Monday’s New York Times had an article about procrastination set prominently on page 3. It gave tips on how to better organize your time, to accomplish more, to avoid procrastinating. There was nothing new in it, mostly tips on to-do lists and accountability, evaluating your progress at the end of the day, setting priorities for tomorrow.
I consider procrastination my very worst habit, one that I try to overcome, but at which I repeatedly fail. Which is why Mike and I spent most of a glorious Sunday inside working on our taxes instead of outside enjoying the day. At least we had sun pouring through our dining room windows, making it pleasant to be working at the table. Piles of tax forms covered the surface. Of course, the form we were looking for was always in the last pile we looked at, probably at the bottom. Still, it was a pleasant enough day, and I’m glad to be almost done with our taxes for this year.
It was also Palm Sunday. I hadn’t paid much attention to the annual tradition of the Island’s garden centers making it a special occasion, to herald their reopening and to show off colorful plants hardy enough to satisfy a gardener’s desire to dig in the soil, to plant something, anything, after the long winter.
The Rev. Cathlin Baker led a special Palm Sunday service at the West Tisbury Congregational Church to mark the beginning of Holy Week. Thursday evening, there will be a Tenebrae service and Communion at 7:30 pm. Easter morning begins with a traditional service at the church at 9:30 am. At 11 am, a community service will begin at the Agricultural Hall. There will be childcare and church school, all followed by an Easter egg hunt.
Passover will begin at sundown tonight. Families will gather for the first night’s Seder at homes across town. Tuesday evening is the Community Seder at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center. This year, the Seder will be led by rabbinic intern Dan Schaefer and Ljuba Davis.
There will be services and events all over the Island, so please look in the Times for listings.
The sunrise services have always appealed to me, the idea of watching the sun come up at some beautiful place. Ann Nelson invited West Tisbury Church members to her pondside for several years. I always meant to go, but always woke up too late, and thought about it for the next year. Now the opportunity has passed.
Oops. More procrastination.
An interesting notice from the Island Food Pantry. They will close the pantry at the Stone Church on April 14, as usual, but will be open for summer hours there on Wednesdays, from 3 to 6 pm. They will continue to collect food donations through the summer, too.
The West Tisbury library programs this week are as follows: Friday, April 14, 7 pm, “An Introduction to Shamatha (Calm Abiding) Meditation” discussion with Shangpa Rinpoche of the Bodhi Path; Saturday, April 15, the Spring Egg Hunt will begin at 10 am sharp. Bring your basket and gather outside the library entrance. There will be special crafts inside afterward; at 3 pm, journalist and Boston University professor John Kennedy will speak about “The Real News About Fake News: Taking Responsibility for Your Media Illiteracy.” Tuesday, April 18, 11:30 am, a program for children ages 6 and up to learn about our local reptiles like snapping turtles and milk snakes will be presented by Felix Neck; at 5 pm, Emily Cavanaugh will read from and discuss her newly released first novel, “The Bloom Girl.” Thursday, April 20, 5 pm, there will be a classical music concert by harpist and singer-songwriter Natalie Lurie.
Don’t forget the library and all town offices will be closed for Easter and Patriot’s Day.
The Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society, Dukes County Conservation District, Island Grown Initiative, and Polly Hill Arboretum will present a free program, “Out of the Air and In the Soil: Putting Atmospheric Carbon in its Place,” at the Ag Hall on Friday, April 21, at 7 pm. Featured speakers are Julie Rawson, executive director of Northeast Organic Farmers Association, and Jack Kittredge of the Soil Carbon Program, NOFA, and owner-operator of Many Hands Organic Farm in Barre. Learn about ways to increase soil carbon content in farm fields and gardens to improve productivity and reduce carbon dioxide greenhouse gas.
Dr. Jay Segel announces the “official Dyna-Flange website,” dynaflange.com, has just been launched, introducing the over-the-counter orthotic directly to consumers. Jay said that prefab orthotics are fine for people with relatively normal-width feet, and neither high nor low arches. They are for sale at Brickman’s, so far the only retail storefront granted permission to carry the Dyna-Flange OTC. They are also available at Amazon, but the staff at Brickman’s has been specially trained by Jay, and you can try them right there. For custom orthotics, Dr. Segel’s office in West Tisbury is still the place.
