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Welcome to the month of pumpkins and pies, turkey and dressing, sundays and football, bright mornings, dark nights... a month in which Duck enjoys three weeks of a slower pace followed by one week of pure July ... it could only be November! |
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Between the Lines
Reading Recommendations from the Cottage Shelves |
 Our Reading Group had a wonderful discussion of Alan Brennert's novel, Moloka'i. Based on fact, Brennert's story revolves around Rachel, a native Hawaiian who contracts leprosy at the tender age of 7 and is sent to spend the rest of her life in the leper colony, Moloka'i. For more on the same subject, try John Tayman's non-fiction book, The Colony or the movie Moloka'i: The Father Damien Story (2000).This month we're reading Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepherd, a recent college graduate who sets out to prove wrong author Barbara Ehrenreich and her theories about the American Dream as set out in her book, Nickel and Dimed, a Duck's Cottage Reading Group selection from several years ago. Deanna first read A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz when it came out in hardback. Not only has she read it three times since, now that it's out in paper she's recommending it to everyone. Stewart O'Nan's latest book, Last Night at the Lobster is just out in paperback. I really liked this slim novel about the employees of a soon-to-close suburban Red Lobster whose final shifts have come.Sophie Hannah's Little Face gives me chills. Her novel focuses on Alice, mother of a newborn baby, who upon leaving her daughter for the very first time (with her husband) returns after a short while to find another child in its place... and noone will believe her. Should be a hit with Jodi Picoult fans.
I'm pretty certain about two things regarding Nicholas Spark's new book, The Lucky One- a: somebody probably dies and b: it will be sad. Late Fall is always a big season for new cookbooks- just out from Ina Garten, the 'Barefoot Contessa', Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients; along the same vein is Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for Home Cooks. New for pet lovers Woof! Writers on Dogs a collection of essays by a multitude of writers who look at the historic and creative connection between people and their individualistic dogs. Volume three in Gregory Maguire's Wicked Years is out, A Lion Among Men, whose central character is Brrr, or as we know him, the Cowardly Lion. (Wicked the musical is coming to Norfolk in May- we can't wait!!!) A new business book is out- The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval. Are we back to I'd like to give the world a Coke?
JP highly recommends The House at Sugar Beach, New York Times' journalist Helene Cooper's memoir of her childhood in Liberia which came to an abrupt end with the 1980 coup d'etat. It's getting rave reviews. Chris just finished Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's collaboration The Cabinet of Curiousities and is anxious to get his hands on another one of their books so guess what I'll be ordering this week! I'm fascinated by the new Random House coffee-table book, The Oxford Project. Photographer Peter Feldstein visited Oxford, Iowa, in 1984 and took pictures of almost every one of its 693 residents. He returned in 2005 and rephotographed as many subjects as possible (over 100 had died). Writer Stephen G. Bloom tagged along to do interviews and the personal stories make this a really accessible, humanistic study. (Plus, it's riveting to see how people can change- or not- over the course of 21 years. What's really cool, that doesn't come through in the picture above, is that the cover is actually a hologram that shifts from a 1984 picture of a little boy and the man he became.) Rufus Butler Seder, who brought you the incredible Scanimation book Gallop! is back! His new book, fun for kids and grown-ups, is Swing! and features baseball and soccer players, bike riders, runners and skaters. Scanimation is a four part, by hand process that results in pictures that actually move on the page!
Next month- book ideas for everyone on your shopping list! In the meantime check out our great Coastal Christmas items at
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| Flotsam & Jetsam
Footnotes from life at a coffee shop |
 Now that 'the boy's have had a few weeks to get used to the idea, Happy Big 5-0 Birthday shout outs to John and Allen, proud recipients of brand new AARP cards... OBX marathon runners are getting ready to race on Sunday, Nov. 9... last year's winner was Mike Wardian with a 2 hour and 24 minute time... the first Dare County finishers were Chuck Parker and Jennifer Gusler... good luck to all runners! (and for a great pair of shoes, running or cross training, visit the Outer Banks Running Co. at Loblolly Pines in Duck. Great service, terrific shoes, your feet will love you!)... word has it something new will be coming to the former Duck News Cafe building near the Sanderling, we'll keep you posted... Allen recently dined at Sterling's on Granby Street in Norfolk.. tongue, tummy and wallet all impressed... the annual Holly Days Christmas Bazaar at All Saints Episcopal Church in Southern Shores is a great place to get your shopping started- on Friday, Nov. 21 and Saturday, Nov. 22, a myriad of exquisite handmade (and local) gifts from jewelry to wreaths, holiday decor, baked goods, bags, beads, baubles, you name it will be on display- there's something for everybody here...a new twist on Retail Therapy- a one stop shopping extravaganza-takes place on Nov. 14- 15 in Nags Head... see below for more details...Nov. 28 - 30 is the Outer Banks Wedding Salon, featuring all types of vendors who specialize in the area of 'I Do', at the Hilton Garden Inn.. Kitty Hawk Kites Annual Kites with Lights is set for Saturday, Nov. 29, at sunset... be sure to check out the great deals at the Barr-ee/North Beach Outfitters Tent Sale, Nov. 28-29, Waterfront Shops parking lot...
Wow! There's a lot going on this month- did I miss anything? Oh yeah, November 27- Thanksgiving! Come out and watch the Advice Five Cents Turkey Trot, an annual 5k that gets the day off to a great start (runner registration is closed)!
(And the picture above is Duck's own Town Manager Chris Layton making a new friend at last month's NC State Fair. I like to call it 'A duckster with a duck'!) |
| Retail Therapy
Shopping for a cause! |
 What: Retail Therapy IV
Where: 3529 S. Virginia Dare Trail (MP 11) Nags Head
When: Friday, November 14
6pm - 9pm
($40 advance, $45 at the door, good for both days) Saturday, November 15
9am - 9pm
($20 advance, $25 at the door)
Retail Therapy IV is a 'one stop shopping extravaganza' as fabulous local boutiques and 'foodies' transform a private home into the biggest holiday shopping opportunity of the season. Friday night's VIP event kicks the shopping off with champagne and wine tasting, live music, a big raffle and first dibs at the loot! (Cocktail attire please.) On Saturday, November 15, shoppers and seekers will have all day access to this boutique trunk show event. All tickets come with complimentary food and beverages, a Retail Therapy reusable tote bag, hors d'oervres and music.Tickets may be purchased at participating boutiques- ally&maddy, Amity, Confetti, Diamonds and Dunes, Diva's Day Spa, Life's a Beach, Luxury, Savvy Home and Urban Cottage.
Benefits the ally&maddy Retail Therapy Fund, established by a group of local women business owners who wanted to give back to the Outer Banks community. Through seminars, workshops and other outreach, our goal is to promote financial independence, business ownership and entrepreneurship for girls and women on the Outer Banks.
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| Foie Gras
Tasty Tidbits from Duck |
From the Holiday issue of the North Beach sun- Allo, allo! Madame de Canard is back with the 'le scoop' from Duck! What fun we had this Fall on the Northern Outer Banks! The Second Annual Duck Jazz Festival was an event enorme! More than three thousand citizens and visitors got jiggy with a whole day's worth of jazz. The First Flight Jazzhawks lit the fuse on a firecracker of a day; Madame was tres impressed with the talent displayed by these local students and did not stand alone in her admiration as musicians from many of the professional (i.e. paid!) acts- Connected, The Fuzz Band, Jackie Scott and the Housewreckers, and headliner Gerald Veasley- were observed enjoying the proficiency of this local high school jazz band. Madame speaks for every attendee- young and old- when moi says a memorable day was enjoyed by all! A big 'Merci!' goes out to the multitude of volunteers- including staff from the Town of Duck, our phenomenal Duck police force and the DUMC for their food tent- who helped make this event so successful! Note: The Third Duck Jazz Festival is scheduled for Sunday, October 11, 2009, 11am to dusk.
The marvelous Madame Angie and her team from Coinjock Farms have been keeping the flower beds, bike paths and park areas in meticulous order with colorful blooms abounding! Moi has heard more than one compliment paid to this subject and decided it was time to pass it along. Mme Angie- le travail bien fait (job well done)! Duck, like the rest of the Outer Banks, has been tres ravaged this season with storm after storm. These nor'easters have, however, revealed several new sections of shipwrecks within town limits believed to be quite dated. Madame was shocked to learn that upon their appearance, scoundrels armed with chainsaws began carving souvenirs from these historic relics. Appalling and illegal! Rest assured, a plan is in the works to attempt preservation of these reminders of Duck's heritage.
Adieu to The Lucky Duck! After 25 plus years this unique boutique is closing; rumeur has it a worthy successor will soon try to fill their shoes. And, Madames and Monsieurs, the King has left the building... Burger King that is; no word yet on who will take over their Crown station location but moi sincerely hopes it is not a franchise that directly competes with any of our existing independent businesses.
Speaking of which...while many visitors and residents flock to Duck because it provides a modern day oasis from 'the rest of the world', we are unfortunately not so isolated as to be insulated from the economic maladies affecting the rest of the country. A good portion of our Outer Banks economy is driven by outside financial forces and the trickle-down felt here during downward turns is more of a sudden downpour. Moi is gravely concerned how our 'oasis' will weather the upcoming winter and would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the one thing we all have some control over in these oft chaotic times. Now let's go shopping in Duck!
Three simple words- certificats de cadeau- also known as gift certificates! What better treat at the end of a bleak winter week than dinner 'pour deux' at The Blue Point, The Red Sky Café, Roadside or Elizabeth's? For an ultimate January de-stresser, moi is sure any recipient will know how to make good use of a gift certificate to the Aqua Essence Day Spa or Complements Salon. For unique holiday décor and gift items, don't overlook our local 'hardware' store, Kelloggs'. Moi is crossing fingers they will be carrying Roots Iced Cookie candles again- Ooo La! La! They saved Madame from lots of horrible baking by making the whole house smell auf Christmas cookies! (Moi also found hilarious cocktail napkins, retro ornaments, pirate Tervis Tumblers and more!)
We are truly fortunate in Duck to have so many locally owned businesses. Imagine- it is the norm here and not the exception! Having popped this proverbial can of worms where could moi possibly stop? Our boutiques featuring completely hand-selected inventories are absolute stand-outs- Confetti, Ally & Maddy, Plum Crazy, Islands by Amity (and sister store Amity in Kitty Hawk), Barr-Ee, Luxury... Duck's only 'department store', Gray's, has been locally owned and operated for decades... in Duck you can find something for everyone and feel good about buying it- books from Duck's Cottage, adventure-wear from North Beach Outfitters, jewelry from Cynthia's, Sarah De Spain, Yesterday's Jewels.. Madame could go on and on and on but DO YOU GET IT? The best catalogue shopping in the world can't hold a candle to what is waiting right here, right now in Duck, the rest of the Outer Banks and in hometowns across the country. Start shopping locally, save on shipping, make small business owners smile, reduce your carbon footprint and know that for ONCE you're supporting Main Street- not China, Mumbai or Wall Street.
To everyone all the world over: may your Thanksgivings be thankful, your Holidays joyful and every day an affirmation that really, despite everything, it's all good. Be well my NBS friends |
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Have a great Turkey Day... I hope it finds you enjoying a beautiful day in one of your favorite places surrounded by your MIPs (most important peeps). I know that's where it will find me! Gobble Gobble! 
Jamie Layton Duck's Cottage
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