So, with plenty of time to spare, I get my bike put away and my stuff laid out and the girls and I head over to listen to the Star Spangled Banner before the race begins.  This year, after the men and women’s elite waves, all the guys waves went first followed by the women.  I for one was glad to have the guys go first so they won’t swim over my back since I am not the fastest swimmer.  Other women talked about this before so that was a nice change… at least for me.

The water was choppy and I got a few mouthfuls of water but once I turned the corner the waves weren’t an issue anymore.  I hate the swim but it is the shortest part of the race.

The best part of the day came when they announced that my niece Annie Bley was the first place winner in her age group (women 20-24).  We all woohooed, but unfortunately, Annie wasn’t there to accept it, she had to leave, but we picked it up for her.  So we called her and she came back and we had our own celebration when she returned. Congratulations Annie!

A ton of Door County people do the race… The Jarosh boys, Jon and JR were there as was Megan Sarkis and Polly Helm.   I saw  Rachel Manek from Fox 11 and Cami Rapson from WBAY-TV both participating in the race.

The race is run extremely well and is well staffed with hundreds of volunteers. Thank you to all the volunteers… the race couldn’t be done without you.  Speaking of volunteers, Bob Dixon from the Shallows Resort was volunteering at the last water station on the run.  He and his wife Liz talked me into it after I started to chicken out last week. “Just Do It!” is what they said.  During the race I was cursing them but now that I finished… I think I owe them a beer!

This is Emilie, Nellie and I after the race…

Door County Triathlon 2010

Annie with her first place medal

Emilie’s friend Jeremiah, made this traveling trophy for us.  It is called the Sawyer Cup.  Nellie keeps it this year because she beat Em and me…  Here we are celebrating at Fred and Fuzzy’s after the race…

Annie, Nellie, Emilie, Sarah and Jer with the "Sawyer Cup"

We wore our new yellow Door County Triathlon shirts and medals and went out for lunch… it was a great day. I was far from placing but I finished and that makes me a winner… right?

"Make your own fireworks at Egg Harbor Lodge!"

We LOVE a parade!

Door County is full to the brim right now, but come Monday… mass exodus.  The weather will be awesome next week, so a trip to Door County may be in order for those of you who could use a little mini vacation.

We are going to hang out at Egg Harbor Lodge tonight and then head to a friend’s to watch the fireworks.  Tomorrow, the “building of the float” begins.  Every year we think we can’t finish in time, but every year we do.  Watch for my parade pics next week.

Happy 4th of July !

Mark loves the smoked Prime Rib sandwich or the ribs, I am partial to the wings.  It’s all good.  The little ones had mac and cheese (homemade of course).  The girls had quesadillas, the boys had “Ruby Specials” and we all shared haystack onions… yum, yum, yum.

Our Bartender/Waitress Rhonda in Casey's back yard

Shelly (the owner of The Mill Supper Club) and I had lunch at Shipwrecked last week and ate outside as well… we both had my usual… seafood chowder.  Our friend Joe who is the manager and one of the reasons we like to go there, brought us out a complimentary dessert…

Thanks Joe, it was delicious!

The Carrington Pub at the Landmark Resort is another place for an outdoor dining experience in Egg Harbor.  They have an outdoor seating area with a really nice view of the water.  I plan on checking that out Thursday or Friday…

Mojo Rosa’s, The Bistro at Liberty Square and John Henry’s all have outdoor dining serving everything from Mexican and gourmet to burgers and pasta.

But the best place of all to eat outdoors?  On your balcony or our terrace  at Egg Harbor Lodge of course.  Grab a bottle of wine from Main Street Market’s HUGE wine selection and some Sartori Bellavitano cheese, and/or some of their home made dips and crackers, add a beautiful sunset and an voila’… a perfect outdoor dining experience.  Hors d’oeuvres not your thing?  How about a thick cut rib eye , some fresh asparagus and a twice baked potato?  Throw it on the Egg Harbor Lodge grill… yeah, now we’re talkin’.    Can’t beat that, baby…

So if you are looking to dine outdoors, look no further… the possibilities are endless here in Egg Harbor,  in beautiful Door County Wisconsin!

I Heart Egg Harbor!

Egg Harbor's Kimberly Sawyer crowned Miss Wisconsin!

With her sister Katie standing next to her as first runner up, Kimberly Sawyer was crowned Miss Wisconsin last night after a three day pageant in Oshkosh.  After talking with the girl’s mother Jackie Sawyer today, she said the family was excited both girls made the top 11 but when Kimberly and Katie were alone on the stage the crowd went wild.  With  foreheads touching waiting for the winner to be announced, Katie said she knew and wanted her older sister to win and was thrilled to be on stage together… and you know what? That came from the heart.

Katie hugging big sis Kimberly after the win...

Daughters of John Sawyer who is Mark’s cousin (Kimberly is Mark’s Goddaughter) Kimberly graduated from St. Norbert College in De Pere with plans for graduate school while her sister Katie is a student at UW-Green Bay. Kimberly walked away with a ten thousand dollar scholarship and a car to drive for  a year while sister Katie received a two thousand dollar scholarship.

Not to be left out, Miss Door County, Crystal Burke a Sevastopol High School graduate and John and Jackie’s son Tom Sawyer’s girlfriend was also in the Miss Wisconsin pageant and will attend Ripon College this fall.

Miss Door County Crystal Burke

We are really proud of all three Door County girls and even if we can’t get tickets, we are headed to Las Vegas in January for the Miss America 2011 Pageant.   Sawyer girls RULE!!!

Here we are after our dinner… I always have my camera!

Mike’s dad and uncle owned Casey’s Inn in Egg Harbor for years… Mike’s grandfather was Casey and Barbie and Mike named their eldest Casey as well.  Mark and Barbie’s parents owned what is now Mojo Rosa’s in Egg Harbor which was called Jean and Bob’s Midtown Tap and they lived above the tavern.  So both Barbie and Mike come from families “in the business”.  When I started dating Mark, his parents had the bar and on Sundays in the summer after the Egg Harbor baseball games (which Mark played and coached) EVERYONE went to the Midtown Tap.  Now those were the days… we just had a blast.  After the Egg Harbor New Year’s Day Parade, Mark’s mom would make a venison stew and homemade bread for the crowd… no charge of course.

Mark’s Legion Baseball team won one game and lost the other.  Joe is too old to play this year but Mark has a great group of guys playing.  They boys are between the ages of  16-19.  Best of luck Northern Door Chiefs!

Door County weather for Saturday, June 19… Sunny and 75 degrees!  I am heading up to Ellison Bay to spend the night with my BFF Nancy at her cabin.  We are going to one of my favorite restaurants tonight to eat too… JJ’s!  What a perfect way to spend a weekend.  Lucky me!

20 Years Under the Stars
American Folklore Theatre

May 28, 2010
In 1972, a 19-year-old college junior stood in the woods in Peninsula Park to listen to a group of musicians called the Heritage Ensemble, because he didn’t expect the show to be worth the 50-cent ticket price.

If Fred Heide (several years away from becoming Doc) hadn’t liked what he heard that night, there might never have been an American Folklore Theatre (AFT). But Heide became a part of Heritage Ensemble and was joined 10 years later by another 19-year-old named Fred Alley. In 1990, the two of them, with Gerald Pelrine, became co-founders of AFT.

	Bone Dance on the AFT stage.

Over the last two decades, 207 people have graced the stage and worked in the office and behind the scenes at AFT. Doc, Fred, Dave Alley, Neen Rock, Jeff Herbst, Jimmy Kaplan, Michael Christman, Laurie Flanigan, Lee Becker, Stewart Dawson, Doug Mancheski, Kaye Christman, Eric Lewis and Pam Krieger have been with AFT for a total of 205 years. The first five on the list were with Heritage Ensemble for varying lengths of time before it became AFT, and all 14 have been with the company for at least half its existence.

At the end of the 1990 season, Chan Harris, editor of the Door County Advocate, wrote of the little theater in the woods with amazing foresight: “We suspect the next 20 years will bring continued expansion and national exposure.” This summer AFT is celebrating its 20th anniversary under the stars. Its fall shows in local town halls and elsewhere began in 1992, and Door Shakespeare grew out of AFT’s workshopping a performance of A Midsommer Night’s Dreame on a Sunday night in August 1994.

The theatre has produced 44 original musicals. Most have been written “in house” by Doc, Fred, Jimmy, Lee and Laurie Flanigan (one co-authored by Jacinda Duffin). Since 2004, the Chicago-based team of Dave Hudson and Paul Libman has contributed three shows, and this summer Life on the Mississippi, collaboration by Douglas Parker and Denver Casado, will celebrate the 175th anniversary of Mark Twain’s birth and the 100th anniversary of his death. Doc and Jimmy’s beloved Belgians brought a bit of heaven to the park eight times, while Fred and Jimmy’s Lumberjacks in Love and Guys on Ice have appeared seven times each.

From a group of college students who sang in Peninsula State Park for a few weeks each summer, AFT has grown into possibly the only theater company in the country producing original musicals in both summer and fall. When Heritage Ensemble became AFT, Doc said, “We’ve done revue format shows with songs, narration and comic and dramatic monologues for 20 years. Now we’re interested in exploring other options. But we’ll never leave Door County. Why would we go when we have 300 a night breaking down the door?”

Doc couldn’t have imagined in 1990 that within five years Bone Dance would draw more than 800 people one night or that by 2009, attendance for the season would top 45,000. While AFT has been true to Doc’s vow never to leave the park, it has spread its wings to local town halls, locations all over the state and beyond. On the day in 1998 when it was announced that Guys on Ice, Fred and Jimmy’s most popular collaboration, would be moved from the Milwaukee Rep’s Stackner Cabaret to the larger Stiemke Theater for an extended run, there were so many calls that the phone system at the box office shut down. It even backed up the computer at the phone company switching office, temporarily shutting it down, as well!

The late, great, Fred Alley.

And then there was Doc and Lee’s Guys & Does, which in 2009 out-sold all previous AFT fall productions, playing to almost 10,000 people in eight weeks, with close to 3,000 more turned away. By actual count, a performance in the final week inspired 204 bursts of laughter and 20 rounds of prolonged applause. It will, of course, be back this fall.

Money has never been plentiful. After the first fall show in 1992, Fred wrote, “I still have the final budget tally for And If Elected. It shows a $30 profit.” In 1996, a brochure asking for contributions said, “AFT can not pay our bills with ticket sales alone. Our goal is to raise $100,000 in donations in the coming year. Although we get by on a shoestring budget, every so often we need a new pair of shoes.”

In recent years, despite a troublesome economy, AFT fans have been incredibly generous. Fund-raising campaigns have provided a new stage, dressing rooms and tech booth, as well as money for the New Works Fund that supports the writing and workshopping of original musicals. More than 200 volunteers also contribute to the success of every season. This summer the AFT Board is launching a new venture, publishing for national distribution shows it has produced, beginning with Guys & Does and the three Hudson-Libman musicals.

There has been hilarity on and off stage: In 1994, John Hansen, AFT’s publicity director/house manager, was engaged in a desperate search for long red underwear for Doc’s character in Belgians. Learning that a store in Sturgeon Bay had sold its last pair to a woman just driving away, John pursued her car and flagged her down. “Are you the police?” she asked. “No,” said John, “I’m with a theater company, and I need your underwear!” Who can forget Doug cavorting in a tutu or strutting his stuff as Elvis, Lee as the bumbling DNR Doug, Karen Mal as an accident-prone angel or Jeff as a slow-witted farm hand?

	Early years of the Heritage Ensemble.

And there has been tragedy. In the spring of 2001, Fred Alley, often described as the heart of AFT, was preparing to go to New York to receive the Richard Rodgers Award for The Spitfire Grill, the play he wrote with James Valcq. It included $100,000 to take the show off-Broadway that fall. On May 1, Fred, just 38, died of a heart attack while jogging near his farm home.

“It was as if the North Star had been plucked from the sky,” Doc said. “There are days when the loss of Fred threatens to crush the breath right out of me, but in the company of those who loved him, I know we will all find North together. Surely Fred would have wanted it that way.”

Besides Life on the Mississippi, the 2010 summer season will include Cheeseheads, The Musical and Bone Dance. Fred will be smiling.

This article is based on the author’s book, See You Under the Stars . . . The History of American Folklore Theatre, published this summer by AFT.

Hop-N-Stop Bus Service
Eight different bars, one small price

May 28, 2010
Kate Hastings is on a mission. Her goal? To reunite all the little towns of Door County and stop drunk driving. This may sound like a lofty aspiration. Certainly, it’s been a topic of conversation amidst the county crowd for some time.

With the help of friends and sponsors, Hastings took the risk and put her plan for the new Hop-N-Stop Bus Service in action. What started as a great idea has gone from possible, to bus-has-been-purchased, to in-operation.

	Kate Hastings is offering a new way to bar-hop in Northern Door. photo by Dan Eggert.

The dream was born of many nights bartending and watching folks who had consumed a couple too many drinks decide to drive to the next bar in the next town, some 15 minutes away.

For a short time, Hastings, 30, lived in Milwaukee and took advantage of the city’s cab service to avoid drinking and driving. When she moved back to the county, she went out to dinner, and, after sharing a bottle of wine with friends, remembered that there was no way to get home without drinking and driving. After years of kicking the Hop-N-Stop idea around in her head, she decided it was time.

“So many times I would get a call from a friend that was at the Bayside, wanting me to come and see them,” she says. “But I’d be at the Sister Bay Bowl and, having already had a few drinks, didn’t want to drive. My friends at the Bayside didn’t want to drive either. So you end up with, ‘Okay, maybe another time. Have a good night…’”

Uniting the county’s tourists and locals proves another advantage to the Hop-N-Stop bus. Hastings gives people the opportunity to branch out from their town’s bar scene. Just hop on the bus after a few drinks at Sonny’s Pizzeria and head to Sister Bay or Baileys Harbor’s sponsor sites.

Headlines Jacksonport Selects Tom Wilson for Supervisor Judge Rules in Sister Bay’s Favor in Marina Landing Suit A Few Memorial Day Activities Gibraltar Senior (and Pulse Intern) Earns Academic Honor Gibraltar Newspaper Wins Eight Awards Door County Half Marathon Results Extras e-mail this article link to a friend letter to the editor about this article print this article

“I’m in favor of it,” says Door County Sheriff Terry Vogel. “I think anytime you can reduce the chances of a person that has consumed too much alcohol getting behind the wheel, that’s great. If you can stop them from trying to drive and you have someone else doing it, that’s a wonderful thing for the county. I commend Kate.”

The bus will run on a regular schedule, much like a city bus. Bars and hotels will have schedules of when the bus is coming, along with the name and address of where it’s going, so patrons can readily access all information. It costs just $5 to board, and $20 gets you an all night pass on the Hop-N-Stop bus.

The bars currently sponsoring the Hop-N-Stop bus are: Husby’s Food and Spirits, Sister Bay Bowl, AC Tap, Cornerstone Pub, Florian II Lakeshore Rib & Steak House, Bayside, Blue Ox, Sonny’s Pizzeria and Cooper’s Corner, with more to come.

“We don’t want people to be driving drunk, and it’s part of the bar’s responsibility to stop them from doing it. This gives folks another way to get around without driving their own vehicle, and I’m all for that,” says Husby’s bar manager James Larsen.

No longer will Sister Bay and Fish Creek seem so far away from each other, and friends living in different towns can easily go to the same bars – all without driving. If there’s live music at Husby’s but you don’t want to risk driving, you don’t have to.

“We have a lot of live music,” Larsen says. “People want to come and enjoy the band, but they don’t want to drive. Personally, I’m excited to use it to go to some places I really haven’t been frequenting because of the driving factor. I think it’s going to be helpful.”

The ultimate goal, according to Hastings, is to unite the entirety of Door County in one large intermingling loop, from Sturgeon Bay all the way up to Ellison Bay.

“That’s the big dream,” Hastings says, “Eventually, I’d like to combine all the bars and all the communities into one again. So that we’re all just ‘Door Countians’ instead of from ‘Sister Bay’ or ‘Fish Creek.’”

Just remember that the Hop-N-Stop bus cannot deliver you right to your front door. It will take you back to the bar you started at, but you’ve still got to get yourself home. To that end, the Door County Safe Ride provides free rides home if you are too inebriated and home is not within walking distance.

“We are such a sprawling community that the resources I would need to get everyone to all the bars and then back home again – right now it’s almost impossible. The best I can do is get you close to home and the DC Safe Ride can take it from there,” Hastings says.

When the bus arrives, just hop on! Currently, the bus operates on Friday and Saturday nights, starting at 7 pm. and running until bar time. The Hop-N-Stop bus will expand its hours as the summer season gets underway.

Mark’s mom taught me how to cook the basics… meat, potatoes, gravy- all of which I wouldn’t even eat before I met the Sawyer family.  She taught me how to plant a garden… to no avail.  I still can’t do it.

I am extremely thankful for both my moms…  my family has been through hell and back more than once  and without Gloria and Jean… I don’t know how we would have gotten through!

Last night, Mark and I went to JJ’s in Sister Bay for Mother’s Day. Today, my girls and I will go out for lunch and then meet our boys at the Egg Harbor baseball field for the first game of the season against Sister Bay.  It can’t any better than that, now can it?

Happy Mother’s Day everyone…

The Sawyer Family

I haven’t blogged in awhile… we were in Florida with our family.  All four of our kids and our two grandkids were able to come as well as the “significant others”  so we really had a special vacation.  Nellie and I drove down and spent a day with her friend Chris Saladin who was in Clearwater, Florida at the time.  He works for comedian Craig Ferguson’s stand up show so we got to meet Craig and see the show.  Chris was in the show as well so it was really a treat to watch it.  We then headed to our friend Ruth’s house in Lakeland for a couple days where she treated us like royalty.  After that we drove down to the gulf coast were we had rented a house and the rest of the family flew in.  Our friends Paula and Lou Osadjan who have a beautiful summer home in Egg Harbor and own a condo on Longboat Key had us over for cocktails and took us out for dinner which was fun.   The weather was great and the we all had fun in the pool.  It was relaxing to get away but it is always nice to get home.

Adi and Jaden

There have been a few new doings in Door County over the fall and winter… For instance,  when you go down the Fish Creek hill there are those cedars that line the road on the right.  Well, they cut a big chunk of those out which left a beautiful view going down the hill.  Our Egg Harbor Marina has had some setbacks (like a tug sunk!) but is progressing nicely.  The ice is out so when we begin our spring cleaning we won’t have a cold breeze blowing up the bluff at us.  On a controversial note, a developer has plans to build a Subway restaurant in Sister Bay and it is leaving a very bitter taste with many who live there.  There really isn’t an ordinance that says “no chains” as many of us always believed. We’ll see what happens.  Chef Andrew Mueller who was the head chef at Glidden Lodge for many years then bought The Nautical Inn Restaurant in Sturgeon Bay, has purchased the Hillside Inn in Ellison Bay which can only mean good things for Ellison Bay.  I love the Nautical’s food so I am sure the Hillside will be equally as popular.  Our friend and neighbor Bob Erickson of Door County Realty was named Realtor of the Year… congrats Bob!

Egg Harbor will host the YMCA’s Blossom Run May 8 and Egg Harbor will have its Girlfriends Great Eggscape weekend May 13- 15.  My friend Jeff Larsen from the Landmark Resort has tons of chick activities planned for the weekend.  Most of the festivities will be a the Landmark Resort although the boutiques in Egg Harbor will be having sales and there should be some restaurant specials as well as kayaking and a pub crawl.   Last year at Egg Harbor Lodge, we had Mexican food and drink at cocktail hour for our guests that Friday night so I am sure we will be doing something like that this year as well.  My margaritas were a hit and we have guys that also come that weekend so of course we had Mexican beer and snacks.

If you didn’t catch us on Living with Amy in the fall we posted the video on our video page… check it out.  Amy emailed me while I was in Florida to come cook on her show again, but obviously I couldn’t.  Hopefully a different time.

I am going to be blogging about some of Egg Harbor’s different boutiques and restaurants this spring so check back and see what’s new in the village.

After all,  Egg Harbor hosts the famous Door County Triathlon… and we have our own baseball team!

DC Triathlon

Egg Harbor Indians...2009 Champs!

Egg Harbor is also the home of Door County’s largest festival… Pumpkin Patch!

Egg Harbor's Pumpkin Patch Festival

Egg Harbor has great boutiques and restaurants…

Egg Harbor is a great place for couples…

for families…

and Egg Harbor has it’s very own girls getaway weekend in May…

Egg Harbor boasts two beaches, a beautiul marina, the best grocery store in Door County, cherry orchards and farms…

Egg Harbor is well known for it’s love of music too…

Egg Harbor's Peg Egan Pavillion

And don’t forget, we Egg Harborites LOVE a Parade!!!

Egg Harbor's New Years Day Parade

Egg Harbor's July 4th Parade

But most of all, it is the people who live here that make Egg Harbor truly the Coolest Small Town in America!

Yes, Egg Harbor is definitely a pretty cool small town…

family sleigh ride

I was looking up photos of Egg Harbor on bing.com and found a picture of my family.  Door County Lighthouse Inn located in Egg Harbor had this picture of none other than the Sawyer family circa 1992.  John Mayberry who lives in West Jacksonport and owns the sleigh was looking for a couple of families with a bunch of kids to do a photo shoot for advertising.  I think at the time it was for the White Gull Inn.  Mark’s sister at the time had four kids and Mark and I also had four kids, so we fit the bill for a couple of families with a ton of children.  It had just snowed and other than me losing an earring in the snow (John was nice enough to let me look for it- to no avail), we had a really fun time and the kids loved it.  I can’t believe the picture is still in circulation.  Yes, that’s me with the brown coat and pink scarf holding baby Joe.  Come to think of it, I have a brown coat I wear with a pink scarf now…

The Landmark in Egg Harbor is offering specials for the weekend (including Karaoke!) as are other lodging places and restaurants.  Mike’s Port Pub and Innlet Motel in Jacksonport is offering a nice special which includes lodging, dinner and drinks on New Years Eve for $175.00 (and no driving!).  Jacksonsport is also serving up a New Years Day breakfast at the fire station before the famous Polar Bear Plunge at noon.  Our friend, JR Jarosh of Jacksonport is the founder and along with his family, has turned the “plunge”  into an annual event that attracts thousands of people each year either as participants or spectators.  It really is a fun Door County event that shouldn’t be missed.  Trust me… we have done the plunge as well as witnessed it and there really is no equal. If you have never done the plunge, it is an invigorating way to start the year… especially after the crazy year we had this past year.

At 1:00 in Egg Harbor, is the Annual New Year’s Day Parade.  I  believe it is the only parade in Wisconsin on New Year’s Day.  It is a fun, quirky parade that is pretty much thrown together in the morning.  We (meaning my family) are in it every year… usually with the same float.  We aren’t original, but we are consistent. Here we are last year in our hot tub float…yes, there is really water in the cherry pallet we are riding in.

Sawyer chicks

Almost all the boutiques and restaurants are open in Egg Harbor for post-holiday sales.  After the parade,  we head to Mojo Rosa’s where Kimmy has complementary hors d’ oeuvres and music.  Our friend and neighbor, Bob Erickson (Door County Realty) celebrates his birthday on January 1 and we help him celebrate at Mojo’s each year.  The day isn’t complete without checking out Egg Harbor’s other haunts, John Henry’s, Casey’s and Shipwrecked.  PS… the new C & C in Fish Creek has reopened under the new name Cooper’s Corner (same owners as Shipwrecked and Peninsula Winery).  More on that later after I scope it out.

My niece Jennifer will turn 21 on New Year’s Day as well. Happy Birthday Jen!

Have a safe and Happy New Year everyone and we look forward to a fantastic 2010 in  beautiful Door County!

2003

• Frontgate’s Portable DVD Player
• Ralph Lauren Black Label Cashmere Slim Fit Crewneck Sweater
• Melted Chocolate Cake Batter
• Greenberg Smoked Turkeys
• Barefoot Dreams Robes, Adult throws
• Cliff and Buster Macaroons
• The Gingerbread Man by Philosophy
• Pure Simplicity Pumpkin Purifying Mask
• Davies Gates Allspice Cinnamon Powder Sugar Soak
• O, The Oprah Magazine
• MAC Cosmetic Carrying Case
• Nike Dri-FIT Workout Outfit
• FoodSaver Vac 800 by Tilia, Inc.
• Cambio Jeans
• BlackBerry Wireless E-mail Device
• Frederic Fekkai Crème Luxeuse, Apple Cider Clean
• Shampoo & Conditioner
• Ugg Classic Short Boots
• Judith Ripka Two Necklace
• Philip Stein Teslar Watch
• Sony DCR-DVD200 Handycam
• The Neiman Marcus Cookbook^[2]

We each carried out 2 huge bags of stuff out to dozens of waiting Yellow Cabs.  We took the goods back to our hotel, packed them into our car and headed back to Door County.  On the way home we called everyone we knew and told them the news.  It was one of the most exciting experiences of my life.

When the show aired the during the week of Thanksgiving,  Mark and I headed to my parents house to watch it.  We had cocktails  and hors  d’ oeuvres and watched the show.  My mom was so excited she cried.  They showed Nellie and I numerous times and Nellie even made the Favorite Things Show commercial.  My mom dressed up that day, one of the last days she did so.  She died a couple months later.

Of course there were the critics… David Letterman did a funny skit about the show as did other comedians.  Some thought the show was materialistic and the money should have gone to needier people. Oprah told us she felt she wanted to give to just regular people… most of us mothers who probably on a day to day basis were giving to their family each and every day.  Yeah, I’ll go with that.

I invited Oprah to stay at Egg Harbor Lodge as my guest… she hasn’t responded yet.  Oprah, the invitation still stands…

Pan Seared Venison Loin

3-4 pound venison loin

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Dry Rub (you can use any type of rub you have on hand i.e Emeril’s etc.)  Bruce uses his own concoction

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground  black pepper

Clean venison loin of its silver skin.  Brush with olive oil and rub with dry rub, kosher salt and pepper.  Let meat sit, covered in the refrigerator for 3-8 hours is desired…  Preheat heavy saute’ pan (I used my cast iron skillet) until very hot.  Sear all sides of loin until seared well.  Pull the loin from the pan and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.  Place loin back in the pan and roast in a 375 degree oven until medium rare (I know this sounds weird for venison to be done medium rare, but trust me, it’s delish and important for this recipe).

Shiitake Mushroom and Chardonnay Sauce

2 cups shiitake mushrooms stemmed and sliced thin

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup chardonnay

1 cup veal or beef demi-glace (it is like the Better than Bouillon… add water to it to make a cup.  The directions are on the package.  If you can’t find it just use 1 tsp. Beef Better than Bouillon and 8 oz. of water and mix together).

1/2 cup heavy cream

Place the meat on a platter and cover with foil, then in the same pan saute’ the mushrooms in the oil over medium high heat until tender.  Add the wine, demi-glace and cream and reduce until nice and creamy.

I usually slice the meat and pour the sauce over as opposed to keeping the loin whole because when people see the meat is medium rare they turn up their noses.  Serves 6-8.  I usually double this.

Have a safe hunting season and if you are a walker, don’t forget your blaze orange.  I cut a blaze orange cap and put it around our dog, Bailey’s neck, just to keep her safe.

We are looking forward to a safe and fun hunting season.  Good Luck to all our fellow Door County hunters… note to all you people who think hunting is not a good thing.  My family has hit 7, yes 7 deer with our cars.  Luckily, no one was seriously injured.   The Department of Natural Resources are in charge of the hunt in order to “harvest” deer so they don’t starve or cross the path of too many cars.  So basically, it is a good thing even though it may seem otherwise.

People (mostly guys) brought desserts, cherry bounce and even pickled eggs… my favorite.   It was a lot of fun and I think the stew turned out pretty good.  This week I will plan on menus for the nine day hunt.  I have a little kitchen set up in our barn, the boys sleep out there (that’s where I draw the line) and we eat out there and most nights other hunters come by to share stories or have a bite to eat.  All of our kids are usually here and it is really nice family time for us.  Hunting has been a really great way for me to spend time with my boys.

i

Pretty cool…  I wish I would have worn a turtleneck though.

Nancy and me...

Happy Birthday Nancy… sorry this is the best picture I have.

Love,

Sarah

reading my new favorite mag...

I just picked up the autumn edition of Door County Living… it is now my new favorite magazine.  Door County Living is the sister publication of the Peninsula Pulse a free weekly publication and resource of Door County arts, news and entertainment.  Both publications have tons of interesting articles with info about Door County residents, businesses, characters, restaurants, nature and of course art.  The Pulse is the go-to guide for entertainment in DC.   Coincidentally, both are free… yes, free.  I love free stuff.

Anyway, while I was reading the latest edition of Door County Living I stumbled across an article (The Small School Experience by Gary Jones a Gibraltar teacher) about the three Northern Door Schools… Sevastopol (where our kids attended), Gibraltar (where Mark and I graduated) and Washington Island (there were 6 graduates this year) and low and  behold there was a quote from our son Joe who just graduated from Sevastopol.  Upon further reading,  our older son Josh’s  in-laws were mentioned (A Sea of Orchards) as owners of  Schartner’s Farm Market along with our grandson Jaden.

In the article about Door County golf,  there were three photos of our God son, Ed Strege.  I guess it is just really special to have a nice, glossy magazine that can really get to the heart and soul of Door County.  Like George Bailey said,  it is the citizens that “do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community” … it is nice to read about them as well.

There are probably 6 Door County radio stations but of course I have two favorites.  WDOR owned and operated by Eddie Allen and his son Danny.  We have known Eddie for well over 30 years.  I met him when I worked at the Savings and Loan in Sturgeon Bay and he did the play by play for the Door County League Baseball which he still does to this day.  The radio station is still listened to by many for its local sports, news and interviews with people regarding current events.  Deloris Allen, Eddie’s mom used to read a new recipe everyday…   many which I still have.  At Christmas time, The Cinnamon Bear story was told bit by bit each day for the children after school.

While WDOR will always be a favorite, as far as music goes, I would have to go with 106.9 The Lodge.   I love it.  Good music,  local artists on Wednesday nights at nine and best of all… no “opinions” from the owners or anyone else for that matter.  They also don’t read the police report… another bonus.  They play tons of Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffet.  It is not a “classic” station or a pop station but a combination of really great music, some old some new.  Our daughter Emilie’s friend Chrystal Kugle is a DJ on the weekends.  She is a communications major at UW-Milwaukee.  One of  The Lodge slogans goes something like no sports, no shopping shows or court reports.  Now that is music to my ears.

In my honorable mention catagory I would have to mention WSRG 97.7 The Big Dawg… my kids are all a huge fan of this station and its music.  While I am not a big country fan I am probably in the minority in Door County.

At any rate publications or music… Door County rocks!

I love this song by Billy Ray Cyrus… it  is exactly how I am feeling right now…

He’s gotta do what he’s gotta do
And I’ve gotta like it or not
He’s got dreams too big for this town
And he needs to give ‘em a shot
Whatever they are

Looks like he’s all ready to leave
Nothing left to pack
There ain’t no room for me in that car
Even if he asked me to tag along
God I gotta be strong

He’s at the startin’ line of the rest of his life
As ready as he’s ever been
Got the hunger and the stars in his eyes
The prize is his to win
He’s waitin’ on our blessings before he hits that open road
Baby get ready
Get set
Don’t go

He says things are fallen into place
Feels like they’re fallen apart
I painted this big ol’ smile on my face
To hide my broken heart
If only he knew
This is where I don’t say what I want so bad to say

This is where I want to but I won’t get in the way
Of him and his dreams
And spreadin’ his wings

He’s at the startin’ line of the rest of his life
As ready as he’s ever been
Got the hunger and the stars in his eyes
The prize is his to win
He’s waitin’ on our blessings before he hits that open road
Baby get ready
Get set
Don’t go

Joe, we know you will do just fine… we will miss you so much, but in a good way… and please sweetheart , don’t forget to change your sheets and wash your underwear.

Love always,

Mom + Dad

Egg Harbor Indians...2009 Champs!

Joe’s Nor-Door American- Legion Baseball team (Mark coaches the team) also went to the State tournament last weekend… sadly they lost one game before the  championship game. Here is our family after the Regional game which was held at our home field in Institute.

Josh, Carissa, Adison, Nellie, Jaden with me, Joe, Em and Mark

Summertime not only means keeping Egg Harbor Lodge running smoothly, it also means tons of baseball.