Town Column : West Tisbury
By Hermine Hull
Published: November 13, 2008
Sunday was too beautiful a day to stay inside, so I worked in my garden all day instead of cleaning the house. I was pleased to discover one blue flower in a patch of myrtle just outside our back door. Last week's rains brought down almost all the leaves, leaving our woods as patterns of twining bare branches, the sky's colors at sunrise and sunset apparent, a russet carpet over the lawn and garden beds. Now the sun's lowered light warms and brightens the house all day through our south-facing windows and our woods feel open and endless.
For the past several Christmases, our friends Pat and Bill Ternes have given us a gift certificate from White Flower Farm. Some years I have used it right away, but the past few I have been saving up for something big. It arrived in a box last week, 400 special daffodil bulbs to be planted in clumps along the front of our new shrub border, some tucked in around the doorways, some added to the planting of Ice Follies I put in at the end of our driveway when we moved into our house. For all who have admired Marion Irving's daffodil plantings on Old County Road, there will be my new bed of cream and orange Fortissimo blooming along Edgartown Road next spring. Another variety I chose was Sir Winston Churchill, a fragrant double white daffodil that blooms late in the spring. I have loved it in Leslie Baker's garden and in some beautiful still-life paintings she has done over the years. The last, and my sentimental favorite, is Sweetness, because that is what I call my yellow lab, Tallulah. "You are my sweetness," I tell her several times every day. Sweetness is bright yellow, one of those small-flowered narcissus with several flowers on each stem. I put a nice clump of them beside my studio door to enjoy every morning when Tallulah and I go out to work.
Last week at Blue Cullen's election night party, we met a new couple who have just moved to West Tisbury, Chris Cohen and Sharon Radcliffe. Originally from New York City and Ireland, respectively, they moved here after living in Wappinger's Falls in upstate New York. They are renting Bea Phear's guesthouse on Obed Daggett Road. Mike and I had dinner with them at Bea's Sunday night. We are enjoying getting to know them and hope they will be happy joining the West Tisbury community. Welcome to town, Sharon and Chris.
Eleanor Neubert called last week to say that our Flat Point Farm lamb would be ready to be picked up on Thursday afternoon. In preparation, Mike picked up the upright freezer his mother had wanted to get out of her basement. Now it's plugged in and humming along in ours. Hopefully, it will be an improvement over our old chest freezer where things get lost in ever deepening layers, like an archeological dig. The old freezer was given to us by Howard and Diane Wall when they upgraded, probably 23 or 24 years ago. It has served us well, working perfectly for all that time. But I am anticipating opening the door of the new freezer, seeing its contents organized and accessible. If anyone is interested in a chest freezer, please let us know.
Eleanor and her group of "fair ladies" spent the weekend at a Fair Convention, as they always do this time of year. Although mid-August is far away for the rest of us, the "fair ladies" are busy planning throughout the year. Eleanor says they see different vendors and products, and meet and share ideas with other fair organizers.
The J.C. Jazz Trio will perform this Friday afternoon, Nov. 14, at 4 pm, at the West Tisbury Library. The Great American Songbook is their inspiration and their monthly concerts are most enjoyable. Hope you can come.
On November 19, also at 4 pm, I will be speaking about my paintings, currently on display at the library. I am glad to talk about "the painting process" or whatever else you may wish to know, so do come.
On a sad note, I learned that Janet Feldman died at her home in New York City on November 6. She was a long-time summer resident of the Vineyard and well-known here and in New York. My condolences to her family and friends.
There are pink roses in a glass vase on our coffee table. They are so fragrant that every time I walk by I have to put my nose down into the petals, to feel their cool smoothness, and to breathe in their scent. It seems a great pleasure, so simply presented and so easily enjoyed.
