OH! So much to do!

What a month we just finished! It's hard to believe that it is already May.

The Whidbey Island Marathon was an OHmazing success! We heard amazing things from the runners, the cheering squads, and even one brave reporter (read her article here)!

How can we not mention Holland Happening?! It was a great weekend. This was my first Holland Happening, and what an experience this wonderful city gave me! We had Chainsaw Wood Carvers. You know, the type you see in the Pemco ad? (Watch that ad here) As a matter of fact, we had the guy from the commercial, along with his sister at Holland Happening, and what can I say? Steve and Lynn Backus were awesome to work with and have at the show! I ended up buying a totally awesome eagle. Now I don't want to say it's the coolest thing I own, but it is, it totally is the coolest thing I own.

Plus, how can we forget the Wooden Shoe Carver we flew into Oak Harbor just for this show, all the way from Holland!!!! Eh, Holland, Michigan that is... But nonetheless, he flew a long freekin' way! If you didn't see him in action, can I suggest that you check him out next year? Because seeing someone work the wood like he did, it was quite fantastic.

This is a photo of Elmer Veldheer using his tools to carve a klompen out of a block of poplar. It's amazing that he can so simply turn that into a wearable piece of footwear.

Working towards and during Holland Happening was so fun that the time just flew. We produced some awesome videos to get everyone ready for Holland Happening.

Video 1 is about a pair of wooden shoes, a pair of wooden shoes and a dream... to make it on youtube:

Video 2 is the story of one woman. This woman found a look that worked for her, and she wasn't shy to show the world her Dutch heritage!:

In Video 3 our honorable protagonist finally finds her match in a similarly clad young fellow and wins his heart, and he wins hers-- with a simple bouquet of tulips:

I know one person whom did not miss a second of the awesome action we had at Holland Happening, that was our Parade Grand Marshal Rob Hause, he was grinning ear to ear from Friday night until he helped us tear down the Klompen Canal on Sunday.What a guy! He has been coming religiously to Holland Happening since 1986 not missing a beat, loving every second of it! He begins planning in January for his trip up, and who can blame him? I got to know Rob over the weekend, and I know that I gained a friend for a lifetime. I can't wait until next year when I get to sit and listen to the Oompah Band with him again!

This is a photo of Grand Marshal Rob Hause enjoying his day in front of the Klompen Canal.

But don't you fret, because we are not just looking back, because we have some cool things on the horizon going on as well... This month we have Comedian Keith Barany coming to the Oak Harbor Elks Lodge to give us his stand up act. If you haven't heard of him, maybe you should check him out on his website. Tickets are available at the Chamber for $25 for General Admission and $50 for VIP. The VIP tickets are pretty awesome because you get a reserved seat, you get to meet Keith after the show, and if you get together with 7 other friends to form a table of 8 you get entered into a drawing for a free Limo trip to and from the show from Whidbey SeaTac Shuttle. That is a pretty awesome offer as far as I'm concerned. I just wish I could win that Limo ride. Let me take this second to thank the sponsors of this event, because without the Swinomish Casino, Windermere Real Estate, Whidbey SeaTac Shuttle, and the Whidbey Marketplace and News, this event couldn't happen.

Now, it's not all sales and praise, it's also a time of reflection... Or so I'd like to pretend. I find that with a little determination and decisiveness you can find anything you'd like to do at time you'd like in Oak Harbor.

There are ton's of things to do around here, softball season just started for Whidbey Island Softball... Yes, I play Softball, and yes, I am proud of that fact. I love Softball, while opening night may have been a bit colder than I am used to (I moved here from South Carolina and played Softball down there... I'd say 104 and humid is a bit different than 45 and windy) but I worked it out and really enjoyed myself. I get to play with awesome people from around the area, people whom without Softball I'd likely never know nor associate with. That is the greatest thing about places like this and community events, you get together with people of all different creeds, colors, religions, and backgrounds and you bond together in one commonality. Be it the Whidbey Island Marathon, Holland Happening, Softball, the various Bowling Leagues, meeting at the Oak Harbor Market (back to our fair city on May 20 from 4 pm to 7 pm), or just meeting a new face at Honeymoon Bay Coffee. There is always something to do for those who look, so make sure you keep your eyes open, because things come so quickly in Oak Harbor, if you blink you might miss it.

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays

During the Holidays my thoughts quickly turn into checklists....meals to prepare (and wine to buy!), cards to send, a tree to trim, presents to wrap and of course gifts to purchase. But in the midst of all this holiday list-making, there is still a palpable feeling of excitement that hovers in the

air like a light fog rolling in off the Sound on a classic

Pacific Northwest morning. Needless to say, I LOVE Christmas.

There are so many reasons why this really is the best time of the year. Many of these reason

s are personal and involve my family, others are closely held and involve my faith, and some are just downright unique to life on Whidbey Island and the wonderful experience that comes from calling Oak Harbor home.

Shopping the downtown streets of Oak Harbor is one of those things. I love the lighted snowflakes that hang off the street lamps, the holiday displays in the windows, the scented candles burning in the shops, and I get a thrill when I run into people I know and we quickly peek into each others shopping bags to show off our new purchases with whispered promises that we will keep the item a secret!

So when it comes times to shop for the holidays...shopping locally in Oak Harbor is the place for me.

This year, shopping local takes on even more meaning. In addition to the ambiance, the personalized service, and the chance to connect with my neighbors, I know that the purchases I make are doing a lot to improve the quality of life for many people I care about and for a community I love.

Today's economy has taken its toll on many, and if I had a choice (which I do) of spending my money with large faceless corporation, or with one of the local stores in my community, I am choosing my hometown.

It's not that going to the mall is bad. In fact, it can be fun. But th

e holidays are more than just pure capitalism; they are a time to give generously, and a time to take stock of our values. By doing my holiday shopping locally I am supporting local shopkeepers and helping preserve jobs in my community. My shopping decisions create jobs, and those jobs support families. It makes me feel good to know that just by changing where and how I shop; I can have this type of impact.

Local gift-buying supports the local tax-base and funds other thing I value, like parks, roads, and public transit.

Shopping in Oak Harbor preserves our choices, and preserves our community. I read recently that local businesses donate to community

charities and causes at twice the rate of national chains. That means that the money I spend with a local merchant will have twice the effect....and I feel good about that.

I can't give to every great cause, but my shopping can support merchants in our community and give them a chance to give where I can't. It's all about paying it forward. Just doing what you can to care for the people and the places that you love.

So this holiday season remember, there's really "No place Like Home for the Holidays" and that anyone can HO! HO! HO, but the best Holiday's begin with OH! OH! OH!