Kettle Klash 2012

There is something so iconic about the red buckets and the ringing bells during the holiday season.  It signals the ushering in of the season of giving.  The idea that your donation can contribute to something bigger than you.  Before we know it the season will be upon us and the Salvation Army Kettle Brigade will be ready.

Brought to life in 1891 by Army Captain Joseph Mcfee, the "kettle" was his brainchild to help fund a giant Christmas dinner for the poverty stricken and downtrodden in San Francisco.  What started in one community has spread to many more and helps the Salvation army provide much needed assistance to individuals in Grays Harbor County.

The Kettle Klash is a yearly event that helps to kickoff the season of the red buckets with a bang.  The Salvation Army's goal is always to raise the highest amount of funds possible to help provide the aid that many need and this annual luncheon is always great fun.  Lunch from O'Briens and entertainment is included, the Kettle Klash will be November 16th from noon to one with doors opening at 11:30.  Join other kettle klashers at the corner of scammel and cherry streets in Aberdeen to participate.  Admission is $13/person and for more information you can contact Nancy Neisinger @ 360-533-0329.

http://salvationarmygraysharbor.blogspot.com/

Nutcracker Suite!

'Tis the season for the little blond girl to lift up the curtain on the giant stage to discover the world of The Nutcracker Ballet!  Anyone else remember that commercial gem?  How old is that little girl by now anyway!?  

Moving on, you must bear with me as I tell you a little story about my childhood.  It is the only way to truly get across exactly what this magical ballet does to my soul.

When I was a little girl all I wanted to do was to be a ballerina.  I was in dance lessons from the age of three, practicing leaps and twirls and jumps in my parents living room in tutus and tights.  I loved the stage, the lights, the blue eyeshadow and the red lipstick.  (why on earth the dance teachers of the world ever let our parents put this hideous combination on our faces as children is beyond me, there must have been a makeup guide from 1982 they were all following!)   My parents knew how much I loved dance and when I was ten years old they took both my sister and me to see The Nutcracker Ballet in Seattle.  We wore matching plaid skirts and red turtlenecks, which isn't important to this story I just thought it was cute, and my mom bought us a cast figurine of Clara which hung on a red ribbon around our neck.  I recently found this charm while unpacking boxes from my childhood into my adult home (no I did not cry, ok maybe a little).

I remember that first trip to the ballet, the Two Hour car ride to Seattle seemed like forever (it really still is) but the theater was gorgeous and the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company did the most wonderful job.  Since that day, my parents took us three more times over the years, and my sixth grade class went on a field trip.  I even had the pleasure of being an extra in the traveling production when i was a teenager.  Made my nutcracker debut as a toy soldier on a horse!   I bet you are all thinking that I wanted to be Clara on stage with her beautiful dress dancing to the music of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, but you would be mistaken dear harboites.  I wanted to be the Russian dancers jumping high into the air to the classical number Trepak. 

Now I told you all of this to let you in on a secret, everyone here on the harbor has the chance to make their own Nutcracker memories this November 13 and 14.  The D & R Theater is playing host to the Moscow Ballet and will be showing the legendary Nutcracker tonight and tomorrow on stage.  Make memories for you or you and your children and treat yourself to this iconic ballet.  You wont be sorry.

Haunted Harber Events

I was sitting at work yesterday was working very diligently yesterday morning, contemplating exactly what to write about Halloween that hasn't been written one million times before.  You see dear harborites, this holiday and I have a rocky relationship.  As a kid, I loved playing dress up.  I loved being on stage and transforming into a character.  On the other hand.. As an adult, I loath the scary, hate the horrid and am squeamish about the gory.  That is why I like to embrace the 'little kid' aspect of Halloween.  The cute princesses, the strong superheros, the adorable bunnies, and not the creepy zombies, bloody axe murderers, and blood sucking vampires.  Fortunately for those of you reading this (you are out there reading this, right?), I am among the minority when it comes to embracing the macabre aspects of Halloween. If you are in the majority of the population and love the fun escape that this holiday provides then starting this weekend the harbor has a vast array of ways to celebrate both with the little ones and without.

Lets start with Haunted Hoquiam.  In addition to the 7th Street Theater's showing of Poltergeist on Friday the 26th and Saturday the 27th, Hoquiam has cooked up a whole host of events on Saturday to delight the Halloween craving masses. Businesses in Hoquiam will be handing out candy to trick-or-treaters from 1-3pm on Saturday (you can find a map of the businesses participating here), which also includes the locally famous Haunted Lobby!  If you plan on gorging yourself on candy and treats and want to do so guilt free, make sure you register for the Haunted Hoquiam Fun Run.



Aberdeen is also hosting their annual Downtown trick-or-treating with businesses on Heron, Wishkah,  and adjacent side streets.  This will go from Noon - 2 pm.  During the downtown trick-or-treat, Aberdeen Parks and Recreation will be hosting a Halloween Spooktacular on 102 West Wishkah (next to Pizza Hut).  Bring the kids in for a costume contest and more!

Elma is also jumping on the Downtown Trick-or-Treating by handing out candy at the visitors station on Halloween night from 3-6pm October 31st!  Treat bags will be available for the first 250 kids and Treat route maps will help parents shuffle their kids around the neighborhood scaring up goodies.

Makarenko Park in Cosmopolis is hosting the Relay for your Life Zombie Run on Sunday October 28th.  Registration starts at the spooky hour of 5:30 and the race starts at 7 pm.  Costumes, while not mandatory, are encouraged!  Even to someone like myself who is not into the undead, this event sounds fabulously spooky.

Halloween Movie Treats

Poltergeist - 7th Street Theater -  Friday and Saturday,

 October  26-27 at 7:30

Alien Encounter - Timberland Regional Library -  Friday, 

October 26 at 6pm

Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy -  Live Theatre Pipe Organ Played by , Andy Crowe. 

Fern Hill Funeral Home - Free Admission & Free Popcorn
October 30 at 6:30 and 9:00

Friday Five: Boom Boom Boom

Independance Day, The Fourth of July, is just around the corner.  If you go all out for the big booms and keep your neighbors up until all hours of the night, you have been planning for next wednesday for almost a year.  However, for those of us who prefer to keep the spending money in our pockets and refuse to take our an installment loan for fireworks ( i am not kidding), there are many options on the harbor to help you celebrate the 4th in style.

Have an Old Fashioned 4th in Westport this 4th of July.  The hub of the activity is at the Maritime Museum in Westport and the event is 'done up right' by the Westport-South Beach Historical Society.  The HUGE flag is in the spotlight during this wonderful celebration, and if you are one for picnics, pies and arts and crafts this is the place to be for Independence day.

Splash into the 4th at Morrison Riverfront in Aberdeen.  Along the Chehalis River Waterfront, Splash boasts event booths galore, food and blow up bouce houses.  A beautiful fireworks display that synchronizes to Bigfoot 93.7 radio as soon as dark hits.  This festival brings together the spirit of play and independence for the fourth of July.

Watch the Fire O'er the Water in Ocean city.  Billed as the best fireworks show on the washington coast, this extravaganza of sparklers is not to be missed and free!

Now for todays Friday Five... because what would a friday be with out our lists we are so found of?
1.Firecrackers

Cylinders filled with gunpowder. You light a fuse and stand back, and they explode

2.Rockets

Cylinders filled with gunpowder tied to a stick that shoot into the air after you light them

3.Fountains

Usually cylindrical and generally the bigger the package, the longer it will last and the higher it will go
they include a shower of colorful sparks with very little noise

4.Cakes

All include a single fuse which ignites a preset routine of shells, fountains, and rockets

5.Artillery

A reloadable tube with any number and variety of launchable of shells

Friday Five: Creative Eggs

It looks like Spring is finally here, Grays Harbor! Yes we can look forward to at least another five weeks of tempermental bipolar weather, but at least the sun will continue to show it's face occasionally!

Anyway, Easter is this Sunday and I'm sure those of you who have tiny humans in tow have been busy knocking over other parents at Wal-Mart in search of some Peeps and Easter basket grass, both of which you will likely find wedged in the back of the couch sometime around Thanksgiving. Other things you might find around the house in the off-season? Easter eggs. That did actually happen to me once. Found an Easter egg behind a picture frame in the middle of summer. I was pretty excited... not gonna lie.

Anyway, again... let's dye some eggs, you guys! Or, rather, let's just make some eggs look kind of cool and then probably not eat them. Here are five ways to do it that you may not have tried before!

1. So, modern!

Drip rubber cement on the eggs and THEN dye them. Brilliant.I have many fond memories of rubber cement and elementary school... I'll tell you about it some time after a few drinks at the 8th St. Alehouse.

2. Chalk it up.

Paint your eggs with chalk board paint then write secret messages to your relatives at Easter brunch about how much you love quiche.

3. Keep it Natural.

Use these natural dyes to make eggs that will probably make your children a little bit sad on Easter morning.

4. Decoupage!

For those of you with absolutely nothing planned for the next 48 hours, this one is for you!

5. Nerd alert.

If you are really talented and think that a single egg will be plenty for your Easter celebration, you should try this.

I hope you all have a very happy Easter and if you need any more creative Easter ideas, just visit me at Gray's General Store!

Friday Five: Things that are Better Green

St. Patty's Day is upon us! I'm sure you've got your "Kiss Me I'm Irish" t-shirt sitting on the dresser, ready for tomorrow morning but come on... that's totally been done. Why don't you celebrate with something a little less cliche like one of these things that we think are better green.

1. My bank account


Technically my bank account looks more yellow (since that's the color of their website) but I think you get what I'm trying to say here.

2. Beer


This is ONLY ok on St. Patrick's Day, as far as I'm concerned. And the irony here is that this had to be invented in America. No Irishman with an ounce of integrity would contaminate his delicious brew with artificial food coloring. Not to mention that they probably don't even drink beers that are light enough to be turned green anyway. So grab your Budweiser and mix in some color from the easter egg dying kit and be on your way...

3. State Flags


Green state flags are obviously the best.

4. Your Consumer Habits


Take a few tips from Mr. Environmentally Friendly, Ed Begley Jr., and adopt a green lifestyle! Drive an electric car, only eat food found in your backyard and live in a mud hut. You can even join in the competition between Ed and Bill Nye (the Science Guy) in having the smallest carbon footprint.

5. Pants



Where my hipsters at? Green pants are pretty much the coolest thing to wear these days... take it up a notch and add a green polka dot bow tie or maybe some kind of green feather headdress.

Have fun out there this weekend!

Music Monday: Valentine's Edition

To be honest, I'm pretty indifferent toward Valentine's Day but people always have so many FEELINGS about this day. And since I consider myself an afficianado of songs that make your stomach kind of twist into a heart shaped knot and squeeze until you feel like lying on the floor in a dark room (I'm a happy person. Really. It's just science), I now present you with my best choices for a depressing Valentine's Day.







RIP Whitney

Stuff to do with your Sweetheart

Take your Honey to Hoquiam Valentine's Day Event on February 10th and 11th at 7:30,would be my first stop on a list of places for Valentine's Day this year.  Not because I am a particular Tom Hanks fan, but because if you stop at any of the participating restaurants and buy dinner for two, (no that does not mean you can go by yourself and order two entrees) or purchase flowers at participating florists, you will most definitely receive two free tickets to Sleepless in Seattle!
and now those participating restaurants...
8th street Ale House, Al’s Hum-Dinger, Casa Mia, Deidra's Deli at Farmers’ Market, El Jalapeno, Golden Dragon, Lana’s Hangar Café, Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant, The Oriole Restaurant, Welcome Inn Bar & Grill, Flowers By Pollen and Kathy’s House of Roses

If you are into dinner and dancing, celebrating the classic silver screen way might not be up your alley.  However, if you want to step out in style like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers, the Sweet Heart Dinner Dance Auction might just be the ticket.  The Senior class of 2012 parents are raising funds for the graduating class to enjoy a sober grad night party and we can all benefit by dancing the night away at the Aberdeen Elks, Friday February 10th at 7p.m.. Silent auctions, music by Ready or Not... sounds like a fun way to spend the evening! Grays Harbor's Chamber of Commerce has all the details.

If a low key day is more of your thing, then maybe Southshore Massage's Valentine Package would be the perfect way to spend the day.  It is a couples learning package for $100.00 (not too sure what that may include but doesn't is sound very romantic?) The website, here mentions a Swedish massage!

Want to dress up and feel fancy for the evening?

East Grays Harbor Centennial Rotary  

Sweet Hearts Ball & Auction

Quinault Beach Resort & Casino

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Westport Winery  is hosting three Romantic Valentine's Dinner where guests select between Sunday, February 12, Monday, February 13, or Tuesday, February 14 at 6:00 p.m, for a four course dinning experience.  Did I mention wine? Delicious hand crafted wine! Reservations are required and dinner must be paid for in advance, but what a way to impress the love of your life!

If dinner is not in the cards, how about going to LUNCH! Bring your own wine and dine at Lunch 6:30-9:30 on Valentines Day features a great menu with live music by Erika Corban.  What a great way to unwind and spend quality time with your sweetheart!

Even though the next razor clam dig is a few days after Valentine's Day, an evening dig on February 18th might just be the belated celebration your hunny would love.  Four beaches were approved! It would be a great way to get out and enjoy the area while catching your own dinner! Details here !

If you just cant decide what to do, remember to get out of the house and explore grays harbor's great restaurants and stores.  They might just have the perfect gift that you never knew you always wanted!

Groundhog Day

If I didn't feel like crying right now I would tell you about how I missed out on the pot of gold... but we all try the best we can to carry on!

Chaneling "The Chipmunks" at Christmas...

While we may be a little under one week til Christmas, the music of the season has been ringing in our ears for months! Which made it very easy for me to pick out my favorite tune of the holidays.

I hope everyone enjoys, as I know just how hard it is to be without the ones you love this time of the year...

What's Happening This Weekend

Northwest Harvest Funds and Food Raiser
Top Foods, Aberdeen
Saturday, 7 am to 3pm
The Elks 593 Singers will be performing from 1-3, and King-5 personalities will be attending, taking donations. All donations received stay in our local communities. Team Harvest will also purchase more items to aid in our hometown effort.

Ho Ho Hoquiam Fun Run
Sponsored by City of Hoquiam
2 mile walk, 2 mile, 5k and 10k runs
Registration at 9 a.m. and run at 10 a.m. on Saturday
Begins in front of 7th Street Theatre
$5 without a shirt and $15 with a shirt

Santa Comes to Hoquiam
sponsored by Hoquiam Development Association
11 a.m. at Central Grade School
Free pictures with Santa

Cocoa Stroll and Festival of Trees
Sponsored by Tully's Coffee and Hoquiam Business Association
Saturday, 4-7 p.m. Downtown Hoquiam
Shoppers should register at Tully's Coffee beginning at 4 p.m. on December 3rd to receive their voting sheet. First 100 to register receive a complementary Ho Ho Hoquiam 2011 collectible ornament. Then stroll around Hoquiam with your complementary cocoa to view and judge the trees decorated by the businesses.

Christmas Tree Lighting
Sponsored by Timberland Bank
Saturday, 7:00 p.m. in the Timberland Bank parking lot

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
7th Street Theatre
Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
$5 for adults and $3 for students
Moose mug raffle, moose mug punch bowl silent auction and Cousin Eddie look-alike contest (winner receives a moose mug!)