Town Column : West Tisbury

By Hermine Hull
Published: December 31, 2009

Mike and I and our dogs went for a magical walk this afternoon on Lambert's Cove Beach. A magical walk is when you have the beach all to yourself, rare even in the winter, when it feels like you are the only people and dogs in the world. The beach has become quite stony, more like the south shore.

This is going to be a short column. As my husband commented earlier when I complained that I was devoid of ideas or information, "Nothing happened except Christmas."

Everybody has been so busy getting ready/having company/cleaning up afterwards, all in our own worlds. In many ways, this is my favorite part of the holidays, when all the work is done and I can just enjoy the decorated house and its peaceful aftermath.

Next Wednesday, Jan. 6, the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury will start up community suppers that will run through March. "Dinner served promptly at 5:30," according to the church. If you feel like cooking yourself, side dishes are appreciated. All are welcome to share food and a pleasant evening with Island neighbors and friends. You don't even have to drive there; VTA buses 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 all stop within a block of the church. For more information, call Meg Higgins in the church office, 508-693-2842, weekdays between 9 am and 1 pm.

Bright red "Christmas" tulips are in a vase on our coffee table, a counterpoint to the white lights in the window and on our tree. The dogs are asleep on their beds, the cat in the pillow back of an easy chair. It's a time that invites reflection. The end of 2009, the beginning of 2010. A New Year and a new decade. As we have come together in all the joys and sorrows of daily life, so may we continue. Happy New Year, one and all.