Town Column : West Tisbury
By Hermine Hull
Published: August 14, 2008
There are moments so unplanned and unexpected they seem to be a precious gift. This morning when I stopped at Mermaid Farm to pick up my milk, there was a truck mid-way up the driveway, the drivers leaning out to talk with Caitlyn. I had no need to interrupt, so parked down at the farm stand and walked up to the barn, past the garden filled with flowers and vegetables, past the fields of sheep and cows, past the giant sunflowers, past Everett and Kent's toy trucks. The air was heavy with that "just before it rains" smell, mingled with the warm earthy scent of the farm. The walk down the drive was just as pleasant. I had my opportunity to talk with Caitlyn; then Allen and the boys drove up. I savored the slowness of the walk and conversation, a patch of solace amidst the summer's rush.
Steve and Carolyn Murphy were at Cronig's this morning, so we were able to have a chat. Their time here seemed so short. Mike and I saw Ted and Ann at breakfast yesterday. The Barrons will be staying on at the Music Street house.
Nancy Dole and Carlo D'Antonio are happy to have their daughter, Meg here, with her husband, Seth and their new baby, Ayelet Fiona Abramowitz. Ayelet, which means "ray of morning light" in Hebrew, was born on June 6 at Mount Auburn Hospital. Meg and the baby are staying through the Fair. Seth came for the Chilmark Road Race, and will continue to come for the weekends and return home to Jamaica Plain during the workweek. Nancy has taken two weeks off from work to play with the baby, "to be a little bit of help and provide free baby sitting, which is fun for me." Ayelet has already been to the library, where Nelia found her first books. "Woof, Woof," is a particular favorite. Ayelet speaks to the animals and people in her books.
Destiny Kahan was at the airport last week, wearing her "Wild Reads" tee-shirt. She has already read all the books she signed up for in the Summer Reading Program. Destiny and her grandmother, Jane Kahan, are guests of Virginia Blakesley.
Other news from the Blakesley household is the marriage of granddaughter, Catherine Ackerman. Catherine graduated from Wellesley this spring and came to the Vineyard to marry Christian Bagliaro at the Beach Plum Inn on June 7. They both changed their names after the wedding; they are Christian and Catherine Grey. The couple will live in Boise, Idaho.
Glenn and Linda Hearn's household is like a game of musical beds. The last time I spoke with Linda, she was planning how to rearrange the sleeping accommodations so everyone could have their favorite bedrooms, and all fit into the house. Laura and Morgan Caruso had gone home for a friend's wedding (both were in the wedding party; Morgan was the flower girl, dressed in pink) when Susan and Tim Collins arrived with their three children, so they were given the room Laura and Morgan had vacated. Jessica and Shawn helped their grandparents at the Farmer's Market between days at the beach with their parents and sister Emily. Shawn met one of Maurice Sendak's Wild Things during a visit to the library. Laura and Morgan returned last week to a bedroom on the opposite side of the house. Mark, Renee, Devin, and Blake Hearn are expected in time for the Fair.
Lark Popov, George Vona, and their daughter Aurora Vona are guests of Harriet Bernstein at her Red Hat B&B. They come every summer from their home in Toronto, Canada. As we all do, the Popov/Vona family has their special Island rituals, like swinging in Harriet's hammock before they go to the beach.
Happy belated birthday wishes to father/daughter celebrants, Dan Prowten and Diana Waring. Dan's birthday is August 10 and Diana's is the 11th.
Happy birthday to Kendra Frakes on August 16.
A visit with Tom Vogl and Katherine Long is always an experience. Besides being genuinely nice people and good company, they seem to know a lot about a lot of interesting things, and something is always new at their house. Last time I was there, there was a paperbound book, "Island Cookbook," on the dining table. It turned out to have been published in 1924 to benefit the Martha's Vineyard Hospital. Printed in Oak Bluffs by the Harold Printing Company, the book contained a combination of recipes and advertisements. Among the local names I recognized were William G. Manter, William J. Rotch, Johnson Whiting, and Mrs. Virginia Whiting Newhall. I look forward to a more leisurely perusal over the coming winter and maybe trying some of the recipes.
Recently I heard a bit of information that seems worth passing along. Dorothy Barthelmes told me that if a driver buckles his/her seatbelt before starting the car, it will save about $10 in fuel over the year. It seems like a simple enough way to conserve once we all get in the habit of buckling up first.
