Aquinnah

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I am tired of Christmas already and it’s still three weeks away. Santa helps me! I have very little patience for Christmas songs and the relentless hawking of stuff. I fear I am raising just another consumer, a gift-obsessed child, in my son. The other day I asked him what he thought Christmas was really about just to see what he’d say and the answer was basically “getting presents.” I am tempted to have him pick out three toys that he would really like and then give them to charity. I’m going to keep talking about giving more and see if I can re-program him.

Christmas in Edgartown is this Saturday and Lisa Vanderhoop will be selling her Vineyard Seadogs calendars and cards at the Holiday Art Show at the Edgartown School from 10 am to 4 pm held. She will also have artwork in the Sail MV art show that begins this Saturday at Sail MV on Main St. in Vineyard Haven. The Sail MV show runs through December 22 and will feature Lisa’s prints as well as her cards and calendars.

Joan LeLecheur will hold her open house at her studio on Old South Rd. this Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm; call 508-645-9954 for directions. She will be selling her beautiful wampum jewelry.

Another Aquinnah Artist, John Wightman, will have a holiday show at the Chilmark branch of the Bank of Martha’s Vineyard starting December 7. He will have ceramic tiles, mother of pearl necklaces, and prints all with island images. Shop local, my friends, and support your local Aquinnah artists.

John’s wife, Jan, is of course the director of the Minnesingers who are performing their annual holiday concert this Friday and Saturday at the Whaling Church in Edgartown.

I get sent a lot of notices about various events around the Island this time of year and many of them I don’t mention here because I don’t think they have anything to do with the population of Aquinnah, but this down-Island event caught my eye: at 5:30 next Thursday, Dec. 13, in the culinary arts room at the regional high school, Community Services will present a free talk by Dr. Dominic Maxwell titled “Holiday Blues.” It is about the depression that many people feel this time of year. Christmas and New Years are not happy and joyous for everyone and it’s great to have that acknowledged and be able to get help for it. Community Services also has clinicians available for sessions if someone feels they need more personal help.

The Aquinnah holiday party will be held Sunday, Dec. 23 from 4 to 7 pm at the Old Town Hall. There will be a special guest arriving perhaps on a fire truck between 4:30 and 5 pm, bringing gifts for all the well-behaved children of Aquinnah under the age of 12. There will be a potluck dinner served, so please bring a dish to share. You can contact Nonie Madison at the town hall if you would like to help out.

The Selectmen need to make the following appointments to town boards and committees:

M.V. Land Bank, M.V. Center for Living, Cemetery Commissioner, and Selectmen’s Representative to the M.V. Commission. Most appointments are for one year. If you are interested in serving, please contact Adam Wilson at the Town Hall, 508-645-2300.

Ella Mahoney and her mom, Juli Vanderhoop, just returned from looking at colleges in New York City this weekend, and I can’t wait to hear all about that trip.