Cocoa Village Holiday Fair

Saturday & Sunday, December 4-5, Historic Cocoa Village will host an Arts & Crafts/Holiday Fair. Support those trying to live the American dream of making it on their own. Great place to shop for the holidays or any days. This fair is always huge!

Brevard Zoo offers night hikes

Looking for some peace and tranquility? How about just shopping without the kids? That's close to peace and tranquility, isn't it? Well, Brevard Zoo is here to help parents find alone time and in a way that the kids will actually thank them afterwards. Truth. The Zoo is offering Night Hikes on Saturday, December 4 and December 18. The kids, who must be 4-12 years old, stay at the zoo from 5-9 PM and enjoy pizza for supper and an after-dark safari. For more details, read the article in Space Coast Events Examiner. Make reservations for the kids and then get fantasizing about your own plans!

John Tesh comes to the Space Coast

Wednesday night, December 1, 8 PM  at the King Center - Christmas With John Tesh and Family!!! Details at Space Coast Events Examiner!!

Space Coast Art Festival

Saturday & Sunday, November 27 & 28 in Cocoa Beach. Hundreds of artists! Support independents who rely on sales to make their living! Holiday shopping couldn't be any easier! Minuteman Cswy area by A1A. Details at Space Coast Events Examiner.

Seas & Greetings

Looking for a gift for someone who has type Sea blood? You know, the kind of person that takes every opportunity they can to visit the ocean - whether by daydream or in person, as a surfer or an observer. The kind of person that really cares about the health of the sea and coastlines, would do anything to make sure the sea and all the life within it remains beautiful and safe and available for all who choose to swim, float, surf, sail, dive, or just walk along it's edge. Here is the perfect gift for that waterbaby.

The Surfrider Foundation holiday gift membership is a cool and unique gift. It includes a 100% organic cotton long sleeved t-shirt, a striped flat-knit combed cotton beanie, a reusable tote made from innovative EcoCircle fabric along with an annual membership, 6 issues of Making Waves and 2 Surfrider Foundation membership stickers.

It's a gift that saves waves, protects coastlines and makes a real and tangible difference on your beach today. Giving the Surfrider Foundation holiday gift membership makes both you and the recipient a guardian of the oceans for today and for generations to come. For only $44 you can to give a gift that gives back to the beach. For a look at what Surfrider has acomplished, check this out. To give this gift, go here.

Prize-winning trash

Cooking and prepping like crazy Thanksgiving Eve, the goal being a two-hour window in the morning to walk one of the top five things I am most thankful for. A messy day on the beach with huge gobs of seaweed
and numerous barnacle-encrusted items. Unique find of the day award went to the medical IV bag found by PAFB officers club. Disheartening, but any time at the beach is quality time for which I am most thankful !

Lines? What lines?

For some, it is a tradition. For those of us who are older and wiser - it's just crazy! This morning, my e-mail was flooded with 2 full pages of messages like the above. Why would anyone want to get up in the middle of the night and stand in line for hours when they can sit at the kitchen table, basking in a ray of sunshine, with a cup of coffee and not worry about how long the check out line is! The line outside Toys R Us was a mile long (it said so on the news!). Parents seeking the 'gotta have' toys should think about this: what is a child more likely to remember down the road? The 'gotta have' toy or the memory of spending time with a busy parent? Do something special today. Take a photo of both of you. Put it in a frame where your child will see it every day. Talk about it. Memories last longer than toys....and they are so easy to create! Plus they're free!

On your mark.....

When asked about running, Nike said it best: "There are clubs you can't belong to, neighborhoods you can't live in, schools you can't get into, but the roads are always open." And a lot of races are free. Many of them benefit a worthwhile cause. This time of year, they are fun, too. Some races coming up in our area:
November 28 - the 39th Space Coast Marathon (oldest marathon in FL!) - Cocoa Village
December 1 - the 15th Reindeer Run/Walk (5K & 1 mi)- Cape Canaveral
December 8 - Jingle Bell 2 mile race (complete w/costumes, hats & Santa) - Satellite Beach
December 18 - Candy Cane race - 5K - Cocoa
Best source for running/racing/marathon activities: Running Zone website.

Indian River Boat Parade

The 17th annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Indian River Boat Parade will be held on Saturday, Nov 27 from 5 - 9 PM. The tree lighting will be held in the Historic Cocoa Village while the boat parade can be seen from Riverfront Park, in the village. In addition to the tree lighting there will be carolers, a visit from Santa, and snow play. The event finale will be the movie, "The Polar Express", a holiday favorite that will be shown on the BIG outdoor screen in Riverfront Park, starting at 7:15pm. What a great family activity! And it's free! For a look at more family-oriented activities, check out Space Coast Events Examiner and Brevard Zoo Examiner.

Celtic Thunder Christmas Show

Friday night, Nov 26, the King Center will present Celtic Thunder. This is their Christmas show and promises to have several classics done Celtic style. Besides being easy to look at, these guys will rock the audience out of their seats. They aren't called 'thunder' for nothing! Tickets available online or by calling 321-242-2219. For more holiday events, at the King Center, and everywhere - check out Space Coast Events Examiner!

Lightfest

Show me a person who doesn't get that wooshy feeling in their chest when confronted with a massive light display, requiring thousands of hours of work to set up - and I'll show you a person deserving a transfusion. Lightfest begins tonight at Wickham Park. It runs nightly from 6 - 9:30. Cost is $10/car or $8 if you bring 2 food items that are non-perishable. Do a good deed, support the charities Lightfest benefits, and get a jolt of Christmas spirit - all in the comfort of your own vehicle. Simple. effective.

Dinner Cruise

Had enough company for a while? Need to get away for a few hours? Wish you could just ship everyone out for a while? The Indian River Queen is offering a dinner buffet cruise Friday night, November 26, from 7-10 PM. After dinner there will be live music and a cash bar, too! Have reservations? No, not about shipping out the company - reservations for the cruise! Because you will need them. To find out more, read up at Space Coast Events Examiner.

Amy Grant & Vince Gill

Coming to the King Center on Tuesday, December 9, will be Amy Grant and Vince Gill. The power-couple, each award-winning musicians in their own right, will present a holiday performance of '12 Days of Christmas'. For an in-depth article about the show check out the Examiner article from Nashville, TN, their home town. Tickets available online or at 321-242-2219. For more events, holiday and otherwise, check out Space Coast Events Examiner.

Pelican Beach Clean-up

Keep Brevard Beautiful scheduled beach clean-up: Sunday 8-12, Pelican Beach, Satellite Beach. Shouldn't have to but we do. Please help.

Universal Children's Day

Today is Universal Children's Day. Hoping that all parents everywhere are taking a little time out of their busy lives to spend it with their children. As grown-ups, I'm sure most of us agree that the toys we'd been given are now a blur, but the times spent with a parent are memories that last forever.

The Coal Miner's Daughter

Married at thirteen, Loretta Lynn has beaten all odds. She has journeyed from poverty in rural Kentucky to her throne as the Queen of Country Music in Nashville. Winner of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in February and the honored with a tribute at the Country Music Awards recently, Loretta Lynn has been also been voted Female Artist of the Year/Top Female Vocalist 20 times. Her career spans six decades. She will be at the King Center Sunday, November 21st at 7 PM and there are only a few tickets left. Grab one.

Christmas shopping in the park!

Indian Harbor Beach Arts & Crafts & more - just in time for Christmas. SO much better than crowded stores and getting hit in the backside with a cart. PLUS, the money stays local because these are local artists. Gleason Park on South Patrick, Saturday Nov 20, from 9 - 5. And don't forget your list!

Happy Kelly Slater Day

It's official.....November 17th is now Kelly Slater Day in Cocoa Beach! Check out the bronze statue on A1A!! It's about time! Read about Kelly's acomplishments at Space Coast Events Examiner. (Thank you,
Florida Today, for the use of your photo!)

White Christmas? Entirely possible!

It might be fake snow, but experiencing a White Christmas is guaranteed for those attending the play at the Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse. This is the first time that the movie, a holiday classic, has been available to community theater. Based on the 1954 movie, the play features music by Irving Berlin, including the immortal "White Christmas", as crooned by Bing Crosby. Check the website for dates and times but don't - DO NOT -miss out on this opportunity to experience a real White Christmas! 

A legend visits the Space Coast

Friday, Nov. 19th at the King Center - Diana Ross. Details at Space Coast Events Examiner.

America Recycles Day!

Today is America Recycles Day, likely invented by someone seeking to draw attention to recycling efforts - and that's a good thing. Whatever, it is the perfect time to elaborate on the newest recycling contract the County has just implemented. Space Coast residents may now put the following items out for collection in their recycling bins (in addition to the usual plastic, glass & aluminum):
**cardboard & boxes, junk mail (discard your name and address!), newspapers
**aerosol cans, telephone books, fluorescent bulbs, aluminum foil, and steel cans.
**Electronic items including computers, laptops, monitors, scanners, fax machines, stereos, VCRs and TVs can now also be picked up curbside. Printer cartridges can now be placed in a clear plastic bag and put on top of items in the bin, too!

Rough seas

A surfer known to this writer, (he refers to himself as my offspring) described the water as "a washing machine set on heavy-duty" when asked how the waves were this day. The surf forecast is still "not for the timid". Take caution. Rip tides are definitely ripping. Undertows are pulling under and riding the waves feels like you're the ball in a pinball machine.

Young Readers Day

November 14 is National Young Readers Day. Books transport children to places they haven't been yet, place them in situations they might not otherwise encounter, and introduce them to people they've yet to meet. Books teach. Providing a child with books is to be commended. Teaching them what books can bring them is the gift of a lifetime. Some of my favorite quotes about books:

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."~ Joseph Addison
"The person who deserves most pity...doesn't know how to read."
      ~ Ben Franklin
"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader." ~ W. Fusselman
"The more that you read, the more things you will know." ~ Dr. Seuss
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend." ~ Groucho Marx
"Some people will lie, cheat, steal, and back-stab to get ahead....
      and to think, all they have to do is read." ~ Fortune Magazine
"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers."~Harry S.
      Truman
"A book is the most effective weapon against intolerance and ignorance."
     ~Lyndon B. Johnson
"We shouldn't teach great books, we should teach a love of reading."
      ~ B.F. Skinner
Anyone have a favorite of their own?

Festival of Trees

Yes, we just got done with Halloween. Yes, we haven't had Thanksgiving yet. But Festival of Trees is the best of the best. Dress everyone up, go to the King Center, pose everyone in front of the beautiful trees and BINGO - your Christmas card problems are solved. Get some of the kids photos enlarged and framed for the grandparents, while you're at it. So easy and so much fun! So simple, and ever so impressive! What a great team: a digital camera and the Festival of Trees! And the money raised goes to women and children in need. Friday evening through Sunday (Nov 12-14) at the King Center on Wickham Rd. For details, see the article on Space Coast Events Examiner.

Never enough Veteran's Days

Placing seat backs in an upright position? Nor a problem. Fold tray-backs up? Not a problem. Need a pillow, blanket, or beverage - now that's a problem. Being sent into Hell or finally getting a break from Hell does not include limo service. And those serving in the armed forces don't seem to expect it. Oddly enough, they have actually volunteered to be there. This Veteran's Day we should do more than praise those who have made the ultimate sacrifice; we should take a close look at how our present-day military and veterans are being treated. What do you do to thank them?

Semper Fi! Happy Birthday

On November 10, 1775, a resolution of the Continental Congrss created a Corps of Marines. Thus began a tradition; a tradition that continues today. Thank you to retired Marines living on the Space Coast and to all Marines everywhere. You have guts that few others possess. Stay safe, Gentlemen.

Beach Clean-ups

Saturday, Nov. 13th  from 8-10 AM Pelican Park, Satellite Beach.
Sunday, Nov 14th, from 8 AM - Noon Paradise Beach, Indialantic.
We shouldn't have to, but we do...

Circus, Circus

No, no, no - no more elections! These clowns belong in the circus, not the capitol. For those who did not get to the Space Coast Fair at the Cocoa Expo, and thus missed the circus there, there will soon be another opportunity to meet your circus quota for the year. Monday and Tuesday, November 15 & 16, the Cole Bros. Circus will be at Wickham Park. Performances at 4:30 and 7:30 PM and there are free promo tickets at most stores on the Space Coast.

Florida Women of the Waves Exhibit

The exhibit, Florida Women of the Waves, has been ongoing since April at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum, but will end this Sunday, Nov. 14th. Numerous activities will close out the exhibit and are open to the public. A schedule and description of events is available at Space Coast Events Examiner. If you enjoy surfing - watching it or paddling out - make plans to attend. Freida Zamba, Four Time World Champ, will be there!

Hometown hero

Turning back the hands of time

This writer agrees with Maxine. That would mean this writer would have still been recovering from Woodstock, which would have been a little over two months before Daylight Savings Time arrived. FYI - Trivia enthusiast here - it was Benjamin Franklin who conceived the idea of Daylight Savings Time. The phrase is scientifically inaccurate because no time is actually saved. Last tidbit: A study by the U.S. Law Enforcement Assistance Administration found that crime was consistently less during periods of DST...violent crime was down by an average of 13%. That softens the blow to the part of the population who get ruffled because, after a long day at work, it sure was nice to go for a walk (on the beach?!) and that's history until spring arrives. Or the week-end. Can't wait to open the eyes in the morning, when the alarm goes off, and upon seeing daylight where there is usually darkness - screaming because I think I overslept. Sigh....

Satellite Beach Founders Day

Today, Satellite Beach celebrates Founder's Day with a parade, live music, food, farmers market, flea market, and - just in time for Christmas shopping - a craft fair. Most of the action takes place at the north end of South Patrick Drive (!!). Get the scoop at the SB web site.

Elton's Red Piano at Brevard Zoo

Elton John's red paino, created by Yamaha, and one of only two that tour the country, will be on display at the Brevard Zoo next Thurs - Sun, Nov 11 - 14. Said to be the next best thing to front row concert tickets, Elton John programmed and recorded all the music. There are some amazing jazz happenings going on at the zoo on Friday and both active and retired military get free admission. Details available at this blog's sister publications: Brevard Zoo Examiner and Space Coast Events Examiner.

National Book Lovers Day

Today is National Book Lovers Day. As the proud owner of hundreds of books, and a budding author, this writer highly recommends Wade Arnold's History of America: Florida's Space Coast. More photos than words, the book gives readers a chance to see the area as it was over a hundred years ago up until recently. Research was done here and photos all came from local residents' archives. Absolutely fascinating! Great gift idea, too. Available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & Books A Million but why not support local and get it in Historic Cocoa Village. Mine came from The Village Gingerbread House on Oleander Street! Enjoy!

Beach finds

Last evening's beach stroll, just before the rains came, yielded two unusual finds. First of all was a turtle nest which appeared to have just hatched. Yes, its very late but there were those adorable little flipper-prints leading from the exit ramp to the water. And, of course, the discarded shells. None of it was present the night before, so it must have just hatched. Poor little guys - stormy seas to navigate as infants.....

And the second unusual item was a DVD player, complete with cables. That was buried with only part of one cable sticking out above the sand's surface. Thinking the cable was trash, I tugged on it and, after some serious digging, unearthed the DVD player. It weighed too much for me to lift without assistance. Makes me wonder what is inside a DVD player that would absorb so much water because there wasn't much sand inside. And I could hardly lift it. Interesting...

Space Coast State Fair

It's carnival-time! The State Fair comes to the Cocoa Expo and stays from Nov 4-14. There is something for everyone - baking contest, mud races, boat races, live music, a daily circus, monster trucks, and a genuine rodeo. Not to mention rides and arcades. There is a web site set up that will provide a schedule of events, as well as daily ticket specials. Detailed article on Space Coast Events Examiner.

Happy National Sandwich Day

The Earl of Sandwich deserves the upmost respect for coming up with the idea for shoving everything but the kitchen sink between two slices of bread and calling it a meal. He also gave birth to a new vocabulary word: sandwich, a verb. But my heartfelt thanks go out to those who have embellished on the idea- see above photo.

Surf's Up.....we hope!

The Quicksilver King of the Peak surf contest takes place this week-end, Nov 6-7, at Sebastian Inlet. Tournament Director Matt Kechele has filled 92 heat slots and this tournament is considered to be the Nation's most popular skins event. Youtube features some footage of past tournaments. Check it out!
For a preview by Quicksilver, go here!

Be there !!!

Above please find the page that can transport you to the launch of Discovery, if you can't get there for some reason. It's a great place to know about because you can watch the astronauts get buckled in, lift off, walk in space, and even land again at KSC. It's a NASA live feed, and if you've never used it - check it out now. When you reach the main page (link), in the upper right hand corner, it will say 'Launch Streaming Video Feed', click on the down arrow and select how you want to view it. I choose 'Windows Media'. It's great!

A test for Space Coast residents

OK, Space Coast residents - this is a test covering the past two years. There will be questions about the environment, oil drilling, tourism, the space industry, broken promises, and job loss. No need to cram if you've been paying attention. All you have to do is show up for the test. Therein lies the problem.

Close shaves

For the 30-40% of you that won't bother to vote, consider this:

Martin VanBuren won the Presidency by one vote, back in the days when votes were on paper and you couldn't blame machines for errors. According to the N.Y. Times, Henry Clay cast the deciding vote in the Constitutional Convention which admitted Kentucky to the Union as a slave State. If Kentucky had entered the Union as a free State, there may have been no Missouri Compromise, perhaps no Civil War. Not impressed? Try this: Tim Lincecum won the Cy Young Award in a race where only 10 points separated the top three vote-getters. That 10-point margin from first to third place is the second-closest margin ever, in a National League ballot.

So if you are avoiding going to the polls because you think one vote won't change things - better think again!