Heard on Main Street: Last week the weatherman predicted “snow as heavy as Mom’s mashed potatoes.”
The Wishing Tree at 124 William St. is waiting for you. All are welcome to visit this tree through New Year’s Eve to tie ribbons and hang tags with written wishes or prayers on them. Bring your own tags or ribbons, but some are there for you to put on the tree. You can light a candle for someone you love, are thinking about, or are missing during this time. The Simpkins welcome visitors to the Wishing Tree all day and after dark as long as the lights are on. This is also a special and safe activity if you wear your mask and keep socially distanced.
This Sunday, Dec. 13, you can Shop to Share in our town. Ten percent of sales from some Tisbury businesses will go to the Vineyard Committee on Hunger, but only on Sunday. Some of these stores will have raffle baskets as well. All raffle money goes to the Family to Family food program for the holiday.
Last week I had to call Chase Bank because of an email declaring a problem with my credit card. Chase takes forever to let you actually talk to a person — but the answer was what I feared. They never do that. They say there have been a lot of such texts and emails sent out by people trying to steal your identity. Never give any kind of personal information, especially any numbers in reply to emails. Be alert and save yourself.
The Vineyard Haven library has some special suggestions for reading if you are interested in a wider perspective. For example, “Custer Died for Your Sins: Shadows from the Past and Portents for the Future,” by Vine Deloria Jr. He shares our history, with humor, about U.S. race relations, federal bureaucracies, and Christian churches. I do like the title.
Then there is “Ceremony,” about a young Native American returning to his reservation after surviving the horrors of a Japanese POW camp during WWII. This book is by Leslie Marmon Silko. Helen Hunt Jackson’s book is called “Century of Dishonor: A Sketch of the U.S. Government’s Dealings with Some of the Indian Tribes.” Just reading about these books makes you stop and think.
Cat lovers on your gift list might enjoy a new book every cat lover should have. A veterinarian who loves cats wrote a book about “What Cats Want” and what they are trying to tell you. Dr. Jelle Atema will tell you about the Secret Life of Reef Fishes at 6 pm on Tuesday, Dec. 15. This is his fourth talk on how creatures use their senses underwater. Previous talks in this series can be found on the library’s Vimeo channel vimeo.com/user124269588.
Or join a knitting group online at 10 am, Friday, Dec. 11. Sit and knit a bit or do a little crocheting or quilting while connecting with others during this weekly Zoom session. Register for these with amcdonough@clamsnet.org.
It’s December. I could probably write a letter to Santa; maybe I should. But I can’t get up the holiday spirit to write my cards with any sort of cheery note. Instead I feel as if this COVID mess will just get worse and never end.
Did you realize that one of the most important steps in protecting yourself right now is to wash your hands whenever you leave someplace that is not your home, especially every public place? And before you take those germs home with you. Or at least use the gel your thoughtful daughter-in-law left in your car for you to do just that. I suddenly realized this morning I have become a bit forgetful about doing that.
Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go out to Doug Cabral today. Wish the best on Sunday to Kayla Pachico. Ken Beebe celebrates on Monday, and his wife Laura Beebe parties on Wednesday. That’s what I call an excuse for a celebration.
Heard on Main Street: A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
If you have any Tisbury Town Column suggestions, email Kay Mayhew, tashmoorock@gmail.com.
