This afternoon from 2:45 to 4 pm is the last day of the Scholastic Book Fair at the Tisbury School.

Don’t forget Appraisal Day at the MV Museum this Saturday, brought to you by Skinner, Inc., the folks who run the Antiques Road Show. For more call Jessica at 508-627-4441, ext. 117.

On Saturday at 2 pm at the Vineyard Haven Library, meet Alan Burt, who will speak about his new book Blessings of the Burden: Reflections and Lessons in Helping the Homeless. He has been an advocate for the homeless on Cape Cod for 20 years. The book is full of personal stories drawn from working with the homeless. In a plea for community involvement, he discusses the reasons why homelessness is such a problem in America. His book will be for sale.

While traveling last week we saw a sign that read: Who are you thankful for? While there are many people who come to mind, one was definitely the folks at the SSA. By putting extra boats on the day before the storm, they gave us the chance to travel safely on dry roads. That also made our family very happy that they need not worry about us in the snow storm.

I do not appreciate Thanksgiving being so close to December. Despite our better intentions, our family did go shopping on Black Friday. Surprisingly, the crowds were not bad. It was actually a happy experience with some good buys.

We did lose our electricity the night of the storm and appreciated our son’s backup to run the breathing machine needed overnight. We were pleased to find one at a good price on Friday. Peace of mind is a great holiday gift.

Remember that Santa comes to Martha’s Vineyard this week by ferry as he always does when it is deer week on the Island. He will be at the fire station on Sunday at 1 pm to meet with good little boys and girls.

A simple way to share the holidays with those less fortunate is the Family to Family food program. Your family sends a check for $25 that buys a dinner for another family. Make the check out to Vineyard Committee on Hunger (VCOH), put Family to Family on the memo line, and mail it to PO Box 4685, Vineyard Haven, 02568. This year so many of our local farms donated so much produce that the dinners are actually costing only $25. Send your check now.

Tickets are $5 cash at the door for Monday night at the Movies with Jamie Alley at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse. This Monday at 7:30 pm see Remember the Night, a charming romance about a petty shoplifter (Barbara Stanwyck) and the assistant D.A. who invites her to be his guest on Christmas Eve.

The best gift of all is a book. What could be better than a book by an Island author? The Vineyard Haven Library offers A Sampling of Vineyard Authors this Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 7 pm. You can meet the six authors and buy their books at the reception after the program.

Cynthia Riggs has a book with a new twist. Murder on C Dock comes from the years when she lived in a houseboat on the Washington, D.C., waterfront. New to the Island is Keya Keita Guimarães whose historical fiction Second Wonder follows the journey of Bêta, the second in command of the greatest library of the ancient world. Amy Reece is a Young Adult author and will talk about Regarding Jeffrey — a coming-of-age tale that takes place in the 1960s as two young people figure out the meaning of friendship and trust. A good read for a 10- to 15-year- old.

Jib Ellis will present a tale of intrigue: Bandstand: The Search for Oak Island Gold. Two former undercover operatives in Europe come to Martha’s Vineyard where they hatch a scam or scheme to solve a mystery. Cats of Martha’s Vineyard by Lynn Christophers brings you into the world of many of our four-legged neighbors. Lara O’Brien’s Chesca and the Spirit of Grace is a story intended for older grade-schoolers about the plans of 11-year-old Chesca to ride a wild stallion.

At the MV Film Society on Wednesday at 7:30 pm take the family to enjoy Elf. The baby boy was stowed away in Santa’s sack and ended up at the North Pole where he was raised by elves. Later he is allowed to go to New York City to find his father. He says, “I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel.”

Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go out to Jessie Chandler on Sunday. Wish a happy day on Tuesday to artists Polly Renear and Anna Tomlinson and birthday greetings that day to Rachael Houston. Doug Cabral parties on Wednesday.

Heard on Main Street: Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.