Local Crafters & Artists Make Prez. Hall Shine

Sparkle was in hearts and minds at Wellfleet's annual crafts fair. Preservation Hall was again the place to be yesterday for the annual Deck-This-Hall event. I went downtown early, as soon as our guests had finished breakfast, in order to get first choice on one-of-a-kind items, perfect holiday gifts. To my delight, I discovered a number of the artisans had worked with recycled materials. Also, there were lots of families with kids. Come take a walk with me as I peruse the 2011 stalls …

First, a huge hats-off to Tracy Plaut, organizer-in-chief. Tracy was both the muse and the manager. As Sven pointed out, our favorite masseuse seemed to be everywhere, ducking into Chez Kathleen to offer the chef encouragement, distributing Sampson Fund literature, dashing off to welcome Santa. When does this woman rest? Wellfleet is so lucky to have Tracy. I like to think her community spirit rubs off on the rest of us like exquisite fairy dust.

There were thirty-one booths at the crafts fair this year, not including face-painting, always a hit with the kids, and displays of regular Prez. Hall gear, augmented with pickles and jams. Lots of Wellfleetians came. Even Santa put in an appearance. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to list every booth, so in no special order, here are the dozen I visited ...

Whispering Cowgirl is a local shop, beside The Juice, and sells what I call "fashion with attitude." Ginny Parker told me she started out with saddles and has never looked back. Local artists, like Kim Deane, as well as Virgin Saints & Angels, from Mexico, are big draws during spring and summer. Both natives and tourists do love the funky clothing. Here Ginny is finishing up a sale with Gracie Smith. “Oh, my God! That’s adorable!” cried a young woman to a friend, fingering a flimsy mini-skirt behind us. I wanted to buy just about everything I touched in Ginny’s display.

Very pregnant Hannah Choi, owner of Eliza Bee’s Baby Gear, lives in Eastham. I admired her baby blankets, and doll blankets, as well as hats and snazzy bibs. Outfit your little one with cuddle from Eliza Bee’s. Hannah uses all new materials but maximizes their usage. Nice! ... At the next stall, Emily Lewis from W. Dennis showed off work created from vintage fabric and buttons, including baby blankets made with chenille bedspreads. Her whimsical pincushions used recycled materials but smelled of sweet lavender. “Tracy found me at Oysterfest,” Emily said. “I’ll do a bigger table next year if this goes well.” Her Harwich-friend Jack raises peacocks. I bought my granddaughter a headband that featured a peacock feather. Emily does not sell online. “I want to deal with the people,” she explained. (Find her clever creations at Rear View Mirror, in Brewster.)

Outside, I spoke to Suzanne Early from Quincy who was hawking goods from a women's co-op that included wool wear and beautiful totes sewn from recycled fabric. It was her jewelry that caught my eye though, made of recycled glass. “I do it right on my kitchen table,” she said. “When women wear them, it reminds them to just breathe.” And, that’s the name of her business, Just Breathe. Suzanne is a regular at the Wellfleet flea market. She is currently selling online at Zhibit but asked everyone to stop by Miracles for Maureen, a site created for a friend who has melanoma. I enjoyed talking to Suzanne. Such positive energy!

Back inside, I picked up some marvelous alpaca socks for the one remaining person on my shopping list, nephew Ben. Nancy Flanagan, below, was so busy with customers that she barely had time to say hi, and, indeed, she had brought her daughter along to assist with sales. Here Marla Rice considers buying alpaca, too. There were also soft scarves, texting gloves, and yarn from the farm on Old King's Highway. Everyone was thinking warmth, apparently. With winter on the way, alpaca wool from Wellfleet and Peru seemed the perfect gift. Check out this fancy shawl not made in China. The pleasure of buying local knows no bounds. Perhaps that’s why Sandspit Alpacas was doing such great business? Before reporting on Santa, I wanted to also mention Nautical Chart Jewelry, created in Yarmouthport by Donna Credit, the Wellfleet Candy Company of Marstons Mills, new home of the chocolate oyster, and Wellfleet’s Chris Kelly of Sweet Baking, queen of the gingerbread house, but also responsible for the chocolate bombs on sale at Hot Chocolate Sparrow in Orleans. I stopped to chat with Bethia Brehmer, a Wellfleet artist who had just produced an assortment of attractive and very original clocks.

While asking Tracy a couple questions, a small woman at a T-shirt stand called me over. “Are you from Chez Sven?” she asked. “I want you to know these T-shirts are all organic cotton, and our inks are phthalates-free.” Jennifer Witnauer told me further that she has just moved here and reads my blog. I’m sure her clothes for kids at MeMe will fit the bill for the tots on your shopping list. (I had fun at the crafts fair, but, as you can imagine, this was my happiest moment, finding another like-minded soul/blog-reader!)

With the collaboration of Roger Putnam, Santa arrived at noon and took a seat in a corner of the foyer. It was fascinating to observe the excitement his presence produced. One little girl literally could not stop jumping up and down. In this photo, Susan Weeger encourages a wee lad to share his list of toys while young Kyri looks on longingly, hugging her Minnie Mouse doll. Meeting Santa can be a bit overwhelming. But even some grown-ups feel compelled to sit on his lap, a point proved by a recently-engaged Emily Frawley who gave Santa a big hug, above left. “Did you tell him you already had everything you wanted?” asked Tracy with a wink.

Back outside, I chatted with Susie Nielson. Susie is a graphic designer who owns Farm Gallery on Commercial Street. I craved all the porcelain created by a local gal of Russian origin, Asya Palatova, an artist who works with words. Susie and I discussed Wellfleet’s need for a workspace, appropriate for writers. She collaborated with Sky Freyss-Cole on a mini-proposal to start such a workspace. I told her about how Judith Stiles, now on the Economic Development Committee, had suggested a similar space for artists, which Susie had not heard about. “All these little connections coming together,” she said, shaking her head in wonder. Hey now, that’s community!

It was dandy to see so many local folks busy making a living, and having fellow citizens support this effort by spending hard-earned cash. The event was so successful that it is to be expanded from one to two days for 2012 and held in a tent behind Prez. Hall.

Did you attend any crafts fairs this year? Were you at Preservation Hall? What did you like best?

Wellfleet's Deck This Hall Blasts Off With Holiday Cheer

December is upon us and December, in Wellfleet, means head to Preservation Hall with greenery and community spirit. Events will be taking place all month. Yes, not one weekend of Christmas cheer but three! The fun starts with wreath making. The second wreath-making session took place yesterday afternoon and evening. Along with crafters, bakers were also welcome to join the crew in the kitchen who were turning out macaroons at a fast clip. The table was full of yummy treats that will go on sale Saturday. There will also be a Gingerbread House contest, new in 2011. (Head judge will be Chris Kelley of Sweet Baking.)

The basement smelled heavenly when I arrived with my wreath in hand. Yes, this year I decided to get a head start and use Chez Sven greenery. The euonymus outside spoke to me: “I HAVE WREATH ASPIRATIONS,” it hissed. I cut several large branches and wound them into a circle. Sven helped for a while as I tucked and bent. Now, I’m not a craft-y person, certainly not as good with a glue gun as Miles, but I figured here was an opportunity to make a statement of some kind. In about fifteen minutes my wreath was ready. Well, almost. I tied on a bow and added a Chico bag as decoration. Suddenly the name came to me: NEVER BAGLESS. Because all the wreaths at the wreath pageant have names, in case you had forgotten. (Last year I created STOP PLASTIC POLLUTION.)

Into my car we went, the wreath and I, driving two minutes into town. Organizer-in-chief Tracy Plaut showed me to a table laden with crafting materials. I found a star and a bow. NEVER BAGLESS, right above, was complete. (And yes, those are marshmallows to the left, a wreath made by Tracy herself.)

Meanwhile, a lot was going on around me. Christmas masterpieces were being created. Cookies eaten. Elves were coming and going. Kim Shkapich, Celeste Makely, and Amy Samuelson, left, stirred and rolled in the kitchen. Tracy seemed to be everywhere at once, placing finished wreaths on the wall, chatting with newcomers, urging those hard at work to enjoy the snacks. And, there were many children this year. No wonder! Up on the stage I spied the makings of Christmas cookies, an activity my granddaughter in California would have loved. Several little girls were already hard at work.

“I suggest you test on the burned ones,” suggested Debra Joy Strain, who shows off her finished wreath at the top of the post.

Debra Joy told me she makes a living doing oil painting restoration and had lived in Mexico for a number of years. She came “home” with her bilingual eight-year-old daughter and discovered Preservation Hall.

“This is really nice,” she said with unfettered enthusiasm, as if we lived in Los Angeles and the Getty Museum had suddenly popped up on the hillside. “There are so many amazing people in Wellfleet, but you don’t usually get to meet them.”

I could only agree. Preservation Hall brings us together. That’s what community is all about.

Don’t forget to attend the Wreath Pageant this Saturday from 10 to 4 and stay tuned for updates on future weekend events ...

Wellfleet Artists Prepare for Oysterfest at Prez. Hall

Preservation Hall was so quiet yesterday evening when I stopped by with my camera in search of artists in action that I wondered whether perhaps I had been mistaken on the date or time. I trotted downstairs anyway and found half a dozen Wellfleetians, poised over the works of art they were creating to benefit our community center: oyster plates! Make no mistake. These creations will turn up 100 years from now on a 2111 version of Antiques Roadshow as examples of the twenty-first century Cape Cod arts and crafts movement. (I’ve got the one I bought last year stashed away so it does not get broken.) Above right, "Raspberry Oysters," painted by Carol Ubriaco. On the left, note the marvelous design Ken Fishman is studiously applying. There was no conversation, so intent were the artists on their work. The plates will be available for viewing and sale during Oysterfest.

This year Preservation Hall is organizing, “Find a Place At the Table, An Elegant Evening of Wine, Art, Music & Food.” For only $50, you get to sample five appetizers and wine pairings, courtesy of Truro Vineyards, as well as first dibs on the hand-painted oyster plates. The table settings will also be works of art, created by a bevy of local flower arrangers. (I have admired their skills at other Prez. Hall events, like the wreath pageant, and can vouch for how awesome they will be.) The date: Friday, October 14, at 6 pm. Seating for this unique event is limited so make your reservations today.

Raw Foods Chef Reinvents Breakfast

A week ago I took a Raw Foods Fundamentals course at Preservation Hall, taught by local raw foods chef Katie Reed of FarmMaid Foods. I enjoyed the experience so much that I returned Sunday for “Breakfast Reinvented.” The class did not disappoint.

“The power of raw foods comes out with breakfast in the morning,” Katie said, busy cramming a variety of green veggies into her Vitamix.

There was curly kale, organic celery, core-less apples, a fistful of cilantro. With a flick of the switch, her machine began its high-speed blend. A smile spread across my face as I thought of all the enzymes and vitamins in the green juice I would soon be drinking. “Carrot Splendor” followed the “Get Up and Go.” I can see why raw foodies get inspired to eat fresh and raw for the whole day. These concoctions even taste healthy!

Apparently most people need more veggies than the usual diet provides. Memo to self, Add veggies to diet. Katie explained why: “They provide a highly accessible form of nutrients.”

A mother and daughter team had joined the class as we moved on to a strawberry kefir smoothie, a drink that was truly yummy.

“Kefir is super nourishing. If you get sugar cravings, drink this,” Katie told us.

Next, we admired a bottle of black and white high-protein chia seeds. Chia porridge is served raw but can be warmed for cool fall days.

“Chia is good for heart health, prostate and breast cancer,” Katie was telling us, adding the final ingredient to the blender bowl, Goji berries. The porridge looked festive (see above). Apparently athletes consume it, too.

“I’m amazed,” said Ann-Marie, on the next stool. “I wasn’t anticipating liking this one.”

Then Katie taught us how to make no-cholesterol vanilla almond milk. In this photo, she is squeezing kale but obtained milk from the blended, pre-soaked almonds the same way. The residue in the Rawsome Creations nut milk bag can be turned into almond flour. If juicing pulp remains, it can be turned into veggie crackers.

“Raw foods is not a diet really, it’s a lifestyle,” Katie explained.

I’m glad the raw-foods philosophy can be embraced without obligation to eat only raw. I can see adding a lot of these recipes to my repertoire and reaping the benefits as Sven and I grow older.

At the beginning of class, a woman had rushed in off the street, unable to attend class that day. She purchased three bags of raw granola instead. Our final lesson was making it. Katie began by draining raw buckwheat groats that had soaked overnight and shredding two apples. The raw granola also has coconut, sprouted pumpkin and sunflower seeds and Medjool dates as a binder. But, since a dehydrator is involved, I don’t think I will make raw granola any time soon. I just invested in a Vitamix!

Prez. Hall Hosts First Raw Foods Class

Yesterday I took a Raw Food Fundamentals class at Preservation Hall, offered by FarmMaid Foods. The course was taught by Katie Reed, who explained how food allergies had led her to a radical change in diet and a near total embrace of raw foods. She announced that the two-hour course would provide basic recipes and tips towards sustaining a raw food lifestyle. Since I have heard eating raw foods leads to improved health, I was all ears, as were the other five ladies who had signed up for the course.

First off, Katie showed us how to make a green smoothie with a Vita-prep mixer. We all got to taste and, I must say, it was delicious. (I will make mine in my Cuisinart.)

Next on the menu: kale salad. We learned how to massage the greens, which changed texture and reduced in volume. Katie shared her special dressing with vegetable base and warned us against vinegar, which ends all enzyme activity. Katie added slices of cucumber and orange peppers, cherry tomatoes, then finally sprouts and hemp seeds. Check out how pretty the salad looks in this paper bowl! The dish was so good I requested seconds.

Ever made sauerkraut? If not, you should learn. Boy, was it easy! Several of the attendees helped Katie massage one pound of organic cabbage to which one tablespoon of salt had been added. Then the chef wrung out the shredded cabbage and placed it in a mason jar, just covering with the rendered liquid. She pointed out how economical this sauerkraut is: the cost of one pound of organic cabbage!

Finally the potential raw food converts were treated to an uncooked brownie, whose main ingredient was walnuts. I noted the rocking motion of the food processor, which Katie explained helped keep the walnuts from turning to butter. Would I be able to imitate her technique at home? I sure hope so!

Katie admitted that it is hard to source ingredients on the Cape. She had brought some of the nuts and cacao powder, necessary for the desserts, and made these crucial ingredients available for purchase after the course.

While cooking, Katie spewed raw food tips. For instance, refrigerate your walnuts lest they go rancid and use a certain type of Agave instead of sugar. She also recommended several raw food cookbooks, which we all duly noted.

Prez. Hall will host more raw food classes this fall. Already scheduled, “Asian Fusion” and “Breakfast Reinvented,” next Sunday. Guess which one I’m taking!

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.)

Community Garden Steals Show on Prez. Hall Tour

Preservation Hall held its second annual garden tour yesterday under hazy skies. Unfortunately, I could not visit the four private gardens. I did, however, attend the final event, a party at the Community Garden, beside the Senior Center. And, yesterday afternoon I interviewed a future guest about her impressions of the tour. Antonia had driven up from Plymouth to support Preservation Hall on this hot, hot day. She raved about the third and fourth gardens, one on Chequessett Neck, the other on King Philip Road. Later Tracy Plaut told me she also had loved the landscaping at Chequessett Neck, which incorporated natural elements, like native pine, and overlooked the harbor. Wish I had time to do everything!

Fortunately, I was able to carve out a half hour for reporting duty. My walk through the Community Garden was an incredibly peaceful experience. The plots were all different and each unique in its own way. Flowers were planted along with the vegetables: calendula, nasturtiums. It's quite a funky place. I finally got to see the scarecrow my neighbor Sally Branch asked me to photograph.

Garden tour visitors meandered down the central path with me, so I listened in on some of their conversations:

“It’s a blast to come through here,” Sharyn Lindsay told a friend.

“Doesn’t this look delicious, the lettuce?” someone else said.

“I’m picking one for dinner tonight,” declared a man wielding a knife, apparently owner of the plot.

“I share a plot with Iris,” Deb Giza told a friend, her voice ringing with excitement and pride. “I planted beets for her borscht.”

“Even the way people planted their rows: it’s so aesthetic, isn’t it?” one woman remarked, nodding her head in admiration.

I could only agree.

Maura Condrick sold markers to benefit the Community Garden, so I bought five, “Marvelous Markers from Maura,” cut from shingles by John Makely. It was nice to be able to take a bit of the Community Garden home to decorate my own here at Chez Sven. I cannot imagine tending TWO gardens, as Sharyn Lindsay does. Before leaving, I asked Caleb what his favorite garden was.

“My mum’s,” he said, without a moment’s hesitation.

It’s great to be able to participate in such events. They bring a community together. The construction of Preservation Hall isn't yet finished, but it is already fulfilling its purpose. And, community is essential for the welfare of a small town ....

What's On My Food?

Above, two boxes of strawberries. On the left, the berries grown in my brother’s yard. On the right, berries from the farmer’s market in Amherst. Both varieties were full of flavor and pesticide-free. Now, the next time you are at the store check out the berries not labeled organic and packaged in plastic by a company whose name begins with D. They are huge and flavorless and, no doubt, laden with pesticides. I discovered a new site which I would like to pass along: What’s on my Food? Take a look. If enough people start paying attention and speak up, perhaps the folly of pesticide-laden foods will end. (This spring a Harvard study linked ADHD to organophosphate pesticide exposure.)

People across America are realizing the benefit of local food, grown in community gardens. Perhaps the urge to eat organic is why a community garden was started last year here in Wellfleet, located beside the Senior Center? Preservation Hall is holding its annual garden tour this Sunday, and the tour ends at the Community Garden, after informal visits to four other Wellfleet gardens. Preservation Hall events are always worth attending. The tour starts at noon and continues all afternoon. Tickets can be purchased online. (Here Sven sits in the flower garden at Chez Sven. Who knows? Perhaps one day it, too, will be on the Preservation Hall garden tour?) Finally, on June 29 Slow Food Cape Cod will show Fresh by Ana Sofia Joanes at Main Street Gourmet in Orleans, 7 pm. Organizer Mary DeBartelo asks that we all think about this question: where do you buy your food and how do you make your purchase decisions. To reserve for the screening and potluck, contact Mary at Main Street Gourmet.

FishTV Creates Video of Prez. Hall Birdhouse Auction

David Teffer sent me a video shot Memorial Day weekend, during the Preservation Hall Birdhouse Auction that raised $16,000. (Wellfleetians are such a talented bunch!) Check it out.

Preservation Hall Goes to the Birds ...

Yesterday Preservation Hall held its second annual Birdhouse Auction. The birdhouses on display in the Main Street garden defied description: there was whimsy, wit, practicality, and, of course, environmentalism since most of the materials used were salvaged and recycled. Half the selection could be purchased through silent auction. All proceeds went to the Hall's building fund: $16,000! Above, a roof shingled with shells from Duck Harbor Beach. I put a bid on Colorful Condo by Katie Fitzgerald, who stood nearby. From the way she watched over her birdhouse, I could tell heart and soul had gone into its creation.
Tracy Plaut, one of the organizers, made two birdhouses this year. The first used a hardhat from the construction phase of the renovation and was for sale in the silent auction. The second, jazzed up with doorknobs recovered on site, went on the block during the live auction, which got under way at noon. I asked what criteria had contributed to the live auction selection.

“It was really difficult,” Tracy said. “We set them all out on tables. We wanted equal representation. If an artist did more than one, we put one in the silent auction.”

Some birdhouses were painted by local artists. Below left, for instance. Can you guess the name of the artist?

Here’s a listen to some bits of conversation I overheard while perusing birdhouses:

“Did you have a great winter?”

“It’s just beautiful. They’re all amazing.”

“These are even better than last year!”

“I’ve got racks of birdhouses in my garage, but these do inspire me to …”

“Bid them up! Bid them up!”

“Hel-lo?!” (Marla on her cell phone.)

“It was a team effort actually.”

“I’m bidding on that one because my granddaughter was involved.”

A birdhouse that drew numerous bids was House for Rent by Bodie Olson, a gourd on which was written, "You decorate. Price is two songs daily." I also really liked the Beachcomber Birdhouse by M. Caroll. Can you tell which one that is below?