… with nowhere to go? There’s no need to wait for the weekend to enjoy some holiday cheer. Check out these musical offerings sponsored by the Annas Bay Music Festival:

On Wednesday, December 12th at 7 pm, The Annas Bay Choir Octet and the Harstine Island Octet will be singing at the North Mason Library in Belfair. Each choir will perform some numbers, and there will also be a community sing-along.

On Thursday, December 13th at 7:30 pm, there will a fireside caroling party at the Nordstrom Great Hall at Harmony Hill Retreat Center in Union, WA. The choir will sing, and there will be a community sing-along as well.

Of course, the weekend brings with it more chances for fun, starting with the Harmony Hills Gala Holiday Benefit Dinner on Friday, December 14th from 6-8 pm. Enjoy a traditional holiday meal while being entertained by comedian Debbie Wooten, speaker Brian Hudak, and pianist-vocalist Larry Hill. Tickets are $35 and all proceeds go to benefit Harmony Hill’s cancer programs. You can learn more at the Harmony Hills website.

On Sunday, December 16th at 3 pm, the Annas Bay Community Choir and the Harstine Island Community Choir will join together in a Celebration of Christmas at the Shelton High School Auditorium. A $5 donation is requested.

So, for less than the price of a movie ticket, you can enjoy some holiday music; for a bit more, you can include dinner and a chance to help a worthy cause. Who knew there was so much going on in this little corner of the world?

Thanksgiving’s over, the leftovers have all been eaten (or tossed!) and it’s time to fill the air with holiday music and deck our halls with decorations marking the season! Wreaths for the doors and windows, evergreen centerpieces for our holiday tables, candles everywhere, and – for those celebrating Christmas – the quintessential Christmas decoration: the Christmas tree.

Many people have moved away from real Christmas trees in their homes, preferring instead the pre-lit, artificial variety. And there’s no denying that artificial trees have improved greatly since their early days; however, if you’re a purist, there’s just no substitute for the real thing.

If you happen to be one of those “give-me-a-real-tree-or-give-me-nothing” types, you’ll be glad to know that besides all the regular pre-cut Christmas tree stands, the Kitsap Peninsula boasts many Christmas tree farms where you can cut down your own Christmas tree. In fact, there’s a Christmas tree farm just down the road from Alderbrook Properties and the Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club community, in Union. Hunter Farms offers both the pre-cut and u-cut options for Christmas trees, and you can also watch them making their wreaths, swags, and garlands right there.

The Kitsap Sun has more information on Christmas Tree farms throughout the Kitsap peninsula (Hat tip: soundbiteblog.com). Many of these farms offer warm beverages and other amenities that make for a nice family outing. Call ahead and make sure you go prepared for some mud!

So what are you waiting for? Come on and deck those halls!

There’s some fun holiday stuff going on this weekend right here on Hood Canal. If you live in the area and are feeling festive, check out these activities!

On Saturday morning (12/1), you could head out to the Shelton Christmas Bazaar (10 am – 4 pm; also open Sunday), where you could do a little Christmas shopping from their selection of holiday crafts, art, and decorations, and even enjoy some lunch.

After lunch, drop in to the Real Estate Open House (open 12 – 4 pm) at Alderbrook Golf Club Community. Alderbrook Properties will be featuring three of their beautiful homes: the Hadlock, the Brinnon, and the Hoodsport.

Later that afternoon – if you have kids, or are just a kid at heart – you could visit the Shelton Library to hear award-winning storyteller Christopher Leebrick tell the classic holiday tale of the Grinch, as well as other stories. Hang out and enjoy hot cider before the Shelton Christmas Torchlight Parade, which starts at 5 pm.

If you aren’t ready to call it a day after the parade, then check out these local stage productions, which are running both Saturday and Sunday:

• “One-Man Christmas Carol” by the Artful Rogue Theater in Allyn (tickets are half-price this weekend).
• “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at Paradise Theatre in Gig Harbor.

And of course, on Sunday you can top off your festive weekend by attending the Christmas Tree Lighting in Belfair at 5 pm. There will be hot chocolate, coffee, and cookies (and I have it on good authority that Santa will be there!)

So come take a picture with Santa, and bring a donation for the North Mason Food Bank if you can. There’s no better way to celebrate this season of giving!

Grammy Award winners Eric Tingstad & Nancy Rumbel are performing their annual holiday concert “Comfort & Joy” tonight (11/29) at the Peninsula College Little Theater in Port Angeles.

If you’ve never experienced Tingstad & Rumbel before, you can hear some of their music on their website. My favorite is the video of “Magnificat,” which shows them performing with the Evergreen Philharmonic – check it out on their music and video page. 

The concert is sponsored by the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts (JFFA), and begins at 7 pm (doors open at 6:15 pm). You can purchase tickets at the door, or at Port Book & News in Port Angeles or Pacific Mist Books in Sequim. Ticket price is $17 ($16 for seniors & students, $15 for members of JFFA).  If you can’t make tonight’s performance, don’t worry … they have a few more concert dates in and around western Washington before the New Year begins.

The hectic pace of the holiday season – with its decorating, shopping, parties and other social obligations – can take a toll on us.  This concert sounds like a great way to create some space in our lives for reflection during this busy time of year, and enjoy some great music at the same time, right here on the Olympic Peninsula!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Did you know research shows that a conscious decision to be thankful can make you happier, healthier, and more likely to achieve your personal goals? Sounds like a good reason to list some of the things we’re grateful for here at Alderbrook Properties:

• Our beautiful homes, with features like built-in bookcases and window seats, amazing hardwood floors, granite countertops, and light-filled rooms with lots of windows in which we can entertain …
• Our family and friends … who give us their love and companionship
• The natural beauty of the Olympic Peninsula … and views like this …

• Friendly neighbors … living in one of the greatest golf course communities around
• A great cup of coffee … and lots of coffee shops or kiosks tucked into unlikely corners (Visitors to Washington often comment on the huge number of coffee stands they see here.)
• The chance to live where we can enjoy local wildlife like this …

• All of the fun activities available here in western Washington … antiquing, wine-tasting, gaming, shopping at local art galleries, hiking, boating, fishing, climbing, beachcombing, bicycling, geocaching, golfing, horseback riding, kayaking, scuba diving, shellfish gathering, whale watching, windsurfing/sailboarding (just to name a few!)
• Having the best of both worlds … living a friendly, small-town lifestyle while enjoying access to the world-class city of Seattle, with its symphony, major league sports events, opera, theater, ballet, the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, award-winning Woodland Park Zoo (and much more)

Whew, we feel better already!

What about you? What are some of the things you’re thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday? Leave your list in our comments section – you’ll be glad you did!