Heard on Main Street: Days go by, seasons change, but special memories remain.
Enjoy the Art of Chocolate Festival at Featherstone this weekend from noon to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 6 and 7. This includes many tasty ways to test the art on sale. You can also check out the Artist Teachers Show while you are there.
Next week I will remind you about the Martha’s Vineyard CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, Oct. 14. The six-mile walk will begin and end at St. Augustine’s Church with a halfway stop for refreshments and rest at Trinity Methodist Church in the Campgrounds. This CROP Walk will be held in memory of the Rev. Alden Besse, founder of the M.V. Hunger Walk and leader for a quarter of a century. He died last year. Also this year, Betty Burton will be honored for her 20 years of leadership in the Vineyard efforts to alleviate hunger on the Island.
Twenty-five percent of the CROP Walk funds will benefit the Island. The remainder contribute to emergency food supplies and agricultural training and farm equipment globally. For more on how you can help, go online or call Woody Bowman at 508-693-7240.
I hope the SSA rate hike will result in the dependability we had come to expect. It will take us a while to get back our belief that the boats will be there, never mind be able to run on time. I was astonished at how many friends from abroad knew the SSA has been dealing with so many problem ferries. I must admit I have always been able to go off or come home, even if sometimes a bit late.
The Vineyard Haven library has craft times both for kids and adults. On Saturday, Oct. 13, adults and teens over 12 will make a silicone mold that you can use to cast multiple plaster shells or your own objects. Mold Making and Plaster Casting is offered free from 3 to 5 pm. You do need to plan to stay for the full 2 hours, because the silicone and plaster need time to dry.
A friend emailed me an unbelievable collection of “ads that will never run again.” At least we hope so. These were ordinary run-of-the-mill advertisements from years past, selling handguns for household use, safe for toddlers, and as Christmas gifts. Other ads offered cigarettes, one featuring a future president. They even proposed kitchen mixers and vacuum cleaners as gifts. I think my husband must have seen one of these a long time ago. Because I do remember the year he bought me a vacuum cleaner for Christmas — and I told him to return it or use it himself.
It seems astonishing that anyone would remain married to the same man for 57 years. But I have to admit I did. And it has been an interesting journey taking us up and down the East Coast and, most important for him, back home to Martha’s Vineyard. I just realized that we’ve celebrated many more of our anniversaries on Island than not. This Sunday Donald and I are pleased to mark our anniversary here yet again. Cheers to David and Nancy Pritchard, who are also counting 57 happy years together.
Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go out today to Mya Houston. Tomorrow belongs to Peg Elwell. Wish the best on Saturday to Donald Childs. Happy birthday to Pat Benway on Sunday.
Heard on Main Street: Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
