Town Column : Edgartown
By Gail Craig
Published: October 16, 2008
Today was one of those days to hold in our memories come February. Amelia is off-Island picking apples with her dad on a daddy/daughter weekend so I got to snuggle in the hammock and read to Riley this afternoon, one of my favorite ways to spend the day. Then we took Chester for a walk, taking advantage of the outstanding weather. Riley will join Jamie and Amelia on Monday to go to King Richard's Faire while I stick around here, writing lesson plans, preparing some bills for clients, and monitoring number one dog, Roxie, whose health is on the decline.
The Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School is holding their ninth Annual Scarecrow Contest this month. The annual tradition of dressing up our Island with scarecrows of all shapes and sizes continues this year with the theme "Marine Life." During the week leading up to Halloween, scarecrows will be found everywhere. If you are a business in need of a scarecrow to display in front of your store, call the school at 508-693-9900. They are still in need of builders as well. Anyone in the community can enter by calling the school for an entry form and building a scarecrow. The grand prize this year is a 2008 MacBook, courtesy of Educomp.
The Red Stocking Fund has begun gearing up for the season ahead, anticipating that the need may increase this year, given the state of the economy. We owe a big thank you for all the years that the Bunch of Grapes has helped us out with books for the kids. Sadly, with the fire last summer, they've got their own hurdles ahead of them and they aren't in a position to help us out this year. We appreciate all they've done for us in years past and wish them the best of luck getting back up on their feet this winter. If you're interested in donating some books this year, we'll likely have a few public drop-off spots for books and toys. Stay tuned here in the coming weeks for a list of locations that will be helping us out.
On Friday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 9 pm, there will be a benefit for Jim and Shannon Moore at the Harbor View Hotel. Jim is undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the central nervous system. There will be hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar, as well as a silent and live auction. Tickets cost $30 each and are available at the Harbor View, David Ryan's, and Wallace and Company Sotheby's Int'l Realty. You can email for more details or information at more4moores@yahoo.com. All are welcome to attend the fun that evening.
The derby is drawing to a close this weekend and town will truly quiet down after that. I've spent a little time down at the weigh-in station this year for really the first time and there is definitely a small town camaraderie atmosphere down there, with people talking and laughing, drinking coffee or hot chocolate and sometimes catching up with old friends they haven't seen for awhile. I don't think it will turn me into a fisherman, but it's fun to watch the excitement down there.
I drove into town early this morning and it was so quiet. No cars around and very few people. I grabbed a bagel and coffee and went to sit down on the dock to enjoy the tranquility. It was breathtakingly beautiful. And I realized at that very moment something that a lot of people have told me over the last few years but I never really agreed with until today. I'm too busy. I know everyone is busy and it's the way of the world. By no means am I suggesting that I am busier than anyone else. I think we're all too busy. What happened to relaxing? What happened to the days when every moment of the day wasn't scheduled? We don't take enough time to stop and smell the roses, or the salt air and fish down by the dock. I've decided that, as of today, I'm going to start whittling away at some of the extra stuff that makes me run around like a chicken with my head cut off, maybe eliminate some of the extra community volunteer stuff, or at least try to fine-tune it so I can have some down time to just enjoy life.
That's about it for now. Have a great week. Try to find some time to relax and enjoy the quiet shoulder season on Martha's Vineyard. It truly is a great time of year to be here.
