West Tisbury

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Sunshine and Palm Sunday openings brought everyone out to West Tisbury’s three garden centers. Dreams of digging in the dirt, seeing color amidst end-of-winter gray, and smelling warm earth and flowers was too much to resist. As I am writing this, a big pot of white hyacinths from Vineyard Gardens sits on the table beside me, its fragrance filling the room.

Marjorie Potts was at Heather Gardens, arms full of bright yellow daffodils. Then came Violet Cabot with her grandmother and great-aunts, Nancy Cabot, Ann Howes, and Susie Boass (John Alley always refers to them as “the famous Glimmerglass girls.”) I saw Cynthia Riggs next, wheeling a cart filled with tete-a-tete daffodils, pots of tulips, and pale blue campanulas. She planned to brighten her yard with lots of color to welcome her fiancé, Dr. Howard Attebery, who is driving cross-country and expects to land in West Tisbury sometime this week. By the time I went home past Cynthia’s house, she already had a half-barrel planted with daffodils at the entrance to her driveway.

Most of us went from one place to another. I saw some of the same crowd at Vineyard Gardens and at Middletown. Also Jan Ovios, whom I hadn’t seen in a while. Each place had different varieties and colors of featured plants, making an on-going horticultural feast.

Later, Leslie Baker and I went back together for another run through. Ann Nelson was preparing for the West Tisbury Church’s sunrise Easter service next Sunday morning at her house, choosing pots of hellebores and pansies to plant for color and welcome. Marie-Louise Rouff was there, too, looking for the most intense colors, as she does in her paintings.

Mike Saulnier told me that the day, March 24, was his son’s, Eli’s, birthday. To celebrate, and to help Mike prepare for the season opening, Mike’s dad, Jim Saulnier, had come from Saint Louis. Jim plans to leave on Wednesday, heading to North Yarmouth, Maine, for another family birthday, his daughter Jane’s. After the nursery closed, the yard was still full with parents and 9-year-old boys running around and eating Eli’s birthday cake. Kerry’s mom, Linda, was there, too, from Gloucester. She will be back for Easter next weekend with boxes of Nichol’s Candies for all of us who love them. Nichols is the North Shore version of Chilmark Chocolates.

Passover and Easter coincide this year, making for a very busy week. Passover began Monday night with seder tables set in many homes around town. Tonight, March 28, there is a candlelight Tenebrae service at 7:30 at the West Tisbury Church. Easter Sunday begins at 6 am at Ann Nelson’s for a sunrise service. The 10 am service will be held at the Ag Hall and will be followed by an Easter egg hunt.

Two West Tisbury kids will be traveling to the Chicago Improv Festival the weekend of April 6. Clare Boland and Carter D’Angelo are among nine Island kids making the trip. They were accepted to this adult Improv after being judged “one of the best teen troupes in the country” by an Executive Director of the teen festival. Chicago is the largest and longest-running Improv festival in the world.

Carol Carrick is due home from her winter stay in Florida. She has been busy dancing and bike-riding, and looks forward to continuing those activities as she resumes her Island life. So look for her around town.

Jennifer Tseng, our library circulation and program person, and resident poet, has a website she refers to as “my spring bloom.” Take a look at http://jennifertseng.weebly.com/. Jennifer’s latest book of poetry, Red Flower, White Flower, has already been awarded the Marick Press Poetry Prize. It will be released later this year.

Joanne Scott’s popular Tai Chi class returns to the West Tisbury Church beginning April 2 at noon. Please call Joanne to register and for more information: 508 696-5955.

Dr. Enid Haller announced that the Lyme Center of Martha’s Vineyard is offering a Detox Retreat Scholarship for the five-day retreat to be held at the Harbor View Hotel April 8 to 12. Enid will be teaching with Dr. Roni DeLuz. Apply at enidhaller@gmail.com.

Town reports are available at Town Hall. Stop by to pick yours up in time for Town Meeting on April 9.

The library’s Monday night knitting group is temporarily relocating to the Howes House. Meeting time is still 7 to 9 pm.

Rabbi Caryn Broitman will be discussing and showing photographs of her recent trip to Israel. Israel: The Hope and the Challenge will take place at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center this Sunday, March 31, at 11 am.

This past week has been one of ups and downs, as our weather ranged from snow to rain to sunshine. The swans on the Mill Pond seem to take it all in stride, gliding elegantly regardless of weather or traffic streaming by or fishermen along the shore casting their lines. I wish I could be as unfazed by the pace of life swirling around me.