How To Keep Kids Busy At Wellfleet's Mayo Beach

Mayo Beach, at low tide, is the perfect place for children. Here's a game I invented. You give each child a list of objects. The goal is to see who can find the most items on the list:

1.) The whitest feather
2.) The biggest clam shell
3.) The smallest oyster shell
4.) The shiniest mussel shell
5.) The prettiest stone
6.) A sand dollar
7.) The most colorful piece of plastic
8.) A broken balloon or a Lego
9.) The most interesting piece of driftwood.
10.) A discarded horseshoe crab shell.

This game is a great way to discuss both nature and plastic pollution, as well as which man-made objects should not be washing up on our beaches. It can be played at any season, even in inclement weather. When my kids were small, it was easy to find the final item, but today there are fewer horseshoe crabs around. If you played a game like this with your children or as children, what else was on your list?

Yummy Holiday Treats Abound At PB Boulangerie Bistro

Oh, my. Yesterday I stopped in at PB for bread, on the way home from Orleans. The man in front of me in line was having "one of this, and one of that," a slice of pizza, a lemon tart, an almond croissant. He left with a paper bag full of lusciousness. I was stuck in front of the pastry case during his order. Now that the holidays are here, PB seems to be producing buches de Noel almost every day. The "buche de Noel," which translates as "Christmas log," is a traditional treat, available in bakeries in France, during the holiday season. So far, at PB, I have seen individual slices that seem to have raspberry filling, and others with chocolate. They look yummy, but fattening. It's almost as if the pastry chef is trying to decide which type of buche he/she prefers making. Sometimes the whole buche is for sale. The chocolate buches I saw yesterday made me swoon, but I restrained myself and requested a loaf of bread instead, as usual.

"Anything else?" asked the young lady in green, polite as can be.

"Let me have that apricot tart, please," I muttered, succumbing in one fell swoop.

Fruit doesn't make you gain weight, now does it?

How a Last-Minute Turkey Search Leads to Another PB Adventure

Happy Thanksgiving, all! On Monday night my elder daughter announced she would join us for dinner today, great news, but unexpected. I did not have a turkey on hand … I had just read a fellow blogger’s account of killing the bird she and her husband had raised (Starving Off the Land). Tamar Haspel fled Manhattan for Cape Cod to see if she could survive off the land. Slaughter of your own turkey makes sense to me. It was like the old woman in Cold Mountain, who killed the goat and thanked it beforehand. Since we were not raising our own turkeys and did not plan ahead for Thanksgiving as did another Cape blogger, Elspeth Hay, who writes Diary Of A Locavore, local turkey would not be an option. Perhaps we could get in on a little organic turkey action instead?

Reminders to order turkey ahead seemed to have been posted everywhere last week, but, on Tuesday, not a one could I find. Wellfleet Marketplace might have stocked an extra bird or two, but I was already in Hyannis for a dental appointment and there was no way to find out. Before heading home, I did some shopping at Trader Joe’s. The remaining turkeys were enormous. Surely there would be smaller ones in Orleans?

To my surprise, Phoenix had none whatsoever. The turkeys probably arrived the following day for those customers who thought to place orders ahead of time.

After Phoenix, I hightailed it to the poultry aisle at Stop & Shop and dug out the last two organic turkeys from a flock of antibiotic-laden birds. My choice sported no label, so I heaved the frozen bird under my arm and set off in search of a price. With trepidation I pushed past the rubber door flap into the butchers’ domain but there was nary a butcher in sight. I managed to flag down a Stop & Shop employee, beside the steaks display.

“This turkey has no label,” I said.

“You don’t want to buy it frozen, lady,” he told me. “Won’t defrost in time for Thanksgiving. Grab a Butterball instead. They’re fresh.”

Chastened, I returned the organic bird to the freezer case with a loud clunk. Butterball I would not buy because of an Environmental Working Group warning that non-organic turkeys may contain arsenic. But, seriously now, had I stopped to think about whether it made sense to spend $30 on a ten-pound turkey? My daughter eats very little, and turkey is not Sven’s favorite. Winged turkey sandwiches began doing dainty pirouettes in my head.

“Let’s go to a restaurant!” my husband suggested when I got home.

I called Wicked Oyster. Closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. Oh, rats! Then yesterday morning I dialed PB to see if there had been a cancellation. We were in luck. My daughter will get to experience PB Boulangerie Bistro. Dinde á la française, here we come!

Stationary Done Right: Welflleet's Jules Besch

Michael Tuck speaks in a soft voice that carries. “We’ll see you again, I hope,” he sings out from behind the cash register as a customer exits his Bank Street shop. The little bells on the Victorian door jingle. Shopping at Jules Besch is like stepping into another century. The mansard-roofed building was originally created to house a savings bank. Rich mahogany woodwork, high ceilings, and the colors of the walls give the display rooms a special feel. Jules Besch is not just any shop and Michael is not just any shopkeeper. What strikes me is his sincerity and enthusiasm. Here is a man who genuinely loves his merchandise and it shows.

The folks who wander into Jules Besch in search of a perfect greeting card, are fortunate indeed. Often they find it impossible to resist the old-fashioned bookmarks, journals, or scented candles, and buy them, too. Oh, and did I mention the stationary? What a selection! When I needed wrapping paper to make a gift even more exceptional last spring, I knew exactly where to go. I was even able to purchase the perfect gift tag.

There are greeting cards for every occasion, some historical, some funny, some artistic. And no wonder: Michael has worked as a judge for the American Greeting Card Association. He knows what’s available and does his best to provide original cards that are a pleasure both to give and to receive. “I love the challenge of keeping up with European import choices,” he chortles.

Michael has lived on the Outer Cape for 30 odd years. His shop celebrated its 16th year in 2010, which is remarkable in itself, especially in time of recession. “The right people have found me,” he says to explain such longevity, without bragging that these customers return every year, but they do.

Next weekend Jules Besch will hold its end-of-season sale and everything will be 20% off. Hours will be longer to permit early and late browsing. Sven enjoyed the antique selection of inkwells and bronze bookends. Think I know where we will be going next Friday ….

Why We Must All Fight Pollution

Don't you just love walking on a beach? It is so peaceful by the ocean, serene ... But, wait! What the hell is that? I was thinking another balloon, off a cruise ship, but no. This time the offender turned out to be a chunk of blue foam. But where did it originate? How did it get into the Atlantic? How many bits had broken off during its voyage and been swallowed by ocean fish? Suddenly I felt overwhelmed by this toxic mess we humans have created, environmental pollution that is seemingly omnipresent in our lives. I have been trying to spread the word through this blog, and through Facebook ...

Last week my younger daughter told me, "I may have to un-friend you, Maman. What you post is stressing me out too much."

It's true that the flood of information on harm done to the planet is pretty depressing. I would prefer to share positive stories, like the CSI episode on hydro-fracking, broadcast two weeks ago, created by a team of environmentally-aware writers. Seems I'm not alone in this effort to spread the word. Sensible citizens everywhere are getting it. Green bloggers have begun to unite. Check out the collective energy throbbing at Ecocentric, a new blog about food, water, and energy. Every day a new petition arrives in my in-box. But we must do more than sign petitions, like the one against hydro-fracking or the one at Living Green, Living Well to stop genetically-engineered salmon (both of which I urge you to sign).

I'm heartened that there is movement on the plastics front, too. You can read about it in a HuffPost article by Jennifer Schwab, Director of Sustainability for Sierra Club Green Home. Over at Fake Plastic Fish, Beth Terry has been considering a blog name change to reach a larger audience. And, Los Angeles County banned the plastic bag last month.

What's more, people are buying books like No Impact Man and applying eco-policies to their lives. Consumerism may not be dead yet, but it is certainly undergoing a reality check. Baby bottles containing BPA remain on store shelves, unsold. More and more people are saying no to toxic chemicals and endocrine disruptors. Even Facebook has teamed up with the EPA to offer a game that will educate users and encourage real environmental action.

What bothers me is that our Congressional leaders and President Obama lag behind. It would be so easy for Michelle Obama to set an example, recycling the White House plastic, for instance. We must all fight pollution together.

What have you done today to stem the toxic chemical tide?

Green Working Group Rolls Up Its Sleeves ...

Papers everywhere. Yesterday morning I tried to make my way through three months of neglected paperwork. When you have a busy life, papers tend to accumulate in piles. On the table, on the bed, on the dresser. I simply do not have the time and energy to file in season. Remember, innkeepers do not get weekends off!

In the afternoon, I held the first meeting of the Green Working Group here at the house. It was exciting to interact with citizens who are as eager as I to see Wellfleet go green and non-toxic. We discussed many different ideas and approaches for two and one half hours. I was able to share with the group exciting news about Preservation Hall. So that you have all the details, I will simply quote the statement made by Marla Rice, President of the Board of Directors:

“We are happy to announce a remarkable Challenge Grant from Tern Foundation to support our use of energy efficiency features in the renovation of Wellfleet Preservation Hall. Donations will be matched dollar for dollar. Many of our thoughtful donors will appreciate this opportunity to contribute to the Hall while spreading clean energy to protect the beautiful natural environment of our town, Cape Cod and the planet.” (The Tern Foundation has awarded Wellfleet Preservation Hall a matching grant of $15,000 over two years to help the Hall invest in energy efficiency and solar panels. Contributions will be matched dollar for dollar. The first installment of $7,500 must be matched by December 15, 2010.)