It’s funny how life can often imitate art. For example, a U.S. government website provides the following definition of a barrier island: “… while it provides steady protection for the mainland, it is anything but steady … it is in a constant state of flux and ever changing.”

The turkey is sliced, the pie is cut, the leftovers are wrapped, and the holiday season has officially begun. Some may cheer, and toast to the lights and candy canes. And some may say “Bah, humbug” and dish out a second helping of leftover stuffing. And frankly, I have been channeling the Grinch himself this fall, so I get it.

Ho! Ho! Ho! I can’t believe the holiday season is here already. I’d swear it was just Memorial Day weekend! Where did the summer – no, where did the year go? As much as I love summer here at the Jersey Shore, there’s nothing quite as magical as the holiday season on Seven Mile Beach. From the shops on 96th Street to the twinkling lights down Dune Drive, each town takes on its own special personality during this season. It’s the best!

The holidays are here, which means many of your favorite traditional recipes and meals will be served over the next month. If you’re planning to spend some time at the shore to take part in the festivities, feast your eyes on the twinkling lights, and find unique gifts at the local small businesses, be sure to also plan to visit the great restaurants that remain open this holiday season.

It isn’t always easy to shop for everyone on your list. If your list is like mine, you have plenty of people who already have everything. Literally, everything. Rest assured, we searched the boutiques and specialty stores all over the area to find the perfect gifts that every recipient will love and not have already.

Thanksgiving Weekend in Avalon

On Sundays in the summer, you can find Art Ginolfi walking on the beach at sunrise from the end of Stone Harbor – where he and his wife Susan purchased a vacation home in 1995 – into Avalon, where at 50th Street he turns and looks up at the steeple of St. Brendan the Navigator and has a conversation with God.

You remember the drill back in grade school: The teacher bought herself some quiet time the first week of school by assigning everyone in the class to write a composition detailing what they did on their summer vacation.

Shortly after it was built in 1909, a photograph was taken of a four-story Victorian house standing nearly alone on a windswept stretch of shoreline in Stone Harbor, with its wraparound front porch affording sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean.

This popular bidding event returns and it’s online – giving you more access to view the displays before and during the Thanksgiving holiday. Shoppers can stroll through town and see the displays at local businesses, then place bids while in-store or online. Afraid you’ll be outbid? No problem! All bidders will receive updates, and a chance to raise bids for that special tree or wreath.

Accomplished athlete and educator John Roberson died July 25 at age 91.

By all accounts, the humble Stone Harbor native and Cape May Court House resident was exalted by the many people whose lives he affected.

Every fall in Cape May means one thing: It’s time for the great migrations of wildlife headed south to warmer climates and abundant food. Cape May sits in one of the world’s great migration corridors, and in addition to being on one of these great highways, the narrow peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay is also a stopover point.

Fall Events

Margaret Rose Hallinan was born Aug. 27 to Brendan and Mary Katherine Hallinan, of Chicago. Born at Loyola University Medical Center, she weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and measured 19½ inches.

I like to approach the Christmas holidays with the idea that I live in a Hallmark movie. I envision my house overdecorated, tins of cookies so plentiful that I’m giving them away to strangers on the street, evenings spent stringing popcorn and crafting homemade ornaments for the tree, hot cocoa as thick as melted chocolate bars always ready for anyone who knocks at the door, and me wearing cozy chic lounging ensembles without a tear or stain to be seen.

’Tis the season: to-do lists, cooking, shopping, guests, decorating, parties, food, and crafted cocktails. How can we approach the holiday season with mindfulness, self-awareness, and intention to enjoy the moments, all while supporting our physical and mental health?

So, we’ve made it through another summer season here at the beach. This summer was a little less stressful than the previous one for me. I hope it was for you as well. Kids are back into the swing of things with school and the holidays are fast approaching.

The Stone Harbor Museum had some important events this summer, including the showing of the documentary film, “The Miracle on 81st Street,” and the presentation of the Risley Award.

December 2021 Calendar

Let’s take a look back 50 years to the 1971 Cape May County Fishing Tournament. Back in 1971, you’d be getting ready for the winter flounder portion of the tournament that ran from Dec. 1 to April 1, 1972.