Heard on Main Street: Don’t take yourself too seriously; no one else does.
The Vineyard Haven library now welcomes visitors to the children’s room, though there is a time limit of 25 minutes and a limited number may be in the room at one time.
If you haven’t already signed up for Uncanny Voyages with Phil Weinstein, you can register now at bit.ly/3mCbuds. Swarthmore College professor Weinstein will offer a seven-part seminar centering on writers who explore extreme situations, with readings from Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Freud, Kafka, Faulkner, and Flannery O’Connor. Hosted on Zoom, the class is on Wednesdays every two weeks at 7 pm, from Jan. 26 to April 20, 2022. Reading assignments will be sent later this month.
You can join the weekly Conversation en Francais on Tuesdays, at 9 am. All levels are welcome.
And the Vineyard Haven library Spice Club, a cookbook group, meets at 6 pm on Zoom one Tuesday a month. Registration comes with a sample pack of the spice of the month and a little history. Prepare a recipe and come for discussion on the spice powdered nutmeg on Tuesday, Nov. 23. Register with amcdonough@clamsnet.org.
Little ones can join Emily for a special in-person Storytime at the Library, on Friday, Nov 19, at 10:30 am, best for ages 1 to 5. Masks are required to be worn by all over the age of two. Attendance is limited, registration is required at bit.ly/3FnipPf.
Don’t forget to write your check to the library building fund. It is worth more if received before Dec. 31 to receive the matching grant. Mail your check to VHLBFI, P.O. Box 4961, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.
I appreciated Bruce Stone’s question about the sidewalks on Beach Road. He asked whether anyone had asked elderly or disabled folks about changing the smooth sidewalks for bumpy ones. I can tell you that the coarse rough surface makes it difficult for a walker or anything with wheels. Almost as bad as the new walkways and ramps found at the M.V. Museum and West Tisbury library.
Sometimes I don’t agree with the thoughts about losing someone who will be “missed across the Island.” But June Manning certainly is one who is missed in many different corners of our Island. And for whom many are thankful that she touched our lives in a variety of ways.
I was a little shocked by the letter where a pedestrian wrote of being harassed on the ferry about vaccines and masks. I thought wearing masks was at least a federal law as well as a state law in all public vehicles. Have we really been doing this for nearly two years and many are still ignoring the need? Why don’t the ticket takers on the ferry prohibit unmasked people from boarding? Bus drivers do that, if only for their own safety. I wonder if the food cashiers would do it — bet they see more of those folks than anyone else.
How is it that popups on my computer only come up when I am composing a story or letter or an email? And why does that blow the idea right out of my head?
Everyone knows that happens when you walk into a different room — but then you only have to walk back to where you were and the idea comes back. Haven’t figured out how to erase the damage of the popup except to hope my mind will eventually come up with the same idea.
What if all the countries who spent thousands to send people to discuss climate change simply applied those amounts to help fix the problem and let those folks stay home next year?
I love the humor my friends share online. My New Zealand friend sent a series of photos of unusual doormats. One just said “go away” but another made me smile with “nice underwear.”
The turkeys are still crowding the roads. I guess they don’t have a calendar. Though I have a few friends in West Tisbury and Chilmark who claim the local turkeys are quite tasty, almost anything can be good with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.
I am so happy this year that my daughter-in-law is bringing everything our table could need, including my granddaughter’s homemade pumpkin pie.
Also, I am grateful that I found my old list of birthdays just in time because we do have a number this next week. Big bunches of birthday balloon wishes go out Saturday to Noreen Flanders, Craig Dripps, Adam Rogers, and Joseph P. Canha. On Sunday, wish the best to Pam Cassel, Tracy Matthiessen, M.J. Munafo, and Marion Burke. Monday belongs to Dan Cabot and Alexander Ray. Finally, I wish a very happy birthday to Greg Coogan on Tuesday.
Heard on Main Street: The buttons on my jeans have started social distancing from each other.
