Surprisingly, in our quest to find signs of the living, breathing "12 Days of Christmas" icons right here in our midst, the "Eleven Pipers" were among the easiest to track down, with the Aquidneck Island-based Ancient Order of Hibernians pipe and drums corps being such an active and highly visible group that performs in many of the most high profile parades throughout the northeast year-round, especially in March for St. Patrick's Day. And—what luck!—this particular band of kilt-sporting men and women also come with at least  "Twelve Drummers Drumming," so here's where our holiday trail of …

He's known by many names. Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Fat Dude with the Toys and Great Ride. Others simply call him 'Santa,' short for Santa Claus. Although, it should be noted, this Claus, S., is in no any way related to von Bülow, Claus, formerly of Bellevue Avenue, Newport. Patch chatted recently with Mr. Santa Claus over double eggnogs and several boxes of Nilla wafers, still, Santa's favorite nosh, at KJ's Pub & Restaurant, 61 Aquidneck Avenue in Middletown. To look at him, suggests Santa noshes a lot. Patch: So, Santa...Seriously. What's with the outfit? Claus: What? You don't like it…

As we've set out to find signs of the 12 Days of Christmas "gifts" in our backyards, Rachel Holbert, a naturalist and weekend educator for the Norman Bird Sanctuary, graciously agreed to share in this fun little holiday exercise as another opportunity to better introduce the general public to the birds around us—both in the skies and over the airwaves. If you have more questions for Rachel, she's usually found weekends giving lectures and special talks about local wildlife at the Norman Bird Sanctuary. In this little series, we've explored the Partridge, Turtle Doves, three French Hens and …

How about gifting a dance class for yourself or that BFF this year? "Ditch the workout, join the party," the rallying cry for the latest workout dance class craze, can be heard coming from one of the more unexpected places in town—the Middletown Senior Center. But don't let the venue fool you; This Latin-inspired dance fitness class is open to all. The twice-weekly class on Monday and Wednesday nights tends to draw mostly women of all ages and provides a low-impact cardio based workout that's designed to tighten and tone the entire body, according to the instructor Serena Honeycutt. Sue …

"On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eight maids-a-milking," or so they say. If eight maids-a-milking isn't on your Christmas list, maybe it should be. Karla Simmons of Simmons Farm on West Main Road says she isn't exactly sure why anyone would give that as a gift, but she imagines that it sure would be nice to have eight other people milking her cows and that--if the cows were included with the maids--that would be even better. Many historians and religious internet sites seem to agree that the "12 Days of Christmas" nursery rhyme-like song likely came about more than …

While Monday Dec. 20 was the recommended deadline for sending greeting cards and holiday letters to arrive in time for Christmas, Tuesday Dec. 21 is the recommended deadline for sending packages using Priority Mail, according to the USPS. At Post-All on Aquidneck Avenue, which utilizes U.S. Mail, FedEx, UPS, air and freight shipping, owner Tim Harnett said that customers have until Tuesday to send shipments using the least expensive "ground" delivery methods offered by the major carriers. By Wednesday, Dec. 23 customers will need to to send packages via two-day air services, he said. See Tim'…

"On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me five gold rings," or so the song goes. This year five gold rings runs a big chunk of change, making it a bit more of a challenge to give this gift. According to www.goldprice.org, the price of gold closed at $1,370.40 per ounce on Thursday, Dec. 16, an increase of more than 172-percent since five years ago.  A single 2 mm wide gold ring these days will run you about $300, according to folks at Platinum House in Newport. Prices at the store go up to $1,400 for a 10 mm wide band.  Multiply those numbers by five and the cost of five …

In Part 3 of this series, we again tapped our local Norman Bird Sanctuary for some friendly insights and understanding about such "loftier" gifts suggested by the "12 Days of Christmas" song, namely the feathered friends. Rachel Holbert, a naturalist and weekend educator for the NBS, graciously agreed to share in this fun little holiday exercise with Patch as another opportunity to better introduce the general public to the birds around us—both in the skies and over the airwaves. If you have more questions for Rachel, she's usually found weekends giving lectures and special talks about local …

In Part 2 of this series, we again tapped our local Norman Bird Sanctuary for some friendly insights and understanding about such "loftier" gifts suggested by the "12 Days of Christmas" song, namely the feathered friends. Rachel Holbert, a naturalist and weekend educator for the NBS, graciously agreed to share in this fun little holiday exercise with Patch as another opportunity to better introduce the general public to the birds around us—both in the skies and over the airwaves. If you have more questions for Rachel, she will be on hand Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Norman Bird …

While many historians believe the "12 Days of Christmas" song has origins traced back to a Christian nursery rhyme and memorization exercise, a good number of people with either romantic or curious notions may still set out to impress that special someone, perhaps in hopes of becoming that "True Love." However, one might cry "fowl" and abandon plans altogether when considering all the wildlife involved, most of which are not found at the local pet stores. It's worth mentioning that many animal advocates discourage folks from giving pets as surprise gifts for any occasion, as the animal often …

Of course you'll remember to get holiday gifts for your family and close friends, but don't forget about man's best friend too. Fido and Kitty shouldn't have to watch everyone tear open their presents on Christmas morning and not get to partake in some of the fun.  If you don't have a pet but are heading to the homes of friends and family that do during your holiday celebrations, a little something for their furry friends is always a big hit. Here are some of our favorite gifts for pets this season. DOGS Antlerz- This real deer antler piece (shed naturally) is a great chew toy for dogs. They …

Kids are terrified of Santa. You see it everywhere. Why do I find it so funny?  Yes, I know it's horrible and, for a split second, I feel a pang of guilt. You can wag your finger at me all you want. I'm just admitting to what many of us feel. Otherwise, it wouldn't be the topic of books or a key feature of every holiday episode of America's Funniest Home Videos. But c'mon.  A poor child bundled like a mummy in layers of long johns, excitedly waiting in the cold night for a glimpse of the big guy, jumping with anticipation. If you could see his mouth underneath the wrap of scarves, he would be…

Maybe it's just me- although I'm pretty sure it's not- but the men in my life are incredibly difficult to buy for. I like to buy practical gifts, but men seem to be such practical beings and they purchase whatever it is they need when they need it. Whether it is a new car, a new tool or a new pair of pants, they don't seem to hesitate to grab it, whereas many women like to make sure they are getting just the right one. Lucky for us, there are so many unique stores on Aquidneck Island that offer products that the men in your life might not think to buy for themselves, but are sure to love. …

Here it is, early December, and we find ourselves smack in the middle of the biggest holiday season in our culture. It typically begins with Halloween (and a sugar binge) and rolls through Thanksgiving (the biggest meal of the year) right on into Christmas (cookie time with all the trimmings), Hanukkah (eight nights in a row of sweets and treats) or other food-filled December celebrations. Many of us emerge in early January, blinking sleepily, loosening our belt buckles and wondering what happened to our healthy routines. This is not the way it has to be—it is fully possible to maintain …

There is nothing quite like watching a child's eyes light up when they are opening their presents during the holidays. It's especially delightful when they turn the corner to see what Santa has left them under the tree on Christmas morning. We combed the island in search of toys that are guaranteed to wow, and we're pretty certain that these will bring lots of joy to both boys and girls for many years to come.  Board Games: There are at least a few dozen board games for children and adults available at Goodies By The Sea, but we narrowed them down to three that are sure to please. Zimmbos ($…

Santa's tour through Middletown resumes tonight, picking up with "Day 4" on the schedule after Santa took the soggy wet weekend off to catch up on some pre-holiday preparations back at the North Pole. Aided by local elves—off-duty members of the Middletown Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 1933—the third annual Santa Claus tour through Middletown launched last Wednesday night from the Middletown Fire Station with a tractor pulling the big guy's sleigh and public safety escorts fore and aft. With Santa's actual team of reindeer back at the North Pole brushing up on the latest in …

Do you have a holiday display you'd like to share? Send us your photos to angelal@patch.com! Check out this decked out house on Lockwood Lane: Complete with music, Santa, reindeer, others characters and lots and lots and lots of lights, Lockwood Lane's home-grown holiday display is located off Forest Ave just south of the Forest Avenue Elementary School. Feel free to comment or load your own photos here below, or email us your photos or video to post on Middletown Patch!

When I was a kid, my neighbor Mrs. Owens (of apple crisp fame) taught me how to make a gingerbread house from scratch.  I still have a very distinct memory of making the icing in her Kitchen Aid mixer, mixing until the icing formed "stiff peaks."  I had never made any sort of icing from scratch before, and my mother didn't have a Kitchen Aid mixer.  I still have photos of me proudly displaying that first house with Necco wafer shingles and Twizzler trim.  And I still have Mrs. Owen's gingerbread pattern, cut out of old newspaper, and her recipe, printed on an old dot-matrix printer off her …

Many stores have been decking the halls for months now, but for most of us, the arrival of December is the true sign that we need to get a move on when it comes to holiday shopping. While some people are extremely helpful during the holidays by providing a nice list of gifts they would like to receive, others are elusive. Here at Patch, we spend a lot of time in and out of the businesses on the island. Here's a list of items that we think just about anyone would be thrilled to receive. First up, our favorite items for women. Sparkle Wallets- These hard shell wallets are spacious and have …

Ho, ho, ho! Holiday time is here. Let's raise a glass of wine for holiday cheer. Not only do our local vineyards offer great wines as gifts, they also offer accruements and locally made foods and pottery to make gifts all the more special. One can find plenty of items to make a distinctive gift basket for the wine lover on your list, or for someone you would like to introduce to wine. Newport Vineyards, Middletown Newport Vineyards and Winery in Middletown offers their fabulous Vidal Ice Wine, voted one of the top 50 wines in America. Ice wine is made from grapes that are harvested after …