Old Town Crier- December 2020 Full Issue

Since 1988 • Priceless

December 2020

oldtowncrier oldtowncrier.com

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

december’20 A Division of Crier Media Group OTC Media LLC PO Box 320386 Alexandria, VA 22320 571-257-5437 office@oldtowncrier.com oldtowncrier.com Published the first week of every month.

Worth waiting for!

PUBLISHER Bob Tagert MARKETING & ADVERTISING Lani Gering Bob Tagert Meg Mullery SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE Ashley Schultz DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, VA 20175 703. 669. 5502 Sarah Becker Cheryl Burns F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Scott Dicken Doug Fabbioli Matt Fitzsimmons Nicole Flanagan Lani Gering Miriam Kramer Genevieve LeFranc Sarah Liu

CONTRIBUTORS Cindy McGovern Meg Mullery Melinda Myers Ron Powers Kim Putens Julie Reardon Ashley Schultz Jaime Stephens Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lori Welch Brown

18

26

44

A Bit of History................................................................ 9

Fitness................................................................................39

Pets of the Month.........................................................21

After Hours.......................................................................13

From the Bay...................................................................24

Points on Pets.................................................................20

Alexandria Events............................................................ 3

From the Trainer............................................................40

Publisher’s Notes.............................................................. 2

Arts & Antiques..............................................................15

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

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

Go Fish...............................................................................42

Caribbean Connection...............................................22

Grapevine.........................................................................36

Dining Guide...................................................................34

High Notes.......................................................................12

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

Let’s Eat..............................................................................32

Exploring Virginia Wines............................................37

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

The Last Word.................................................................11

Financial Focus.................................................................. 8

On the Road with OTC................................................... 1

To tje Blue Ridge........................................................... 28

First Blush.........................................................................41

Open Space.....................................................................43

Urban Garden.................................................................16

Road Trip...........................................................................26 Social Media Message................................................... 2 Special Feature: Holiday Trivia.................................... 6 Take Photos, Leave Footprints.................................18

© 2020 Crier Media Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The Old Town Crier is published monthly and distributed to select Alexandria residents, hotels, restaurants and retail shops. Also distributed in the Annapolis, Fredericksburg, Blue Ridge and Washington, DC areas and St. John, USVI.

about the cover On the road with OTC Doubt we will be "Dashing through the Snow" this year but hope springs eternal.

Find this vintage printable and more holiday classics at www.remodelaholic.com

Old Town Crier

Our longtime friends and subscsriber's to the OTC, Dave Allin and his wife,Linda Plant Allin were back in Minnesota for a fall getaway in October to take in the majesty of the season. People come from miles around to see the fall colors in northern Minnesota aka “Up North” especially if they are from treeless areas such as the Dakotas and the cornfields of Iowa and southern Minnesota. We love it that they always take a copy of the Crier with them on their travels and take the time to give us a shout out!

With the travel restrictions in force due to the pandemic we haven't had many current submissions from our readers with their OTC's in hand while they are "On the Road". Until things get better, we would like you to send a photo of you and yours (including your furry family members) checking out the publication in the comfort of your own home/patio/pool or man cave or doing something fun and submitting it for publication. We can always create some fun captions! If you would like to see your photo in this space, take a high resolution shot and email it with a description for the caption to office@oldtowncrier.com.

December 2020 | 1

PUBLISHER’S NOTES

BOB TAGERT

Well here it is, the last month of 2020 and the end of the worst year I can remember in my 73 years, except possibly my motorcycle accident in 1968. As the Corona virus has tightened its grip on the nation lately, the inclination is to stay at home and definitely wear that mask when going out. Going along with this protocol, our Road Trip this month is “Home for the Holidays” and is about Old Town, Alexandria. The whole community has rallied around our merchants and restaurants in a gallant effort to help them maintain a decent customer base. Most of the restaurants are in the process of installing outdoor heating for their dining customers.

Our Business Profile this month is only two months old and right next door to our office. Welcome to town Regis and the crew at Nerds To Go! In the Last Word column this month Miriam Kramer gives us a glimpse into four new books. In Gallery Beat Lenny Campello closes out the “brutal year of 2020” with some introspective artwork. Even though the weather is turning cooler, Matt Fitzsimmons takes this opportunity to avoid the crowds and checks out the sparkling wines of Virginia in Grapevine. In Take Photos and Leave Footprints Scott Dickens teaches us about “Traveling for Bleisure!” Although I am a Cruzan Rum fan, the Caribbean Connection introduces us to the new epicenter of Caribbean Rum...St. Barth. Long-time friend Julie Reardon takes us on a trip down Leeds Manor Road to the town of Orlean To the Blue Ridge and Lori Welch Brown reminds there are some things to be grateful for in this horrific year in her popular column Open Space.

With this issue we have completed 33 years of bringing you the Old Town Crier or 396 issues. I am very proud of the fact that even though we took a major revenue hit this spring we didn’t miss an issue. We felt we owed it to our loyal readers and advertisers to press on. We appreciate each and every one of you more than you know and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season!

I donned one of my island shirts on one of the 70+ degree days last month! Toasting in the holidays with illusions of grandeur!

When I started this publication Bob Bennett was one of the bartender trio at Landini Brothers Restaurant. I am sad, as are many others in Old Town, as our friend lost his struggle with throat cancer in November. Bob may be gone, but he lives in our minds and hearts...a little gruff at times, but never the less...A Good Man. RIP Bob Photo: Chester Simpson

SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGE

ASHLEY ROSSON

How to Celebrate the Holidays Virtually!

2 | December 2020

U

nfortunately, as COVID rears its ugly head again, a lot of us will be quarantined to our state or even our houses and not able to visit family members for the Holidays! I decided to scour the Internet to find some of the best ways to celebrate the Holidays virtually.

Cook at the same time over video chat! If some of your favorite memories is cooking with your family members, bring your computer, tablet, or smartphone, so you can cook “together” while staying safe in your own home!

Maybe even make the same meal, so it will feel like you are sitting down to share a meal together.

Make some cocktails together virtually! You know

you will be able to indulge because you are in your own home! There are even services, such as the Home Hire Bartender, that will send you all the equipment you need and will provide you with a virtual bartender to teach you to make some fancy cocktails!

You, of course, supply the booze!

Open up presents over video chat. It’s always fun to thank your loved ones for a gift right when you open it.

Wait until everyone can join a video chat, then take turns opening up present to ooh and ah at all the gifts.

Set a fancy dress code.

Have everyone in your family get a little fancy to make the holiday feel special. If you want to stay comfy, you can always just be fancy from the

waist up!!

Try a virtual game night.

If you all have the same board game, you can set up your pieces and play like you’re together. Or play an interactive game like charades or trivia. The Washington Post. com just released an article, of six fun party games you can play over a zoom call!

Although, it is going to be Holidays like we’v3 never experienced before, there is no reason not to still be able to spend the holiday with your loved ones virtually. And….. at least this way you can avoid the in-laws or cut the party short, by saying your wi-fi went out!! Hope everyone has a great and safe Holiday season! Cheers!

Old Town Crier

Alexandria COVID-19 UPDATE

EVENTS & INFORMATION

With the current situation with the COVID-19 virus all schedules events have been cancelled. We will post as we get information, in the meantime we encourage you to connect with the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association at:

VisitAlexandriaVA.com Blog.VisitAlexandriaVA.com Facebook.com/VisitAlexandriaVA Twitter.com/AlexandriaVA Instagram.com/VisitAlexVA Hashtags: #visitALX Ramsey House Visitors Center at the corner of King and Fairfax is now open.

Experience holiday magic on historic streets in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, located just minutes from Washington, D.C. Recognized by Oprah Magazine as one of the Most Magical Christmas Towns Across the World in 2020 and by Southern Living as the Perfect Southern Town for a Hallmark Christmas Movie in 2019, Alexandria brings an old fashioned sense of holiday wonder on centuries-old brick-lined streets, twinkling with holiday traditions that make visitors feel transported. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Campagna Center’s Scottish Christmas Walk and the Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights will not occur in 2020. For seasonal outdoor experiences, candlelight tours, virtual festivals and more, check out the upcoming events below or visit www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com/holidays.

HOLIDAY MAGIC. HISTORIC STREETS.

Office of Historic Alexandria’s “Winter Washington’s Mount Vernon,” hear Martha Washington discuss the day-to-day planning in Alexandria” Kit Reservations open on November 20th; kits will be shipped on December 11th alexandriava.gov/shop Looking for activities to do with children over the holidays? Purchase a Winter in Alexandria kit that will be shipped on December 11, 2020, in time for winter break. This kit provides everything you need from materials to step-by-step instructions on how to explore Alexandria’s history through handson activities and stories. With ten different activities, there will be plenty to do over winter break. Reservations and pricing for kits will be available online at alexandriava.gov/ shop beginning November 20, 2020.

THROUGH THE 31ST Christmas at Mount Vernon 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission: $23 for adults; $12 for youth (ages 6-11); free for children age 5 and below; extra cost for some activities George Washington’s Mount Vernon 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy. 703-780-2000 mountvernon.org/christmas Visit Mount Vernon this winter to participate in holiday activities and meet special guest Aladdin the camel. Learn about camels and George Washington’s interest in exotic animals during Camel Talks, offered Friday through Sunday beginning on November 27. Specialty tours give guests a deeper look into the holidays at Mount Vernon. During the tour “Mrs. Old Town Crier

needed for a busy holiday season. The “Holiday Dinner for the Washingtons” tour shares how food was grown, preserved and served during the holidays. Mount Vernon is open 365 days a year, including on Christmas Day.

BEGINNING DECEMBER 1ST ArtWalk by The Art League and Old Town Business Association Admission: Free Various locations along King Street (Union to Diagonal), and select side streets, oldtownbusiness.org Old Town Business Association is partnering with The Art League of Alexandria to offer a holiday themed ArtWalk in Old Town along King Street (Union to Diagonal) and select side streets. Each block will feature a work of art adorning a lamppost. Maps may be found at oldtownbusiness.org beginning December 1, 2020. Keep an eye out for holidays trees located on both upper and lower King Streets.

Make Old Town part of your holiday tradition.

Browse things to do and ways to celebrate at

VisitAlexandriaVA.com/Holidays

DEC. 3RD & 6TH Holiday Kissing Ball Workshop at Lee-Fendall House 6:30 p.m. on the 3rd; 2 p.m. on the 6th Admission: $20 Lee-Fendall House Oronoco St. 703-548-1789 leefendallhouse.org

ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST MAGICAL CHRISTMAS TOWNS – OPRAH MAGAZINE, 2020

CALENDAR > PAGE 7

December 2020 | 3

BUSINESS PROFILE

BOB TAGERT

A

s the Corona virus doubles down and cases increase, it is a very difficult time for many businesses... especially those who are starting a new business. Two months ago, Regis DeVeaux opened his own franchise of Nerds To Go next to the OTC office in the 300 block of South Washington Street here in Old Town. NTG is a small to middle size computer repair and service company. Their services include PC and Apple service and repair, virus, malware and spyware removal, wireless networking install and repair, data recovery and backup, child protection and monitoring as well as all iPod, iPhone and X-box service. They also have cellhelmet phone accessories available for purchase in the store.

Although this shop has only been in business for two months, the concept has been developed since 2003. It all began in Connecticut with David Colella, a very successful businessman in the computer industry. By his mid-thirties Colella realized that he wanted more. He had several high-profile positions in the IT industry, but he felt there was still something better out there for him and

his family. It was during this time of soulsearching that he first conceived Nerds To Go. The business model was founded on the premise of providing unprecedented computer and technical support service.

They understood the need for technology support among residential computer users and small businesses and decided that they could fill that gap. Indeed, with more folks working from home during this pandemic the need has been accelerated. By taking people with top technical certifications from leading organizations like Microsoft, CompTIA and Cisco, and transforming them into customer-service juggernauts with their rigorous NTG training program, they are off and running.

As the program developed, the team wanted to set themselves apart by actually coming to the customer and designing a customized solution for their residential customers. They also looked to supporting small businesses who could not afford to have an IT staff. “We can be a service provider or can be anything you really need from an IT perspective,� Regis tells me. Not BUSINESS PROFILE > PAGE 5

(Left) Calvin, Regis & Melvin 4 | December 2020

Old Town Crier

BUSINESS PROFILE| FROM PG 4

only do all of their employees go through a certification process but they each have a background check, reference check and protocols are set to make sure that they focus on customer service.

In a short two months the response has been great Regis tells me, “We have outpaced our goals and we are on track to beat our first month in the second and have hired another ‘Nerd’ as business has picked up.” In addition to garnering residential customers, the company has also closed a few business deals where they remain the service provider for those businesses. As of this writing NTG have serviced over 100 new customers.

As much as the computer age has made publishing a publication like the Old Town Crier a whole lot easier than it was 32 years ago, I still get unnerved when messages pop up saying you need to renew this or you need more storage.

For me, it will be nice to have someone right next door to help calm my anxiety.

Old Town Crier

Another unique service that Regis and his team provide is virtual computer analysis. After a phone call and the proper codes are provided, the Nerds can enter your computer from theirs without having to show up in person. A lot of computer problems can be corrected by this method. This is a popular option for those who are hesitant to invite strangers into their homes with the current virus situation. Rest assured, however, if there is a need to come to your home or business, they follow all of the Covid protocols.

Look for their bright yellow trucks around the neighborhood as well as around the region. Their territory extends to a one hundred mile radius, so you folks out of the Alexandria area can give them a call as well. Computers and I have never gotten along very NERDS TO GO well, so 319 SOUTH WASHINGTON STREET having the OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA “Nerds” next 800-390-NERD door is going 571-496-NERD to make my NERDSTOGO.COM life easier.

Shop Early.

Ship Early.

Old Town Pack & Ship Service, Inc. • 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

102 South Alfred St. Old Town Alexandria 703.549.7167 [fax] 703.549.7168 www.vatopservices.com

December 2020 | 5

ads featuring a big, smiling Santa?

1. In Frosty the Snowman, who brought Frosty back to life?

3. In How the Grinch Stole Christmas, what biological shortcoming made the Grinch so mean?

4. Who tells you she's in town by tap, tap, tappin' at your windowpane?

5. What is the biggest selling Christmas single of all time?

6. What was Scrooge's first name?

7. Where was I when I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus?

8. What was the name of Rudolph's dogsled driving friend?

9. Who said "God Bless Us, Every One!"?

10. What carol contains the line "O tidings of comfort and joy"?

11. In The Night Before Christmas I sprang from my bed to see what?

12. Name the three reindeer whose names begin with a "D"?

13. In the song "Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer" what did Grandma go to get?

14. What was the first gift my true love sent on the sixth day of Christmas?

15. In what city did Miracle on 34th Street take place?

16. In It's a Wonderful Life, how did Clarence cleverly save George's life?

17. Who kept time with the Little Drummer Boy? 18. In The Night Before Christmas, where were the stockings hung?

19. What is the name of the little girl in most versions of The Nutcracker?

20. What is the last ghost called in A Christmas Carol?

21. What color is the Grinch?

22. How many pipers piping did my true love give to me?

reindeer is never mentioned in "The Night Before Christmas"?

Chipmunk Song"?

31. St. Nick's beard is like what feature of winter?

56. In It's a Wonderful Life, what part of George's house is always broken?

32. Name the two reindeer whose name begins with a "C"?

33. In It's a Wonderful Life, what did Clarence receive for accomplishing his mission: wings or a halo?

34. What carol contains the word "Fa-la-lala-la-la-la-la-la"?

57. Traditionally, does the oldest or youngest family member open the first present?

58. What carol demands figgy pudding?

59. What flower does Moore compare St. Nick's cheeks to?

60. Whose eyes were made of coal?

35. In the "Nutcracker" section of Fantasia, what fungi dance the Chinese dance?

61. What song was originally titled "One Horse Open Sleigh"?

36. What did the Grinch use as a substitute for reindeer?

62. What holiday film annually appears on television more than 300 times?

37. Who were nestled snug in their beds?

38. What 1990 movie told of a boy's experience when two men break into his house during Christmas?

63. In It's A Life, Wonderful Life what two friends share their names with two Sesame Street characters?

64. What is Frosty's nose made

83. What men's grooming appliance became a sled for Santa in commercials of the sixties?

84. What do most elves wear on the tips of their shoes?

85. After red and green, what are the two most popular Christmas colors?

86. What song contains the line "Somebody waits for you, kiss her once for me"?

87. What popular Christmas toy is based on a 1903 political caricature?

88. Who first recorded "Here Comes Santa Claus"?

89. What song does a caroler sing outside Scrooge's office?

90. What two words are normally preprinted on gift tags?

91. Where was Mommy when she was kissing Santa Claus?

92. What film told the plight of a poor mountain family during the days of the Depression?

93. On every street corner you hear what song?

of?

40. What glittery bits of metal are hung on a Christmas tree?

65. How does Scrooge improve Cratchit's life the day after Christmas?

94. What was Brenda Lee doing around the Christmas Tree?

41. In It's a Wonderful Life, what kind of spirit is Clarence?

66. What country started the tradition of exchanging gifts?

42. What were Frosty's last words?

67. In A Charlie Brown Christmas, what winter recreation is the cast of characters doing in the opening scene?

95. In A Charlie Brown Christmas, how many cents does Lucy charge for her psychiatric services?

43. What piece of heavenly apparel does the Littlest Angel not wear correctly?

44. What is Charlie Brown's complaint about Christmas?

23. In the movie The Santa Clause, who starred as the substitute Santa Claus?

24. What was Rudolph's punishment for his red nose?

46. On what street did a Santa Claus miracle occur?

25. In A Charlie Brown Christmas, who plays the dusty innkeeper in the Christmas play?

47. Counting Rudolph, how many reindeer are there?

26. What did the traffic cop holler to Frosty?

48. What happened to the drummer boy's lamb when he played his song for the baby Jesus?

96. Elvis Presley recorded what sad song in the fifties?

68. What are tiny, inexpensive gifts usually called?

97. In "Winter Wonderland" the lovestruck couple pretends a snowman is who?

69. Name the reindeer whose name begins with a "B"?

98. What parade was first held January 1, 1886?

70. What WWII First Lady wrote a Christmas story about a girl named Marta?

99. What song is full of threats and warnings about Santa Claus?

71. What non-smoking association sponsors Christmas seals?

100. Where did Santa land his sleigh in "The Night Before Christmas"?

72. Visions of what dance in children's heads?

101. Who yelled "Stop" to Frosty?

73. How many times is the name of Santa Claus used in "The Night Before Christmas"?

49. What did Rudolph never get to join in?

74. What is the most popular tree topper?

50. What Emmy award-winning cartoon was based on a newspaper editorial?

75. What song contains the line "Although, it's been said, many times, many ways"?

29. What Saturday Evening Post artist was known for his whimsical pictures of Santa Claus?

51. What carol is known as the counting song?

76. What did the Little Drummer Boy give to the Christ Child?

52. Where did there arise such a clatter?

77. What snack is often left out for Santa?

53. What type of canned pie filling is a big seller at Christmas time?

78. In It's a Wonderful Life, who starred as George Bailey?

30. What one

54. What three characters sing "The

79. What cola company was known for its

28. What popular bite-sized chocolate candy comes wrapped in red and green foil at Christmas?

82. What does the nutcracker become after killing the Mouse King?

39. What fruit is St. Nick's nose like?

45. What instrument does Amahl play as he leads the procession in Amahl and the Night Visitors?

27. What holiday drink contains sugar, milk, and eggs?

55. What gift did Caspar bring?

81. Who wrote "The Night Before Christmas"?

102. In It's A Wonderful Life, what did George dream of becoming?

103. What is the name of the first reindeer Santa calls in The Night Before Christmas?

104. What is the name of the most famous Christmas ballet?

105. What is the theme or essence of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"?

106. Who wrote A Christmas Carol?

ANSWERS ON PAGE 29

2. Who lost $8,000 in It's a Wonderful Life?

80. What does Alvin want for Christmas?

answers on page 56

6 | December 2020 Old Town Crier

Old Town Crier December 2012 | 53

CALENDAR | FROM PAGE 3

Learn how to create your own traditional holiday kissing ball using fresh boxwood from Lee-Fendall’s own garden. All materials are provided. Space is limited to 10 participants per workshop.

DEC. 4TH-6TH, 11TH13TH & 18TH-20TH Del Ray Artisans’ 25th Annual Fine Art & Fine Craft Holiday Market Fridays, 6 to 9 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Admission: Free 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-828-4827 delrayartisans.org During the first three weekends in December, Del Ray Artisans 25th Annual Holiday Market offers unique handcrafted fine arts and crafts from local artists. As always, the artists are presenting a variety of media, including fiber/ textiles, glass, jewelry, mixed media, mosaics, painting, paper crafting, photography, pottery/ ceramics, sculpture, watercolor, wood turning and more. Face masks are required, and the number of individuals allowed in the gallery is limited.

DEC. 5TH

Kwanzaa How-To Workshop with Office of Historic Alexandria 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Admission: Free (registration required) alexandriava.gov/shop Enjoy learning how to celebrate Kwanzaa in your home and all the family fun it brings. Learn about the principles, symbols, recipes, and crafts. Register online to receive the link to join the hour-long program.

Torpedo Factory Art Center Holiday Festival Admission: Free Virtual / Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union St. 703-746-4570 torpedofactory.org The Torpedo Factory Art Center’s annual holiday event moves online for a series of select art projects and download-ables to enjoy with your loved ones.

Stop by the Art Center to visit artist studios and shop for your holiday gifts or browse Torpedo Old Town Crier

DEC. 5TH & 6TH, 12TH & 13TH

on the hour are available through advance registration.

All recommended health requirements will be followed, including face masks and social distancing.

Colonial Winter Nights at Carlyle House

DEC. 18TH & 19TH

Factory’s web site for links to studio artists’ online shops.

5 to 8 p.m. (tours on the half hour) Admission: $10 per adult; $3 per child; free for children under six years old Carlyle House 121 N. Fairfax St. 703-549-2997 novaparks.com Experience the holiday season with Carlyle House focusing on how the Carlyle’s and the estate’s enslaved workers observed the holidays during the 18th century. Stay tuned for updates about live music.

Be sure to check out last minute deals in the Museum Shop. Space is limited and reservations are required. All COVID-19 safety procedures will be in place during this tour. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Admission: Starting at $20 for members; $22 for non-members George Washington’s Mount Vernon 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy. 703-780-2000 mountvernon.org/illuminations Attend the evening event Christmas Illuminations, a festive fireworks show choreographed to holiday music. You’ll visit with re-enactors throughout the estate and stay toasty warm by the bonfire. Tickets for Christmas Illuminations are available to purchase online.

Learn about safety measures on the estate.

DEC. 19TH & 20TH, DEC. 5TH, 12TH & 19TH 26TH & 27TH Holiday Candlelight Tours at Lee-Fendall House

Ffrom 5 to 8 p.m. (tours on the half hour) Admission: $8 per adult; $3 per child; free for children under 6 years old Lee-Fendall House Oronoco St. 703-548-1789 leefendallhouse.org Celebrate the holiday season with evening candlelight tours of the Lee-Fendall House decked out in Victorian splendor. The antique toy exhibit will also be on view. Space is limited and reservations are required. Face masks and social distancing will be in place throughout the tour.

DEC. 12TH A Victorian Christmas at Lee-Fendall House 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission: $8 per adult; $12 per child; free for children under 2 years old Lee-Fendall House 614 Oronoco St. 703-548-1789 leefendallhouse.org Experience the wonder of the season by visiting the LeeFendall House for a familyfriendly Victorian Christmas.

Enjoy traditional décor, music, seasonal crafts, a visit by Santa and more. Timed tickets

Mansion House Christmas at Carlyle House 5 to 8 p.m. (tours on the half hour) Admission: $10 per adult; $3 per child; free for children under six years old Carlyle House 121 N. Fairfax St. 703-549-2997 novaparks.com

our art videos and projects to create and share.

26th Anniversary First Night Alexandria

Holiday Open House at Carlyle House

6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. (or virtual) Admission: $75 per car for VIP admission; $60 per car for general admission; $20 for virtual link.

5001 Eisenhower Ave. 703-963-3755 firstnightalexandria.org

5 to 8 p.m. (tours on the half hour) Admission: $10 per adult; $3 per child; free for children under six years old Carlyle House 121 N. Fairfax St. 703-549-2997 novaparks.com Wrap up your year with a visit to Carlyle House on New Year’s Eve. Guests will learn about holiday traditions of old, some which we still enjoy today.

Stay tuned for updates about live music. Be sure to check out the Museum Shop clearance sale. Tours offered of the first floor with timed entry on the hour and half hour. Space is limited and reservations are required. All COVID-19 safety procedures will be in place during this tour. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

Orange Spectacular ONLY

Discover how Christmas was celebrated when the Green family lived at Carlyle House and the Mansion House Hotel was being used as a Civil War hospital. Stay tuned for updates

about live music. Be sure to check out last minute deals in the Museum Shop.

Tours offered of the first floor with timed entry on the hour and half hour. Space is limited and reservations are required. All COVID-19 safety procedures will be in place during this tour. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

DEC. 31ST Torpedo Factory Art Center’s Virtual Olde Year’s Day Admission: Free Virtual 703-746-4570 torpedofactory.org Welcome 2021 from the comfort of your home with

New this year, First Night Alexandria brings “A Night of Nostalgia” with a drive-in concert experience. Ready to get out of the house? Load up the car and celebrate the arrival of 2021 with a VIP drivein concert experience. Singalong, dance and enjoy a night filled with classic hits, local food truck favorites and exciting giveaways. Or, planning an intimate gathering in the comfort of your home?

Let First Night Alexandria be the soundtrack for your party, featuring the same great music as the live event, streamed to you virtually.

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December 2020 | 7

FINANCIAL FOCUS

CARL TREVISAN, CFP© & STEPHEN BEARCE

Year-end Planning Checklist

T

aking these ten actions before year-end will help ensure you’re still working toward your financial goals—and that you’re prepared for the upcoming tax season.

F Review your portfolio with your financial advisor to help ensure your allocation still aligns with your goals.

F Ask your financial advisor for a realized and unrealized gain/ loss report to assess the income and/or capital gains you should expect this year.

F Determine whether the 0% capital gains rate will apply to your situation this year.

F Review tax-loss selling strategies if you have capital gains. If you wish to realize a loss but keep your exposure to a depreciated sector or security, remember, November 30, 2020 is the last day to double up a position to help avoid a wash sale.

F Meet with your tax advisor to prepare preliminary tax projections and evaluate whether to defer income or accelerate expenses.

F Determine if any adjustments are needed to tax withholding or estimated payments.

F Make maximum contributions to your employer retirement accounts; if contributing to your IRA, the deadline is April 15, 2021.

F Develop a plan to complete charitable and family member gifts by year-end.

F Consider funding an HSA before year-end, if eligible, to claim a 2020 deduction. Also, review HSA/FSA balances and note that over-thecounter medications are now a qualified expense starting in 2020.

F Prepare for filing tax returns by organizing records or receipts for income and expenses.

Wells Fargo Advisors is not engaged in rendering legal or tax advice.

If legal or tax assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

This article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing Director-Investments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice President- Investments in Alexandria, VA at 800-247-8602.

Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDICINSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and nonbank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. © 2019 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

8 | December 2020

Old Town Crier

A BIT OF HISTORY

“A

nation’s character, like that of an individual, is elusive,” Congressional candidate John F. Kennedy [DMA] said on July 4, 1946. “It is produced partly by the things we have done and partly by what has been done to us…

It is well for us to consider our American character, for in peace, as in war, we will survive or fail according to its measure.”

“The informing spirit of the American character has always been a deep religious sense,” Kennedy continued. “Our government was founded on the essential religious idea of integrity of the individual. It was this religious sense which inspired the authors of the Declaration of Independence.”

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

“Today [America’s] religious ideas are challenged by atheism and materialism,” Kennedy then concluded. “Inspired by a deeply religious sense, this country…has always met and hurled back the challenge of those deathly philosophies of hate and despair.”

“Whilst we assign ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess and to observe the Religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny an equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which convinced us,” James Madison wrote in his 1785 Memorial and

Old Town Crier

©2020 SARAH BECKER

Separation of

Church and State Remonstrance. According to a 2007 Pew Research Study “fully one in four adults under 30 (25%)…describe their religion as atheist, agnostic or ‘nothing in particular.’”

The Bill of Rights, Amendment 1, as ratified in 1791: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….”

Alexandria’s St. Mary’s Catholic Church was first suggested on St. Patrick’s Day 1788, “a little brick one, built in 1793 on South Washington Street and what was later known as Church Street.”

“The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations,” President George Washington said in his 1796 Farewell Address. “With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits and political principles.”

“To the efficacy and permanency of your Union a government of the whole is indispensable,” Washington continued. “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are

indispensable supports.”

President James Madison [VA-DR], father of the 1791 Bill of Rights, tried hard “to avoid the slightest interference with the right of conscience or the functions of religion, so wisely exempted from civil jurisdiction.”

“Notwithstanding the general progress made within the last two centuries in favor of this branch of liberty…. there remains…a strong bias towards the old error, that without some sort of alliance or coalition between Government & Religion, neither can be duly supported,” Madison wrote in 1822.

“Such indeed is the tendency to such a Coalition, and such its corrupting influence on both the parties, that the danger can not be too carefully guarded against,” Madison continued.

“And in a Government of opinion, like ours, the only effectual guard must be found in the soundness & stability of the general opinion…Every new & successful example therefore of a perfect separation between ecclesiastical & Civil matters is of importance…I have no doubt that every new example will succeed, as every past one has done, in showing that Religion & Govt. will both exist in greater purity, the less they are

mixed together.”

“If a further confirmation of the truth could be wanted, it is to be found in the examples furnished by the States which have abolished their religious Establishments,” Madison concluded. “We are teaching the World the great truth.

Governments do better without Kings & Nobles [and] The merit will be doubled by the other lesson that Religion flourishes in greater purity, without the aid of the Government.”

On October 3rd The Economist asked: “Can a Catholic vote for Joe Biden and avoid damnation?...America’s political polarization is reflected in the leadership of the Catholic church, which constitutes the country’s biggest single religious voting group. But the nomination of a Catholic as the Democratic [presidential] candidate has accelerated the process. Although the church says clergy should not tell the faithful how they should or should not vote—such activity also imperils churches exemption from certain taxes— several prominent priests have castigated Mr. Biden, claiming his pro-choice position on abortion means he is not Catholic.”

John F. Kennedy, the nation’s 35th President, was

also Catholic. “Because I am a Catholic and no Catholic has ever been elected President, the real issues in this campaign have been obscured—perhaps deliberately,” candidate Kennedy said in 1960. “Apparently it is necessary for me to state once again—not what kind of church I believe in, for that should be important only to me—but what kind of America I believe in.”

I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute—where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote—where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference—and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him,” Kennedy explained.

“I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish—where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source—where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials—and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all,” Kennedy continued.

“For while this year it may A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 10

December 2020 | 9

A BIT OF HISTORY | FROM PAGE 9

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10 | December 2020

be a Catholic against whom the finger of suspicion is pointed, in other years it has been, and may someday be again a Jew—or a Quaker—or a Unitarian—or a Baptist,” Kennedy exclaimed.

“It was Virginia’s harassment of a Baptist, for example, that helped lead to [Thomas] Jefferson’s statute of religious freedom.”

“Finally, I believe in an America…where every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice—where there is no Catholic vote, not anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of any kind—and where [all], at both the lay and pastoral level, will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division,” Kennedy said.

“A President’s religious views are his own private affair,” Kennedy concluded. “[C] ontrary to common newspaper usage, I am not the Catholic candidate for President…

Whatever issue may come before me as President— on birth control, divorce, censorship, gambling or any other subject—I will make my decision…in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be the national interest.

And no power or threat of punishment could cause me to decide otherwise.”

“God intended us to be free,” President Ronald Reagan [RCA] professed on January 20, 1981. Yet he flip-flopped on the Equal Rights Amendment, preferring Reconstruction rhetoric instead. “The constitution of the family organization, which is founded in the divine ordinance as well as the nature of things, indicates the domestic sphere as that which properly belongs to the domain and functions of womanhood.” [Bradwell v.

Illinois, U.S. Supreme Court, 1873] “When I ran for President 17 years ago I was told I was behind the times,” Senator Barry Goldwater [R-AZ] said eight months later. “Now everybody tells me I was ahead of my time. All I can say is that time is an elusive companion.”

“Through foreign wars and civil wars, through political scandals and economic disasters, through civil disorders and Presidential assassinations, our flag has flown high,” Goldwater clarified. “Through it all we’ve survived every possible attack on our freedom.”

“But another force could succeed in dividing our country,” Goldwater explained.

“The specter of single issue

religious groups is growing over our land. One of the great strengths of our political systems always has been our tendency to keep religious issues in the background—by maintaining the separation of church and state.”

“There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs,” Goldwater clarified.

“There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah or whatever one calls his Supreme Being. But, like any powerful weapon, the use of God’s name on one’s behalf should be used sparingly.”

“The religious factions that are growing in our land are… trying to force government leaders into following their positions 100%,” Goldwater continued. The U.S. Supreme Court decided Engel v. Vitale, prayer in schools in 1962; Roe v. Wade in 1973. Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972.

“The uncompromising position of these groups— the Moral Majority, prolife, and other ‘new right’ religious groups—could tear apart the very spirit of our representative system,” Goldwater said. “No single issue ever should decide the fitness of a Supreme Court Justice.”

“To retreat from that separation [of church and state] would violate the principles of conservatism and the values upon which the framers built this democratic republic,” Goldwater concluded. Time will tell to what extent newly confirmed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a devout Catholic and mother of seven agrees.

“Goldwater, a practicing Episcopalian, writes in his book [Conscience of a Conservative] that man is ‘a spiritual creature with spiritual needs and spiritual desires…that reflect the superior side of man’s nature,” Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. penned. “He understood religion to be a private search for existential truths and a framework for improving the individual’s spiritual condition.”

“Goldwater regarded rightwing preachers like [Pat] Robertson, [Jerry] Falwell, and James Dobson as charlatans,” Kennedy, Jr. continued. “I look at these religious television shows, he said, and they are raising big money on God… Goldwater recognized that fundamentalism within any faith not only distorts the underlying religion—it poses a threat to democracy.”

“The truth unquestionably is, that the only path to a subversion of the republican

system of the Country is, by flattering the prejudices of the people, and exciting their jealousies and apprehension, to throw affairs into confusion, and bring on civil commotion,” Alexander Hamilton wrote in 1792. The same year Alexandria Quaker Edward Stabler opened his Apothecary Shop.

“When a man unprincipled in private life desperate to his fortune, bold in his temper, possessed of considerable talents, having the advantage of military habits—despotic in his ordinary demeanour— known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty— when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity…It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may ‘ride the storm and direct the whirlwind,’” Hamilton construed.

1 Corinthians 15.33 [NIV Archaeological Study Bible] “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”

The holidays approach and this year’s religious gatherings are pandemic limited. Singing is discouraged; face masks and social distancing are encouraged.

Romans 12:12 [NIV Archaeological Study Bible] “Be joyful in hope…Share with God’s people who are in need.”

A New Year awaits!

Sarah Becker started writing for The Economist while a graduate student in England. Similar publications followed. She joined the Crier in 1996 while serving on the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association Board.

Her interest in antiquities began as a World Bank hire, with Indonesia’s need to generate hard currency. Balinese history, i.e. tourism provided the means.

The New York Times describes Becker’s book, Off Your Duffs & Up the Assets, as “a blueprint for thousands of nonprofit managers.” A former museum director, SLAM’s saving grace Sarah received Alexandria’s Salute to Women Award in 2007. Email: abitofhistory53@ gmail.com Old Town Crier

THE LAST WORD

MIRIAM R. KRAMER

A

s Christmas and Hanukkah approach, we are looking at a different way of celebrating. We will probably have holiday Zoom parties this year to satisfy social distancing requirements, since we are heading into another wave of the pandemic.

Reading is one of the best ways to escape and cheer us up during this uncertain but hopeful time transitioning to a new presidency and the happy possibility of effective vaccines arriving soon. Please stop doomscrolling on Twitter or diving into Facebook. Take the opportunity to find stories to satisfy yourself and give to others in the spirit of the season.

The Deepest South of All, by British author and outsider Richard Grant, tells a fascinating tale about his Old Town Crier

visits to Natchez, Mississippi, an insular city that celebrates its many eccentricities and internal historical contradictions. On the one hand, Natchez often promotes a whitewashed image of its Confederate heritage, with grand parties at which women still wear hoopskirts, belong to warring “garden clubs,” and celebrate Natchez’s array of wellkept antebellum mansions.

Simultaneously it struggles to reconcile itself with its African-American heritage of oppression. Those descended from slavery attempt to bring

Natchez into the twentyfirst century, with their own set of peculiar, colorful histories brought to the forefront. Inextricably intertwined, the histories of Whites and Blacks make for a complicated and compelling tale of life in contemporary Natchez. If you enjoyed Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the absorbing nonfiction story of Savannah THE LAST WORD > PAGE 13

Y A D I HOL AG B B A GR December 2020 | 11

HIGH NOTES

P

auline Frechette has outdone herself on her latest EP. A Winter’s Tale showcases Frechette’s unique aesthetic abilities and captures the feeling of the winter season in a way I’ve never experienced before. For me, the songs on this title express the silent beauty found in nature this time of year. Frechette gives voice to that quiet splendor with taste and truth.

The work starts off with the title track “A Winter’s Tale”. This composition emits a calming and soothing emotion. The majority of the song has a mellow smoothness to it that holds the listener like a soft sofa after a long day. However, as it progresses a lively movement is introduced that feels like the holidays.

All together this composition reminds me of the feeling one gets after the perfect family celebration.

“Candlelight Dancing” is the second track off A Winter’s Tale. It stands as yet another piano gem straight from Frechette’s heart.

There’s something about the simple beauty of Pauline’s piano

12 | December 2020

RON POWERS

pieces that sets my mind at ease.

There’s also a sweet closeness to this song that pairs nicely with its title. Listening to “Candlelight Dancing” feels like a kind friend keeping you company.

The third track, “Liquid Moon”, has a tranquil grace to it. There is such love in this song. Listening

personality and dazzles the ears.

It sounds like something from another planet. I could practically feel and hear snow crunching under my feet while listening.

Frechette delivers an utterly delightful experience with this composition. To be honest I’ve never heard anything quite like it.

A Winter’s Tale

by PAULINE FRECHETTE

to it is like stepping out into nature after spending too much time in the city. Frechette captures more truth in the few minutes of “Liquid Moon” than most books can hold. In a sociopolitical environment that can, at time, become so distracting and noisy, people need music like this more than ever. Once again, Frechette reminds us of something deeper, something more vital than words can express.

For the fourth track of the EP Frechette gives us “Jack Frost”.

This is a song that sparkles with

The brief and lovely “Pearls for My Daughter” is the fifth track on A Winter’s Tale. This composition takes up just one minute and forty-one seconds. It’s a short and sweet number which Frechette glides through with a grace and ease that brings a steady clarity to its listener. That steady clear feeling is further supported by a heartfelt Viola performance which complements Frechette’s playing nicely.

A Winter’s Tale finishes with the playful spark of a composition called “The Mischievous Fairie”.

This song offers a lively and fun experience from start to finish and rounds off the EP with a delightful and charming energy.

It’s performed with a brisk vitality that lifts its listener and puts a spring in their step.

Year after year Pauline Frechette gives us music full of class and beauty. A Winter’s Tale shows the deepening of Frechette’s artistry. The compositions on this new work reveal an artist who is ever more striving for new and fresh ways to express herself and give something meaningful to others. If you’d like to learn more about Pauline you can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter If you’d like to listen to her music you can find it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and most other places that digital music is streamed or sold.

Ron Powers is an independent A&R specialist and music industry consultant, and is constantly searching for, discovering and writing about new talent.

Old Town Crier

THE LAST WORD | FROM PAGE 11

by John Berendt, this account will almost certainly intrigue you.

Don Winslow, author of the masterful, thinly fictionalized accounts of Mexican drug wars and their North American economic entanglements, The Cartel Trilogy, recently released Broken, a collection of short, haunting novellas that focus on criminals, the police, government agents, bounty hunters, and ordinary people trying to do the right thing.

Winslow writes forcefully and kinetically, creating tautly written tales that draw in a reader by examining the juxtaposition of good and evil, along with the shades of grey in between. He sometimes leavens his dramatic stories with humor, making them more palatable for those needing a break from everyday tensions. For those with short attention spans who are fans of crime and detective stories, this book is an excellent choice. For fans of authors like Michael Connelly, I would also recommend his less-recent book about corruption amongst the police in New York City, The Force.

A few of Winslow’s stories seemed to be influenced

by Carl Hiaasen, the noted Floridian humorist and columnist who writes satirical crime novels about the craziness of Floridian criminals and oddball residents. From Hiaasen’s experience as a reporter, he is perhaps the one most apt to write about “Florida Man,” a popular meme that reports on bizarre Floridians who do stupid things and end up in jail.

Hiaasen’s new novel, Squeeze Me, is a joyful, hilarious romp through the snobby, old-money realm of Palm Beach, Florida. Hijinks ensue when a Burmese python, one of an invasive species that has consumed many native animal species in the Everglades, slithers into a society benefit outside one of Palm Beach’s many mansions.

Hiaasen’s story showcases an unnamed, boorish President of the United States and his unfaithful First Lady, who arrive from Washington, DC regularly to visit the socalled Winter White House, named here “Casa Bellicosa.”

When an animal wrangler has a headless frozen python stolen from her, she meets the chief of the Palm Beach police and a steadfast Secret Service agent. Then she is invited back to take care of an ensuing onslaught of pythons wreaking havoc amongst arrogant Palm Beach society and the President’s sycophants. Hiaasen’s novels often address the destruction of the environment in the Everglades, but they are always hilarious. Squeeze Me proves no exception to the rule. I read it while waiting to find out the results of the recent presidential election, and it was the perfect antidote to election stress.

If you seek a compelling coffee table book suitable for almost anyone, The Color of Time is a great choice.

Historian Dan Jones and artist Marina Amaral have collaborated on depicting just over a hundred years of world history, from the beginning of photography as a widespread art form and method of recording history in about

1850 throughout its evolution to 1960. Amaral specializes in precisely coloring blackand-white photographs to make them more accessible to contemporary readers.

As Dan Jones presents a historical timeline, he describes the events behind the photographs Marina Amaral colors, thus bringing to life historical happenings both through vivid descriptions and carefully tinted portraits and group photos. Purchase this book for yourself or for the historian in your life who would appreciate brilliant visuals that illustrate momentous events in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

If you can, consider buying your literary presents at independent bookstores online or in person. If they cost a bit more than they do at Amazon, remember that your purchases help keep businesses on their feet and your neighborhood’s economic health strong.

Speaking of health, here’s to a lovely holiday season that brings us a reprieve from our worries and a new year offering solutions to the problems we faced in 2020.

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Rock It Grill 703.739.2274 1319 King St. Shooter McGees 703.751.9266 5239 Duke St. shootermcgees.com 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 LaTrattoria 703-548-9338 305 S. Washington St. Two Nineteen 703.549.1141 219 King St. Village Brauhaus 710 King St. 703-888-1951 These establishments offer live entertainment.

Call to confirm show times, dates and cover charges. Check our advertisers’ websites.

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Old Town Crier

December 2020 | 13

ENDING 2020

GALLERY BEAT

This Page: Bergen Street, Brooklyn

by Judy Levey Four Lobsters by Judy Levey Opposite Page: Persephone by Sara Leibman Here by Sara Leibman 14 | December 2020

F. LENNOX CAMPELLO

“G

od is really only another artist,” once said Picasso, “He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the ant. He has no real style. He just goes on trying other things.”

2020 has been a brutal year – one that will leave harsh memories in most minds on the planet – although personally I was in 7th Heaven when my first grandson was born this year to my daughter Elise out in the wilderness of Washington State.

Let’s close the year with some artwork and nothing better than Bethesda-based artists Judy Gilbert Levey and Sara Leibman as their work will be on display throughout November and December 2020 at Gallery B (the site of the former Fraser Gallery) at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. Titled “Ending 2020”, the show will feature paintings by Judy and Sara, who are both Studio B artists, through December 19, 2020.

Since the end of 2020 also apparently brings a vaccine(s) which will hopefully end the exaggerated fear of the Covidian Age – a vaccine developed in record time I add, 2021 will hopefully also bring the re-opening of our local area museums, galleries, art spaces, etc.

I am curious as to what the post-Covidian Torpedo Factory will look like, since it appears to an outsider observer, who only hears the artists’ side of the story — that the City of Alexandria has really screwed up the management of human relations with respect to the artists (now mostly former artists) who once occupied Alexandria’s largest tourist magnet.

When the National Gallery re-opens, go and visit one of the greatest museums in the world, and go find its most popular painting.

If you ask the guards at the National Gallery of Art which painting in the collection they think is the most popular, often you will hear many of them point out Dali’s The Sacrament of the Last Supper. “People are always asking ‘where is it?’” The reason for this could be that the Last Supper, in a typical act of perhaps arrogance on the part of the NGA curators and autocracy, for GALLERY BEAT > `PAGE 15

Old Town Crier

ART&ANTIQUES

GALLERY BEAT | FROM PAGE 14

many years was hung in the NGA’s coat check room, and currently is at the exit of the old wing, opposite the elevators in the connecting tunnel to the newer East wing.

It is technically in the old wing, which is important to the story. I say arrogance because I once asked a guard (often the best sources of info in any museum) the reason for the placement. “This wing is for masters,” he said, “and this Dali painting was donated to the NGA as part of the Dale Bequest in the 1960s, but with the condition that it had to be placed with the old masters.”

The NGA complied, but couldn’t or wouldn’t cross the line and instead of hanging the Dali in one of the galleries, for years hung it in the coat room, where it attracted too many crowds and made that room a mess, and subsequently moved it to its present location, technically in the West building, but not really “in it.”

A civil servant, probably a few of them in the Art Deep State, did not think that the great Spanish master belonged with the “real” masters.

A few years ago I asked the NGA for confirmation of this story, but my request was never answered. My good friend Jack Rasmussen, currently the director of the Katzen Museum at American University recalls that he “worked at the Information Desk in the NGA the summers of ‘74 and ‘75. The most asked question was ‘where are the bathrooms?’ But a close second was ‘where is Dali’s Last Supper?’ Eventually they put them next to each other, saving wear and tear on the Docents.”

But this article is not about Dali or the NGA, but about most “Last Supper” paintings that I recall seeing; more specifically about the bread in the paintings.

A few years ago, before Governors in many states made it a Covidian crime, I was invited to a Seder meal by a friend who is also quite a well-known Philadelphia area artist and an even better known curator.

Somehow the conversation turned to Christ’s Last Supper, which of course was a Seder meal and she observed how most paintings depicting The Christ’s last meal showed regular bread instead of the unleavened bread required by Jewish tradition to celebrate the Passover. This is very interesting to the pedantic Old Town Crier

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part of me, already troubled by the fact that nearly every depiction of The Christ that was presented to me in art school depicted mostly Northern European-looking Christs, rather than the Semitic Middle East Israelite that He was.

And now I wonder, are there any contemporary depictions (or any depiction) of the last supper which depict this last Seder for Christ in a more historically correct perspective?

I am sure that there exist versions of the unknown supper created by pedantic, history-aware artists of all sorts.

Religious art has pretty much been pushed aside by the postmodernists, in what can best be described as a self-mutilation of intelligent subject matter. It would be interesting to see a new contemporary view of religious art, and allow us to discover how today’s artists would interpret our diverse religious backgrounds.

Is that a great idea for an

up-and-coming curator or gallery to take on or what? But I want to see The Christ as a Semite and I want to see the middle of the matzoth on the Seder plate broken in two with the larger piece hidden, to be used later as the afikoman.

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Syreni Caledonii (Northern Atlantic Mermaid). Watercolor, charcoal and Conte. 2019, 12x36 inches.

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December 2020 | 15

URBAN GARDEN

C

hristmas is coming!

The presents have been purchased - most of them anyway - and now is the time to start thinking about that tree.

Christmas trees come in all shapes and sizes, from the huge natural tree that towers above the White House lawn every season to little artificial ones with shiny aluminum needles. For many families, the holiday wouldn’t be complete without a cut natural tree gracing the living room.

There are a wide variety of Christmas tree types available on the market, each with a distinctive shape and color.

Scots pine, white pine and white spruce are among the most popular and widely available. And, in certain areas, local species are offered for sale as well.

Every year beginning in late fall, Christmas tree lots spring up in shopping mall parking lots, at home and garden centers and near local convenience stores.

Gas stations also get into the act. Christmas trees are even available by mail order on the Internet. While trees bought at these locations can be perfectly acceptable, an alternative worth considering, depending upon your location, is a tree farm.

Buying from a tree farm has a number of advantages.

The first is freshness. When you see your tree being cut or you cut it yourself at a tree farm, you can be sure you are getting the freshest

16 | December 2020

tree possible. The second advantage is selection.

While most farms specialize in only one or two species of tree, the many different shapes and sizes available mean that trees are available to suit almost every taste.

Finally, a visit to a tree farm can be a real outing both for you and your family.

Many tree farms also have activities like wagon rides which turn buying a Christmas tree from a chore into an event.

If you do decide to purchase a Christmas tree from a commercial tree lot, once again, the most important consideration is freshness.

Many Christmas trees are trucked a considerable distance, sometimes part way across the continent, and days or even weeks may pass between the time the trees are cut and when they arrive for sale. Always ask the vendor where the tree has come from and how long ago it was cut.

Buy a locally produced tree wherever possible.

Inspect your prospective purchase. Does it appear

green and healthy with a fragrant smell and moist flexible needles or is there evidence of drying or browning? Avoid any trees with broken branches or damaged bark. Bounce the tree lightly on its cut end if you can or shake it. Does this result in an inevitable little sprinkling or does it produce a shower or needles? If needles rain down, you might be wise to look around a little more.

The next consideration after freshness is size. Make sure the tree you buy will fit comfortably in the room and

location you have chosen.

Use a tape measure if necessary. Check the bottom of the tree. Is there enough space between the end and the lowest branches to make a slightly diagonal fresh cut? Cutting an extra inch off the bottom before mounting your tree will greatly help water absorption and ensure your tree lasts as long as possible. Be sure to make this final cut just before placing it in water. If it is exposed to the air for too long, the vessels will become blocked.

The first thing to do after you have carefully selected your Christmas tree is to get it home and into its stand as quickly as possible.

A Christmas tree should never be mounted dry, but rather in a container of water that is replenished on a regular basis.

As referenced above, using a small handsaw, cut about an inch off the bottom at a slight angle to aid water absorption.

Make sure the tree is mounted securely in its stand and that the tree itself is positioned away from open flames or heat sources that may dry it out prematurely.

After your tree has been

mounted, the decorating begins. A properly maintained Christmas tree is not a particular fire hazard, but common sense is important too. Candles or open-flame ornaments of any kind are never, ever to be used. Check strings of lights to ensure that the bulbs are working properly, that the cords are not frayed and that the connections are secure. Discard any that look questionable and replace with new strings. Never leave lights on when no one is at home. Once your tree is up and decorated, sit back and enjoy. Or get to work on those last minute presents!

Generally speaking, a Christmas tree should be kept for a maximum of 10 days.

Still the most popular way of discarding a Christmas tree is to leave it with the garbage for pick up. Better, many municipalities have a special tree pick-up day when discarded trees are taken to be chipped for mulch. As an alternative to discarding your tree, think about standing it in your backyard for use as a bird feeder. Or take it yourself to have it chipped for mulch.

While maintaining your Christmas tree isn’t necessarily a “gardening task, it never hurts to be reminded about the proper care of your live tree during the holiday season. For complete information and recommendations for tree types log on to treehelp.com!

Old Town Crier

WISHING YOU AND YOURS A VERY

Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday Season!

WEAR THOSE MASKS WASH THOSE HANDS KEEP YOUR DISTANCE TOSS YOUR USED PROTECTIVE ITEMS IN THE TRASH!

— Bob & Lani

Old Town Crier

December 2020 | 17

TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS

SCOTT DICKEN

Photos: Scott Dickens

MIXING BUSINESS WITH LEISURE: HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR NEXT BUSINESS TRIP

Travelling for ‘Bleisure’

W

hen people hear that I have to travel a lot for work, and particularly when they hear that I spend a lot of that time in SubSaharan Africa, they imagine me spending ten minutes in the office followed by a two-week, five-star, safari with my employer footing the bill. Unfortunately, the reality doesn’t up to their imagination (but boy do I wish it did). The typical itinerary is that I spend ten hours in the office, followed by an evening dinner with a client. I then return to my hotel room, crack open my laptop, and stay awake until 1am catching up on my actual dayto-day workload. That itinerary is followed from the moment I land until the moment I leave.

However, with limited personal travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and business travel likely to be the first travel sector to start back up (I took my first international business flight in 7 months just a couple of weeks ago) the idea of combining business and leisure in one trip to help mitigate the risks of

18 | December 2020

multiple trips is likely to become ever more popular.

By adjusting your work-life balance and putting business up front with some party at the back (yes, I did indeed slip in a mullet analogy), you too can reap the benefits of “bleisure”. Admittedly, it’s not always easy to pull off, and it depends how receptive to the concept your employer is. However, if you can manage it, then it will completely change your perception of business travel and allow you to visit more places, experience more cultures, and stretch your annual travel budget much further; all whilst mitigating some of the pandemic risks by limiting the number of individual trips you take for different purposes. So, what are some tips for successfully planning a bleisure trip? I’m glad you asked….

Carefully Planning Flight Schedules and Layovers Many employers will now give the green light for tagging leisure travel on to a trip if employees pay the difference in flight and hotel costs. To maximize your leisure time while minimizing cost, the key is to carefully plan your flight itinerary. Consider taking redeye flights to maximize your time in-country whilst reducing your hotel costs, check the cost of departing on different days of the week, and check if per-night hotel prices go down (or up) if you add a weekend stay.

Taking Advantage of Layovers If you have two long-haul flights back-to-back then many employers will allow you to overnight in your layover destination. If they do, then take advantage: book a centrally located hotel and try to leave on a later flight so that you get as much time in your layover destination as possible. Also make sure that you pick a flight routing that has a layover in a ‘traveler friendly location’ i.e. one where the airport is close to the city with good public transport links and minimal visa fuss. If you do want to take advantage of a layover then try and pack light so that you only have carry-on baggage.

There is nothing worse than trying to explore a city on a tight schedule while having to deal with large checked luggage. I know, it’s difficult (but possible) to pack for both business and pleasure with just carry-on without hitting the beach in a suit! Also, you might want to check out layover airport facilities and tour options. A great example is Seoul-Incheon airport where they offer (or at least did prior to the pandemic) free tours of the city for people with long layovers and deliver you right back to the airport when you’re done.

TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS > PAGE 19

Old Town Crier

From Left to Right: Business in Africa? Combine it with a much-earned Safari Asian layovers such as Hong Kong offer great tourism opportunities European gateways, such as London, have obvious tourist perks Combing business with a beach holiday is a great way to unwind

TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS | FROM PAGE 18

Utilizing Loyalty Programs: If you’re one of the lucky ones, where your employer lets you keep your airline miles and your loyalty points, then your business trip spending can ultimately help you pay for your leisure time. If you aren’t already signed up to travel-related loyalty programs, then this is probably the single biggest mistake you’re making! Consolidate your travel providers by picking an airline and airline network (my personal choice is Star Alliance), pick a business hotel chain (my go-to programs are Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy due to pure international coverage), a rental car company and, if your company doesn’t have a corporate credit card program, pick a credit card with a good rewards program (combine it with your airline miles program if you can as that consolidation will boost your rewards even further).

Use your points to pay for regional flights, additional hotel nights, car rentals and activities. Personally, I’ve used my rewards program so that my wife could accompany me on a number of bleisure trips, including to Malawi and Nepal.

Plan Ahead: When I first decided to combine business and leisure, I left the planning until I was

Old Town Crier

sitting in the airport lounge. As a result, I had nothing booked or planned in advance and subsequently spent half a day trying to organize transport and tickets at my hotel (the concierge hated me as a result). What a waste of precious time! Planning will also avoid switching back to business mode (which, to many, is a natural tendency). If you’ve booked and paid for an activity then you have no excuse when you check that email “ping” on your phone.

Know When to Switch Off One of the key dangers with bleisure travel is a complete and abject failure to actually switch from business to leisure (or accepting an invite from a client to show you around a city which inevitably ends up as a business meeting in a car). If you’re visiting clients, or an employer’s international office, then there is a strong chance that they know your itinerary without knowing that you’re actually planning on spending a portion of it for leisure. To ensure you can successfully make the switch to leisure, be up-front and make sure your client or employer knows that a portion of your trip is for leisure (at that point, if they know your schedule and still make you work then you’ve obviously done something to make them hate you).

From experience, I can tell you that it might be the only way you don’t end up working through your

leisure time or being invited to business lunches and dinners on your days off.

Check your Corporate Travel Policy or Switch Hotels Some employers will let you use corporate rates for leisure trips. If you can then that’s great; it means you don’t have to switch hotels (unless of course you really want to stretch your travel budget further and the hotel is a five-star budget buster). If you have the luxury of choosing your own hotel then try and pick one that caters to both business and leisure travelers; they are more likely to be in sightseeing territory (which hopefully means you can walk right out of your hotel into the heart of things) and are more likely to have a concierge service or in-house tour operator that caters to tourism needs.

If you’re looking for destination ideas for your next bleisure adventure, then look no further than takephotosleavefootprints.com where you’ll find plenty of inspiration for your next layover or destination city break!

If you’re looking for more travel-related advice and inspiration, make sure to visit our website: www. takephotosleavefootprints.com

December 2020 | 19

POINTS ON PETS

CHERYL BURNS

Pets and the Holidays: A Commitment, Not a Gift, and Pet Proofing for the Holidays

T

he holiday advertising images are almost as iconic as the snowcoated driveway and a shiny car topped with a giant red ribbon. There’s a box with the top conveniently wrapped separately from the base. The pajama-clad recipient begins to open the package, the cover wobbles, and out pops a puppy. Or there’s simply a kitten sitting in a basket under a tree, a ribbon tied around a small collar.

A pet can seem like a perfect gift, especially amid the stress that has characterized 2020. Pets can provide companionship, laughter, and endless love.

Those of us who share our lives with animals know a shared truth: We never truly “own” pets any more than we own any member of our family. We love them fiercely, but pets are a big responsibility. This is why Points on Pets strongly advises against giving pets as presents.

Animals are not objects to be gifted. Adopting a pet means making a commitment and undertaking an obligation – adoption is a promise for the 20 | December 2020

life of the animal.

According to The Spruce Pets, adoption fees and time commitment aside, caring for a healthy dog can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $9,000 per year. The website cautions that between extra vet visits and the initial investment in supplies, the first year of a puppy’s life can cost twice that. Emergency care or surgery, something some might dismiss as frivolous until they’ve truly bonded with an animal, can easily run $2,000 to $5,000.

Canine lifespans varying depending on breed and size, but the price tag on 8 to 11 years of companionship easily runs in the tens of thousands.

What about cats? The cost is a bit lower, but still substantial. Like dogs, the first year is particularly pricey. PetCoach estimates an average cost of $1,174 during the first year of cat ownership and around $800 annually thereafter. Indoor cats can easily live from 9 to 15 years making the financial cost of adding a cat to someone’s life around $7,650 to $12,500.

And that’s simply an average; depending on a cat’s needs

and location, it can easily double or triple.

Ponder these figures before gifting an animal. Would you give someone an object that came with a $10,000 bill? The financial cost pales in comparison to the time and emotional commitment.

Pets should be wanted and carefully chosen by the perspective pet parent. This is one of the reasons King Street Cats asks to meet all members of a household before placing a cat in a home.

It is also why KSC doesn’t offer same day adoptions and doesn’t run “specials” or fee-free weekends. They also strive to ensure a good match between a cat and the human family. (Side note: One of the benefits of KSC’s free-roaming shelter is that the volunteers know the animals’ unique personalities!)

It bears repeating: Pets are family. Adoption is a commitment to devote time and money to an animal for the duration of its life. Unless the person specifically asks – not a passing comment in the presence of a cute furball, but a true indication of the desire and willingness to

adopt an animal – please don’t give a pet as a gift. Obviously, there’s a difference when the recipient is a child in your own household, but parents should still be prepared for the expenses and obligations of ownership (no matter how much the children swear they’ll walk the dog or take on litter box duty!).

We also want to take this opportunity to remind pet parents to keep their animals in mind as they prepare for and celebrate the winter holidays. Just as you’d babyproof for a young human, remember to pet proof your holiday décor. A few reminders, courtesy of the ASPCA: • Always anchor your Christmas tree. If you choose a live tree, do not allow pets access to the water. It is often teeming with dangerous bacteria that can cause health problems for your animal (and a mess for you!).

• Skip mistletoe and holly.

Both are dangerous if ingested. Cat owners should add lilies to that list; they can cause liver failure in cats.

• Avoid tinsel, especially around kittens. Curious by nature, they love to play with the shiny strands, but even a small nibble can cause serious illness or injury that may require surgery. Glass ornaments can also be particularly tempting – and particularly dangerous.

• Don’t leave lit candles any place where a pet can burn itself or accidentally start a fire. While candle lighting is an essential part of many holiday observances, you should always monitor lit candles until they are fully extinguished.

• Watch out for wires. Both dogs and cats explore with their mouths and easily electrocute themselves.

Stepping out from behind the laptop for a moment, your author will never shed the memory of seeing a puppy nip at a wire, a split second that ended its life.

• Don’t leave food unattended. “People food” is awfully tempting to pets, but many foods that POINTS ON PETS > PAGE 21

Old Town Crier

POINTS ON PETS | FROM PAGE 20

we enjoy are hazardous to animals. Chocolate, alcohol, and poultry with small bones are on that list, but absolutely not the only risky items. Sometimes the best solution, although not always the easiest, is keeping pets in a separate room during holiday festivities.

Sources: Jennifer Coates, “How Long to Dogs Live,” PetMD (Oct. 9, 2013) (https://www.petmd.com/dog/wellness/evr_dg_how_long_do_dogs_ live).

Lauren Jones, “How Much Does a Cat Cost?” PetCoach (https://www.petcoach.co/article/cost-of-owning-a-cat).

Jenna Stregowski, “The Cost of Owning a Dog,” The Spruce Pets (updated Feb. 4, 2020) (https://www.thesprucepets.com/the-cost-ofdog-ownership-1117321).

“Holiday Safety Tips,” ASPCA (https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/holiday-safety-tips).

Exercising care can ensure that the holidays are a time of joy, not tragedy. An ounce of prevention on behalf of your pets – another example of the responsibility that comes with an animal – pays dividends in the form of kisses, head butts, and cuddles.

The team at King Street Cats wish you and your families, humans and pets alike, a happy and healthy holiday season.

Cheryl Burns and her husband have been King Street Cats’ volunteers since meeting another volunteer running a mobile event in late 2016.

They are proud to have been chosen by Smoky Tiggs and Sweet Potato Bailey Burns as their human caretakers and diligent staff. A Legal Editor by day, Cheryl’s love for animals is matched by a passion for words and she has amassed a collection of more than 600 books.

Bath & Primp • Nail Trim & file • Full Haircut Deshed • Theraclean Treatment • Teeth Brushing Hair Coloring • Exotic Grooming Gianna Schjang, Gabriella Brown • Paw Spa LLC 315 South Washington Street, Alexandria 22314 703-517-4428 • www.thepawspava.com

Love. Brush. Groom. Repeat.

PETS

OF THE MONTH

CLAIRE

Adult, Spayed Female, Brown Tabby with White Domestic Short Hair

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

Hi! My name is Claire and I am looking for a calm, quiet home with caring people. I am a very sweet, gentle girl, who can initially be a little on the shy side. I think I would make the perfect lap cat once I get to know you. I am also a real talker -- I will greet you with a friendly meow and wait for attention. I love gentle head pets and am particularly fond of back scratches. Once I get what I want, you will hear loud purrs of contentment. You will probably hear more talking from me when I want something to eat!

However, I admit to being a tad overweight, so you will probably have to go light on the treats! I can’t wait to meet you! Schedule an appointment to visit with me at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.

PRINCESS PEACH

TANK

Adult, Female Turtle

Adult, Neutered Male, Brown and White Terrier

Princess Peach is ready to be the top gal in her tank.

Like any princess, Peach requests her favorite snacks, the sunniest basking spot and frequent visits from her loyal subjects and admirers. If you’re looking for an aquatic princess to dote on foot and foot, schedule an appointment to meet Princess Peach at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria!

Tank is a big ol’ goofball who loves his toys as much as he loves his cozy bed! In fact, Tank loves bringing his toys in bed for a perfect afternoon. When Tank isn’t cuddling up in bed, he brings his toys outside, for a leisurely stroll or a nice sit in the sun. Tank loves when his friends toss his squeaky toys for him to catch, and he always makes sure to bring them back. He’s just a good boy like that! Schedule an appointment to meet Tank at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.

Adopt by Appointment at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria virtually on Zoom or in-person at the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter! The AWLA is upholding ALX Promise standards to welcome visitors back to the shelter safely for adoptions and other community services on an appointment basis. Learn more at AlexandriaAnimals.org/Adopt-ByAppointment.

Your holiday shopping can support animals in need at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria! Learn more about gifts that bring smiles to people and animals at AlexandriaAnimals.org/HolidayShopping. Your gifts support adoptable animals like Princess Peach, Claire, Tank and many more! Schedule an appointment to meet any of our adoptable animals at AlexandriaAnimals.org/Adopt-By-Appointment.

Old Town Crier

December 2020 | 21

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION CARIBBEAN JOURNAL STAFF

Top to Bottom >> Accutron Rum Expo with Martinique's top bartender Samuel Laborieux.

Christopher Davis, leading global rum expert and proprietor of the Rhum Room.

The Rhum Arrange' Expo.

Peoples Choice-Steve and Eddy.

T

here’s a new epicenter in the world of Caribbean rum: the island of St Barth.

In a turbulent year around the world, the island played host to the ultimate rum experience of 2020: the 22 | December 2020

Martinque & Puerto Rico Top Winners 2020 Caribbean Rum Awards

Caribbean Rum Awards and St Barth Rum Festival. The event took place in mid-November and was a major success.

This year’s third annual Caribbean Rum Awards drew a

“who’s who” of the rum world for an unmatched lineup of highlevel, socially-distanced

rum experiences, rum competitions, cocktail pairing dinners and master classes, all hosted at the Rhum Room, the world’s leading Caribbean rum bar and the adjacent Quarter Kitchen and Cocktail Lab. The week was punctuated by the Caribbean Rum Awards themselves, which put together a never-before-seen field of heavyweight expressions of both Molasses Rum and Rhum Agricole.

“We are so pleased with the 2020 edition of our Caribbean Rum Awards in St Barth, which truly celebrated the best of the world of rum,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal and co-founder of the Caribbean Rum Awards.

“This year’s competition set a new standard, with nearly 60 rums, including some sought-after

expressions that have never before appeared in any rum competition.”

Most importantly, the dates have already been set for next year’s Caribbean Rum Awards and St Barth Rum Festival, which will run from Nov. 2-7, 2021.

“As we wind up a week filled with Master Distillers, Master Blenders and other Rum Industry experts, I find myself in awe of the knowledge and passion they have for this industry and their generosity in sharing with everyone who met them,” said Christopher Davis, international rum expert, proprietor of the Rhum Room and Quarter Kitchen and Cocktail Lab and founder of the St Barth Rum Festival.

“This year’s addition of Master Classes from these experts was very well received and the feedback I received from literally everyone is ‘please next year bring them back and add more if you can.’

The first annual Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum Cocktail Contest was great and the contestants had as much fun as the crowd cheering them on.

Expanding the Rum Cocktail CARRIBEAN CONNECTION PAGE 23

Old Town Crier

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FROM PAGE 20

Pairing Dinner to two nights this year was clearly well received and sold out so we will add a third night next year.

And when I look at all of what we accomplished in a year of COVID, I think just wait until next year when we have more freedom for the events.”

So who were the winners?

More than 100 rums were entered for judging, narrowed down to a competition field of nearly 60 rums across 8 categories, including Premium Molasses Rum (rums up to $450 per bottle), UberPremium Molasses Rum (rums $450 and over); Rhum Blanc – Martinique; Rhum Blanc – Guadeloupe; Rhum Agricole VSOP; Rhum Agricole XO; Rhum Agricole Hors d’Age and Uber-Premium Rhum Agricole (rum over $500 per bottle).

In the Molasses field, it was a banner year for Puerto Rico’s Ron del Barrilito, which took home Double Gold in both the Premium and Uber-Premium categories for its Ron del Barrilito 4-Star and Ron del Barrilito Five-Star, respectively.

Martinique’s Rhum Neisson dominated the Agricole category, with three Double Gold medals, highlighted by a win for its Cuvee Sacha in the Uber-Premium category.

This year’s Caribbean Rum Awards was judged by the CRA panel of international judges in a blind tasting. Judges included Alexander Britell, editor-inchief of Caribbean Journal and founder of Rum Journal; Guy Britton, EVP and Managing Editor of Caribbean Journal; Christopher Davis, global rum expert and proprietor of the Rhum Room in St Barth; Steven Shaw, spirits importer and vintner; Simons Chase, editor-in-chief of Cuba Journal and leading Cuban rum expert; Peter Berntsen, COO of Empire Social in Miami and founder of Miami Rum Month.

In the CRA’s People’s Choice category, Mount Gay Port Cask Expression took home the top honors in the Molasses category, while Rhum Neisson Cuvee Sacha won in the Agricole category. (The People’s Choice Jury included Steven Miller, Eddy Maddox; Benoit Lavigne and Ted Houseknect.)

This year’s Caribbean Rum Awards was made possible

by WIMCO, Tradewind Aviation, Les Ilets de la Plage; Davidoff, Accutron, Empire Social and SC Capital.

Judges’ accommodations

by WIMCO included Villa ANG and Villa HSL; Tradewind Aviation was the official airline of the event.

“We are so excited for what’s in store for next year,” said Guy Britton, EVP and Managing Editor of Caribbean Journal and co-founder of the Caribbean Rum Awards.

“What we were able to achieve in a challenging year speaks volumes of the direction of this event. This has quickly become the essential rum event in the Caribbean.”

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

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December 2020 | 23

FROM THE BAY

Celebrate the Joy of Family

This Holiday Season

T

he holidays are alive and well in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County! To help spread the word, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (VAAAC) has compiled a handy list of holiday happenings to make it easy for area residents and visitors to take full advantage of the many in-person, virtual, and hybrid events that will be taking place this year with safety and family fun in mind.

For the health and safety of all, participants are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing while engaging in each of the activities. To make the most of their holiday experience, VAAAC encourages attendees to consider spending the night at a historic bed and breakfast or hotel. For more information about lodging, dining, and shopping options, visit WinterInAnnapolis.com Events are subject to cancellation without notice. To avoid any inconvenience, call ahead to confirm dates, times, and availability.

Captain Santa’s Cruise

Saturdays and Sundays, December 5-27 4:00 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.

Tour departs from City Dock https://watermarkjourney.com/ Your whole family will enjoy this cruise complete with cheery holiday music and Santa himself giving out candy canes.

Jane Austen Tour

Wednesday, December 9 2:00 p.m.

Hammond-Harwood House, 19 Maryland Avenue, Annapolis Hammondharwoodhouse.org Enjoy a tour of the decorated Hammond-Harwood House that compares the customs and social graces of the

https://www.lightsonthebay.org/about-lights-on-the-bay/ This spectacular drive-through holiday lights show beside the Chesapeake Bay features more than 70 animated and stationary holiday and children’s displays, including traditional Maryland-themed favorites.

Proceeds benefit SPCA of Anne Arundel County.

Friday-Sunday, December 4-27 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m.

45-minute cruise departs from City Dock, Annapolis https://watermarkjourney.com/ Hop aboard Miss Anne, all decked out for the Holidays, for a Spa Creek “sleigh ride” on the Jolly Express with Captain Santa at the helm. Miss Anne will be adorned in reindeer spirit for an intimate cruise that includes hot cocoa, holiday music, and good cheer. Bring your own blankets!

Holiday Stroll & Cruise

Saturdays and Sundays, December 5-27 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Tour departs alternately from slip #2 at City Dock and Market House Park https://watermarkjourney.com/ Enjoy stories of holiday traditions mingled with classic colonial tales as you stroll the charming streets of Historic Downtown Annapolis with your period-attired guide. The experience also includes a 40-minute Spa Creek cruise aboard the festively decorated Miss Anne.

24 | December 2020

Noon to 4:00 p.m.

Banneker-Douglass Museum https://bdmuseum.maryland.gov/ Celebrate the seven principles of Kwanzaa through musical performances, games, crafts, and more!

The virtual program will include a spoken word performance; Zawadi (gift making) session; live music; and a discussion on the importance of community and intergenerational engagement. Includes a virtual lighting ceremony and a virtual buy black marketplace. #BDMKwanzaa

This concert is one of the longest running traditions in Annapolis, and Live Arts Maryland is committed to making it happen! Not all members of the Annapolis Chorale can be inside on one stage this year, so Live Arts Maryland will turn the City of Annapolis into its stage and live stream performances from all over town that individuals can enjoy at home. The hope is that limited seating also will be available at a venue to be announced

Holiday Candlelight Stroll

Jolly Express Cruise

Friday, December 11

Friday, December 11 8:00 p.m.

Online and in person (location TBD) https://liveartsmd.org/index.php/season=

Daily Saturday, January 2 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Sandy Point State Park, 11 East College Parkway, Annapolis

Glowing lanterns light your way as you stroll along the centuries-old brick lined streets of Maryland’s capital city adorned for the holidays. A period-attired guide will share holiday traditions of times past against the backdrop of colonial mansions, Victorian homes, and quaint shops.

Annual Kwanzaa Celebration

A Celebration of Christmas

Lights on the Bay

Fridays and Saturdays, December 4-26; Sunday, December 27 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Tour departs from Market House Park, Annapolis https://watermarkjourney.com/

Loockerman family, who lived in the house in the early 19th century, with those of characters in Jane Austen novels. Reservations required.

Holiday Swing

Lights Parade D E L L E CANC

Despite Eastport Yacht Club’s and its Lights Parade Committee’s diligent efforts to produce this year’s Lights Parade during the coronavirus pandemic, the parade has been cancelled, a joint decision of the city and yacht club. The recent spike in infections and hospitalizations has made it unsafe to hold the parade even with the planned precautionary measures for participants and viewers.

Despite the cancellation, the selected art by the winner of this year’s poster competition was unveiled on November 20th at the Eastport Yacht Club. The winning artist is Rhonda Ford, a native Marylander with a degree Fine Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Posters and holiday cards featuring the artwork will be available for sale to the public.

Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade will return next year on December 11, 2021.

Friday, December 11 – Saturday, December 26 Annapolis Shakespeare Company, 1804 West Street, Suite 200, Annapolis http://www.annapolisshakespeare.org/index.html Enjoy this new in-person musical review with the Unified Jazz Ensemble. A virtual performance will also be available.

Menorah Car Parade and Public Lighting

Sunday, December 13 5:30 p.m. Car Parade; 5:45 p.m. Menorah Lighting City Dock, Annapolis – near Alex Haley Memorial www.ChabadAAC.com Join Chabad Anne Arundel County for a spin at the annual Menorah Car Parade. The parade leaves Safeway (2635 Housley Road, Annapolis). Parade participants are asked to arrive by 5:00 p.m. At approximately 5:45 p.m., event organizers will kindle a giant Menorah and celebrate the Festival of Lights at City Dock. Individually wrapped chocolate gelt (coins), prepackaged latkes, and Chanukah kits will be given out while supplies last. All are welcome!

Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel County (VAAAC) is a nonprofit, membership-based Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) that generates revenues for the local economy by promoting Annapolis and Anne Arundel County to new and repeat business travelers and vacationers across the country and around the world. Anne Arundel County’s official Destination Marketing Organization executes strategic marketing, sales, and media campaigns that position the destination’s portfolio of brands in key markets to bolster the economy and enhance employment opportunities.

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December 2020 | 25

ROAD TRIP

BOB TAGERT

...Covid Style!

Photo Courtesy of Visit Alexandria

26 | December 2020

Old Town Crier

A

s most of you know, this column is dedicated to writing about destinations in our region and sometimes beyond, but every December issue it is about “Home for the Holidays”. More specifically, it is about Old Town Alexandria for the holidays. It was our chance to expose the virtues of Old Town and our community to others. Clearly, some folks took the holiday as an opportunity to travel and be with family and friends. For a lot of us...that has all changed. With the resurgence of the virus, travel and get-togethers have been discouraged, so this year it really is Home for the Holidays.

With the potential introduction of a vaccine at years end and pushing into 2021, everything may change by the second quarter and we can all come out of hiding and our lives might return to what we remember as normal. Although the most elaborate holiday events are cancelled and some city funded destinations are closed in Alexandria, our business community will remain open; though, in some cases, at reduced capacity.

Two years ago the Portside Park at the foot of King Street was completed which helped to expand the existing Waterfront Park and connects Old Town’s historic retail corridor with the Potomac River. Visitors can enjoy four distinct areas - the open plaza, a waterfront promenade, shade structures (although not necessary in winter) and a modular space that can adapt to different purposes throughout the year. During social distancing protocols, this area is a great place to create space and still enjoy the outdoors and the river.

Also located on the waterfront is the Tall Ship Providence. This fullscale reproduction of one of the most renowned ships in the Continental Navy arrived in the summer of 2019 to great fanfare and opened as a permanent attraction in 2020. The ship is open to the public and tours include family pirate cruises, adult pirate cruises, craft beer cruises and occasional evening cruises. Some events have been modified this time of year so check their web site for current information.

Discover art in person and in progress at the nation’s largest collection of working artists’ open studios under one roof. A fully operational munitions plant during World War II, the Torpedo Factory Art Center is now home to 82 artists’ studios, seven galleries, the Alexandria Archaeology Museum and The Art League. When I came to Old Town in 1977 the two original buildings from WWII were still standing. A lot has changed since then.

While the town will be decked out in the holiday spirit, we will be missing some of the annual events that we have come to enjoy. The Scottish Christmas Walk weekend has been cancelled. This includes the parade and events at the Campagna Center. The Boat Parade of Lights, a

Old Town Crier

very popular parade on the Potomac River, has been cancelled as well. Also, there will be no Water Skiing Santa on the Potomac this year. Even though a lot of our favorite events have been cancelled due to the virus, there are still events throughout the month.

According to the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association, “You can experience holiday magic on the historic streets of Old Town.

Recognized by Oprah Magazine as one of the most magical Christmas towns across the World in 2020 and

by Southern Living as the perfect southern town for a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2019, Alexandria brings an old fashioned sense of holiday wonder to the area with centuries-old brick-lined streets, twinkling with holiday traditions that make visitors feel transported.

Step back in time and enjoy Colonial Christmas programming at George Washington’s Mount Vernon or skate through Ice and Lights: The Winter Village at Cameron Run. Dozens of independent boutiques are going above and beyond to keep visitors safe with the ALX Promise shield and are ready to welcome masked customers with greenery at their doorsteps, offering everything from chic fashions and home decor to classic toys and gifts for dogs. Stroll among al fresco dining spots along 18th and 19th century streetscapes or pick up gourmet goodies to go. Under a canopy of sparkling lights, a stroll on historic King Street is like being in a real life Dickens Village, complete with a European flair. Recognized as a Top 5 Best Small Cities in the U.S. 2020 for the third consecutive year by the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, Alexandria offers an authentic holiday experience-the way it was meant to be!”

When the need for reduced capacity arose during the pandemic, Alexandria took quick action on behalf of its businesses. The Old Town Business Association, City officials and Merchants came together and closed the 100 block of King Street to vehicular traffic and created more outdoor dining space by allowing tables at curbside in the street. This allowed all of the restaurants to increase their dining options while heeding the percentage closing protocols. With cooler weather coming the restaurants have recently put up tents over their seating and heating units are being installed.

The success was immediate and the expansion of outdoor seating has spread to other parts of Alexandria to guarantee you a seat for dining out.

Although some of our favorite events have been cancelled, Alexandria is still a fantastic place to enjoy a holiday season day out or weekend stay. Here is wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and a much, much better 2021.

Photo by Sam Kittner

For more Holiday Happenings please check the Calendar of Events in this issue.

December 2020 | 27

TO THE BLUE RIDGE

L

ocated ten miles west of Warrenton on one of the county’s most scenic roads, the Orlean Market has long been a favorite of both locals and visitors alike. With gas, a deli and convenience store, a porch with Blue Ridge mountain views, picnic tables scattered around the lawn, plus live music most weekends, it’s also become a destination and local gathering place.

Kia Kianarsi, who owns and runs the business, never thought when he took a few consulting jobs for events in Fauquier that he’d find himself moving there and running the Orlean Market. He was living in Northern Virginia and stopped by the Market after a job meeting and was smitten with the area, the history and the beautiful Blue Ridge views at the store, which is housed in a historic old house and has operated as a country store for over a century. He now lives there and runs the business that is such a vital part of the community in this scenic corner of northwestern Fauquier County in the heart of Orlean. “It’s the only gas, convenience store, grocery, deli and pub for miles,” he said. As he researched the store’s history, he found that 50 years ago, it used to host jam sessions for local musicians on the last Friday of every month.

“They’d roll up the rugs, bring their instruments and jam and people would dance and enjoy the music,” he explained.

The Last Friday of the month jam sessions were well received, so it was a natural fit to add more live music on Friday and Saturday nights in the pub, which is adjacent 28 | December 2020

JULIE REARDON

The Orlean Market A FAUQUIER COUNTY GEM

The Pub At the Market. to the convenience store and deli and has an outside terrace as well. The musicians are mostly local and an eclectic collection of different styles of music. “All family friendly,” added Kianarsi, who has an 8 year old son. “We want it to be a place where the whole family can come and enjoy.”

They’ve hosted New Year’s Eve celebrations and Trunk or Treat for Halloween as well.

“It gives people something to do without having to drive an hour,” he said.

All food is fresh, prepared onsite with much of it locally sourced from area farms, and Kianarsi credits his outstanding staff for the quality. “I have an amazing staff,” he said. Just as his business was growing,

The Orlean Market Walk for the hounds. however, the pandemic struck, hitting restaurants and small businesses especially hard.

But the Orlean Market found ways to adapt and remain a vital community resource.

They started delivering, not just meals, but convenience store items, beer, wine and even propane tanks for grills.

Kianarsi and staff took extra precautions to keep everything disinfected and wiped clean: shelves, counters and merchandise. Additionally, often the market has items the big box and chain groceries can’t keep in stock, like toilet paper, paper towels and hand sanitizer. Kianarsi frequently went live on the Orlean Market facebook page to let people know that yes, he had toilet paper and oh by the way, a nice

selection of local wines too.

On any given weekend, you might find tourists and locals alike. It is a popular destination with cyclists, both bikes and motorcycles. You could see horseback riders and even the Old Dominion Hounds, the local foxhunt club. Besides a large parking lot, there is a 3.5 acre lawn with picnic tables scattered around. Some face the pretty Blue Ridge views, some are under shade trees and some are near the tree swing that is a favorite of the children.

And speaking of children— Fauquier, especially the area near the market, has a serious internet problem. It’s shameful that a wealthy county 50 miles from the White House has ignored the basic needs

of its citizens for so long, but now government mandates students to complete their studies online with woefully inadequate or unavailable internet access. In addition to the county public schools, many college students are at home trying to study online; many more adults are stuck at home trying to run businesses remotely on overloaded and inadequate internet service.

Much of the county has poor or non-existant high speed internet. There are a few bright spots, however. The Orlean Market has a strong, clear signal and during the week, the pub and restaurant rooms become impromptu classrooms for remote study and teaching pods for the students, led by adults. “We’re very lucky that Piedmont Wireless [a local internet provider available in some locations] sponsors us, so we can offer free internet,” said Kianarsi.

Stop by the Orlean Market and say hi if you’re in the area. Explore the historic old building and envision what it must’ve been like 100 years ago. Sample some of the freshly made deli or pub specialties.

Take in some live music on weekends. Check their Facebook page for upcoming Christmas events—at press time they were undecided and awaiting possible government restrictions to see what kind of celebrations would be suitable.

The Orlean Market is open 7 days a week from 8:30 am til 7 pm and is located at 6855 Leeds Manor Rd., Marshall, tel. 540/364-2774. Visit them on Facebook or at www. orleanmarket.com to find out the latest happenings.

Old Town Crier

December 2020 | 29

ANSWERS from page 6

1 Santa Claus 2 Uncle Billy 3 His heart was two sizes too small 4 Suzy Snowflake 5 "White Christmas" 6 Ebenezer 7 On the Stairs 8 Yukon Cornelius 9 Tiny Tim 10 "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" 11 What was the matter 12 Dasher, Donder, Dancer 13 Her medication 14 Six geese a-laying 15 New York 16 He jumped into the river first 17 The ox and the lamb 18 By the chimney 19 Clara

20 The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come 21 Green 22 Eleven 23 Tim Allen 24 Could not play in reindeer games 25 Pigpen 26 "Stop" 27 Eggnog 28 Hershey's Kisses 29 Norman Rockwell 30 Rudolph 31 Snow 32 Comet and Cupid 33 His Wings 34 "Deck the Halls" 35 Mushrooms 36 His dog 37 The children 38 Home Alone 39 A cherry 40 Tinsel 41 An angel

42 "I'll be back again someday" 43 His halo 44 It is too commercialized 45 His reed pipe 46 34th 47 Nine 48 He came back to life 49 Reindeer games 50 Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus 51 "The Twelve Days of Christmas" 52 On the lawn 53 Pumpkin 54 Alvin, Theodore, and Simon 55 Myrrh 56 The bannister 57 The youngest child 58 "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" 59 A rose 60 Frosty's 61 "Jingle Bells" 62 It's a Wonderful Life 63 Bert and Ernie

64 A button 65 He gives him a raise 66 Italy (Romans) 67 Ice Skating 68 Stocking Stuffers 69 Blitzen 70 Elinor Roosevelt 71 American Lung Association 72 Sugarplums 73 None 74 Angel 75 "The Christmas Song" 76 A song on his drum 77 Cookies 78 Jimmy Stewart 79 Coca-Cola 80 A hula-hoop 81 Clement C. Moore 82 A handsome prince 83 Norelco Electric Shaver 84 Bells 85 Silver and gold 86 "A Holly Jolly Christmas"

Old Town Crier 87 The Teddy Bear 88 Gene Autry 89 "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" 90 To, From 91 Underneath the mistletoe 92 The Homecoming 93 "Silver Bells" 94 Rockin' 95 5 cents 96 "Blue Christmas" 97 Parson Brown 98 Tournament of Roses 99 "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" 100 Upon the roof 101 The traffic cop 102 An engineer/architect 103 Dasher 104 Nutcracker 105 Peace on earth, goodwill to men 106 Charles Dicken

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Background: Lauren Fleming

DINING OUT

THE GASTRONOMES

…Literally

W

ell…..the damned virus has reared its ugly head to new levels as we write this and all of the powers that be have asked us to stay put for all of our holiday dinners. Even small gatherings at home are being discouraged, which really put the damper on our original plans to get together with friends that we have been “socially distance” socializing with over the last few months.

We have patronized our restaurant advertisers and other establishments in the area on a regular basis after the ban was lifted as they are diligent in following the pandemic protocols, however, eating Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner at a restaurant doesn’t appeal to either of us. I will never forget the year I went home to Wyoming for Thanksgiving and my parents decided we would go out for dinner…I was devastated! No left overs, the stuffing wasn’t as good as Mom’s, and let’s not even discuss the gravy. Needless to say, the only holiday meal we ever partook at a restaurant 30 | December 2020

after that was Easter Brunch…. hard to mess that up and the bottomless mimosas made up for any shortcomings.

Back to the situation at hand. Like the majority of you, we like traditions so it is important that no matter how you decide to pull together dinner this year, please be sure to include as many of your family/friends traditions as possible. I am going to miss the gorgeous table that my friend Catherine sets so I’m getting out the good dishes and setting the table for the two of us like we are having special guests. Am substituting the turkey with a couple of chubby Cornish game hens and making the sides we grew up with. You get the idea.

Neither of us is in tune with the whole Zoom concept but those of you who have a good handle on it, might want to consider bringing your family and friends together for a virtual dinner.

We also thought that it might be fun to pull together a version of the “Progressive Dinner”. For those of you unfamiliar with this mid 90’s fad, during a progressive

…for Christmas Dinner!

dinner, one person hosts drinks and appetizers at their home and then the group transitions to someone else’s house for the first course, like soup or salad. When it’s time for the main course, the group progresses to the next house and the night finishes with dessert at the last person’s home. Keep in mind that this concept only works if you live in close proximity of the participants and the number in the households are the same.

Pulling this together using the basic premise of this concept and the drop off meal concept is going to take some planning, but here is what we envision:

Step One: Plan Your Menu Plan the menu just like you would if you were all getting together at the same place and decide who is going to make what. Our thinking is that each household should prepare their own main course - and mashed potatoes - so those who want to have

the joy of carving that bird/ roast/ham/goose at the table can do so.

Step Two: Deliver the Goods Set up a time line for the drop off of the contributions.

Ideally, the drop offs/pickups would take place in tandem.

This means one participant will have to drop off and pick up at all locations while the rest would have one less than the one before. I know, I know, it sounds complicated but here is a basic example based on 4 households participating: Bob, Carol, Ted and Alice.

12 Noon – Bob drops off his signature drink concoction and green bean casserole to Carol, Ted and Alice and picks up their contributions.

12:15 – Carol drops off her signature appetizers to Ted and Alice and picks up their contributions.

12:30 – Ted drops off the

roasted Brussel sprouts and sweet potato casserole to Alice and picks up her signature dessert.

Alice has it made since she doesn’t have to go anywhere but she still got to see everyone for a few minutes during the exchange. If you have someone in your group who is Covid sensitive this is a good way to include them in the day.

Now……if you like this concept but aren’t that high on preparing any actual food, there are lots of fantastic restaurants and bakeries offering holiday fare that will fill the bill - many of which will also provide you with a “signature” drink as well. You just have to place your order and pick it up curbside or have it delivered.

No matter how you plan to dine during the holidays, all you can do is make the best of a bad situation and soldier on. Let’s look forward to the New Year with positive expectations.

Old Town Crier

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

Winter Al Fresco Dining Abounds Many of your favorite eateries have taken all necessary measures to secure pandemic friendly enclosures and heating mechanisms so you can continue to dine comfortably outside. They have gone to a great deal of work and expense to ensure that their clients are comfortable.

Please do what you can to support them during the holiday season and winter months. Without the inclusion of outside dining, many of them look at the possibility of closing their doors. The reduction in indoor capacity that took place in November will take its toll without this option.

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December 2020 | 31

LET’S EAT

WALTER SCHEIB et al.

GOOD SPORTS GOOD FRIENDS GREAT EATS!

COVID-19 SPECIALS*

White House Eggnog ~ One for the Ages ~

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.

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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.

This recipe from former White House Chef Walter Scheib, The American Chef, was published in this space shortly after he left his post on Pennsylvania Avenue and we have decided it might be a nice thing to do annually. We met Walter at the inaugural Food & Wine Festival in National Harbor 10 years or so ago and formed a nice friendship then. Chef Scheib co-authored a column called “Cooking Fran and Wally” with longtime Old Town Crier contributor Frances Killpatrick for several years in the mid 2000’s. He was the Executive Chef at the Whitehouse from 1994 to 2005 during the administrations of both George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He died in the summer of 2015 while hiking in the mountains surrounding Taos, New Mexico.

He is remembered for his memoir, The White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen.

We hope you enjoy this holiday memory.

32 | December 2020

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Old Town Crier

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December 2020 | 33

DINING GUIDE AMERICAN

AUGIE’S MUSSEL HOUSE 1106 King Street 703.721.3970 BILBO BAGGINS 208 Queen St. 703-683-0300 BLACKWALL HITCH 5 Cameron St. 703-739-6090 CAFE 44 44 Canal Center 571-800-6644 CARLYLE CLUB 411 John Carlyle St. 703-549-8957 CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442 CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080 CITY KITCHEN 330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE 109 S. St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776 EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051 EXECUTIVE DINER & CAFE 1400 Duke Street 703-299-0894 FIVE GUYS 725 King St. 703-549-7991 FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288 GRATEFUL KITCHEN 727 N. Henry Street HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050 HEN QUARTER 1404 King St. 703-684-6969 HUMMINGBIRD 220 South Union Street 703-566-1355 JACKS PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372 JAVA GRILL 611 King Street 571-431-7631 JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777 JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO 1508 Mount Vernon Avenue Alexandria 703-436-0025 LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313

34 | December 2020

THE LIGHT HORSE 715 King Street 703-549-0533

LIVE OAK 1603 Commonwealth Ave. 571-312-0402 LORI'S TABLE 1028 King Street 703-549-5545 LOST DOG CAFE 808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511 MACKIE’S BAR AND GRILL 907 King St. 703-684-3288 mackiesbarandgrill.com MAGNOLIA’S ON KING 703 King St. 703-838-9090 MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117 MASON SOCIAL 728 Henry Street 703-548-8800 mason-social.com MOUNT VERNON INN Mount Vernon, Va 703-780-0011 MURPHYS IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com NORTHSIDE 1O 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-888-0032 OCONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699 THE PEOPLES DRUG 103 N. Alfred Street 571-257-8851 RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 riverbendbistro.com ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274 RT's RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.com SAMUEL BECKETTS IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122 SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266 SMOKING KOW BBQ 3250 Duke Sttreet 703-888-2649 SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550

Please Contact your favorite restaurants for updates on their "Social Distancing" policies.

SOUTH BLOCK 106 N. Lee Street 703-465-8423 SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222 SWEETGREEN 823 King St. 571-319-0192 SWEET FIRE DONNA'S BBQ & HOPS 510 John Carlyle Street 571-312-7960 T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com TOASTIQUE GOURMET TOAST & JUICE BAR 1605 King Street 571-312-1909 UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669 VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669 VOLA’S DOCKSIDE GRILL & THE HI-TIDE LOUNGE 101 North Union St. 703-935-8890 THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868 warehouseoldtown.com ASIAN

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

THE SUSHI BAR 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue 571-257-3232 CONTINENTAL

BRABO

by Robert Weidmaier 1600 King St. 703-894-3440 BRABO TASTING ROOM 1600 King St. 703-894-5252 CEDAR KNOLL GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-780-3665 OLD HOUSE COSMOPOLITAN 1024 Cameron Street 703-717-9361 TEMPO 4231 Duke St. 703-370-7900 temporestaurant.com VILLAGE BRAUHAUS 710 King Street 703-888-1951 villagebrauhaus.com FRENCH

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

BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998 HANK & MIMI'S PIZZA AND PASTA 600 Montgomery Ave. 571-312-4117 IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833 LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086 MIA'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 100 King Street 703-997-5300 MICHAEL’S LITTLE ITALY 305 S. Washington St. 703-548-9338 RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873

MEDITERRANEAN

TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194 DELIAS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. 703-329-0006 VASO'S MEDITERRANEAN BISTRO 1118 King Street 703-566-2720 VASO'S KITCHEN 1225 Powhatan Street 703-548-2747 SEAFOOD

HANKS OYSTER BAR 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com ERNIES ORGINIAL CRABHOUSE 1743 King St. 703-836-0046 THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834 INDIAN

DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd.

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December 2020 | 35

GRAPEVINE

MATT FITZSIMMONS

Early Mountain Vineyard Brut Sparkling

S

parkling wine has a reputation as a ‘special occasion’ beverage – but this is changing.

While higherend sparklings will likely remain a rare treat for most consumers, a growing number of American wine drinkers are reaching for bubbly more frequently, making it one of the fastest growing segments of the market. In Northern Virginia alone, roughly a dozen wineries offer something fizzy on the menu, made either on premise or in partnership with another location.

Patricia Kluge of Kluge Estate (now Trump Winery) started the trend for highend Virginia sparklings by inviting French winemaker Claude Thibaut to Virginia as a consultant, leading to the release of their first Blanc de Chardonnay in 2007. Today, Claude is half of the ThibautJanisson partnership which is one of the best-known sparkling wines in the state.

While Thibaut-Janisson is probably Virginia’s most widely-sold VA sparkling, it’s far from alone. Last year the owners of Veritas Winery opened The Virginia Sparkling Company, dedicated to sparkling wine. This will allow local wineries a partner to finish their own sparklings 36 | December 2020

Virginia Wineries:

Breaking the Mold On Sparkling Winemaking while avoiding the high startup costs involved in their production. Never again will it be difficult to find bubbles at your favorite Virginia winery.

Giving Sparkling Wine Its Fizz Strictly speaking, sparkling is wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it. There are a number of ways to achieve this - some more complex (and expensive) than others.

Champagne is without a doubt the most famous sparkling in the world, which is why so many wish to emulate it. It’s also one of the more difficult to make, since it follows strict rules dictated by geography (only sparklings from the Champagne region of France are allowed this prestigious label), grape varietal (only Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes are utilized), and method of production.

But not all sparklings need to emulate Champagne. Since sparkling can be made in many ways, a quick (but not all-inclusive) explanation of

the more common methods Virginia sparklings are produced is in order: Traditional Method (also known as the méthode champenoise). The most prestigious – and expensive – method of making sparkling wine you can find. Despite that, many winemakers chose it because it is difficult.

According to Katie Henley of Casanel Vineyards, “If you don’t have a good foundation in traditional winemaking methods, it’s harder to execute flawless wine”.

Charmat Method (aka the “tank method”). Traditional method-made wines usually have more yeasty, toasty aromas and flavors, while Charmat sparklings tend to emphasize a more ‘fresh’ flavor profile. They are also less laborintensive, as they are fermented in a large steel tank as opposed to allowing fermentation to occur in the bottle (Prosecco is a great example of a Charmatmade wine).

Pétillant Naturel (aka “natural sparklings”): Made in the méthode ancestrale method, Pét-Nats (as they are usually called) are usually slightly sweet with lower alcohol content – making them more of an everyday drinking wine.

Pet-Nats lack the complexity of other options, but are growing in popularity as they are (relatively) easy to make and don’t hurt the wallet as badly.

Virginia Sparkling’s Coming In To Their Own According to Claude, “There isn’t any one style” of Virginia wine. Make no mistake; a number of Virginia producers – notably Greenhill Vineyards, Thibaut-Janisson, and Veritas – produce outstanding Chardonnay-based méthode champenoise sparklings. So for those who enjoy their bubbly as ‘traditional’ as possible; Virginia has you covered.

But it would be a mistake for Virginia winemakers to GRAPEVINE | FROM PAGE 36

Old Town Crier

EXPLORING VA WINES

DOUG FABBIOLI

We Farm – We Don’t Hibernate

M

real people. earth friendly. fabulous wines.

HOLD YOUR ‘FABB’ EVENT AT FABBIOLI CELLARS! WEDDINGS • CORPORATE OUTINGS • GRADUATIONS • CELEBRATIONS

email us at info@fabbioliwines.com 15669 Limestone School Rd • Leesburg, VA 20176 703.771.1197 • fabbioliwines.com Old Town Crier

any folks may think that farmers get to hibernate for the winter months until the sun warms the ground back up to a reasonable temperature in the spring.

Mother Nature gives us a grand season each year to reap the sunshine and turn it into a product that will last for years to come, before cooling things off for a rest period.

The animal farmers are always working, but we horticulturists get a bit of a seasonal shift. In agriculture, one is always in tune with the daily weather, the changing seasons, and the shifting climate. I will admit that once the grapes are all harvested, I have a bit of “empty nest syndrome.” I go out in the vineyard to scout but there is nothing I really need to look at. After seven months of daily changes to the vines, it is a weird feeling to not have the pressure of observation, evaluation, decision making, and job execution, which all greatly affect the business, on my mind. There is always work to do, though, and winter is time to catch up on the other stuff.

Shutting things down for the winter is always our first priority for this time of year. Putting antifreeze in the sprayers, taking in the garden hoses, and pushing the water out of our irrigation system are jobs that prepare our farm for colder weather and hopefully prevent damage over the winter months. We will also take down our shade tarps, put away the shade umbrellas and make sure all of our heaters are in working order. Oh yeah, how about the firewood? We have had fire pits here at Fabbioli Cellars since long before there was a winery. Hopefully we’ve cut and split enough wood early enough to give it time to season and burn well through the cooler months.

The biggest winter project that we have on the farm is pruning all of our grapevines, raspberries and fruit trees. The raspberries are rather simple but the grapes and pears are a skilled process that will define the next growing season and beyond. We will break these projects up into manageable jobs recognizing weather, crew skills, and location. We can do rough pruning and brush removal when it is colder, and keep the crew moving, warmer, and working through the chillier times.

Finish pruning takes more thought and skill, so we tend to do that later in the season on those late winter and early spring days when the sun is warming and we can feel the new season awakening.

The change of seasons also gives me a chance to evaluate the year and plan for the next year. The vineyard and winery business is very long term and high capital. Making good choices along the way is critical to the success of the business and industry. Taking the time to look at trends, review inventories, build relationships, and evaluate products can be the difference between fruition and frustration. Really, these are all just fancy words that give me the excuse to sit by a fire, sip on some fine local wine, enjoy a cigar and contemplate. The grapes are in, we are still working, and life is not bad. Cheers!

December 2020 | 37

Thibaut-Jannisson Sparkling Brut Blanc de Blancs

Rappahannock Cellars Sparklers

Casanel Brute Red Spark

GRAPEVINE FROM PAGE 36

copy France (or California for that matter). Even if they wanted to try, the terroir here dictates a different approach.

But just as importantly, Virginia winemakers have the advantage of unleashing their creativity – something impossible in the rules-bound Champagne region. This has led to a veritable explosion of options, including the use of hybrid grapes that break the mold on what a sparkling wine is supposed to be like.

Briedé Family Vineyards’ “Sparkling Winchester” is a great example of his mixing of old and new world styles.

Their sparking is made in the traditional method (and made by a Frenchman) using Cayuga - a grape that would never be found in Europe. Cayuga is a hybrid (cross between European and North American grapes) that’s easy to grow, especially in cooler weather vineyards. Its high acidity gives it the zest that sparkling requires, and it delivers a Champagne-like finish.

It’s hardly surprising that Briedé made a sparkling; owners inevitably make wine they can enjoy themselves, and owners Loretta and Paul Briedé especially love French wines.

Try visiting their tasting room outside Winchester to try their Sparkling Winchester, as well well as a selection of sparklings from around the world.

Another great place for sparklings is Casanel Vineyards, just outside Leesburg. While most wineries usually decide between the traditional or creative routes, Katie decided to do both – she makes not one but three sparklings, all made using the Champenoise method. Katie LOVES talking about her sparklings, so much so she practically poured me an entire bottle of her Chardonnay38 | December 2020

2017 Briede Sparkling Winchester based White Spark while we chatted (note – I love visiting winemakers in their natural environment).

As much as I loved the White Spark for its nod to tradition, her Red Spark demonstrates her creativity. It’s made with Norton; in fact, she’s the first person anywhere to make this grape into a sparkling wine.

She explained the idea started as something of a dare; wine drinkers can be rather snooty about hybrids, but she loves working with this grape and was convinced she could prove them wrong. The result – a sparkling with flavors of pomegranates and raspberries that’s absolutely delicious.

A third location known for its Virginia sparklings is Rappahannock Cellars, in Hume, Virginia. Currently almost 25% of its sales are sparkling – and that percentage is growing. Amongst their options is a sparkling-only flight, which includes their high-end “Prestige”, a Blanc De Blanc (Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc made in the Charmat method), Sparkling Rosé, the ‘Fizzy Lizzy’ Rosé, a sparkling Muscat, and a Charmatmade Cabernet Franc-based sparkling.

Tasting manager Kelly

2018 Rosemont Extra Brut Sparkling White Knight explained most customers don’t seem to worry about how the sparkling is made – so long as it’s good (I agree – it is). My favorite was the Chardonnay-based Prestige that was aged for 2 years, which had nice green apple notes and some toastiness from the lees.

But the Fizzy Lizzy was a ‘fun’ wine that shows that sparklings isn’t always meant to be taken seriously.

I mustn’t forget Rosemont Winery and Vineyards, down in southern Virginia. Their 2018 Extra Brut Sparkling White hits that sweet spot of having juuust enough oak without overpowering it.

Zesty, with hazelnut notes. It’s also made using the Charmat method with Chardonel, a hybrid of Chardonnay that does well in Virginia’s humid climate.

Co-owner Aubrey Rose endorsed the idea that sparklings need not be too serious, but that’s almost being unfair to this wine. While great as a summer sipper, I happily paired this with oysters for a late fall dinner.

Do you have any favorite sparklings? Let me know where to find them!

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Old Town Crier

FITNESS

NICOLE FLANAGAN

GET A JUMP ON WALKING AWAY WINTER WEIGHT

E

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 shoes.

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 Old Town Crier

a treadmill is great as well.

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

300 depending on your pace and fitness level.

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.

Walking Hills 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-

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 15 minutes 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

Intervals Intervals 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 you’re 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 comes to making that fitness resolution for the New Year.

Publishers Aside: With the addition of the “Covid 15” to any potential poundage we might accrue during the holidays and winter months, it is even more important that we keep our bodies in shape in order to fight off the virus. The weather is supposed to remain mild so hit the bricks and wear that mask.

December 2020 | 39

FROM THE TRAINER

RYAN UNVERZAGT

Healthy Gifts for Your Loved Ones

W

ow….It’s hard to believe that 2020 is almost over – thank God - this year has dragged on for what seems like forever. However, now it’s time to celebrate the holidays and time to find that perfect gift. 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: (A.K.A. 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 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”……….45 cm Ball • 5’6”- 6’0”………..55 cm Ball (most common size in stores) • 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

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popular fitness tools in the U.S. Sizes typically range from 5lbs to 25lbs 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.

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 professional

before diving into this type of training.

Health Club Membership/ Personal Training Sessions: 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 Bachelor of Science degree in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University. He is a certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

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Old Town Crier

FIRST BLUSH

LAUREN BOWLING

F

orget Hallmark movies or Christmas trees in Home Depot. I know the holiday season has started when my skin starts freaking out on Black Friday.

If you’re like me and experience multiple nasty breakouts every yuletide season, you’re not alone. And while you may wonder, “Is it just the types of foods I’m eating and all the holiday booze that’s driving my skin crazy?” the answer is yes.

And also no.

This month long period known as “the holidays” are the perfect storm for bad skin ― not only because of food and alcohol, but also because of holiday travel, unavoidable winter weather, irregular schedules and expected holiday stress.

And while these things definitely happen all at once during the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, the tips for mitigating holiday skin woes work for any period during the winter months when chaos wreaks havoc on your normal diet and routine.

Holiday Skin Sin #1: Skipping Sleep Maybe you don’t associate the holidays with a lack of sleep, but there are many sneaky factors that can make December the most sleepless time of the year.

To start, alcohol majorly impacts sleep, and holiday stress—from financial obligations to juggling work and a packed social calendar— can keep us up longer.

But if you want to keep your skin in peak condition during the holidays, getting good sleep is key. “Lack of sleep not only makes us feel bad, but makes our skin look tired, too,” said Sandra Lee, a board-certified dermatologist and doctor behind the popular TLC show “Dr. Pimple Popper.”

“Bags under the eyes are more obvious, skin looks more sallow, we are probably smiling less, and this translates to negativity,” she told HuffPost.

Holiday Skin Skin #2: Indulging In the Wrong Holiday Foods “Most people believe greasy foods lead to breakouts, but Old Town Crier

misbehaves,” Doyle said. “It’s also important to remember that sun exposure is still something we need to protect ourselves from, even in the winter season.”

Holiday Skin Sin #5: Not Managing Stress

FIVE HOLIDAY SKIN SINS this is only true if you’re rubbing that grease directly on your face,” Lee explained. “So don’t do that!”

Enjoy the holiday spreads, but for the best skin, avoid a handful of very specific items.

“Eggnog is not good for the skin,” said board-certified plastic surgeon Anthony Youn. “Although eggs can be very good for the skin overall, the other ingredients in eggnog (sugar, whole milk or cream, and often booze) are terrible for the skin.”

Lee agrees. “Dairy can be an exacerbating factor when it comes to acne because of elevated hormones in milk, so if you know you’re especially sensitive, try your best to not eat a ton of cheese or dairy products,” she said.

Youn also advises avoiding an excess of sugar, like what you’d find in beloved holiday cookies. “Holiday cookies are chock full of sugar, which is the worst food for the skin.

Store-bought and prepackaged holiday cookies can also contain trans fats, which are terrible for the skin and your health.”

And while whole, unprocessed foods are a good

skin prescription any time of the year, avoiding an excess of junk food during the holiday season can help mitigate many common skin flare ups.

Holiday Skin Sin #3: Sticking To Your Old Skin Care Routine Many of our holiday skin woes are actually just winter skin woes in disguise.

Around the end of December, temperatures plummet in most parts of the U.S., and in the holiday chaos, we forget to adjust our skin care routines accordingly.

“If you’re in a colder climate, you’re often getting exposed to dry, cold air when outdoors and hot, dry air in our homes.

This can wreak havoc on our skin, causing dryness, irritation and breakouts,” said Amanda Doyle, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist.

“Get a humidifier if you’re in a colder climate to mitigate the effects of dry, hot air inside the home.”

There are many simple, nocost fixes to adjusting your routine for winter. For example, try wearing gloves to protect the sensitive skin on the h

ands and using hand sanitizer since it is less drying than soap and water. Youn advised.

“Also, don’t take scalding hot showers: This can dry your skin.”

Lee also reminds us of the importance of swapping our lighter moisturizer for a heavier one in the winter, “especially if you are prone to winter dryness, are planning loads of holiday plane travel, or visiting a different climate.”

Holiday Skin Sin #4: Lack of Consistency All the dermatologists interviewed for this piece recommended the same tip for beating holiday skin drama: consistency. So, please, if you do anything, remain consistent in your skin care routine throughout November and December.

This also goes for starting a new skin care regimen during the holiday season (best save any experimentation for the “new year, new you” attitude that happens in January).

“It’s easy to get caught up with events and travel, but skipping out on our normal routines can lead to skin that

“There’s no denying that the holidays are a stressful time, and stress can certainly exacerbate many skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea,” Lee said. “Stress weakens your immune system, which makes skin conditions worse by lowering your body’s ability to fight inflammation.”

Managing stress also has added benefits: minimizing illness. To keep stress at bay, sleep plays a large part, but you also need to remain consistent (there’s that word again!) with your workout routine and vitamin regimen.

Doyle is a big advocate of ingestible skin care products, which can help care for skin and regulate stress. “A product containing natural tomato extract, which includes nutrients like lycopene, ensures you’re protecting yourself from environmental stress from the inside out,” she explained.

“Natural lycopene-based ingestible skin care has also been shown to protect the skin from the damaging effects of the sun.”

But even if you don’t spend a dime on products, carving out time for sleep, exercise and maintaining a healthy diet can go just as far in maintaining smooth skin during the hectic holiday season.

This column courtesy of Huffington Post contributor Lauren Bowling. Bowling is the blogger behind the personal finance site FinancialBestLife. com and author of The Millennial Homeowner: A Guide to Successfully Navigating Your First Home Purchase. Blogging since 2012, Bowling is now a recognized thought leader in the millennial finance space with her expertise featured in the pages of Redbook and Woman’s Day magazines and on leading online financial news sites including Forbes, The Huffington Post, CNNMoney and U.S. News and World Report.

December 2020 | 41

GO FISH

STEVE CHACONAS

Fishing for Holiday Gifts – Annual Guide

S

hopping for anglers is frustrating; but for the person on the receiving end, there’s a guaranteed stint in the return line!

Choose gifts for on and off the water!

When fishing expert AFTCO makes a hoodie, it’s a sure thing it isn’t just carrying a school logo. The AFTCO Reaper Hoodie includes a built-in face mask and neck warmer with laser cut ventilation offers extra warmth with sufficient breathing.

Ventilation in underarms too.

Traveling at boat speeds, the Reaper hood stays in place, anchored with a dual cinch shock cord. 100% Polyester tech bonded Microfleece keeps the Reaper Mossy Oak® tech hoodie warm and toasty. Hand warming pockets secure quietly with Blocky Tapey pocket enclosures. AFBLOCK sun protection. AFGUARD stain resistance keeps the Reaper looking great for outdoor or casual wear. aftco.com Slipping into something more comfortable, sport sandal maker TEVA created the Ember collection. Part sneaker, part sleeping bag, Ember is a shoe in for frequent flyer footwear with carry-on packability that stands up to layovers in style. Around the house, stepping out to get the paper, or even the campground, this easy-on outdoor leisure shoe features a collapsible back allowing feet to slide in while heels rebound for slipper like comfort that repels light splashes. Aegis® antimicrobial treatment keeps smells at bay.

Microfiber sockline/footbed delivers soft comfort with an ultra-light EVA foam midsole, and grippy rubber outsole for all-day wear. Men’s and women’s. teva.com Maui Jim Southern Cross lighter SuperThin PolarizedPlus2 lenses let you see what you’ve been missing and protect from harmful UV and HEV rays. Glare is eliminated, clearing the way to enjoying the outdoors with enhanced color, clarity, and detail. Scratch resistance lenses are water and oil repellent for easy clean up. Triple-injected 42 | December 2020

nylon frame is lightweight and durable. Embedded textured rubber nose pads and spring hinges provide better fit and comfort. Three frame color options. Lens color choices are MAUIGreen over a Neutral Grey base, Neutral Grey BiGradient Mirror, or HCL Bronze Bi-Gradient Mirror.

Southern Cross is available in prescription through local eye care professionals. mauijim. com Boating anglers will get a charge all day out of the PowerPole CHARGE Marine Power Management Station. Batteries operate trolling motors, electronics, livewells and fire up outboards. Charging systems have come up short, until the CHARGE system from Power Pole that keeps batteries ready to perform. It’s a traditional battery charger, charge-onthe-run, and emergency start system, in one compact and easy to install unit. No matter the battery consumption needs, this smart charger automatically devotes more power to batteries that need it. CHARGE tops off batteries during the day if one or more run down, always reserving power to crank up the outboard to get back home. CHARGE will juice up the boater and every battery on your list. power-pole.com When it comes to made in America batteries, nothing lasts longer or charges faster than DEKA AGM deep cycle batteries. Gel batteries can withstand rough water and long trailering vibrations and hold up without spilling or leaking in any weather. DEKA AGM batteries will be the thing Santa brings with piece of mind. eastpennmanufacturing. com When a company dares you to ruin their pants, they must be tough. Black Diamond jeans are constructed with an innovative combination of best-in-class materials.

Forged Denim Pants feature the world’s best climbing denim. For those less inclined to climb, this means they’re wearing very comfortable jeans.

Light strength-to-weight ratio regulates temperature while

allowing maximum flexibility and performance. Cordura™ fibers create a durable, light and stretchy denim. Metal rivets keep pockets, designed for easy access even while sitting, in shape! The fit is fashionable and comfortable. If only gloves would fit like Black Diamond Forged Denim Pants. Good enough to wear every day. blackdiamondequipment.com Foul weather fishing clothing specialist Grundens’ Ballast Insulated Jacket is filled with PrimaLoft Eco WR 60gm (60% recycled) with a comfortable

quilted lining. Thin and soft PermaLoft delivers the best lightweight heavy duty insulation. The rugged exterior shell fabric offers professionalgrade abrasion resistance for tough outdoor activities with shoulders cut for action.

Hand warming, chest and interior pockets are zippered.

An interior rib knit cuff, under snap adjustable cuffs, keeps heat from escaping. An adjustable hood and a snap tab adjustable hem make a better fit. Engineered for warmth when wet, the Ballast Jacket

works with you outdoors but looks good enough to go on the town. grundens.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!

Author Capt. Steve Chaconas is Potomac River bass fishing guide. Potomac fishing reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/ purchase gift certificates: info@ NationalBass.com.

Potomac River Bassing in December Target hard cover near drops as fish prepare to head into winter holes. Use Quantum spinning rods with faster Quantum Smoke reels and downsize to GAMMA 6-pound test Edge fluorocarbon either as a main line or leader with 10-pound test GAMMA Torque braid. Reels with smooth drags are important, like the Quantum Smoke.

Drop shot, shaky head, and split shot are best bets. Use Mustad 1/0 Mega Bite hooks along with 3/16-ounce Water Gremlin BullShot weights for drop shots and split shots. Time for 3” avocado stingray grubs on ¼ ounce ball head jigs made with Mustad Ultra Point hooks. Also break out Punisher hair jigs with matching chunks. Use slow horizontal presentations. Soak soft plastics and jigs in bait spray.

Also time to tie on Silver Buddy lures. Use ½ ounce silver on sunny days, gold when cloudy, on 10-pound test GAMMA EDGE on casting reels like QUANTUM Smoke on KVD Quantum spinnerbait rods with enough tip flex for casting and hook-setting backbone.

Flt-sided cranks on 10-pound test EDGE work along warmed surfaces. Use shad patterns in clearer water or sunny days, craws otherwise. On warmest days, try suspending jerkbaits when water reaches 50 degrees.

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OPEN SPACE

LORI WELCH BROWN

A Holiday to Remember IF ONLY FOR THE LESSON IN GRATITUDE

I

have to admit, I’ve experienced some pretty crappy holidays. Ghosts of Christmas’ past still haunt me. Too many years to count as a single adult vanquished to the kiddie table. The year Mom was sick, and I yelled at her for not following up with the doctor.

The year after she passed that I fell into a deep depression.

I drank my way through that Christmas, got sick, and swore off Marlboro Lights. I smoked my last one December 28, 2008. The year I was coerced into driving 2.5 hours to my dad’s new girlfriend’s house where I would be spending Christmas Eve—alone with just the two of them—and was greeted by them sporting matching, what appeared to be, wedding rings. Surprise!

They hadn’t actually gotten married, but that’s another story. To make matters worse, the only wine on hand was Liebfraumilch.

But, this year. Wow. It will be one for the record books.

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Finally, my dad is in the same state as me, and I will be able to see him (if I’m lucky) for 30 minutes sitting six feet apart wearing masks. But, hey.

I’m thankful for that. In this mother of a year, I’m chalking that up to a blessing. And, frankly, that’s what we have to do. Look for, search out, the blessings. They’re there, but not as easily recognizable as in years past.

Maybe the big, universal master plan is to teach us all to be grateful for the mundane. To be grateful, not for the big, fancy dinners with the good china, but for Taco Tuesdays. To be grateful for the home you have, not the Airbnb castle in Scotland where you were planning to spend the holidays escaping to with twenty of your closest.

Maybe the blessings are to be found hidden right under our noses, buried in our everyday lives.

Like most of us, I’m sad that I won’t be able to see many family members and

friends, but we will have to be creative in tweaking some long-standing traditions while finding ways to still connect with our loved ones. Maybe we will rediscover that the greatest gift of all is the joy in connection and not the gifts wrapped in pretty boxes nestled under the tree or passed out during Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. I’m allowing myself time to mourn the loss of those traditions, but I don’t want my sadness to weigh too heavily on the true meaning of the holiday season and/or my ability to not only find joy, but to spread it.

As I’m writing this column, it’s a week before Thanksgiving. We will not be dressing a turkey for our usual table of guests, and we are struggling with how to find gratitude and give thanks without them. How to celebrate in a way that isn’t a reminder of what will be lacking from the day. After our morning visit with dad (hooray!), we are planning

to do a drive about to the grave sites of family members in gratitude for all they brought to our lives. Later that evening, we will host a few neighbors at a sociallydistanced fire pit where we will write some things we are grateful for as well as wishes/ hopes/dreams and toss into the embers.

We are finding new ways to make memories. Who knows—maybe some of our new traditions will stick. I don’t send holiday cards every year, but I am this year. I think everyone could use a little snail mail holiday cheer. Maybe we will enjoy more outdoor revelry this year. Caroling with face masks? I’m a horrible singer so maybe this will be my year to join the chorus so there’s a snowballs chance in h#ll my muffled screeches can sound melodious.

2020 has felt like a royal sh#t show up to this point, but maybe, unlike the ghosts of Christmas’ past, this one will

be worth remembering. Not for what it was, but for what it wasn’t and what it taught us. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise somehow. Maybe the universe is showing us a different way to find happiness and joy. Maybe it’s time we were grateful in the moment for the blessings at hand.

I don’t know, but I sure will be glad when 2020 is in my rearview mirror. In the meantime, I am grateful and look forward to connecting however I can with whomever I can and sharing the blessings of the season.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy [Whatever you celebrate]. May the blessings of the universe fill you with peace and joy this holiday season and find you healthy and well.

If you would like to read more of Lori’s work, you can follow her on Medium at Lori Welch Brown.

December 2020 | 43

NATIONAL HARBOR

LANI GERING

The Tree is the Thing

W

ell….I hate writers that start out with “well”….but this is exactly how I feel. I am really missing the holiday action in the Harbor bad. I know that it doesn’t do any good to dwell on the past and that we can’t go back but I sure do miss making my annual slide down the two story ice slide that was part of ICE every year. We do, however, have the gorgeous National Harbor tree that does its thing every half hour from dusk to 9:00 pm. All 56 feet and two million twinkling lights dance to holiday music daily through January 3rd. If you stop by the harbor on a Friday or Saturday, you will be treated to snowfall around the tree at every performance. This will most likely be the closest we are going to get to snow during the holiday season so why not take advantage of it.

This year, because of pandemic protocols, guests are being asked to form a line and follow the directions posted at the site. Unfortunately, there won’t be any fireworks this year either.

Don’t forget the Capital Wheel “Holidate to Remember” promo that runs through January 1st.

Your date includes two tickets to the Wheel; two insulated souvenir cups filled with your choice of hot cocoa, spiked apple cider, beer or wine; custom green screen photo and up to 4 hours of free parking. All of this for only $45+tax. The parking vouchers will be provided upon check in at the attraction (ticket window or greeter).

Tickets are on sale online (thecapitalwheel.com) and at the ticket window and must be purchased and honored by January 1st. All of the COVID protocols are in place so be sure that you have your mask with you and keep your distance as required.

American Way and Fleet Street are all lit 44 | December 2020

up and holiday music is being piped into the PA system and the majority of the shops and restaurants remain open at the time of this writing (all with the proper pandemic protocols in place). These businesses can no longer depend on the tourism and convention business that the Gaylord brought to the Harbor so it is up to those of us who live in the region to help them keep their doors open. Lots of specials and sales taking place and the hotels are offering special rates for those of you who want to get away for a little stay-cation during the holidays.

The MGM Grand is open for holiday business and the Conservatory is worth taking a look at again this year. These displays don’t disappoint.

The theme this year is “Babes in Toyland” and the toy soldier is way impressive. He stands almost two stories high. The photo doesn’t really do it justice. There are also some fun moving parts and the colors are amazing. I am in awe of the talent that it takes to bring these creations to fruition. I have definitely spent more time wandering around the Conservatory than I have in the casino over the years. Not all of the eateries are open but there is something for everyone still available. I didn’t have time to venture into the gaming room on my last visit but from all accounts from my gambling friends, the slots and the tables have been situated so that the space is in compliance with the pandemic restrictions. Be sure you have your mask with you!

No matter how you celebrate the holidays this year, please try to concentrate on the good things and pray that next year we will all be able to gather together without our faces masked and with hugs for everyone. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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