This is a case where the picture and not the event pulled me out of my writer's slump. I admit I get pretty caught up in the Fall trying to capture the perfect sunset. There are just so darn many of them. I usually start sizing up the clouds for potential around 4ish when I'm headed home. Sometimes the perfect sky comes out of nowhere but normally the late afternoon sky offers a "heads up" you can count on. The tranquil scene above doesn't fall into the spectacular category but to me it speaks of that perfect stillness of fading light. As I stood there last night, listening to rare quiet, smelling the richness of the marsh, it reminded me of why this is my favorite time of year in Southport.
Christmas in Southport is full of traditions, some old and some relatively new. This past weekend was a busy one with the Southport Tour of Homes followed by the Holiday Boat Flotilla. The historic home tour, in it's nineteenth year, sold out its 1200 tickets before the event. It's hard to imagine a day in December any more pleasant than Saturday, sunny and bright with temperatures in the mid 70's. It's been like this for nearly a week but not to worry.....a blast of cold air is a-comin' and it'll feel more like Christmas by the weekend.
One new tradition in-the-making may just be the upcoming world premier of "Winter Nightsong: The Christmas Eve Wanderings of One E. Scrooge Esquire." It is Stage II Productions' Briton Cambell's ambitious musical adaptation of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" to be held at the old Amuzu theatre in Downtown Southport. With a fresh script and an original score, I for one, can't wait to see what our local talent has come up with. For more info call Briton at 910-540-2801. To see what else is on the calendar.............
I've been thinking of the possibility of a new family tradition. Last Christmas we had all the girls home and we celebrated Christmas Eve in the hidden nook of our back yard we call "Camp Burton" around a big fire. We roasted some sweet,salty oysters, ate clam chowder and cornbread muffins, and counted our many blessings. This year I'm hoping by some miracle, drawing on old Southern tradition, to garnish our Christmas day table with..........a Christmas Flounder! A stuffed whole flounder, that is. My research on this coastal tradition hasn't turned up much but here's a simple recipe I found.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 whole flounder, 3 or 4 pounds, scaled, cleaned, head removed
- 2/3 cup celery
- 2/3 cup green onion w/ tops
- minced garlic (optional)
- 1 stick butter (saving enough to brush the outside)
- 1 cup medium shrimp, cooked and peeled
- 1 cup crab meat
- 1 cup homemade bread crumbs (or not)
- salt,pepper,and Old Bay to taste
PREPARATION:
Cut slit in center of brown side of flounder and use a filet knife to make a pocket. Saute celery,onion, and garlic in butter until soft, add shrimp, crab and croutons to make stuffing. Fill pocket of flounder with stuffing mixture, brush with melted butter and salt. Bake at 350 for about 30 min. or until flesh feels firm. Sadly I am allergic to shrimp and crab so maybe substitute chopped bay scallops, that is if I actually score a fresh flounder. Wish me luck!
Lastly, I want to mention a really good cause that I'm sure many are familiar with, Heifer International, with its whole different kind of approach to world hunger. Individuals have the opportunity to donate various species of farm animals which are delivered to villages in need. Before any Heifer animal is brought to a project partner, the recipients are trained in very specific guidelines and must share their first offspring with a neighboring village and thus, the gift continues and self-reliance can grow. Heifer International also teaches them environmentally-sound agricultural techniques that help rejuvenate the land, water and other natural resources. My Mom was the first one to introduce me to Heifer at Christmas several years ago. She set up a jar on the mantle for all her grandchildren, great-nieces and nephews who were all together. She managed to get them all to give up a little of their Christmas money, and as I remember, she donated a
flock of chickens, and a goat in their behalf. We've been giving as a family at Christmas ever since. This year I decided to set up a Registry on Heifer's web site in Mom's name and I'm calling it Betty's Animal Gifts. I haven't told her about it just yet but I know she'll be tickled about it. I'm just now sending out a link to family and friends so if anyone wants to join in, please do. I'm hoping we'll pull together a whole barnyard!
"Merry Christmas to All
and to All a Good Night!"
