What a difference a week has made. Ten inches of snow last Thursday almost gone, as temperatures have warmed and everything is melting. Our rhododendrons have relaxed their leaves from the tightly-curled aspect they presented these past several weeks, conserving their energy against the cold. The sun is shining. Icicles are gone, and water is dripping off trees and our roof. There are even patches of bare grass visible in places.
The weather is supposed to continue mild through the week, so maybe some of the piles of snow and water-covered, icy walks will disappear. It really does feel warm outside. Robins are singing in our yard. I hate waking up in the dark, but it was nice to be outside around 6:30 last night driving home in daylight. So, I guess the inevitable spring will arrive, bringing this winter to an end, and soon I will be reporting on snowdrops, crocuses, forsythia, and cherry trees.
Life is already feeling somewhat more active. We seem to be getting invitations and talking with friends, going to movies. Just getting out of our moribund, close-by-the-fire winter lives. We had dinner with the Hayneses Friday evening. I went to Joanne Scott’s on Sunday for one of her ladies-only teas, then to see Still Alice in Vineyard Haven. All this after barely leaving West Tisbury since January.
Marie-Louise Rouff was invited to Joanne’s, and had to decline because she and her husband, Paul Levine, had invited Jenny Allen and Rob Hauck to lunch at their house. They all belong to John Hough’s writing group, so had lots to talk about. “Extremely lively” was Marie-Louise’s comment. A group of artists, actors, and writers is always interesting, and it was. Paul said, “There were stories all over the place.” And a good meal besides.
I ran into Kerry Saulnier at Cronig’s the other day. She had just returned from a skiing vacation in New Hampshire with her husband Mike and their boys, Eli and Jonah. Everyone “had a blast,” said Kerry. No one broke anything. Now the boys are back to school, and Mike is busy getting his greenhouses ready. Palm Sunday will be here before we know it; it’s early this year, March 29, and Heather Gardens will be open for the annual greenhouse tour.
It’s funny how even with the deepest snow on the ground, gardeners are dreaming of getting our hands in the soil and planting things. Just the mention of Palm Sunday made me think of rainbow displays of pansies, fragrant hyacinths and daffodils, new shrubs to find room for, the vegetable garden to plan.
Slow Food Martha’s Vineyard is hosting their Annual Farmer’s Brunch this Sunday, March 15, 9 to noon, at the Chilmark Community Center. There will be four speakers and exhibits on the theme “Negotiating the Complexity of GMOs — Sourcing Seeds, Feeds, & Foods.” There will surely be lots of garden talk, too, about the best varieties of seeds, which heirloom seeds have been saved, a sharing of information about everything. Plus a wonderful meal and good company. Tickets are available at slowfoodmarthasvineyard.org or at the door. $10 for members or $12 for nonmembers. You won’t go home hungry.
The Morses and Nagles have returned rested and tanned after a family vacation in Tortola. Chris said they had more adventures than usual, including ziplining in the jungle, surfing lessons, snorkeling, day sails, and lots of beach time. There was even an art event, where everyone painted either hibiscus flowers or a landscape, so they came home with seven paintings to display. The party included Chris and Sheila Morse and their daughters Katie, Juliet, and Andrea, and Robin and Kevin Nagle and their son Alex. Robin and Chris are back to their respective galleries, North Water and the Granary.
News from the library includes an artist’s reception this Sunday afternoon, March 15, for Max Skjoldebrand, from 3 pm to 5 pm. He is an architect and photographer of black and white images. This exhibition is of 10 years of photographs taken between December 2004 and December 2014; it’s titled “Lines, Light, Shadows, and Reflections.” There will be live piano music played by David Rhoderick. Refreshments, too.
Writer’s Read is a program where short original prose — fiction or nonfiction — is read and critiqued. Everyone is given six minutes. It will meet in the Program Room at the library on Monday, March 16, at 7 pm. You may sign up in advance at 508-693-4307, or take a chance and sign up on the day.
You can learn all about vaccines on Thursday, March 19, 5 pm to 6 pm, from Dr. Julia Stunkel, Dr. Dana Guyer, and Marnie Toole.
Start reading Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande to prepare for Laura Murphy’s book discussion at the end of the month.
One of my winter projects has been to go through “stuff,” a project I initiate every year with varying amounts of progress. Last week I tackled a bag that had been in a closet upstairs, probably set there in one of my last-minute clean-ups and immediately forgotten about. I found myself clipping and reading some old columns from 2006. It was like reading a diary of my life and the life of our town. Hard to believe I have been writing this column since 2004. Observations of the weather and the environment, births, deaths, marriages, parties, town meetings and events, walks with dogs, tea with friends. So many changes and so much remaining the same.