The first week of fall has passed and the weather has cooled off a bit. The leaves are beginning to show a little fall color with the yellows showing first. This is the time of the year to get outside. This month we have three destinations for you. First, it is Virginia Wine Month. Our road trip this month will take you to some of the best wineries in Northern Fauquier County. The trip begins at Pearmund Cellars and the town of Warrenton and then I take you across the mountain on Leeds Manor Road to the beautiful wine country. If oysters are one of your favorites, don’t miss the 50th annual St. Mary’s Oyster Festival in St. Mary’s County Maryland on October 15 and 16. See their back cover ad for all the details. If your taste for seafood goes beyond oysters, check out the Harvest of Solomons on October 22. See their ad in the Calvert Page for details. This month doesn’t have Julie Reardon’s To the Blue Ridge column. She made the trek across country with four of her beloved Chesapeake Bay Retrievers to compete in trials in Big Sky Country Montana. I am sure she will fill us in when she gets back. Also taking a break is Open Space writer Lori Welch Brown. Lori turned the big 5-0 in September and she celebrated with a two week trek to Italy with XXL. Filling in for her is the witty and fun Bonnie Browning. This may be the last month for any descent warm air sailing so I am going to get out on the water. I hope that you have a chance to visit our waterways or the beautiful Shenandoah this month. Have a safe and fun Halloween and enjoy the fruits of this fall…
Mike “Sperm Whale” Critz DJ, Bartender and Event Impresario If you had been in the metro area restaurant and bar scene in the late 70’s into the 80’s you would have no doubt had your favorite go-to establishment and a favorite bartender. Back in those days, bartenders were king. The places themselves were different. The Wharf Restaurant had a huge island bar upstairs and a stage where acts such as Mary Ann Redmond, Mary Blankemeier, Al Williams, Johnny Artis and Eva Cassidy would perform. Where the Starbucks is at the corner of King and Union was the Seaport Inn Restaurant where you could listen to Rodger Henderson. The bars were different then as well. Bullfeathers was where O’Connell’s sits now and there was a bar upstairs at the Warehouse that had Margarita Tuesday specials. Where the Columbia Firehouse Restaurant sits on North St. Asaph Street was everyone’s go-to late night place…Portners. In the early 80’s Mike Critz began to make an impact in Alexandria. Critz graduated from Fort Hunt High School in Alexandria n 1978 and entered the U.S. Air Force. He served as a Security Specialist and was stationed at Malstrom AFB in Great Falls, Montana. Critz had the idea to start Keg Night at the Rainbow Hotel, so he bought 20 kegs of beer and charged $5 to get in that included all the beer you could drink. Soon this was so popular that they were hurting the other bar business in the area. The general manager of the Gold Rush Restaurant hired Critz at $10 an hour to DJ and promote his place. With a stack of 45’s and 33’s, he moved in. “It was great,” he tells me, I lived on mustard sandwiches and beer.” So….about the name “Sperm Whale”. The owner of the Gold Rush,…
Resveraderm Antiox Cream By Sesderma Cosmetics 1.7 ounces $56 online Sesderma.com What it does: Antioxidant daily defense that helps to make skin appear more youthful. A moisturizing cream that helps protects the skin from daily environmental aggressions, stress, fatigue, UV rays) while helps maintain skin moisture by night, helps to cover the appearances of wrinkles, loss of tone and luminosity. How to Use: Cleanse and tone your face. Apply the product with a gentle massage until completely absorbed. Apply mornings and or evenings. Ingredients:Resveratrol (grape polyphenols), Retinol, Coenzyme Q-10, Vitamin C and vitamin E. About the Product: Resveratrol is one of the components of wine, belonging to the family of polyphenols with important biological effects on health and skin, and with potent antioxidant properties, preventing accelerated aging of our skin (wrinkles, sagging …) and protecting the cellular DNA. Recent scientific studies highlighted the action of resveratrol directly on the longevity gene. Resveratrol is capable of launching a series of metabolic processes related to the duration of life through the stimulation of a gene family (SIRT) and the proteins which encode these genes, SIRTUINS. Furthermore, it was recently demonstrated the expression of a type sirtuin in the skin cells, especially fibroblasts and keratinocytes, which converts them into a focal point for skin rejuvenation treatment by the action of resveratrol. Antioxidant cocktail suitable for all skin types. New generation of antioxidants thanks to the application of nanotechnology, innovative technology which achieves the transport of active ingredients encapsulated in nanosomes, to the deepest layers of the skin, enhancing their effects. Protects the skin from daily environmental aggressions (stress, fatigue, UV rays) and corrects the skin by night, wrinkles, loss of tone and luminosity
By Lani Gering Rosie the Riveter Is In the Harbor! Rosie the Riveter – by artist Ivan Schwartz – is the latest addition to the sculptures that are popping up all up and down American Way here in the Harbor. She joins J. Seward Johnson’s “Forever Marilyn” sculpture of Marilyn Monroe and other notables including “The Awakening” that graces the beach at the edge of the water. I thought it would be fun to write about this new work of art since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and while we celebrate survivors as well as those who have succumbed to this terrible disease, I think it’s important to acknowledge strong women of all walks. “Rosie” was a strong woman who made history during World War II. I gathered a bit of history on the real “Rosie’ from a fun history site – historynet.com – and came up with the following: “Rosie The Riveter – A gorgeous seventeen-year old became the 1940’s-incentive of the later famous Rosie the Riveter. Her name was Geraldine Hoff Doyle and she worked at an Ann Arbor, Michigan plant that manufactured metal. It was her picture on the huge posters displayed all over America. Later, Norman Rockwell’s interpretation of Rosie was part of the Saturday Evening Post in 1943. The best known image of Rosie is probably the Westinghouse poster that shows Rosie with a red and white polka-dotted bandana on a yellow background with her shout-out “We Can Do It!” is above her head. Rosie the Riveter represents the power women wield when necessary. While their husbands, sons, fathers and brothers were doing the physical part of fighting a war, the women would do their part on the home front. At a time when no one has heard of Women’s Lib, these women…
By Lani Gering Society Fair’s Picnic On the Run! We are stepping “outside of the box” this month. Instead of making a reservation and ordering a full course meal with all of the white table cloth dining fanfare, we decided to check out what our friends at Society Fair aka The Fair have in their picnic bag to go. We thought this was very fitting considering October is a big month for area steeplechase races where tail gating is the norm as well as Virginia Wine month where we celebrate the many wonderful wineries we have here in the Commonwealth. This means that a picnic bag/basket may be in order. We realize that our local grocery store chains may offer similar options but we are all about supporting locally owned and operated businesses. We decided to introduce you to the Society Fair “Picnic Fair”. For those readers not familiar with Society Fair, it is the brain child of Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong of the popular Old Town Alexandria eatery, Restaurant Eve. They describe the Fair as “a boutique emporium of epicurean delight, where everything we do is Devoted to Food”. It is indeed a visual food circus; a restaurant, market, bakery and butchery, all under one enchanted roof! On a recent stop in the market, I saw a flyer that was promoting their Picnic Fair – the ultimate To Go Picnic Bag. The bag is packed for two people and includes: House Made Spiced Nuts (4 oz) Olive Assortment (4 oz) Seasonal Society Fair Dip ( 4oz) Three Cheeses: Manchego, Cashel Blue and Creamy Chevre (2 oz of each) Three Meats: Prosciutto, Salame Casalingo and Sweet Coppa (10 slices of each) Lavosh and Crostini for 2 An Apple 4 Chocolate Chip Cookies 1 Bottle of sommelier-selected…
By Kristi Guillory Reid Gossypia – Old Town’s Most Eclectic Boutique When I walked into Gossypia to chat with the owner, Amanda Lasker, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I found the name “Gossypia” a bit different for a store and didn’t know what the name meant or referred to. Was it a play on words having to do with “gossip?” What I found out was that the name “Gossypia” is Latin for “cotton” so she chose the name because she sold clothing with all natural fibers. There is an interesting array of clothing, art and jewelry that I hadn’t seen anywhere else and in some circles, if you were to wear or buy these items, it would surely lead to good “gossip” for the purchaser. You would be the talk of the town. Lasker has operated a business on Cameron Street in Old Town for at least forty years. She describes Gossypia as a source for these types of items: Latin American folk art, “arty clothing,” one of a kind jewelry. During high school and college, Amanda spent a considerable amount of time living abroad. After college, she moved to New York and served as a guide at the United Nations. In terms of the Latin American influence, she said that she has lived and worked in the region. She lived in Mexico at various times and her family lived in Guatemala at one time. Many of Gossypia’s wares are imported from Mexico and Central America. Clothing remains her biggest sellerHer items commemorating the Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead, are also big sellers as well. Surprisingly, men are the largest purchasers of the Day of the Dead. I also spied a lot of items with Frida Kahlo’s image on them. Amanda referred to those items…
National Harbor October Events Saturdays & Sundays Through October Farmers Market American Way 10am – 5 pm Miller Farms Farmer’s Market returns to National Harbor with their wide array of fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, beautiful flowers and plants, and much more. Movies On the Potomac On the Plaza FREE! Nothing says summer like an evening under the stars—and there’s no better way to enjoy the season than a “Date Night” at National Harbor. Join us on the Plaza every Thursday night and for “Family Night” on Sundays. Pack your chairs, grab food to go from one of our delicious dining establishments, and meet us at the Plaza screen for a FREE evening of fun for all ages! Date Night – 7 pm 6th– 10 Things I Hate About You 13th – Ghostbusters 20th – Save the Last Dance 27th – The Jungle Book (2016) 29th Special Family Movie Showing Forrest Gump 2 pm on the Big Screen 23rd Harbor Halloween Plaza Join the in fun at the annual Harbor Halloween! Sponsored in part by DARCARS, enjoy candy, candy bags, photo ops and more from the “Trunk or Treating”. 12 pm – 2 pm – Trick or Treating at participating restaurants and stores. 12:30 pm – Hocus Pocus on the Big Screen on the Plaza 2:15 pm – The Black Dog’s “Howl-o-Ween” Party and “Paw-Rade” 2:30 pm – National Harbor Chef Pumpkin Carving Contest
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child By Miriam R. Kramer “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Literary genius William Faulkner was a figure dour and frightening enough to scare any costumed child on his doorstep asking for candy on Halloween. That youngster might have gotten a few nasty surprises in her box of Bertie Botts’ Every Flavor Beans instead of the usual Fun-Size Milky Way bars prevalent among the Potter World’s Muggles. Faulkner’s quotation represents the literal and figurative background for the long-awaited J.K. Rowling collaboration, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The unexpected eighth installment of the Harry Potter series takes the form of a play, based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, playwright John Tiffany, and director Jack Thorne. Opened on July 30, 2016 in London’s West End, when the Special Rehearsal Edition Script was released in bookstores worldwide, it has brought Rowling’s readership back to Harry’s world. There spooks, jokes, dangerous spells, and eerie truths lurk like the terrible spiders from the Forbidden Forest bordering Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry and his wife, the former Ginny Weasley, have been sending their children to Hogwarts. He now works for the Ministry of Magic as the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, while Hermione Granger-Weasley, Ron Weasley’s wife, is Minister of Magic. In Act I, Scene I, Harry’s second son, Albus Severus Potter, is going to Hogwarts for his first year, along with older brother James. When Albus meets Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Draco and Astoria, on the Hogwarts Train, they strike up an immediate friendship. Their kinship discomfits Albus less than the Sorting Hat, which sorts him, the first Potter, into Slytherin House instead of Gryffindor. Scorpius, suspected of actually being Voldemort’s child, suffers from the Malfoys’ reputation for practicing the…