Another thing that makes it, of course, is the music. And the music on this disc is nothing short of majestic. Starting with dramatic strings and classical guitar (“Introspectus”), this album quickly pulls you in to a sparse, peaceful place before the 12-minute “Icarus And I / Ardor” combo , one of the strongest parts of the album, blows it all wide open with a feel that is somewhat reminiscent of the ending to Rush’s 1977 opus, “Cygnus X-1”, with some sick keyboard lines that recall Pete Bardens’ work with Camel. The vocals shift between forsaken and panicked, as the mood allows, Rain Irving further proving to be a fitting addition to this band. “Heartburst” recapitulates earlier themes on piano

with a stark, desperate lyric that soon gives way to a massive, fullon Pink Floyd jam. This track is probably the closest WHW comes to being “accessible” on this disc — a power ballad for the forlorn, if you will. “Indifference Turned Paralysis” starts off with some spacey analog synths which reminds me a little of Doctor Who incidental music from the 80s but then explodes into the kind of math-metal that would make John Petrucci jealous, featuring some very clever time changes and outstanding drumming from Mark Zonder. “The Memory Of Bleeding / Souls In Permafrost / Searching The Stars” blends strings, piano, and precision vocal harmonies in a way that makes the listener yearn to hear this album performed with an orchestra and choir. Wagnerian in scope, this is yet another highlight of this intense outing. Inching closer to the finish line, “Reminiscence Of Strangers / Lifelines Lost” features some of Tom Phillips’ most inspired guitar playing, in an extended solo that is equal parts Tom Scholz, David Gilmour, Dave Murray, and Brian May. A most dramatic way to end a most dramatic album. A short instrumental string-quartet coda, “Retrospectus”, closes out the production and if you close your eyes you can see the credits roll.

The thing that I always liked about that old While Heaven Wept tape was

how much prog ends up in their music. While that can be a trait in some areas of metal, it is not always the case in doom metal, which often ends up sounding more like goth bands like Bauhaus, but with attitude. Some of the bands originally within that subgenre, like Anathema, have managed to transcend the genre to become something altogether greater. Other bands, such as My Dying Bride, have remained firmly rooted in their sound.

While Heaven Wept, however, has managed to straddle the two camps brilliantly. This is dark music, and at times it is heavier than all get out, but there is also a great deal of light that balances the dark and it is that balance that makes this music so compelling.

It is not metal for the sake of being metal, and it’s not prog for the sake of that either. Most importantly, there is a keen attention to detail in this music but it does not feel overthought. A lot of that comes down to the production. It could have been easy for Phillips to just crank it up to 11 and go balls-to-the-wall with this album, but he reeled it in and gave it a purpose that goes beyond the sum of the individual movements.

It’s pretty well known that I am a total sucker for a concept album so I might be a bit biased when I say that this album is a masterpiece. But, trust me, it is.

Old Town Crier

AFTER AFTER HOURS HOURS

Birchmere 703.549.7500 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave. birchmere.com

Las Tapas 703.836.4000 710-714 King St. lastapas.us

Carlyle Club 411 John Carlyle Dr. 703-549-8957 thecarlyleclub.com

The Light Horse 703.549.0533 715 King St. thelighthorserestaurant.com

Chadwicks 203 S. Strand St. 703.836.4442

Morrison House 703.838.8000 116 South Alfred St.

Evening Star Cafe 703.549.5051 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave.

Murphys Irish Pub 703.548.1717 713 King St. murphyspub.com

The Fish Market 703.836.5676 105 King St. fishmarketoldtown.com Flying Fish 703.600.FISH 815 King St. flyingfishdc.com

OConnells 703.739.1124 112 King St. Rock It Grill 703.739.2274 1319 King St.

Austin Grill & Tequila Bar 703.836.8969 801 King St. Southside 815 703.836.6222 815 S. Washington St. St. Elmos 703.739.9268 2300 Mt. Vernon Ave. Taverna Cretekou 703.548.8688 818 King St. TJ Stones 703.548.1004 608 Montgomery St. tjstones.com Trattoria da Franco 703-548-9338 305 S. Washington St. Two Nineteen 703.549.1141 219 King St.

King Street Blues 703.836.8800 112 N. St. Asaph St.

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La Portas 703.683.6313 1600 Duke St.

These establishments offer live entertainment. Call to confirm show times, dates and cover charges. Check our advertisers’ websites.

BUSINESS PROFILE FROM PG 5

end here. After 60 years of being in business, King’s Jewelry has developed a huge following of locals as regular customers. When I went in to take some pictures I ran into my friend Wayne Biggs of Virginia Eagle Distributing and his wife Jenny who were shopping and having a friendly conversation with one of the sales people. Former Alexandrian Rick Giovannoni comes from his home in Maryland when he needs a gift. Noe Landini and his wife Kimberly picked out their engagement and wedding rings at King’s Jewelry. The list of locals is endless, and this comes from their philosophy of offering a quality product, excellent service, value, and customer service.

Customer service is so important to these folks, that when I was there to take pictures for this piece on a busy Saturday, I was nobody.

Their customers came first, and rightly so.

As you would imagine, King’s Jewelry specializes in Bridal Jewelry as well as diamond and gemstone jewelry and one-of-a-kind settings. Their watch collection consists of Tag Heuer, Raymond Weil, Seiko, Swiss Army.

King’s Jewelry is the only authorized dealer for Rolex watches in the Alexandria area and one of the exclusive dealers nationwide.

Giftware ranges from traditional and classic to contemporary, wedding and baby keepsakes, crystal, sterling, fine metal ware and other quality giftware. Just tell them what your need is and they will find the perfect gift. Check out their website for a complete listing.

If you are looking for that perfect piece of jewelry, your fantasy can be realized. Their resident master goldsmith, Marcos Smyth, trained both as a jewelry designer and sculptor, Old Town Crier

has the experience and expertise to turn your creative vision into reality. Marcos will sketch out your design, create his own wax models, cast, then finish off that one-of-a-kind masterpiece. I first met Marcos thirty-seven years ago when he was one of the early artists at the original Torpedo Factory Art Center before it was remodeled. He had unbelievable talent even then.

Technology is found at King’s Jewelry as well.

Where Smyth takes a tried and true artisan’s approach to jewelry design, Nick Serago is an expert on the latest computer programs for computer design and is well versed on the latest Matrix CAD computer design using 3D technology as well as the new cutting edge Laser machine. Both Master Goldsmiths are Graduate Gemologists as well.

From jewelry design to the finished product, to authorized watch repair services for fine Swiss watch lines to simply purchasing a new watch battery, King’s has it all.

For almost 60 years, the King’s Jewelry family has continued the tradition of providing their years of expertise and product knowledge to their customers. It is through that dedication of service that their business has grown. With their recent store remodel and the continued business and loyalty of their customers, they hope to carry that legacy into the next generation.

“When Andrew was about five years old, I asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up”, Tari tells me. “He didn’t hesitate. He said, ’I want to be your boss.’ Now, twenty-five years later, I have the pleasure of working with him every day.”

December 2014 | 11

THE LAST WORD MIRIAM R. KRAMER

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hoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture.”—Allen Ginsberg. From the dawn of television news until the current day, women in broadcast news have been comparatively few and far between, outliers in a macho world that felt little need for cultural progress. They had to fight harder than their male contemporaries to get ahead and obey a different set of strictures to placate or please their bosses, colleagues, and the viewing public. Sheila Weller’s recent work The News Sorority: Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour— and the (Ongoing, Imperfect, Complicated) Triumph of Women in TV News is a dishy read that places the three notable and respected journalists in context while following their setbacks and rise to the top.

Weller alternates chapters between the three journalists, taking the reader on a biographical tour through their lives while offering conflicting and complex viewpoints from friends and colleagues. She also notes their occasional overlap or competition with each other in various time slots or at various news organizations.

Katie Couric emerges as a consistently underrated figure here, a scrappy terrier of a journalist with a sarcastic wit and incredible ambition. Armed with chutzpah, excellent journalistic instincts and tenacity, Couric grew up in the DC area in Arlington, Va., and went to the University of Virginia, where she worked on a weekly paper. After an entry-level broadcast job in DC, she went to the thenfledgling CNN network, where she briefly overlapped with Christiane Amanpour, and went on to work in DC before maneuvering her way on to the Today Show in New York, where she found her métier. While working with Bryant Gumbel and Matt Lauer, she found her stride and developed her famous “girl next door” on air persona, getting great ratings and living a busy but fulfilling life with her husband and two young daughters.

What emerges in part from Weller’s work is Couric’s determination in the face of multiple setbacks. When her husband died of colon cancer and elder sister died of pancreatic cancer in short succession, Couric applied her intense drive to raising money to fight cancer.

In working with the Entertainment Industry Foundation, she has raised $320 million for cancer research and services. She even

underwent a colonoscopy on the Today Show, helping to inform her public and noticeably bump up popular screening procedures for colorectal cancer, which has a 90 percent chance of being cured if caught early. Her huge impact on the spread of cancer is hard to underrate.

While her chipmunk cheeks, humor and likability factor ensured her top rating on morning TV, Couric often felt frustrated by the lack of respect she perceived from certain colleagues and network executives.

Through winning a large female audience in the morning and a position as America’s sweetheart, she stealthily gained journalistic polish by interviewing everyone from the average person on the street to world leaders, often firing hardball questions when appropriate and surprising interview subjects who dismissed her as a female lightweight.

When offered the chance to be the first female host of the CBS Evening News in 2006, she grabbed it. While she gained respect for exposing Sarah Palin in her now historic 2008 interview with the vice-presidential candidate, Couric was ultimately unsuccessful in winning over CBS’s largely older male demographic or bringing a younger audience to the broadcast.

Having left the CBS Evening News in 2011, she went on to host Katie, a syndicated daytime show, from 2012-2014 on ABC. With high expectations, low ratings and low female approval, the expensive show was canceled in 2014.

Older by ten years, Diane Sawyer took a different path to the top of the broadcast echelon. Having gone to a progressive high school in Louisville, KY, she was a beauty queen who graduated from Wellesley College in 1967 and returned home to become a weather girl and then reporter at WLKY-TV in Louisville. She started gaining her reputation as a ferocious workaholic and perfectionist there, along with an ability to work as the consummate team player. After failing to get a broadcast job in Washington, DC, Diane went on to work in Richard Nixon’s press office and even showed a perverse loyalty in staying to help him write his memoirs after his resignation.

Having fulfilled what she saw as her duty, Sawyer went to ABC News, where she worked tirelessly to overcome the suspicion and contempt of fellow journalists who cut their teeth during Watergate and could not understand her devotion to Nixon. Her surprising faithfulness to various people THE LAST WORD > PAGE 26

Old Town Crier

THE URBAN GARDEN

The Legend of the Poinsettia

A

charming story is told of Pepita, a poor Mexican girl who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy.

“I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes,” said Pedro consolingly.

Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the humbleness of her offering. She fought back a tear as she entered the small village chapel.

As she approached the altar, she remembered Pedro’s kind words: “Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes.” She felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene.

Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle right before their eyes.

From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season.

Today, the common name for this plant is the poinsettia!

Poinsettia Facts • Poinsettias are native to Mexico.

• In nature, poinsettias are perennial flowering shrubs that can grow

to ten feet tall.

• The showy colored parts of poinsettias that most people think are the flowers are actually colored bracts (modified leaves).

• Poinsettias are priced according to the number of blooms.

The more blooms, the more expensive the plant.

• A fresh poinsettia is one on which little or no yellow pollen is showin g on the flower clusters in the center of the bracts. Plants that have shed their pollen will soon drop their colorful bracts.

• Poinsettias were introduced into the United States in 1825 by Joel Poinsett.

• December 12 is National Poinsettia Day. • There are over 100 varieties of poinsettias available.

• $220 million worth of poinsettias are sold during the holiday season

are sold in a six week period.

• Poinsettias were introduced into the United States in 1825 by Joel

Poinsett.

• An NCCA Bowl game in San Diego is named the Poinsettia Bowl.

Old Town Crier

.

• Poinsettias are the most popular Christmas plant even though most

December 2014 | 13

GALLERY BEAT F. LENNOX CAMPELLO

Barry X Ball Perfect Forms 2010-2014, mirror-polished 24K gold on nickel on copper on SLA rapid prototype model and solid brass with stainless steel armature / fittings and resin filling, 21 x 16.4 x 7 inches Copyright Barry X Ball, courtesy CONNERSMITH.

O

Leo Villareal Scramble (3x3) 2013, light emitting diodes - custom software, anodized metals, plexiglas, 36 x 36 x 5 inches Copyright Leo Villareal, courtesy CONNERSMITH.

14 | December 2014

ver the last few years I have discussed multiple times how almost a decade ago, the founders and organizer 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 and they called it Art Basel Miami Beach or ABMB for short.

And I’ve told you multiple times you how that one mega art fair spawned a few satellite art fairs in Miami all at the same time and how by now there are over two dozen art fairs going on around the Greater Miami area and art collectors, artists, gallerists, dealers,

curators and all the symbiots of the art world descent on America’s coolest hot city in December each year and art rules the area. I’ve heard quotes where I am told that about 20% of all the visual art sold on the planet each year (less auctions I assume) sell in Miami during that first week in December.

I also pointed out ad nauseum, that if you are a visual artist in 2014 and are not aware of these events, and if you and/or your gallery is not trying to 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!) and from your art GALLERY BEAT > PAGE 17

Old Town Crier

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this holiday, give Your gift from Ten Thousand Villages provides jobs, dignity, and a better future for artisans around the world.

915 King Street Old Town Alexandria alexandria.tenthousandvillages.com 703.684.1435 Mon-Wed 10-7 • Thu-Sat 10-9 • Sun 12-6

1124 King Street | Alexandria, Virginia 22314 At the corner of King and Fayette Streets

(703) 548-1461 | www.imagineartwear.com

Art&Antiques ABACA IMPORTS 1120 North Fairfax St. 703-683-5800

ELDER CRAFTERS 405 Cameron St. 703-683-4338

JAMES WILHOIT ANTIQUES 227 S. Washington St. 703-683-6595

AMERICAN HERITAGE GALLERY 901 North Columbus St. 703-519-7869

FACTORY PHOTOWORKS 105 N. Union St. 703-683-1501

Jeffrey Winter Fine Arts 110A S. Columbus St. (in the courtyard) 703-962-6266

THE ANTIQUE GUILD 113 N. Fairfax St. 703-836-1048 ARTCRAFT 132 King St. 703-299-6616 ARTS AFIRE GLASS GALLERY 1117 King St. 703-548-1197 THE ATHENAEM 201 Prince St. 703-548-0035 AUBURN ARTS GALLERY 110 South Columbus St. 703-548-1932 BANANA TREE 1223 King St. 703-836-4317 BELGRAVIA FINE ART 411 Cameron St. 703-549-2011 BIRD-IN-THE-CAGE ANTIQUES 110 King St. 703-549-5114

FINE OLD POSTERS 1015 King St. 703-684-3656 FIVE OAKS ANTIQUES 2413 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-519-7006 FOLIOGRAPH GALLERY 217 King St. 703-683-1501 FRASER GALLERY 7700 Wisconsin Blvd.

Suite E Bethesda 301-718-9651 FRENCH COUNTRY ANTIQUES 1000 King St. 703-548-8563 GALLERY G 215 King St. 703-836-5400 GALLERY INDIGO 1607 King St. 703-838-8098 GALLERY LAFAYETTE 320 King St. 703-548-5266

BROCKETTS ROW ANTIQUES 277 South Washington St. 703-684-0464

GALLERIE LA TAJ 1010 King St. (Gadsby Arcade) 703-549-0508

THE CLASSICAL GALLERY 110 S. Columbus St. 703-836-7736

GALLERY WEST 1213 King St. 703-549-7359

CURZON HILL ANTIQUES 108 S. Columbus St. 703-684-0667

GOSSYPIA 325 Cameron St. 703-836-6969

DIEHL ANTIQUES 614 N. Washington St. 703-706-8191

IMAGINE ARTWEAR 1124 King St. 703-548-1461

Old Town Crier

Kellys Art & Frame 510 N. Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314 703-549-3313

SPURGEON-LEWIS ANTIQUES 112 N. Columbus St. 703-548-4917 STUDIO ANTIQUES & ART 524 N. Washington St. 703-548-5188 STUDIO BIANCO 220 S. Henry St. 703-299-0662 TIME JUGGLER 411 Cameron St. 703-836-3594

MARIS ELAINE GALLERY 178 Waterfront St. National Harbor 301-686-0323

TORPEDO FACTORY ART CENTER 105 N. Union St. 703-838-4565

MINDFULL HANDS GALLERY 211 King St. 703-683-2074

TRASTEVERE 303 Cameron St. 703-683-9555

OLD COLONY SHOP 222-B S. Washington St. 703-548-8008

VAN BOMMEL ANTIEK HAUS 1007 King St. 703-683-4141 703-629-6521 by appt.

Steve Young, Proprietor

P & C ART 212 King St. 703-549-2525 PAUL McGEHEES GALLERY 109 North Fairfax St. 703-548-7729

THE VON BRAHLER LTD./GALLERY 1437 Powhatan St. 703-798-8686

POTOMAC WEST INTERIORS & ANTIQUES 1517 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-519-1911

WASHINGTON SQUARE ANTIQUES 689 S. Washington St. 703-836-3214

PRINCE ROYAL GALLERY 204 S. Royal St. 703-548-5151

Frida Kahlo

by F. Lennox Campello, circa 1981 limited edition of 10 signed and numbered etchings, 8 x 6.5” available from Alida Anderson Art Projects, LLC Washington, DC e: info@alidaanderson.com p: 301.437.1054

feast your eyes. feed your soul.

THE PRINCIPLE GALLERY 208 King St. 703-739-9326 SCULPTURE GALLERY 115 S. Patrick St. Studio 303 703-683-5056 SILVERMAN GALLERIES ANTIQUES 110 N. Asaph St. 703-836-5363

visit a museum.

December 2014 | 15

POINTS ON PETS ASHLEY DENHAM BUSSE

King Street Cats Adoption Calendar DECEMBER 2014 For details & MORE INFO website: www.kingstreetcats.org email: contact@kingstreetcats.org King Street Cats is looking for foster homes! You provide the spare room and TLC and we provide food, litter and all vetting. Please email for our Kitten Fostering FAQ at: contact@kingstreetcats.org King Street Cats 25 Dove Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Every Saturday & Sunday 1:30–4:30 pm Pro Feed Bradlee Shopping Center 3690 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302 Every Saturday & Sunday 1–4 pm PETCO UNLEASHED AT PENTAGON ROW 1101 S. Joyce Street Arlington, VA 22202 Saturday, December 6 Saturday, December 20 Sunday, December 21 1–4 pm THE DOG PARK 705 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Saturday, December 6 1–4 pm DOGMA 2772 S. Arlington Mill Drive Arlington, VA 22206 Sunday, December 14 1–4 pm Petsmart Willston Shopping Center 6100 Arlington Blvd Falls Church, VA 22044 Sunday, December 28 1–4 pm

A

ttention, all you animal-lovers! Help spread the word about making the holidays as great for our pets as they are for us! We’d like to urge everyone to keep the following in mind this month: 1. Remember that getting a pet is a huge decision and a big commitment.

When you purchase or adopt a pet, you’re agreeing to care and provide for that animal for his entire life, even if he gets sick or you move or your lifestyle changes. We all know that there are far too many pets given up to shelters each year because they were acquired without forethought or serious intention.

American Humane Society Suggestions Make the holidays special for your pet.

Provide your pet some extra love and attention to let them know they’re not forgotten during busy holiday times.

• Take your dog for an extra walk — it’ll help both you and your pet relieve some of that holiday stress.

• Keep a supply of pet treats handy and reach for one before you’re tempted to toss your pet that little bite of “people” food.

A Joyful Holiday Season for All 2. Speaking of shelters, and with December 2 being National Mutt Day, if you’ve been thinking about getting a pet for a holiday gift, why not adopt one from a shelter or rescue?

Think about how amazing Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa could be not only for your loved ones but for an animal longing desperately for a forever home. Carefully and intentionally adopting an animal from a shelter doesn’t have to be any less exciting than putting a puppy or kitten under the Christmas tree. You can wrap up the starter kit (leash, collar, bed, carrier, food, treats, toys, etc) and watch the joy of someone unwrapping it, knowing that she’ll get to pick out her own perfect pet! You get double the fun because the day you visit the shelter to select your pet, the gift keeps on giving! You’ll also feel great knowing you gave a pet a second chance at happiness.

3. Costumes and decorations: Yes, these are fun during the holidays, and it’s amusing to dress pets up or decorate their cages, but make sure that you’re being safe. Inspect the decorations and

16 | December 2014

costumes ensure that durable, nonand don’t lend themselves to being eaten or choked on or tangled up in. Costumes should be breathable and comfortable to move around in. If your pet is miserable, be kind and take it off after you get that photo op! Things to especially avoid: tinsel, string, wrappers, holly, mistletoe, poinsettias, amaryllis. Candles and lights should always be put out or turned off when no one is around — and make sure your pet isn’t playing with them when you’re not home. Be wary of leaving gum, candies, chocolates, treats, and other food out — or wrapped under a tree — as many of these things can to they’re toxic,

pick up on our stress (even unconscious signals, body language, and tones of voice), plus their routine may be shaken up, house guests may invade their territory, people are going in and out and may leave the door open. Make sure to let house guests know to keep food, medicines, and nicotine out of reach. Make sure your pet is wearing an ID tag at all times in case she gets out.

cause stomach upset, choking, or even death.

4. Same goes for table scraps – remember that fatty foods can be extremely hard to digest, especially for smaller pets, and in general they’re just not good for pets. If you want to give your pet an edible treat, purchase something intended for pets. (And chicken, turkey, beef bones — all bones from your table — are a big no-no!)

5. If you have a holiday tree, make sure it’s secured so that it doesn’t fall over due to the attention of curious or excited pets! And make sure the water in the stand doesn’t grow stagnant so that your kitty doesn’t drink it and get an upset tummy.

6. Some other things folks often don’t think about but that can lead to trouble: batteries and alcoholic drinks.

Just be aware!

7. Just as holidays can be stressful for people, they can be doubly stressful for pets. No, they’re not pressuring themselves to select the perfect gift or make the perfect meal, but they

• Let your pet get into the gift-giving spirit by making a donation (e.g., food, litter, toys) to your local shelter in his name.

• Perhaps your dog would like a new bed, or your cat a new scratching post. Birds love mirrors or other fun items for the cage. Get creative!

• Enjoy some extra snuggle time.

Whichever treat or special activity you choose, you’ll be enhancing the bond you share — and your pet will love it!

And finally, we here at Doggywalker. com wish you all a wonderful, peaceful, joyful, and fur-filled holiday season. Be safe, be good to your fur-kids, and Happy New Year!

Ashley Denham Busse has worked parttime for Doggywalker.com since 2006.

Doggywalker.com is a professional petsitting company located in Old Town Alexandria, celebrating more than 13 years of providing daily walks and customized in-home pet care. Visit http:// www.doggywalker.com or email info@ doggywalker.com.

Old Town Crier

GALLERY BEAT FROM PAGE 14

dealer’s vision.

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 combined radar.

It’s not an easy goal to accomplish… the financial commitments are enormous, and for many a gallery, if they make a mistake, it is a one-time mistake: a bad art fair choice will break most galleries in one strike.

Most of the art fairs are gallery-focused; that means that it is art galleries, as opposed to individual artists, who exhibit artwork.

The prices for the booths are spectacularly expensive, and generally, a small 200 sq. ft. booth can start at $10,000 or more, and a large booth can run as high as $100,000. And this is before a gallery adds other associated costs such as shipping costs of the artwork, transportation to/from Miami, customs, food, car rental, hotel and salaries. For most galleries around the world it is a daunting economic investment, which can turn into a financial disaster if sales fail to materialize.

Individual artists and those predators who feed on artists have also begun to use the Miami opportunity to showcase their own approaches. None of these have been as cool or successful as Calder Brannock’s Camper Contemporary.

Camper Contemporary is a mobile gallery created and curated by Calder Brannock.

According to the artist, “It is a fully functional art gallery set up inside an altered 1967

Yellowstone camper. Camper Contemporary gallery poses a solution for many problems a gallery faces in the modern art market. It allows the gallerist to showcase work in a clean controlled gallery environment without being tethered to rents or a geographic location.

The mobile gallery model allows the gallerist to maintain a physical space where work can be displayed with all the benefits and gravitas of a traditional gallery while easily reaching collectors at art fairs and other large art markets.”

Many of the artist-focused or individual artist-only fairs held during ABMB are NOT successful financial ventures for the adventurous artists who commit thousands of dollars to them. It is unfortunate, but nearly always true. The best way to gauge these fairs is to talk to artists who have participated in previous ones: learn from their experience!

In the past I’ve discussed strategies for individual artists to “make the jump” to the proven, gallery-based art fairs, and strategies for cooperatives, art leagues, etc. to also attempt the art fair process; many DMV area artist-based groups already do this. I’ve even offered myself to meet with groups and pass my experience and lessons-learned. And many of you have taken me on and 2014 has certainly seen many more DMV area art entities show up (and return) to art fairs.

This year, veteran area art dealers such as Connersmith, Adah Rose, Art Whino, Goya Girl, Mayer Fine Arts, Morton Fine Arts and our own Alida Anderson Art Projects return to Miami for ABMB, and hopefully will have another successful art fair.

Start planning for 2015!

“We’reing still loofokrever for ourme!” ho Holiday Cards for Purchase at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria!

The card fronts come in four varieties each featuring one of our very own cats and dogs, three of whom have already found their forever homes!

We have single cards available for $2 each, packs of 8 featuring either cats or dogs for $10, and packs of 16 featuring both cats and dogs for $20.

Send your friends and family some animal-inspired holiday cheer— come by the AWLA and get your holiday cards today!

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TWINKIE Twinkie is as sweet as can be…maybe even sweeter than the dessert! She is a spayed female Domestic Shorthair, estimated to be about four years old. She has beautiful green eyes that glow like her spectacular personality; Twinkie doesn’t need to resort to meowing to get the attention she deserves. She’s not just a treat for the eyes, she is softer and smoother than the cream filling (and zero calories)! Once you pet her silky smooth coat, she shows her gratitude by affectionately rubbing her face against your hand. Whether or not you care for Twinkies, this cat is definitely worth indulging in!

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Old Town Crier

December 2014 | 17

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION

Enchanting St. Thomas

T

The Ritz Carlton St. Thomas beach, above; and shopping at Palm Passage

18 | December 2014

hough it’s only 32 square miles in size, St. Thomas has a million miles worth of things to do. Go shopping and sailing, snorkeling and sightseeing, or diving and dining. Enjoy the island’s world-renowned golf course, picture-perfect beaches and spectacular nightlife. Take the Skyride 700 feet above the city or climb the famous 99 Steps of Charlotte Amalie for an incomparable view of the Caribbean. And if you’re interested in culture and history, don’t miss seeing the second-oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, the 1680-built Fort Christian or the childhood home of Camille Pissarro, one of the best-known French Impressionists.

St. Thomas’s history and culture alone are worth a visit to the island. Fort Christian, a U.S. National Landmark, is the oldest standing structure in the Virgin Islands and home to the Virgin Islands Museum, where early island memorabilia and old maps trace the islands’ history.

Market Square, a bustling produce marketplace, was once one of the West Indies’ busiest 18th-century slave markets.

Also of interest is the Synagogue of Beracha Veshalom Vegmiluth Hasidim, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the United States.

On nearby Government Hill, looming over Charlotte Amalie, stands Blackbeard’s Castle. Known during colonial times as Skytsborg, this 17thcentury fortified tower also serves as a popular restaurant and hotel.

Located in the hills not far from the heart of Charlotte Amalie, Government House has been the center of government in St. Thomas since the mid-1860s. Visitors interested in seeing St. Thomas’s political life may tour the building’s first two floors. The 99 Steps, made by bricks that were once used as ballast on Danish and British ships, were built into the hillside to keep the orderly grid of the city intact.

Whether indulging in some of the world’s prettiest beaches, rediscovering history at museums, forts or historic houses, admiring stunning panoramic views via a hike, bike or sky tram, playing a round of golf, making a splash in the invigorating turquoise blue waters, or visiting duty-free shops, St. Thomas has much to enjoy! Attractions in St. Thomas appeal to both those seeking adventure and those looking for peaceful relaxation.

St. Thomas hotels offer luxurious accommodations to complement the ultimate Caribbean shopping spree. Known for their sophisticated ambiance, superb dining, and spectacular nightlife, hotels in St. Thomas offer a variety of lodging alternatives from grand resort estates to small inns and villas. Although cruise ships sometimes loom in

the harbor, visitors to St. Thomas experience breathtaking views, secluded beaches and a deeply relaxing atmosphere. For an unparalleled Caribbean vacation, look no further than St. Thomas!

A cozy blend of cosmopolitan charm and unparalleled natural beauty, St. Thomas offers travelers every option to ensure that you keep moving and keep smiling. To reach this $1,600 duty-free shopping paradise, just board a helicopter, water taxi, small charter plane or commercial airplane — there’s no passport required for U.S. citizens.

Once you arrive, experience the island at your own speed as you enjoy a friendly taxi tour or soak up the sights behind the wheel of a scooter.

St. Thomas also offers the height of Caribbean luxury to all travelers, and the island boasts many upscale limited mobility options, including several ADA-accessible beaches.

Publishers Note: We here at the Old Town Crier recommend that you consider securing your lodging at the gorgeous Cliffhanger Villa. We have stayed at this fabulous place and it never disappoints. It is off of the beaten path but close enough to get into town for some nightlife! See their ad in this section or contact us for more information.

This column provided courtesy of USVI Tourism. For more information about St. Thomas and the other islands that comprise the USVI log on to www. usvitourism.vi or call 800-372-USVI. Old Town Crier

Photography: Rolando Garces

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December 2014 | 19

ROAD TRIP BOB TAGERT

For those of you who read us every month, you know that each month I visit a different area in our region as a road trip. However, each December I always write about our hometown, Old Town Alexandria. With the recent closing of the Robinson Terminal loading docks and the coal-fired power plant in north Alexandria, there has been a lot of activity as to what to do with the development of the waterfront. There is no doubt that change is coming, but for now, I am going to talk about December in Old Town Alexandria and the town itself.

The first settlement was established in 1695, a half mile down the Potomac River at the mouth of Hunting Creek. The ground was not well suited as a harbor as the shoreline was very shallow, so the settlement was re-established at its present site where the channel came closer to shore. Oronoco and Duke streets extended into deep water, but between the two lay an arc of swampy flatland backed by bluffs. Beginning in 1759 the filling in of this marsh and flatland began and a wharf was eventually constructed.

This was the beginning of Alexandria’s future as one of America’s leading seaports.

20 | December 2014

Old Town Crier

Soon warehouses were built to store all of he commerce that was coming to, and leaving Alexandria. These same warehouses standing today make up the shops and restaurants of Old Town. By the end of the 18th century, Alexandria was among the ten busiest ports in America and had been designated an official port of entry.

The town derives its Scottish heritage from Scottish merchants John Alexander, William Ramsay and John Carlyle. The celebration of that heritage continues today with the annual Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend and parade, which is held the first Saturday of every December. This year the Scottish Weekend is December 6 and 7 and is consistently ranked by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of he top 20 events in the South and regularly draws nearly 30,000 visitors.

The weekend kicks off Friday December 6, from 9 am to 5 pm with a collection of unique vendors under one roof at the Christmas Marketplace at the George Washington Masonic Memorial across from the King Street Metro. Also from 1 pm to 3 pm there will be a Deck the Halls with Santa, a charming Alexandria tradition for children. For the adults, there will be a Taste of Scotland to kick off the holiday season in style at the Memorial. Taste some of the finest Scotch and spirits; enjoy light fare, beer and wine. Check for prices.

The 43rd annual Christmas Walk will begin at 11 am and begins at Wilkes and South Saint Asaph streets, and ends at Market Square with massed pipes. The Walk has more than 100 Scottish clans, pipe and drum bands, Scottish dancers, re-enactment groups, service bands and, of course, Santa. This is a grand parade and day, but dress for the cold.

The evening of the 7th will feature the 14th annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights. Dozens of brightly lit boats will stretch along the Potomac River during the colorful parade at Alexandria’s historic harbor. The parade is led by Alexandria’s fireboat Vigilant and Washington, D.C.’s fireboat John Glenn. The boats are dressed to impress a panel of judges who will award prizes in a dozen categories including Best in Show, Thinking Outside the Christmas Box, and Hardiest Souls. Dockside festivities begin at 3 pm with the parade passing in review at 5:30. This is a fun event—I know—I entered my sailboat a number of years ago and even won a prize with my All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan theme!

All of these events are on the 6th and 7th of December, but don’t forget the rest of the month. From the waterfront to the Metro, Old Town Alexandria has unique shops, antique shops, furniture stores, restaurants and much more for its entire 18 blocks. This is the place to find a one of a kind outfit, piece of jewelry, or artwork at the internationally known Torpedo Factory Art Center. If it seems daunting, remember that there is a free trolley that runs every 15 minutes from one end of town to the other. Even though King Street is the main drag in Old Town, there are a lot of other stores spread throughout town. To help streamline your choices, the best of these stores advertise in the publication that is in your hands.

For those of you who are reading this outside of Old Town, I go to your towns eleven times a year and help bring them to life…come and visit mine and celebrate this holiday season. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Old Town Crier

December 2014 | 21

FROM THE BAY… ALLISON NATARO

Photos from the Talbott Street Parade in St. Michaels and are by Maureen Golden.

Chesapeake Holiday Destinations

It’s

supposed to be a snowy winter here in Chesapeake country, so I say we get in the winter spirit early!

Plan a weekend trip to any of these towns for a trip back in time, complete with all of the holiday trimmings.

Solomons holds their Christmas Walk December 4-7. The weekend kicks off with the Solomons Ice Castle Gala Christmas Party at Kingfishers on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. Friday will bring Santa and the lighting of the Christmas Tree at the River Walk Pavilion. The town will be filled with thousands of luminaries, and local businesses will be open late for holiday shopping. There will also be a holiday puppet show for children at Our Lady Star of the Sea. On Saturday, start out by having breakfast with Santa at Isaac’s Restaurant and stay for the Lighted Boat Parade around 6:15 p.m.

Find information on The Solomons Christmas Walk on the Solomons Island website: solomonsmaryland.com.

On Friday, December 5, the town of Cape Charles, Va., presents Christmas by the Bay, a holiday tasting tour. This 22 | November 2014

walking tour will visit historic homes that are decorated for the holidays, as well as restaurants, which will be serving dinner. Arrive early to shop at the town’s galleries and shops, or extend your stay at one of their beds and breakfast, inns, or hotels.

Tickets cost $40 and can be purchased through northamptoncountychamber. com. On December 6, the town will continue its Christmas celebrations with Santa arriving by skiff, followed by a holiday golf cart parade which will lead to the Grand Illumination in Central Park.

Chesapeake City, Md., holds its annual WinterFest celebration from December 1 through January 3. This Victorian Christmas celebration takes place on both sides of the C&D Canal with holiday lights and outstanding lighted displays along the waterfronts, carolers, and houses decked out for the season (and a porch-decorating contest.) Find Santa in his workshop in Franklin Hall every Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. Visit the quaint shops and celebrate the season in world-renowned restaurants while in town. For more information, visit: chesapeakecity.com.

Christmas on Cockrell’s Creek in Reedville, Va., takes place on December 13 and 14. This weekend tour of houses proudly highlights the Northern Neck’s rich maritime heritage. The ladies of the Chesapeake Bay Garden Club will be adding festive seasonal touches to all the homes. A unique feature of the Reedville house tour is a free narrated boat shuttle provided between the Fishermen’s Museum and the homes on Cockrell’s Creek. On Saturday morning, Santa will arrive by boat for breakfast at the United Methodist Church. There will also be a bake sale and other seasonal events happening throughout the town all weekend.

More information can be found at the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum website: rfmuseum.org.

St. Michaels will host three days of festivities at Christmas in St. Michaels December 12-14. For more than a quarter century, both ticketed and free events including the tour of homes, holiday gala, breakfast with Santa, and the Talbott Street Parade (the largest holiday parade on the Eastern Shore) have celebrated the arrival of the Christmas season. This is an event

which is not to be missed as the whole town is transformed back in time to become an Eastern Shore Christmas Wonderland. More information can be found at christmasinstmichaels.org.

My favorite quaint, little coastal town in Virginia, Poquoson, will be hosting its annual Christmas parade on December 5 at 7 p.m. on Wythe Creek Road. Participants in the parade will include fire companies from all over the area and floats from various community organizations. The parade is very kid friendly, and will go down the decorated main street in town.

On December 13, Whitehouse Cove Marina will get into the holiday spirit with a Lighted Boat Parade as well as a Golf Cart decorating contest and parade. For more information on Poquoson’s events, visit: ci.poquoson. va.us.

When SpinSheet and PropTalk’s Allison Nataro is not editing articles and doing administrative planning, she races cycles and cars.

Old Town Crier

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www.annmariegarden.org November 2014 | 23

…TO THE BLUE RIDGE JULIE REARDON

R CHRISTMAS

TREES

eal or fake? This year, we’ll put up a small artificial tree for Christmas. Part of me cringes internally, remembering Mom’s scathing comments about fake trees and the kind of people who had them when we were growing up. Nice people didn’t use those tawdry things; they put up real trees that the family went out and chose; a nice big ceiling-height fresh one. We got our tree as late in the month as possible and it never went up before December 20th. We even had a few live ones with root balls way before tree hugging was fashionable, and those pretty pines now grace the front yards of two of the houses we lived in when I was a child.

As a young adult living on my own, I continued to use real trees, often ones I cut

from an abundance of scrub pines and cedars from the farm where I lived. December trail riding was often a scoping trip to find the perfect tree for me and several friends.

No Christmas tree story of mine would be complete without confessing the story of trying to drag one home on horseback. We chopped it down with an ax carried in my saddle bag, and I tied a drag rope to the trunk and attached it to the saddle D-rings for the short jog home.

Conditions were perfect: there was snow on the ground and the tree slid along, perhaps too quietly at first. The horse, a young half broke 3 year old colt, barely noticed it, and I mounted him and set off. But it slid into his hocks down a slight incline and he panicked, exploding into a rodeo-worthy bucking frenzy,

IS YOURS REAL OR ARTIFICIAL?

24 | December 2014

Old Town Crier

convinced a lion had him by the back legs. I was unceremoniously dumped as he bolted at a dead run, as if the flames from hell were burning his tail. End result, the tree was broken up, it was a long walk back home where I found the horse, still snorting, trailing a broken bridle and wearing his saddle under his belly.

More recently, we repurposed a Norfolk pine that we decorated for Christmas. Originally a 10-inch sapling choked with glitter flakes purchased after Christmas for fifty cents almost a decade ago, it grew larger every year, eventually getting too big to move easily this summer, so in lieu of repotting it and trying to find room to bring it back inside this fall, I rehomed it. It never made a good Christmas tree anyway so it became our Charlie Brown special. This year, we’re going artificial. In defense of my recent attitude change about that, artificial trees have come a long way since the tawdry horrors I remember from childhood. They look realistic, don’t shed needles, don’t need to be watered nor do you

Christmas Tree Lane and farm on left. 540-5548625. http://www.middleburgxmastrees.com

GLENGARY TREE FARM

Near Amissville. Open weekdays 8 to 4, weekends 9 to 4 through Dec. 24. Scotch and white pine, white and Colorado blue spruce, Douglas and Fraser fir. From Warrenton, Route 211 west 10 miles to Amissville and Route 642 (Viewtown Road), left one mile to Route 611 (Waterford Road), left two miles to Route 626 (Korea Road), right one mile to farm on left.

540-937-4751 or 540-937-2335.

HINTER BENEDICTEN CONIFERS

Near Amissville. Open weekends 10 to 5 through Dec. 16. White and Scotch pine, Canaan and Korean fir, blue and Norway spruce, Leyland cypress. From Warrenton, U.S. 211 west to Amissville, left on Route 642 (Viewtown Road), left on Route 611 (Waterford Road), right on Route 626 (Korea Road), bear right at bend, then right to 5040 Point of View Dr. in Viewtown. 540-937-6168.

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need to worry about digging a hole in the dead of winter to plant them outside.

But should you wish for that wonderfully fragrant live tree, the area has plenty of Christmas tree farms open after Thanksgiving til just before Christmas. Many have good selections of pre-cut trees and even live trees with root balls you can plant after the holidays, as well as fields of chop your own beauties of all varieties. If the farm doesn’t have a website it’s best to call first to check prices and availability.

LOWELANDS FARM

Near Middleburg. Open weekends 9 to 5 through Dec. 16. (Last weekend subject to availability; call ahead.) Norway and Colorado blue spruce; Douglas, Canaan and Concolor fir; pre-cut Fraser fir. From Interstate 66, U.S. 50 west 16 miles to Route 734 (Snickersville Turnpike), right five miles to Route 733 (Lime Kiln Road), right one mile to Route 763 (Steptoe Hill Road), left 1/2 mile to sign on right. 540-687-6923. http://www. lowelandsfarm.com.

MIDDLEBURG CHRISTMAS TREE FARM

Near Middleburg. Open weekends 9 to 5 through Dec. 16. Norway and Colorado blue spruce, Douglas fir. U.S. 50 west to Middleburg, right at Route 626 (Foxcroft Road), 6.2 miles to Route 630 (Unison Road), right 0.1 miles to Old Town Crier

OAK SHADE FARM

Near Warrenton. Open Tuesday-Sunday 9 to 5 through Dec. 24. White pine, Norway spruce. From Warrenton, U.S. 211 west across Rappahannock River to Route 229, left six miles to Route 611 (Waterford Road), right one mile to farm on right. 540-937-5062.

’PEPER’MINT FARM

Culpeper. Open 9 to 4:30 first two weekends of December, then by appointment. Scotch and white pine; Norway, blue and white spruce; Canaan fir. From Culpeper, Route 229 (Main Street extended) north to Route 729 (Eggbornsville Road), left 4.5 miles to farm on right. 540-825-4693.

K&K TREES

Near Marshall. Open weekends 8 to 4:30 through Dec. 24. Norway spruce and white pine. Interstate 66 west to Exit 27, south on Route 721 (Free State Road) about six miles to farm on left. 540-364-1130.

Julie Reardon was born and grew up in Alexandria but moved to the countryside beyond the beltway in her late 20s. She owns and operates Hope Springs Farm in Fauquier County where she boards horses and breeds, raises and trains Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.

December 2014 | 25

THE LAST WORD FROM PAGE 12

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and causes remains one of her marked characteristics. Unlike many women of her era, Sawyer had no burning urge to get married or have children, which helped clear her way slightly in an era that saw Barbara Walters as the first co-host of an evening news network broadcast. Her beauty caused some to dismiss her prematurely, but her competence quickly changed their minds. Sawyer had a major relationship first with diplomat Richard Holbrooke and then married film director Mike Nichols, with whom she remained deeply in love until his death in November 2014.

Weller sees Sawyer getting her way through ability, a tireless work ethic, and an indirect, enigmatic charm that could be manipulative. As she puts it, Sawyer’s style left “no fingerprints” on those in her way. She started co-hosting the CBS Morning News with Charles Kuralt, eventually moving on to a five-year stint at 60 Minutes. Leaving for ABC, she co-anchored Primetime Live with Sam Donaldson and 20/20 with both Donaldson and Barbara Walters.

In 1999, Sawyer returned to morning TV to co-host Good Morning America with Charlie Gibson, nearly closing the ratings gap for ABC as it closely approached NBC’s Today Show with Katie Couric and Matt Lauer. In 2009 she finally joined Katie Couric in the ranks of women hosting the evening news solo when she took the helm of ABC World News. Sawyer stepped down in September 2014, as ratings did not remain high enough for her to stay on.

Christiane Amanpour stands out as the most exotic and perhaps adventurous of all three women, a half-British, half-Iranian woman educated at English boarding schools and the University of Rhode Island, from which she graduated in 1983. Through her Persian friends, she ended up living in a house with John F. Kennedy, Jr., who was attending Brown University at the same time. Her family escaped Iran after the Revolution in December 1979, and Christiane then had her first glimpse of what life felt like for refugees fleeing political and economic turmoil.

Having graduated with a degree in journalism, Amanpour took on a job at CNN, the new cable network founded by Ted Turner in Atlanta. At that point the network was nicknamed the “Chicken Noodle Network,” with a shoestring budget and hiring practices that picked Amanpour for the foreign desk because she “had a foreign accent.” Like the other members of Weller’s sorority, Amanpour had great drive and persuasive powers, along with an air of intellectual authority and a confidence that would not let her down in the face of the word “no.” She did not fit the American female TV reporter mold of a fresh-faced blonde, which presented her with even more of a challenge than fellow aspiring broadcasters. She had a striking appearance and an unusual last name, along with a penchant for international affairs and a lack of concern about her appearance.

Through very hard work and relentless striving for opportunity, Amanpour finally made it to a position as a CNN reporter and grabbed her first opportunity to go overseas to Frankfurt in 1989. With her initial testing ground the first Gulf War, Amanpour began honing her legendary persona, eschewing traditional feminine style in favor of her trademark intensity and war-reporting garb in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Reporting the war in Bosnia, however, was where she and

CNN made their major marks. She and other journalists endured the dangers and hardships of Sarajevo in the early 1990s, where snipers made bullets sing through the streets and citydwellers were killed going to get food. Here she forged strong bonds and had romances with her fellow journalists, all while bearing fearless witness to the horrors of the war. Amanpour became a staunch and often partial advocate for Bosnian Muslims, even chiding President Clinton once about his slowness to get the United States involved. As CNN became the channel of choice around the world for such reporting, she became famous internationally and around the State Department. After Bosnia she moved on to other war zones, and a catchphrase developed: “Where there’s war, there’s Amanpour.”

After marrying former Assistant Secretary of State James Rubin and having a son, Christiane’s sensitivity to the plight of women and children damaged by war deepened further, and she worked hard to maintain family life along with her hectic schedule reporting wars and interviewing world leaders and despots. She eventually wanted to take the helm of a current affairs show at CNN on Sunday, which she felt that she had earned through her hard work and storied career. The position went to Fareed Zakaria, a pleasant, intellectual analyst, instead of Amanpour, who top brass saw as more of an advocate and a fearless reporter. Livid, Amanpour left CNN for the first time, going to the Sunday show This Week on ABC, where the domestic news focus proved a poor fit and the ratings reflected her miscasting. Amanpour has returned to CNN International, and maintains a presence reporting for ABC. All three women made it to the top through a combination of brains, warmth, tenacity, and emotional intelligence while displaying it in diverse ways. Per Weller’s account, Sawyer and Couric politicked their way upwards, but earned their advancements through their savvy, on-camera ease, and intelligence.

She gives Sawyer more credit for working tirelessly and more blame for tiring out her producers and staff with relentless last-minute perfectionism, while Couric’s fresh-faced, witty approach earned her many friends and her latter-day sense of celebrity some selective finger-pointing from anonymous colleagues for journalistic laziness.

Both Couric and Sawyer put a female face on the nightly news in the 2000s and suffered from a still-entrenched sexism that causes the public to poll a preference for male over female news anchors in that time slot. Amanpour is a different animal—she does not quite fit in with the other two, with her international background, focus, and war reporting, and her effect on US foreign policy. She earns fewer negative comments from anonymous sources than the other women, but also seems as if she inhabited a different world, where she combined aggression, smarts, and authority with great timing at CNN as it became a media player and she grew with it overseas, where her multicultural background and strong opinions gave her more general appeal.

In short, The News Sorority moves quickly as both a substantive and gossipy read. Those enjoying the magazine Vanity Fair will be interested, since it sets a similar tone. This book is also a must for anyone interested in powerful women in media or the history of broadcast news in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

Old Town Crier

White House Eggnog

Recipe from former White House Chef Walter Scheib, The American Chef 6 or 7 egg yolks (5 ounces, pasteurized if possible) 1 cup sugar ¾ cups each, bourbon, cognac, dark rum, such as Meyers 6 or 7 egg whites (7 ounces, pasteurized if possible) 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1 quart milk, more if needed Freshly grated nutmeg for serving 1. Put the yolks and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until yellow ribbons form, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Add the bourbon, cognac and rum, whip well, scrape down the sides and mix again. Transfer the mixture to a 6-quart bowl.

3. In a separate clean mixer bowl using a clean beater, whip the egg whites and salt until very stiff. Fold into the eggnog mixture.

4. Wipe out the mixer bowl, pour in the cream and vanilla and whip until very stiff peaks form. Pour this into the eggnog mixture. Add the milk and whisk until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Transfer the eggnog to an airtight container, chill in the refrigerator and serve within 2 or 3 weeks, if using pasteurized eggs, 3 to 5 days if not. While the eggnog is refrigerated, foam will rise; simply whisk to reincorporate it. Serve very cold, with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Check out Walter Scheib’s web site, The American Chef.com.

His book, “White House Chef, Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen” is in its fourth printing.

Tasteful Gifts Stop by to find the perfect gift for friends, family, and co-workers!

The Spice & Tea Exchange® 320 King Street | Alexandria, VA | 571-312-8505

alexandria@spiceandtea.com

Old Town Crier

November 2014 | 27

BEHIND THE BAR LANI GERING

RUSS BERRY RUSS BERRY IS BEHIND THE BAR AT BILBO BAGGINS 208 QUEEN STREET OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA

How did you get started in the bartending business?

703.683.0300 I used to do the Ghost Tours here in Old Town. One night after a particularly gruesome high school tour group, I decided to blow off some steam with a few frosty brews. While getting mildly inebriated at Bilbo Baggins I struck up a conversation with a man next to me. I was category five whining about my job and my life.

The guy turned out to be the owner.

He liked my style, and brought me on board. Then eight years flew by and

Russ serves up the drink du jour, the Dark & Stormy. He is behind the bar Friday-Tuesday nights until close.

here we are.

What is your biggest bartender pet peeve?

I have a bell hanging in my bar.

It is not a small, quiet bell. People get loaded and “ring my bell.” Then I throw them out on the curb like a javelin.

What is the cleverest line anyone has ever used to get you to give them a free drink?

Girl: “Soooo, can I get a free beer?”

Me: “Sure... somewhere else.”

Girl: “But I’m already here...

BEHIND THE BAR > PAGE 29

This is where your new favorite whiskey comes from.

Visit us in Sperryville. Tours daily. www.copperfox.biz

28 | December 2014

Old Town Crier

Santa Claus is Coming to Union Street

& he’s bringing the Missus!

Breakfast with Santa DECEMBER 22, 23 & 24 $10 / CHILD | $15 / ADULT BUY TICKETS AT UNIONSTREETPUBLICHOUSE.COM/BREAKFAST

121 South Union Street Old Town Alexandria 703-548-1785

® Book Your Holiday Party with Us Today!

Celebrate with Us New Year’s Eve! Reservations Only 6 PM - 1 AM $40 4-Course Meal Party Favors Midnight Champagne Toast Music by Pat Carroll & Ronan Kavanagh Open 5 PM Christmas Day with Dinner Specials & Music Open New Year’s Day for Brunch 11 AM - 2 PM

713 King Street • Old Town Alexandria 703.548.1717 • murphyspub.com

BEHIND THE BAR FROM PAGE 28

Where is somewhere else?”

Me: “Anywhere but here.”

Girl: “But isn’t this somewhere else if I’m anywhere but here?”

Me: “Touché” Free Beer Given.

What is the best/worst pickup line you have overheard at the bar?

“You are the angel that gives my spirit license to soar. Also, can I buy you a beer?”

Tell us an interesting encounter you have had with a customer(s).

One night I was flipping the stools around 11:30 when there was a tender tap on the door from a girl in a wedding dress in the middle of winter all by herself. I opened the door and let her in because it was freezing.

She said “I don’t want to bother you. I see that you’re closing. But I just got married and Old Town Crier

we really love this place. Do you think some of my friends could just come in for a quick beer?” Without a second’s hesitation I said “Of course!” Because weddings rock. Five minutes later 150 people walk into my 20 seat bar and I was washing glasses until sunrise. Possibly the most fun I’ve ever had bartending.

If you could sit down and have a drink with anyone in the world, past or present, who would that be?

Shakespeare. I want to see how middle English pans out with an intoxicated slur from the bard’s tongue. I also want to party like its 1599.

If you would like to see your favorite bartender featured here, send contact information to office@oldtowncrier.com.

December 2014 | 29

DINING OUT bobtagert

T

his month we visited one of Old Town’s newest restaurants, Mackie’s Bar & Grill at 907 King Street. Located in the space that housed Layla’s for the past several years, this is a welcome new addition to the Old Town dining scene. Mackie’s is the dream child of Sang Lee and his wife Susanne Mackie (hence the name). Both Lee and Mackie have been longtime Old Town restaurant patrons and have always thought there was a need for a good “steak house”. Lee says that he wants to concentrate on really good, high quality steaks and everything that making that happen entails.

Mackie’s Bar & Grill

The new kid on the block

Mackie’s isn’t “officially” open. They have been taking their time serving the public and testing out the menu so that when they open “officially” on December 20th – which happens to be the anniversary of Lee and Mackie’s first date – he wants to make sure he has things right. If the meals we have had there in the interim are any indication of what is to come – they on the right track.

30 | December 2014

The dining room is positioned at the rear of the building and is separated by a heavy glass door from the lively bar space that greets you upon arrival. At first we thought this odd, but after entering the restaurant area we understood how the door helped block the noise of the crowded bar. By having the bar area separate it makes for a nice quiet dining experience with background music conducive to carrying on a conversation.

The dining room is long and narrow with about 45 seats, mostly two tops and four tops. It makes for a fairly intimate experience. The black dinner napkins and heavy silverware underscore the masculinity of the room. It is elegant and comfortable at the same time. The large wine glasses are perfect for their quality offering of medium priced wines. Although the wine list is not large, it is quite adequate.

There are three distinct menus at Mackie’s…

Bar, Lunch, and Dinner. Although there are a few of the dinner items on the Bar and Lunch menus, these menus offer mainly sandwiches and lighter fare. Choices range from soup of the day and their classic lobster bisque to three salad choices for an appetizer. On the bar menu you can find the obligatory fries and wings, sliders, Caprese Bites, a delicious Tuna Tartare (Lee’s recipe), a juicy hamburger and the Bulgogi Hoagie…thin slices of rib eye, Korean marinade, spicy Korean sauce, and house slaw. This sandwich is not only delicious but is huge and complimented with really good house made fries. Lani, who really isn’t a steak sandwich or fries person, ordered this on our second trip to Mackie’s and oohed and aahed over both.

The lunch menu offers a few more sandwiches including a Grilled Chicken, smoked pork BBQ, and a BLT. The entrees on the lunch menu feature the Bone-In Chicken Breast, Filet of Salmon and a 5oz. Hanger Steak. These portions DINING OUT > PAGE 33

Old Town Crier

G GERANIO RISTORANTE RedeďŹ ning Italian Cuisine in Old Town Alexandria Dinner Entrees from $14 722 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703.548.0088 www.geranio.net

Old Town Crier

December 2014 | 31

American DUTCHS GRILL (Holiday Inn) 2460 Eisenhower Ave. Alexandria, VA 703-960-3400

BILBO BAGGINS 208 Queen St. 703-683-0300 BITTERSWEET 823 King Street 703-549-2708

THE GRILL RESTAURANT/ PIANO BAR AT MORRISON HOUSE 116 S. Alfred St. 703-838-8000

CARLYLE CLUB 411 John Carlyle St. 703-549-8957 CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442 chadwicksrestaurants.com An Old Town tradition since 1979 and an original Georgetown pub and restaurant since 1967.

CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080

EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051 FAST EDDIES BILLIARD CAFE 6220 Richmond Hwy. 703-660-9444 FIN & HOOF 801 N. Saint Asaph St. 703-836-4700 FINN & PORTER AT MARK CENTER 5000 Seminary Rd. 703-379-2346

CLYDES 1700 N. Beauregard St. 703-820-8300 clydes.com

FIRE FLIES 1501 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-7200

COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE 109 S. St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776

FLAT IRON STEAK & SALOON 808 King St. 703-299-0777

Dining Guide

FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288

HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050

MANGO MIKES 4580 Duke St. 703-370-3800

INDIGO LANDING #1 Marina Dr. Washington Sailing Marina 703-548-0001

McGINTYS PUBLIC HOUSE 3650 S. Glebe Rd. Potomac Yard Located at Market Square in the Eclipse next to Harris Teeter on Rt.1 703-414-3555

JACKS PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372 JACKSON 20 480 King St. 703-842-2790

RED MEI 602 King St. 703-837-0094

MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710

THAILAND ROYAL 801 N. Fairfax St. 703 535-6622

MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600

TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878

KING STREET BLUES 112 N. St. Asaph St. 703-836-8800 LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313 LIGHT HORSE RESTAURANT 715 King St. 703-549-0533 MACKIE’S BAR AND GRILL 907 King St. 703-684-3288 MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117 MANCINIS 1508 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-838-FOOD

BRABO Tasting Room 1600 King St. 703-894-5252

TEMPO 4231 Duke St. 703-370-7900 temporestaurant.com Northern Italian, French provincial and American cuisine featuring fresh seafood, meats and pasta served in a contemporary, romantic atmosphere.

Caphe Banh Mi Vietnamese 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800 Sang Jun Thai 300 King Street 571-312-3377

RESTAURANT EVE 110 S. Pitt St. 703-706-0450 CEDAR KNOLL INN GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-799-1501

LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854

CHEZ ANDREE 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-836-1404

LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661

TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141

LA BERGERIE 218 N. Lee St. 703-683-1007 labergerie.com

FONTAINES CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151

YVES BISTRO 235 Swamp Fox Rd. In the Hoffman Center 703-329-1010

32 | December 2014

BERTUCCIS 725 King St. 703-548-8500 BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 bugsyspizza.com FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998

FRENCH BASTILLE 1201 N. Royal St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com

MURPHYS IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com Old-world Irish pub featuring a roaring fireplace, serving a variety of imported, domestic and non-alcoholic beers in a friendly atmosphere. Serving robust American-Irish meals at fair prices.

Favorites include fish and chips and Irish stew. Irish-style entertainment nightly.

NICKELLS AND SCHIFFLER 1028 King St. 703-684-5922 NINAS DANDY Potomac Party Cruises Zero Prince St. 703-683-6076 dandydinnerboat.com

OVERWOOD 220 North Lee St. 703-535-3340 PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699 RAILSTOP GASTROPUB 901 N. Fairfax St. 703-683-8793 RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com REYNOLDS STREET CAFÉ 34 S. Reynolds St. 703-751-0830 RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274

GERANIO RISTORANTE 722 King St. 703-548-0088 geranio.net Still Old Towns highest-rated Italian restaurant (Zagat). Discerning Old Towners flock here for refined cuisine in this comfortable, yet sophisticated restaurant. With entrees from $14, there is no reason not to enjoy a selection from their Wine Spectator award-winning list, while being attended by the friendly staff of seasoned professionals. Reservations recommended and casual attire welcomed.

IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833 LA STRADA 1905 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-2592 SAPORE DITALIA RISTORANTE & PIZZERIA 1310 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-683-9680

LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com Elegant, classical Italian cuisine served in a lovely historical setting. Fresh veal, homemade pastas, and fresh fish are some of the daily choices. An extensive list of wines and champagnes served in a sophisticated and friendly atmosphere.

SOCIETY FAIR 277 S. Washington St. 703-683-3247 SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222 T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com American cuisine with libations from around the world. Bar specials Mon-Fri, 4-7 PM. Brunch served Sat & Sun. TRADEMARK 2800 Jamieson Ave. 703-253-8640 TRADITIONS (Holiday Inn) 625 First St. 703-548-6300 UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com Old Towns favorite neighborhood tap and grill. Distinct southern style menu, fine steaks, fresh seafood. Sunday brunch, private parties, happy hour.

VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669

SAMUEL BECKETTS IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122

VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669

SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266

italian • pizzErias

CONTINENTAL BRABO

by Robert Weidmaier 1600 King St. 703-894-3440

MOUNT VERNON INN Mount Vernon, Va 703-780-0011

JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777

asian ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515

MONROES AMERICAN TRATTORIA 1603 Commonwealth Ave. 703-548-5792

OCONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 danieloconnellsrestaurant.com

THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868 MEDITERRANEAN

LA TASCA 607 King St. 703-299-9810 “Spring into Spain and Feast Like a King.” Offering unlimited tapas at lunch and dinner. Choice of dessert included. Lunch 11:30-4:30 for $20.07; dinner 4:30-close for $30.07. Eat a little, drink a little, have a lot of fun!

LAS TAPAS 710 King St. 703-836-4000 CASABLANCA 1504 King St. 703-549-6464 TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com

OLD CHICAGO PIZZERIA 2245 Huntington Ave. 703-960-1086 PARADISO 124 King St. 703-837-1245 PINES OF FLORENCE 1300 King St. 703-549-1796 RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873 TRATTORIA DA FRANCO 305 S. Washington St. 703-548-9338 VILLA DESTE 600 Montgomery St. 703-549-9477

seafood Hanks Oyster Bar 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK RTS RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 FLYING FISH 815 King St. 703-600-FISH flyingfishdc.com Traditional American and fancy seafood specializing in sushi.

FISH MARKET-CLINTON 7611Old Branch Ave. Clinton, MD 301-599-7900 ERNIES ORGINIAL CRABHOUSE 1743 King St. 703-836-0046

FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com Internationally known and locally owned! We serve shrimps, a few crabs, tall people and lots of nice people, too! Live music and lively food!

THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834 wharfrestaurant.com "Its All About the Seafood," traditional and creative coastal cuisine.

PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194 thepitahouse.com Family owned and operated; carry out available and free delivery.

DELIAS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. Alexandria, VA 703-329-0006

MEXICAN • LATIN SOUTHWESTERN AUSTIN GRILL 801 King St. 703-684-8969 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) CASA FELIPE 835 N. Royal St. 703-535-7868 INDIAN DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd.

703-660-6085

Old Town Crier

DINING OUT FROM PAGE 30

are smaller than their dinner counterparts but less expensive as well.

In addition to the appetizers aforementioned, the dinner menu includes a “colossal” shrimp cocktail and a trio of dips of Kalamata tapenade, spinach & artichoke and crab. Lee tells us that these are being updated as they go along.

The dinner entrees offer a wide range of options and still keeps it simple. The Pappardelle pasta is served primavera or alfredo style with a choice of chicken, shrimp or steak; the Bone-in Chicken Breast is pan seared and served with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables; and a Filet of Salmon served with dill vin blanc and fresh vegetables compliment the steaks – 10 oz. butchers cut Hanger, 14 oz. New York Strip, 16 oz. Rib eye and the 8 oz. Filet Mignon.

The chicken breast is one of the tastiest dishes I have ever eaten. Juicy and with spices that make your mouth water, this is a great choice for either lunch or dinner. The Hanger Steak comes with a mushroom bordelaise sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, and seasonal vegetables. This butcher’s cut steak has a deep red color and a wonderful taste. I couldn’t finish mine that night and it was even better the next day. The 14 oz. New York Strip and the 16 oz. Rib Eye are certainly for the hardy eater.

Both of these entrees come with the garlic

mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

The Filet Mignon is cooked just right on the medium rare side but still has the scoring of the hot grill to add flavor and eye appeal. Lani – the steak critic in the crowd - ordered this on the first visit and gave it 5 stars and more. This was truly a melt in your mouth steak.

The fun and lively part of the restaurant is out front at the bar where, in addition to the bar itself, there are a few high tops and a cozy window seating area that I can see people taking off work early in order to secure the space for Happy Hour! This is a very “hip” bar – you can download the music app that plays on the flat screen and pick your own music from your seat!! I can hardly wait to be in the place when someone my age wants to listen to Jimmy Buffet and someone in their 30’s wants to listen to whatever music it is “they” listen to.

All kidding aside, this is a great new twist on the tunes.

Mackie’s has only been open about a month but the bar is attracting a local crowed and the restaurant is already seeing repeat diners. As Sang told me, this is a work in progress. They are pleased with what they have seen so far, but are looking for input from customers as to where they can go from here. Look for subtle changes to the menu as they continue to grow.

Join the fun and enjoy a great steak!

GRAB A

BITE!

“The Finest Lebanese Cuisine” –Washington Post, 2001 Family Owned & Operated Come and Enjoy a Cozy Candlelit Dinner Carry-Out Available • Free Delivery Open 7 Days for Lunch & Dinner

719 King St. Old Town Alexandria 703.684.9194 • thepitahouse.com Old Town Crier

December 2014 | 33

CHEF’S SPECIAL CHESTER SIMPSON

CAROLINE ROSS

R

iver Bend Bistro & Wine Bar is located in the Hollin Hall Shopping Center in the Fort Hunt Section of Fairfax County. Chef Caroline Ross and her husband Bill Ross opened River Bend just over a year ago, with the desire to bring casual fine dining to their neighborhood and have a comfortable atmosphere for all to enjoy. Chef Caroline brings more than 30 years experience in food and wine to their Bistro, with an emphasis on local fresh ingredients, prepared from scratch, right down to the tater tots.

caroline ross IS THE CHEF AT river Bend bistro & wine bar 7966 Fort hunt road ALEXANDRIA riverbendbistro.COM 703.347.7545

When did you first become interested in cooking? Why did you decide to pursue a culinary career?

photo: ©2014 Chester Simpson

I’ve always been interested in cooking, both of my parents are excellent cooks and after school I would come home and watch Julia Child on The French Chef with my mom. Sometimes we tried to make what had been on that day’s show. Funny, it didn’t take Julia five hours to put together a Coulibiac of Salmon! We ate pretty late that night! My first restaurant job was at Portner’s when Wendy Albert was the chef. I was the

Chef Ross serves her roast duck breast.

CHEF’S SPECIAL > PAGE 37

Preparing the roast duck breast with Caramelized shallots in an orange vinegar sauce.

34 | December 2014

Old Town Crier

EXPLORING VIRGINIAWINES DOUG FABBIOLI

T

he governor of the commonwealth came to our little village of Lucketts the other day. My wife and I were among the 200 guests at the announcement of an exciting agricultural business that is starting up here right on route 15.

The Lucketts Mill and Hop Farm received a grant from the State of Virginia to build a hops processing facility that will process the hops grown on their farm as well as the commercially grown hops from farms in a 50 mile radius. This operation, the largest by far in the mid-atlantic region, will greatly impact Loudoun’s agriculture community for the next generation, and that is a great thing.

Hops are grown on very tall trellises and are harvested in 20’ bines that have the hops combs and leaves attached. The first step of the process is to rake off all of the hops from the bine. The material is then sorted using screens and fans, which remove the leaves and leave behind the hops combs. The hops are then put into a drying space to reduce the moisture down to about 5%. The hops can then be frozen without turning to mush and having the acids break down. The timeliness of this process is critical to maintain the acids of the hops.

Having this processing facility in Loudoun is as important to our local businesses as, say, a local dairy is to dairy farmers. Dairy farmers rely on a dairy cooperative to process and distribute their milk, so that their businesses can grow. The lack of a processing

Old Town Crier

facility means no growth. For example, the Loudoun County dairy cooperative shut down a generation ago, and as a result, the farmers sold their herds and many of the farm lands converted to housing.

The Lucketts Mill and Hops Farm will create a huge economic opportunity for local farmers and landowners in the area. They will plant and grow hops, which will be processed at the mill and used by our growing community of local craft brewers. Currently we have eight craft breweries in Loudoun County alone that could use these hops. In the processed state, the hops can be used by brewers anywhere. As hops are not the only crop used to make beer, many predict a malting facility popping up next, encouraging the grains to be grown here as well.

So what does all this hop business have to do with wine? Well, this all adds to the culture of agriculture that we have been working to build over the years. Keep the farms, retool them to grow high value crops that can be preserved and encourage entrepreneurs to make this work economically. Beer, wine, produce, local beef, eggs, honey and all of the other products and farm experiences add to the rural economy and the culture that ensues from being financially viable. It’s a good life, it’s sustainable and it gives folks who live and work in the concrete jungle something to eat, drink and do. Rural and urban can live off each other; it is almost utopian.

The Hops Farm

December 2014 | 35

GRAPEVINE frank britt

a true labor of loveGraniteHeightsWinery

L

ocated on a 225 acre farm in gorgeous heart of pine floors and a large Fauquier County, Granite Heights porch overlooking a tranquil pond with a Winery specializes in small batch view of the vineyards beyond. Each room wine production, honey from the in the farmhouse has been decorated with farm’s own beehives and exceptional a particular theme in mind, great for small jams from its orchard. Owners Luke and Toni private parties.

Kilyk believe that their homegrown products Granite Heights estate wines include 2010 and handcrafted wines reflect the personal care and 201l GH Humility and 2010 Barbelo, and devotion they have put into the winery which have received favorable reviews by every step of the way. wine critics. On the honey front, the Kilyks The Kilyks, each of whom has a full time personally tend the beehives and harvest the profession, are not only the owners, they honey in July and August. They also pick the are also the winemakers and do most of fruit from the orchard and prepare and bottle the vineyard and farm work themselves. the jam.

According to Toni, “You There is no doubt about would be amazed at what the Kilyks’ commitment to GRANITE two people can accomplish the success of their winery.

HEIGHTS WINERY when they are in love with They have invested a what they do.” tremendous amount of 8141 Opal Road With the help of time, effort and expense Warrenton, VA 20186 renowned viticulturist . . . and it shows. Plan graniteheightsorchard.com Lucie Morton and the to visit Granite Heights philosophy that great and see for yourself this wine is grown in the vineyard, the Kilyks fine example of a Virginia farm winery. It is have developed a vineyard tailored to the open to the public on weekends from 12 noon production of high quality wines. The winery to 5 pm, April through the first weekend in has 10 acres of high density plantings with December.

2000 vines per acre, including Chardonnay, Barbera, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Frank Britt is the former co-publisher and coCabernet Sauvignon and Vermentino. What founder of Virginia Wine Lover magazine distinguishes Granite Heights is the effort the and current publisher of the Official Virginia owners put into choosing the type of vines Wine Lover e-newsletter, “THE Source for (French clones) to plant, the planting system Virginia’s Wine news.” (www.vawinelover.com— to use and the high end grape/wine processing complimentary to Old Town Crier readers). equipment they chose. The determination Frank also consults with several wine festivals to put quality ahead of everything else has and can be reached at frank@brittmarketing. allowed them to make the exceptional wines com; www. they have been producing since 2008. vawinelover.com The Granite Heights Tasting Room is in a 100-year old farmhouse that has the original,

36 | December 2014

Luke’s Pasta Sauc

Pair with Granite Heights

e

2008 or 2009 Evening Se

renade

2 carrots chopped 1 onion chopped 4 cloves of garlic chopped 1 celery chopped Saute all in pan with olive oil until softened. Season with salt and pepper.

Add 4 cans of herb tomato pasta sauce 375 ml of Granite Heights wine (Evening Serenade or Lomax Reserve) 2 small cans of tomato pas te 2 (14 oz) cans of choppe d tomatoes ½ jar of Italian seasoning (can add more to taste) ½ tube of concentrate Ita lian herbs 4-5 tablespoons of sugar (added over time) 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese (added near the end ) Separately cook ground vea l, pork, turkey and beef (ab out 1.5 pounds of each) and season with salt/pepper and Italian her bs during cooking breaking up the clumps wit h a wooden spoon.

Add the meat to the sauce and add 1 cup of water dur ing the cooking process. Simmer for at lea st 1-2 hours.

Publisher’s note: This may be just the sauce for those of you who have made Lasagna part of you r Christmas dining tradition!

Old Town Crier

DECember Wine Events Northern Virginia Region

Sparkling Sundays at Barrel Oak 10 a.m. - Noon Start Your Sundays With Us! Join us from 10am-Noon for our Sparkling Sunday mornings! We will have Mimosas (OJ and Sparkling Wine) and Poinsettias (Cranberry Juice and Sparkling Wine) available for purchase while you enjoy a complimentary bagel with cream cheese and a newspaper! What a way to start your Sunday!

See more at: www.barreloak.com Barrel Oak Winery 3623 Grove Lane Delaplane, Va. 6th, 12th, 19th & 26th Uncorked and Unplugged at Bogati Bodega 6 - 9 pm Come and unwind with us at the Bodega.

Start your weekend with a glass of wine on our deck overlooking the pond while listening to live music. The Bodega captures the energy, passion and atmosphere of South America. Try our hand-made empanadas or other light food options are available for purchase. www.bogatibodega.com 35246 Harry Byrd Highway Round Hill, Va. 6th Veramar Christmas Winter Fest Event 5:30 - 8 pm Veramar Christmas Winter Fest Event Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6 pm! Enjoy Christmas music, a free glass of Veramar Mulled wine and a cookie. Arrive by 5:45pm to catch the tree lighting. Special Christmas gift discounts will be available. Wine tasting in the Isabella room until 8 pm.

www.veramar.com 905 Quarry Berryville, Va. 7th Christmas Cabaret at 868 Estate 7 - 10 pm It’s a festive evening of music and comedy as the Stage Coach Theater Company brings their lively Christmas-themed cabaret to 868 Estate. You’ll be laughing and singing along with traditional and notso-traditional carols of the season in this irresistibly playful night out. Dinner from Grandale to include passed hors d’oeuvres, fresh seasonal salad, grilled salmon, filet mignon and an indulgent peppermint fig cake with chocolate sauce. Ticket includes cabaret and dinner in the Tasting Room at 868 Estate. Cash bar available for wine and beer. Cost: $65, includes cabaret and dinner. www.868estatevineyards.com 868 Estate Vineyards 14001 Harpers Ferry Rd. Purcellville, Va. 7th, 13th & 14th Holiday Open House at Ingleside Vineyards Noon - 5 p.m. ’Tis the season to sample our awardwinning wines and enjoy holiday refreshments while shopping for that perfect gift for your favorite wine enthusiast! Take advantage of special holiday discounts in our wine and gift shop and stock up on your favorite wines for the holidays! inglesidevineyards.com 5872 Leedstown Road Oakgrove, Va.

14th Santa Visits Gray Ghost 1 - 4 pm Children of all ages are invited to bring their wish lists to share with Santa.

Free gift for each child. Cameras are encouraged. www.grayghostvineyards.com 14706 Lee Highway Amissville, Va. 14th Holiday Open House at Virginia Mountain Vineyards 1-5 pm Celebrate the holidays with family and friends of VMV. Enjoy a wide selection of our fine wines, including our most popular signature wine, Holiday Spice. Great last minute holiday gifts. Light food fare and holiday treats. Holiday music by AChord and grape vine wreath making throughout the day. www.vmvines.com 4204 Old Fincastle Rd Fincastle, Va. 21st Christmas Open House at Marterella Winery 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Join us for mulled wine and last minute holiday shopping! www.marterellawines.com 8278 Falcon Glen Road Warrenton, Va. This is just a partial listing of the hundreds of events that go on in the Virginia wine community throughout the commonwealth. For a complete listing go to www.virginiawine.org/events.

CHEF’S SPECIAL FROM PG 34

cashier and when the kitchen got slammed she would make me come down from the office to help with salads. I really enjoyed being in the kitchen, it was fun and hectic and Wendy was a great teacher. She encouraged me to work at different restaurants and I went to work at Le Chardon d’Or and worked with Jim Papovich. When I was working with him I applied for a scholarship from Les Dames d’Escoffier and with that was able to cobble together enough money to go to culinary school in Paris. It took many years and many great teachers to hone my skills, but I think I have it down now.

Who have been the biggest inspirations for your career?

I learned so much from my parents, they cook in totally different styles. My dad learned from his mother and my mom taught herself how to cook. I learned to clean fish, butcher meat and cook instinctively from my dad and from my mom I learned rules, especially in pastry. I have worked with some great chefs in my career, from Wendy Albert, Jim Papovich, Mike Soper, all the crazy Italians too numerous to name and Jeff Buben. Both Wendy and Jeff not only taught me things in the kitchen, but more importantly the business of the restaurant business and how to be successful. As many of us did, I worked for Ralph Capobianco on three different occasions. He was always a great supporter and teacher.

What dish on your menu are you most curious to see how it’s received?

On our fall menu my favorite dish is the Pan roasted veal sweetbreads with oysters poached in a Sherry sauce. This is a riff on a dish my dad would make on special occasions.

And, I’ll never stop being surprised how many liverwurst sandwiches we sell at lunch.

What do you do to insure the quality of the food going out to customers is of the highest standards?

I have a very close relationship with my purveyors. They know that if a product comes in that isn’t up to my standards it is going right back. So if I’m out of an item on the menu, that’s fine. I won’t sell anything that I wouldn’t eat myself.

I also shop at the Farmer’s Market at Sherwood Library and St. Luke’s every week. It is so important to have a good relationship with the farmers who are in tune with the season and know what is best any given week.

If any chef in the world could prepare you a meal, who would it, be?

I would love to have dinner with Jacques Pepin. He is a wonderful teacher and makes everything look so easy. If money were no object I would sit down at Sukiyabashi Jiro and have Jiro Ono make sushi for me in the Toyko subway.

What’s your guilty food pleasure?

Well, not really a guilty pleasure, but more of a treat is to go to Peking Duck on Richmond Highway. If I get out early enough I’ll run over there for some carry out. The food is delicious and I’ve turned my whole staff into Peking Duck lovers. A true once a year guilty pleasure is a Cheese Steak from Al’s Steak House on Mt. Vernon Avenue in Del Ray. I order a half, eat half and save the other half for the next day.

If you would like to see your favorite chef featured in this space, send contact information to chester@chestersimpson.com.

Three Fox Vineyards DECEMBER Events Sat., 6th Holiday Open House & Gift Sale Special discounts on holiday merchandise. After shopping, enjoy mulled wine and holiday cookies and jazz & pop standards with live piano music by “Giovanni” in our Club Fox Piano Lounge. 2- 4 p.m. Sing along!

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Sun., 7th Holiday Open House & Gift Sale We’ll have special discounts on holiday merchandise. After shopping, enjoy some mulled wine and holiday cookies.

Sat. & Sun., 13th & 14th Holiday Open House We’ll have special discounts on holiday merchandise. After shopping, enjoy some mulled wine and holiday cookies.

Sat. & Sun., 20th & 21st Holiday Open House & Gift Sale We’ll have special discounts on holiday merchandise. After shopping, enjoy mullied wine and holiday cookies.

Sat.-Mon., 27th, 28th, 29th “Sparkling for the Holidays!”

Stock up for your holiday parties!

You will receive a 10% discount on a 2-pack or a 15% discount on a 3-pack of our Thibaut–Janisson Sparkling Chardonnay.

See the Three Fox ad in this section for contact information.

December 2014 | 37

VIRGINIA WINE Trail Profiles Bedford County Wine Trail bedfordwinetrail.com The Bedford Wine Trail in the Central Virginia region includes five vineyards and wineries surrounding Bedford.

Blue Ridge Wine Way www.blueridgewineway.com The Blue Ridge Wine Way features eight wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains of the Northern Virginia region.

Botetourt County Wine Trail botetourtwinetrail.com The Wine Trail of Botetourt Country features 3 wineries in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Eastern Shore Wine Trail esvatourism.org The Eastern Shore of Virginia Wine Trail hosts three wineries along the Land Between Two Waters. This area is a unique rural coastal environment. Hundreds of miles of Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay shoreline provide a wealth of recreational opportunities for beach-lovers, fishermen, and boaters in addition to wine lovers.

Tasting Room Hours - Open Year Round Thursday-Saturday, & Monday 11-5 pm • Sunday 12 pm (noon)- 5 pm Taste Our Award-Winning Piemontese Nebbiolo 2010 Virginia Governor’s Cup Silver Medal Winner

Mention or bring this ad for a complimentary tasting for two through 12/23/2010

10100 Three Fox Ln. • Delaplane, VA • 540-364-6073

Fauquier County Wine Trail fauquiertourism.com/wineries.html Fauquier County is home to 16 wineries and vineyards —each with its own unique flavors. Enjoy awardwinning Virginia wines, wine tastings and tours.

Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail svwga.org The Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail is an association of six vineyards and wineries.

Loudoun Wine Trail visitloudoun.org Loudouns Wine Trail in Northern Virginia takes you through Virginias hunt country to 23 participating wineries.

A small, family winery focused on quality, sustainable farming and our community Visit us and other quality wineries on the Loudoun Wine Trail–www.loudounfarms.org Serving your local red wine needs since 2006 Open Daily 11am - 5pm Educational wine events

Fabbioli Cellars Douglas Fabbioli Colleen M. Berg 15669 Limestone School Rd Leesburg 703-771-1197 www.fabbioliwines.com

Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail chesapeakebaywinetrail.com The Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail, in the Chesapeake Bay region, highlights six different wineries.

Heart of Virginia Wine Trail www.hovawinetrail.com The Heart of Virginia Wine Trail in Central Virginia presents several events throughout the year at four wineries located in the central region of the state.

Blue Ridge Wine Trail blueridgewinetrail.com The Blue Ridge Wine Trail features five wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains all within minutes of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Generals Wine & History Trail thegeneralswinetrail.com In 2009, 10 wineries banded together to form a new type wine trail experience. The new wine trail experience was to tie our rich wine heritage with our rich historical heritage and thus the Generals Wine & History Trail was born.

Monticello Wine Trail monticellowinetrail.com The Monticello Wine Trail leads to 24 wineries from its hub in Charlottesville.

Source: Virginia Wine Marketing Office

38 | December 2014

For More Information: virginiawine.org Visiting Virginia’s Wine Country Its always a good idea to call before visiting. Many Virginia wineries are small, family-owned operations and may be closed during the time you are planning to visit.

If you are a group of eight or more, call ahead to help the winery prepare for your visit and to make sure they can accept groups.

Most of our wineries have grape cluster highway signs within a ten-mile radius pointing the way to the winery. Many of these signs also tell you how many miles to go before reaching the winery.

Old Town Crier

GO FISH STEVE CHACONAS

Fishing for Holiday Gifts?

Oh

No! It’s that time again! Shopping for anglers is frustrating; but for the person receiving it there’s a guaranteed stint in the return line!

The tough Eddie Bauer Adventurer Medium Rolling Bag rolls through airline baggage handlers! Fishing, golf or business trips, a locking retractable handle with smooth–rolling skate wheels easily navigates airport terminals.

Durable 500–denier Cordura® nylon reinforced with a ballistic nylon bottom construction is tough! Finished with leather touch points,

Bassing IN DECEMber Potomac River

A month changing from beginning to end! Early, water will be around 50 degrees and near 40 by the end!

Early, try Lucky Craft Flat CB DR crankbaits on 12-pound test Gamma fluorocarbon line on a sensitive cranking rod like Quantum’s KVD. Slowly crank drops and hard cover near deeper water. Red when cloudy or with stained water.

Otherwise, try chartreuse patterns. New KVD Mustad

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this bag meets airline carry-on requirements!

Internal mesh pockets unzip for organized travel. Outside pockets stow phone, change, wallet, and keys. Another larger pocket holds a light jacket, sweater or a laptop. Outside lower pockets store smaller items: chargers, cables or TSA liquids bag. Main compartment compression straps secure everything! eddiebauer.com Nearly 30 years ago, a Grand Canyon river guide combined the best of shoes and sandals, GO FISH > PAGE 42

Ultra Point short shank triple grips grab more fish and hold on! They allow upsizing hooks one size. Bump cover for aggressive strikes. On warmer days, lower tides and clearer water; try Mann’s Baby 1-Minus in craw patterns along shoreline cover like tree laydowns. Also try Mann’s Classic spinnerbaits with gold blades and white skirts slowly crawled through bottom cover.

With higher water, target shoreline cover and docks with Mizmo Swamp Monster creature baits Texas rigged on 3/0 Mustad Ultra Point Mega Bite hooks on casting gear for pitching to cover with GAMMA 14-pound test fluorocarbon.

Mizmo green pumpkin tubes on spinning gear with openhooked insert heads. Garlic flavor Jack’s Juice encourages fish to hold on.

December 2014 | 39

FITNESS NICOLE FLANAGAN

E

Walk Away Winter Weight

Old TOwn denTisTry FrinetKasper,DDS Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Crowns & Bridges Invisalign • Sealants Fillings • Whitening

very January hundreds of people head out to join a gym or activity group to make a new year’s resolution.

One of the top resolutions on just about everyone’s list is some type of fitness goal, losing weight, training to run a 5k or starting a weight training program to tone up. Make this upcoming new year more successful by starting your fitness program before the new year gets here. Experts say it takes 30 days to create a habit. If you start your workout plan in December, by the time the new year rolls around you will be ahead of everyone else!

One of the simplest forms of exercise that just about everyone can participate in is walking. There is no equipment needed except for a good pair of walking sneakers. With the weather that we have been having here there is no reason not to grab a buddy and get outside for a walk. If going outside is not an option then a walking workout on a treadmill is great as well.

Here are a few ways to boost your walking routine into a fat burning session.

Steady Pace Walk

Aim for a speed at which you’re hustling but still able to carry on a conversation. Your rate of perceived exertion, or RPE should be about a 6. RPE is measured on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being sitting still and 10 being an all out sprint. If you are on a treadmill this speed will be between a 13 and 17 minute mile. The goal is to maintain this speed for 45minutes. Calories burned at this pace can be between 150-300 depending on your pace and fitness level.

Walking Hills

Walking up hills or climbing stairs will burn more calories and add some muscle tone to your legs and butt. Start out walking on a flat surface for 15minutes at a pace where your RPE is about 6 or 7. Find some stairs or a hill or set your treadmill to a 4 percent incline and walk uphill for about 2 minutes. Recover by walking on a flat surface for five minutes.

If you are outside and can only find one set of stairs or one hill, walk up and down the stairs for five minutes followed by ten minutes of walking on a flat surface. If you are walking along the bike path or anywhere in Old Town there are plenty of stairs to walk. Continue this uphill interval for a 45minute workout and burn almost double the calories you would if you were just walking at a steady pace.

Intervals

1203 Prince Street Alexandria, Va. 22314

703.683.0800

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40 | December 2014

Burn more calories by increasing your pace. Warm up by walking at a reasonable pace for about ten minutes at an RPE of around 6. Then walk as fast as you can for one minute, followed by slowing down to your regular pace for about 2 minutes.

Alternate these intervals for 45 minutes. If your not wearing a watch measure your fast and moderate pace by blocks. Walk quickly for one block and then slow it down a bit for two blocks.

With three easy ways to increase your calorie burning potential while you walk you can be sure that walking off some weight during this holiday season will be a success. Try to get out and be active at least three to four times per week to maintain your cardiovascular fitness. Getting a routine set up now will help manage stress and keep off weight during the holidays, plus give you an advantage when it come to making that fitness resolution for the new year.

Old Town Crier

FROM THE TRAINER RYAN UNVERZAGT

W

ow! It’s hard to believe that 2014 is almost over. This year has gone by way too fast, but December is a great time to find that perfect fitness gift for the holidays. If you are one of those people who struggle to think of gift ideas, you should consider something fitnessrelated. Here are a few things that I recommend.

Heart Rate Monitor

This is a tool that I think everyone should own. Heart rate monitor prices can vary anywhere from $30 to well over $300 depending upon the brand and type. The best thing about having one is that it will track the intensity of your workout no matter where you exercise! You don’t need to rely on a cardio machine at the health club to check your heart rate. It’s also easier than stopping in the middle of your workout to feel your pulse and count while watching the clock.

Exercise Ball (aka Fit Ball,

Swiss Ball, or Stability Ball) I’m talking about the big ball you can sit on at the office or perform multiple exercises for the “core.” However, you can do much more than abdominal exercises with a Fit Ball such as squats, stationary lunges and pushups. Every

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ball should have an exercise sheet included to show you how to use them. They also come in different sizes and colors, so which one should you buy? Most manufacturers will have a size chart printed on the side of the box. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends these sizes for height: 4’8”-5’5”

The Gift of Fitness

45 cm Ball

5’6”-6’0” 55 cm Ball (most common size in stores)

professional before diving into this type of training.

Health Club Membership/Personal Training Sessions

Kettle bells can be a bit pricy, ranging anywhere from $25 to over $180 for a single one. Kettle bell training does take more practice and skill than traditional weight training, so you should seek guidance from a fitness

This gift can be a tricky one because the recipient might be offended at such an offer thinking, “What are you trying to say!” However, if you have heard someone talking about joining a gym or thinking about personal training, this might be the gift to help them take that next

step toward a healthier life.

I hope these ideas will be helpful in your quest to find a great holiday gift this season!

Unverzagt holds a BS in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University and is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). He is an active member of the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA).

6’1” – 6’5” 65 cm Ball (most common size in stores) Taller than 6’5” 75 cm Ball Prices for exercise balls vary from $20 (typical) to $45 (burst resistant quality)

Kettle Bell

You might be wondering, “What the heck is a kettle bell?” I can give you a visual.

It basically looks like a cannonball with a handle on top. Kettle bells have been used for centuries in Russia, but are now becoming popular fitness tools in the U.S. Sizes typically range from 5 lbs to 25 lbs in stores, but can be ordered much heavier.

Some kettle bells will be listed in kilograms (kgs), have a cast iron look and feel, or have some sort of covering or coating for a better grip.

December 2014 | 41

CIVIL DISCOURSE FROM PG 9

with Yankee “casualties” dropping off dramatically where instituted. As for the women, their lives were nasty, brutish and short. One physician following a group of prostitutes noted that their life expectancy was only about four years once they entered the trade, alcohol and disease being major risks.

On the deviant side, rape appears to have been relatively rare, with 335 courts martial being recorded.

When found out, it often resulted in a hanging. A soldier who had raped a free black woman was hanged at Fort Ellsworth before all of the units camped around Alexandria so that everyone understood this. Twentytwo other soldiers were executed for rape over the course of the war.

Homosexuality was not much of an issue. There are not many recorded, probably because sodomy was regarded as an unspeakable crime. Though some reenactors a few years back “reenacted” a firing squad for two soldiers dressed in pink uniforms for “conduct unbecoming”, in fact there is no record of any soldier on either side being executed for the offense of homosexuality, or for that matter being disciplined for the offense. However, a handful of sailors were thrown out of the navy. Military law did not specifically outlaw sodomy until 1921.

But we should not infer from this that homosexuality was previously accepted along the lines of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

Keep in mind that at the time of the Revolution sodomy was punishable by death in all thirteen colonies. In 1779, Thomas Jefferson proposed a more lenient penal code under which GO FISH FROM PG 39

creating the world’s first Sport Sandal.

That heritage continues as TEVA reintroduces one of their very first products, the Original Universal.

Featuring traditional nylon webbing, contoured EVA topsole and durable rubber outsole, the Men’s Original Universal makes as much sense today as decades ago when it stepped into the river and marketplace.

Teva.com Robert Montgomery is the outdoors writer of our generation. His latest book shares the joy of nature for kids and the kid in all of us! Fish, Frogs and Fireflies-Growing up with Nature reflects on outdoors enjoyment and heritage. Montgomery and 13 friends journalize varying perspectives celebrating insight into the outdoors. amazon.com From Gerber, knife and utility toolmaker, comes the ideal outdoor knife for kayak, canoe, anywhere on the water! Gerber’s River Shorty’s fixed blade knife with a sheath is perfect for on-the-go activities. The blunt tip on the rust resistant stainless steel blade is less likely to puncture a rubber raft! The High-VIS green easy-togrip handle makes this water tool easy 42 | December 2014

homosexuals would be castrated and lesbians would have their noses pieced with half-inch holes; Jefferson’s proposal was rejected and sodomy remained a capital crime until 1831.

As recently as World War II, the usual sentence for sodomy in the United States Army was 85 years.

William Manchester in his 1979 autobiographical Goodbye, Darkness describes the sensibilities of young marines in the 1940’s: “Youth is more sophisticated today, but in our innocence we knew almost nothing about homosexuality. We had never heard of lesbians, and while we were aware that male homosexuals existed – they were regarded as degenerates and called ’’sex perverts,” or simply “perverts” – most of us, to our knowledge, never encountered one.”

The attitude of the farm boys who fought in World War II is probably pretty close to that of the farm boys who fought in the Civil War. But plaster saints these soldiers were not.

Sources

Thomas P. Lowry, The Story the Soldiers Wouldn’t Tell: Sex in the Civil War; Thomas P. Lowry, Sexual Misbehavior in the Civil War; William Manchester, Goodbye, Darkness; Treatment of Venereal Disease in the Civil War, http://www. medicalantiques.com/civilwar/Civil_ War_Articles/Civil_War_Venereal_ Disease_treatment.htm Doug Coleman is an attorney and amateur historian in Alexandria, Va.; comments and corrections are welcome at dcoleman@coleman-lawyers.com. to locate and utilize. Cuts line, small branches or slices a sandwich! River Shorty attaches easily to belt, backpack or PFD! Great stocking stuffer. gerbergear.com If your angler wears the pants in the family try Wrangler Rugged Wear Angler pants, a bass fishing community staple for years.

Lightweight and comfortable with side tool pockets to hold pliers or knife.

The kill switch loop allows attaching line snippers. Back pockets have secure closures. The relaxed fit with a double pleated front, elastic waist fabricated in 100% cotton, 6.5-ounce Ripstop fabric create comfort. wranglerangler.com Widely accepted sports clothing manufacturer Under Armour is making outdoors strides as well! Active anglers will love the comfort and fit of rugged Guide Pants. A member of Under Armour’s OFFSHORE ARMOUR fishing collection, they’re constructed of lightweight, ripstop UPF 30+ nylon with UA’s signature Moisture Transport System wicking sweat away from the body. Light enough for the hottest days while unzipping into shorts. Comfort never smelled so good with anti-odor technology. Stain release materials keep fishy things from soaking in.

A BIT OF HISTORY FROM PG 8

Washington wrote Baltimore agent Tench Tilghman with a household request. “I am informed that a Ship with Palatines [Germans] is going up to Baltimore, among whom are a number of Tradesmen. I am a good deal in want of a House Joiner & Bricklayer (who really understand their profession) & you would do me the favor by purchasing one of each…

They may be Mahometans [Muslims], Jews or Christian of any Sect—or they may be Atheists—I would however prefer middle aged, to young men.…”

“Washington loathed religious fanaticism, and on that subject he sounded like a true student of the Enlightenment,” Ron Chernow wrote. Today Iraq is being stripped of its ancient religious communities: Mandaeans [monotheists], Yazidis, and Christians. As Islamic State jihadists fight to overturn national rule; to establish transnational, religious boundaries to what extent does their Muhammad succession claim—an abolished 1924 Ottoman caliphate— “endanger the peace of Society?”

When traveling, George Washington “attended whatever local church was available,” Patricia Brady wrote.

“Charity was almost daily—cash to old soldiers, wood to old widows; large numbers of tickets purchased for charity concerts, fifty guineas for the relief of imprisoned debtors.” “[President] Washington’s respect for the clergy, as a body, was shown by public entertainments to them, the same as to the corps legislative and diplomatic,” George Washington Parke Custis recollected. “Among his bosom underarmour.com Dry, comfortable feet are always appreciated! The women’s Winter Cove Boot from legendary deck shoemaker Sperry Topsider is a lightweight, waterproof and breathable boot. At home on the road and boat, Sperry’s sole is designed for surefooted stability and agility on all terrains.

Removable full-length compression molded EVA footbed customizes comfort. This durable three-season boot features quilted uppers, microfleece lining and faux fur accents. sperrytopsider.com Known for waterproof socks and gloves, Hanz Extremity wear has a grip on smart phones with the new lightweight Tap-Knit Touchscreen Glove! No more removing gloves to answer or make calls! Even better, these gloves work with new touchscreen fishing depth finders! In addition, functional Gripper dots maintain their grip. Seamless design eliminates annoying ridges on hands and fingers!

Great for fishing, golf or everyday wear! hanzusa.com For outdoors activities, don’t reflect upon the suns glare! World famous Maui Jim Polarized Plus sunglasses are now lighter than ever! The Haleakala style, the latest offering from Maui

friends were the present venerable bishop of Pennsylvania Right Reverend William White, and the late excellent prelate and ardent friend of American liberty Doctor John Carroll, born in Upper Marlborough, Maryland, the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Church of the United States.” Doctor Carroll founded Georgetown University.

“While all men within our territories are protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of their consciences; it is rationally to be expected from them in return, that they will be emulous of evincing the sincerity of their profession by the innocence of their lives, and the beneficence of their actions,” President Washington wrote the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 1789. “For no man, who is profligate in his morals, or a bad member of the civil community, can possibly be a true Christian, or a credit to his own religious society.”

“Bear in mind the example of Washington [and] make that God your friend,” Reverend James Madison of Williamsburg’s Bruton Parish Church said in 1800. “Then like your beloved fellow-citizen, will you be strong in virtue, and incapable of dismay.”

“May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness upon our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in His own due time and way everlastingly happy,” President Washington wrote the Newport, Rhode Island, Hebrew Congregation in 1790.

Happy holidays to all!

Email: abitofhistory53@gmail.com Jim in the PureAirTM series, takes the weight out of the clearest sunglasses!

New, translucent durable thermoplastic frames retain their shape even when flexed. Available in several frame and lens colors for any activity! mauijim.com Specializing in everything fishing, clothing maker AFTCO is introducing a NEW Angler Performance Sun Shirt!

This long sleeved breathable polyester stretch fabric shirt blocks 96% of the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays.

It dries quickly and is stain resistant.

Total sun protection also features thumbholes to protect hands and palms! The AFTCO Brush logo on the front chest adds to its good looks! aftco.com Gift certificates are great. Online, catalog and brick and mortar stores are loaded with outdoors gifts. But the best gift of all is time on the water.

Find a buddy, a spouse and especially a child, and go fish!

Capt. Steve Chaconas, Potomac bass fishing guide, BoatUS “Ask the Expert” (http://my.boatus.com/askexperts/ bassfishing/) Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/purchase gift certificates: info@NationalBass.com.

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Holiday Shimmer A gift for them

for every $150 gift card purchased

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ou’ve trimmed the tree, hung the stockings, decorated the house, and bought the gifts, but what about you?

With invitations to holiday parties abound, make sure you sparkle for every occasion. Consider these trendy make up looks for any possible holiday festivity that may come your way.

The Office Party

Your normally conservative office look is still the best course of action even though it is a “holiday” party. Keep your makeup light, but fresh. Freshen and awaken your look with a dab of concealer to the corner and outer edges of the eye. Dab on a sheer lip gloss.

And, to lend some festive sparkle, add a dab of shimmer to the apples of the cheek and to the corner of the eye. So as not to compete with the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, be sure not to overdue the shimmer. Be light, be strategic and be discreet.

Drinks with the Girls

Think girly fun, think pink, think glossy, and think fresh. Glossy, sheer lips with a dab of dazzle are best. Pink tones on the eyes and cheeks make for a fresh and flirty look appropriate for an exclusively girls only fete.

To ensure a fresh and dewy look, choose cream based products for the cheeks and eyes. Finish the look with a light coat of black mascara on your upper and lower lashes.

Cocktail Party

Take subtle to new heights with heavier eyeliner and metallic tones. Try heavy eyeliner over subtle eye base colors for a “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” look. Layer generous eyeliner along the lash line on the top eyelid only, choosing from rich tones such as navy blue, black or chocolate brown. To pull off this look correctly, be sure to keep the eye shadow Old Town Crier

*cannot be combined with any other offer *gift wrapping not available for promo gift cards

a neutral shade swept over the eyelid and all the way up to the brow. Keep cheeks bare and choose a sheer or light colored lip gloss.

You could also choose to sparkle at your next cocktail party. Metallic tones in all shades of gold, pewter and bronze are very in style and festive for the holiday season. Sweep the appropriate shade for your tone (golds for blonds, pewter for dark hair, bronze for brunettes) over your eyelid only. Pair with a generous amount of eyeliner and mascara making sure to pump up the volume to add drama to the eyes. Next sweep a bronzer over the face and add a neutral lip gloss.

Black Tie Event

This is the event to add some drama to your normal makeup routine. Try a few different looks depending upon your mood and the scene. The smoky eye is still the way to add drama to your evening look. Be sure to pair it with neutral, but glossy lips to avoid looking vamped out. Shimmer is still in too! You can’t go wrong with bringing a little sparkle to your face. As I’ve always cautioned though, be sure to reach for the shimmer, not the glitter … you don’t want to apply your makeup like you’d do an art project. Be strategic with the shimmer — try sweeping it across the cheeks, pressing it along the brow bone, and applying to the center of the lips.

Another option for the black tie event is a look I like to call the festive look. Try a pale face matched with ruby red lips. In order for this to resonate over the holidays, be sure to match the red of your lips to the red of your outfit. Clashing reds will make everyone else seeing red. The rest of the makeup should be light and subtle. Only the lips can take center stage with this look.

Have fun with your makeup and enjoy the Holiday season in style!

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SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE PEGGIE ARVIDSON

Clarity in the Fog

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interested in living your purpose at work & beyond?

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For more information contact : Peggie@peggiearvidson.com 44 | December 2014

ao Tzu said, “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”

Sounds simple enough but it’s hardly easy. I’m a recovering Type-A over thinker. A quick look at my hands confirms this is part of my hard-wiring and I’ve spent decades trying to figure out how to stay present when all my big headline wants is to re-evaluate what went wrong in the past so I can strategize how to have a better future.

Not long ago I awoke to a profound fog.

When I opened the front door I could barely see the parking lot a mere seven feet in front of me. The dogs and I embarked on our morning jaunt anyway. When you have dogs, you don’t get much of a choice in the matter, which is one of the great things about having dogs, they do their best to keep you grounded and consistent.

Walking along, not being able to see more than a few feet ahead of us, I was, at first, worried. One of my dogs is sometimes confrontational with other dogs and my neighbors have a habit of letting their dogs run free. I was unnerved at the possibility of being set upon by a nipping, charging, barking little dog and within minutes was trying to shut down the dire imaginings that popped into my mind. My body was in in full stress mode — breathing harder, clenching my teeth and trying desperately to see what couldn’t be seen ahead of me or behind me.

That’s when I realized the insanity of the situation. Nothing I could do would change the status of the fog. Although I couldn’t see the pond, or the street, or the trees, they were still there. That’s what I knew to be true. The possibility of a rogue dog was just that, a possibility. Certainly something to deal with if it happened, but the probability was low that I’d have to deal with it. Why worry about something that was not happening in that moment? Perhaps I was attached to the drama of anxiety?

How many times do I do this in a given day or week? Every single second spent worrying about something that might happen (or, more likely will never happen) is time wasted, so why do it? My theory is that the idea of sitting still with my own thoughts is so immeasurably scary that I’d rather slide into the anxiety of prognosticating a dire future or fill my mind with less than glamorous hindsight in order to avoid facing myself in the moment.

It’s not so much a theory as a reality

actually. The first time I ever tried to sit still in meditation I nearly hyperventilated. I told myself that was because I was trying to follow a recommended breathing exercise, but the truth is that I couldn’t stand the repetitive thoughts about myself. You know the usual — how I look too frumpy, how I talk too much, how I’m not a good enough daughter/sister/girlfriend/ dog-mom — until one sweet second when the onslaught of chatter stopped and I really was still.

That chatter was there to keep me from that one, blissful moment of being present. It was my ego providing the nonstop commentary in order to keep me from recognizing the truth that in that one moment, everything was actually okay. I wish I could tell you that the skies opened and unicorns fell from the sky with rainbow kisses, ensuring that in every moment from that moment on I would be in complete harmony with the wisdom of the present. That didn’t happen. What happened is that I chose to believe there might be “something” to the idea of stillness and listening to what’s really going on inside my heart. I chose to find time to try the exercise again and again. I’ve also found myself in my own version of the Fire Swamp with the never ending trials of flame spurts, lightning sand and R.O.U.S.’s. In every instance of the good and the nasty I’ve done whatever I could to get back to the truth of being present.

The way I see it (thanks to the insight and brilliance of many shining teachers and spiritual texts) there are only two options in any situation — to be in fear/dark or to be in love/light. When I focus on the present and finding the light in that one split second, I am granted the grace to be in truth and away from fear. It’s from that space that I move forward, even if I can’t see three feet in front of me on some days.

Peggie Arvidson, the Pragmatic Palmist is a healer, teacher and soul coach as well as the founder of The Profitable Alchemist Academy.

She’s helped thousands of people connect with their life purpose and put it to work for them through private readings, small group classes and individual coaching programs. You can learn more & sign up to receive your free minireading at PeggieArvidson.com. She’s also available for private sessions at Rising Phoenix Holistic Center in downtown Manassas, Va.

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OPEN SPACE LORI WELCH BROWN

Freestylin’ Twas the night before Christmas and all through Tysons Corner mall People were rushing about for last minute gifts — Frozen Elsa dolls, iPads or even a duck call They ignored Black Friday sales and Cyber Monday deals you can be certain Now all that’s left on the shelves is an Uncle Si chia pet and Dukes of Hazard shower curtain

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ift list? Check. Photo selected for Snapfish holiday card? Check.

Red and green sprinkles purchased for company cookie swap?

Check. Boxes dropped off at USPS to arrive NLT December 23 to Dad in Florida? Check. Look into availability at premiere rehab center for post-holiday melt down?...My mind started going into holiday paralysis right around November 15 and interestingly enough that’s about the same time that the sugar/carb war within my body began. It’s not because I was already overcommitting (aka feeling overwhelmed), but rather because I’ve been traumatized by the Ghost of Christmas Past. My ghost shows up in the form of me at about age 35—a slightly more youthful, thinner version. She began her nightly visitations right around Halloween— which coincides with when retailers start putting out the Christmas stuff and WKXM starts playing carols. She starts off very sweetly—“let’s get a head start this year. Let’s not wait until the last minute like last year. Remember last year, right? Remember when you pulled an all-nighter wrapping presents and forgot to get your Dad a gift?” Anyhow— she starts whispering helpful tips like “you should make

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a list” and “you should start exercising more so you have more energy around the holidays—you don’t want to feel wiped out and ancient again this year, do you?” I start frantically capturing notes on color coded post its and mentally making lists by category. By the time November rolls around, my ghost is making twice daily visits. “When will you have time to decorate the tree? Wouldn’t this be a good weekend to get some shopping done? You’ve always wanted to go to Williamsburg at Christmas—when will you fit that in? If you’re planning to give wedding pictures as gifts, you should have sent them off last week to be printed.” Ugh. I’m planning the Thanksgiving menu when she starts showing up with coffee. “Should you check out Black Friday sales?

You probably can’t even get Nutcracker tickets now. That’s a shame—you procrastinated again. Where’s your ’It’s a Wonderful Life’ DVD? Did you see the stack of cards on the table—have you even got your list together yet? When are you putting the tree up?”

She’s a mean one, that one.

All the post its and to do lists in the world can’t save me from myself. The only thing that can save me from my Ghost of Christmas Past is me and the word, ’no’ which I just used for my first holiday veto when XXL aka husband George brought up hosting a holiday party. We both love entertaining and my knee jerk reaction is always, ’the more, the merrier.’ This year, however, when he started hinting around about having people over, I hit the pause button. “You know what, hon? We just got through a wedding—we hosted a big

party. Why don’t we go on autopilot and be the invitees this year vs. the inviters.”

XXL bit on that plan pretty darned quickly. “We get to freestyle? I love to freestyle.”

Freestyling in XXL world is when we get to fly by the seat of our pants—which he loves because I’m forever planning his life out to the minute. Since meeting XXL, I’ve become a fan of freestylin’ and try to do it whenever possible. I actually plan in time for freestylin’, which I think is cheating, but that’s OK. Time flies by so quickly and we are all running at warp sppppeeeeeedddddddd flashhhhh lightening, kawabunga speed ALL THE TIME. It’s not healthy— it actually interferes with our health so we have to slow down, hit pause and freestyle every once in a while, but especially around the holidays.

It’s so so so easy to overcommit. I’ve actually tried to limit myself to only committing to one calendar invite a week. By the time I fit in a night for working out, chores/errands, laundry, quality time w/XXL, there isn’t much left for anything (or anyone else). For all you introverts like me out there, you can appreciate that there has to be at least one night for navel gazing or a date with your favorite author too. Don’t discount the quality time spent alone for recharging.

XXL now appreciates my desire for alone time. I tease him that he’s more like the female in our relationship.

When I come home from work after a day of being around PEOPLE—people I love but who suck the energy out of me nonetheless—he is Chatty Cathy. XXL loves to chat. He is always talking,

talking, talking. I typically have no words left by 6 p.m. because I’ve been around the ENERGY SUCKING PEOPLE (aka PEOPLE I ADORE). I have to recharge by staring blankly into the TV set watching Modern Family reruns. Shhh. Quiet time.

I’m taking a more proactive approach this year to my not-so-friendly Ghost. I’m waking up and hitting the yoga mat before she arrives. A few downward dogs will help keep me centered through

her pot stirring ways. I’m also going to pick back up on my meditation practice – I’ll tune her out and be all blissed out at the same time. Silent night, holy night. All is calm. All is bright.

Here’s wishing you and yours a happy holiday season — for whatever holiday you are embracing and then some.

Say no to the chaos and yes to the chocolate. Namaste.

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Merry Christmas from the Harbor!

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WATERFRONT DINING

Loc Riv Wil from and Ale Mt. from ´

NationalHarbor.com

S

eems like just yesterday that I was racking my brain about what I was going to include in the July Harbor column and now I sit here pulling out all of the holiday stuff! Those of you who have been reading this column on a regular basis know that I regained my Christmas spirit a couple years ago after a stretch of leaning more toward the “Grinch” side the of isle. Last year was the discovery of The Elf on the Shelf for my great nephew and the year before that I credit the Shrek & Friends (most specially Puss ‘n Boots) themed ICE show here at the Harbor. Last month we gave you a preview of this year’s ICE extravaganza at the Gaylord, Frosty the Snowman, and once again it doesn’t disappoint.

46 | December 2014

While I am not a fan of Christmas decorations, tree lightings, etc. happening BEFORE Thanksgiving, I have to admit that it does give way to making this December column a little more interesting since we go to press before the bird is on the platter.

This means that we had the opportunity to see Frosty in action along with all of the other fun things that are going on here for the next 4 weeks. The photos on these pages don’t really do the ice sculptures justice. And….they look even “cooler” when you can hear the music in the background and see the expressions on the kids (young and old) faces as they walk through the maze. I didn’t do the ice slide this year because we were on a timeline but I recommend that you

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The Harbor looks a bit take the opportunity. Just be different this year than it did sure to lean WAYYY back on last year with the addition your parka (provided by the of The Capitol Wheel and Gaylord) so that you get up several new retail shops. to maximum speed!

Expanding the dining, we Gingy – yet another welcomed Redstone Grill fabulous character of Shrek and Walrus Oyster and Ale legend – holds gingerbread

By Lani Gering House this spring and fall. house decorating sessions Both ad a new element of (see Gaylord ad in this fare and atmosphere. section) during Christmas on the The Harbor has added two fire Potomac at the resort. I have a kit in pit areas aka “Warming Stations” hand right now and am going to make in two locations during the holiday the attempt at going it alone in the season. One in the market area on privacy of my condo. Didn’t want a bunch of little kids to show me up! This American Way and the other on the pier running out toward the Capitol activity is for all ages but there is a fun train ride in the atrium for the little Wheel. It is rumored that you can ones called the Potomac Express and, of pick up a “Smeeps” ( smores made course, Santa with a photo op as well.

NATIONAL HARBOR > PAGE 47

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NATIONAL HARBOR FROM PG 46

with Peeps instead of plain marshmallows) kit at the Peep store on the waterfront and roast them at your leisure at either station. I may even try that out. These are nice new additions to the 2014 holiday events. The station by the Wheel is covered and has a concession stand offering local sweets and hot and cold beverages. This is a nice place to stop in and grab something while watching the movies on the big screen!

While you are in the Harbor please take time to patronize those advertisers who regularly contribute in order for us to keep this section alive: Public House Restaurant, Harrington’s Pub and Kitchen, Gaylord Hotel & Resort and Stonewall Kitchen.

Remember that you can take the water taxi from Old Town to the Harbor and visa versa. Would be a great day if you start out with the history and shopping in Old Town and finish with the nightly tree lighting at the Gaylord and the Harbor after a relaxing 20 minute ride on the Potomac.

Lots to do on both sides of the river!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

DECEMBER EVENTS

NATIONAL HARBOR DINING GUIDE

Visit www.NationalHarbor.com for more information and holiday itineraries.

Photos with Santa at The Capital Wheel Every Saturday through the 20th 2 pm - 4 pm The Capital Wheel On The Waterfront Get your photo taken with Santa before you ride The Capital Wheel in enclosed, temperature-controlled gondolas. Photos available for purchase with admission to The Capital Wheel; visit www.TheCapitalWheel.comfor ticket pricing.

HO-HO-HOLIDAY CAROUSEL RIDES WITH SANTA Every Saturday through the 20th 12 pm - 2 pm Enjoy a festive carousel ride with Santa at National Harbor’s Carousel. $5 per child for unlimited rides; adults ride free when accompanying a paid child.

Jumbotron at the Plaza 12/6: The Muppet Christmas Carol 12/13: The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol 12/20: How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Harbor Holiday Market on American Way Every weekend through the 21st 12pm – 5pm Shop the seasonal Farmer’s Market, now with Christmas trees, wreaths, holiday greenery, and more. Warm up with hot chocolate, winter treats and seasonal goodies from National Harbor’s retailers and have fun making your own “Smeeps.”

AROMA DITALI 156 National Plaza 301-839-3492 BAJA FRESH MEXICAN 186 Waterfront Street 301-839-1377 BOND 45 149 Waterfront Street 301-839-1445 CADILLAC RANCH 186 Fleet St. 301-839-1100 cadillacranchgroup.com All-American cuisine ELEVATION BURGER 108 Waterfront Street 301-749-4014

Ongoing Holiday Programming Every Saturday through the 20th Noon – 6 pm National Harbor Plaza Warm up at one of National Harbor’s fire pits and enjoy live holiday entertainment and holiday movie screenings every Saturday during the holiday season.

1pm – 2pm and 4pm – 5pm: Musical performances 2pm – 4pm: Holiday Movie on the

PIENZA ITALIAN MARKET Gaylord Hotel 301-965-4000

FIORELLA PIZZERIA E CAFFE 152 National Plaza 301-839-1811 GRACES MANDARIN 188 Waterfront Street 301-839-3788

POTBELLY SANDWICH WORKS 146 National Plaza 301-686-1160

Harringtons Pub and Kitchen 177 Fleet Street 301-909-2505 harringtonspub andkitchen.com Enjoy traditional Irish fare and more!

McCORMICK & SCHMICK 145 National Plaza 301-567-6224 McLOONES PIER HOUSE 141 National Harbor Plaza 301-839-0815 mcloonespierhousenh.com NATIONAL PAST TIME SPORTS BAR & GRILLE Gaylord Hotel 301-965-4000 OLD HICKORY STEAKHOUSE Gaylord Hotel 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com

PUBLIC HOUSE 199 Fleet Street 240-493-6120 publichouse nationalharbor.com Whether its lunch, happy hour, dinner or a late night party, we can meet your needs.

REDSTONE AMERICAN GRILL 155 National Plaza 301-839-3330 ROSA MEXICANA 135 Waterfront Street 301-567-1005 SAUCIETY AMERICAN GRILL 171 Waterfront Street 240-766-3640 THAI PAVILLION 151 American Way 301-749-2022 Walrus Oyster & Ale House 152 Waterfront Street 301-567-6100

All Your Holiday Fun is Right Across the River at Gaylord National Resort!

Now through January 4, 2015 ice! featuring frosty the snowman - Everyday Discover everyone’s favorite snowman brought to life in this walk-through winter attraction. Featuring larger-than-life scenes from this classic tale: slide down two-story high ice slides and watch artisans in action in our special NEW Frostbite Factory – an interactive live carving area. gingy’s gingerbread decorating - Until December 31st Come make tasty treats with Gingy! The most famous gingerbread man. madagascar crack-a-lackin’ cook-in - Until December 31st Join King Julien, Alex the Lion and their friends during a special breakfast fit for the King of the Jungle. christmas yule log experience - Saturdays and Sundays December 6th-27th Create your own yule log with this interactive class led by our resort pastry chefs.

This hands on experience includes breakfast at Pienza, followed by a step-by-step demonstration. brunch with santa - December 7th, 14th, and 21st Hosted in Old Hickory Steakhouse, guests will delight in a menu of gourmet selections while visiting with Jolly ole’ Saint Nick himself! reláche - Until January 31 Indulge this holiday season with a rejuvenating spa experience using the soothing and purifying properties of peppermint-infused essentials.

www.ChristmasOnThePotomac.com

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| (301) 965-4000

Located in National Harbor, Maryland, minutes from Old Town Alexandria and D.C.

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*Events and activities listed may involve additional fees and subject to change without notice. Reservations recommended. Shrek, Madagascar and all related characters and properties

ICE! PRESENTED BY

CHRISTMAS ON THE POTOMAC PRESENTED BY

© 2014 DreamWorks Animation L.L.C. Frosty the Snowman TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. & Classic Media, LLC. Based upon the musical composition FROSTY THE SNOWMAN © Warner/Chappell.

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December 2014 | 47

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stonewall kitchen HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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48 | December 2014

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