It’s been such a busy week, as weeks in December tend to be. So much to do to get ready for holidays added to our regular schedules, which were already busy enough.
Mike and I had an extra project thrown in unexpectedly. Our cat, Nelson, started bringing in live field mice. He goes through times when he behaves, leaving his dead relics outside. But periodically he surprises us with live specimens he quickly drops the moment he steps inside. A frantic chase ensues. Mouse wants to escape. Nelson wants to play. Abby, the golden retriever, wants to play too. Mike and I just want to get the mouse back outside.
Then we lock the cat flap for a few days to remind Nelson that his behavior will result in his loss of freedom. It’s really our loss of freedom, since we are at the beck and call of our two cats to let them in and out.
This time at least one mouse survived and began looking for food in our kitchen. Drawers and cabinets had to be emptied, everything cleaned. It turned out to be a good opportunity to reorganize and get rid of duplicates that had been cluttering up the utensil drawer, and the partial bags of comestibles from 2003 that had been forgotten at the back of the cabinet.
Best of all, Mike saw the empty space as an opportunity to build and install the pull-out shelves I had been wanting since we moved into our house in 1985. There was definitely a silver lining in this cloud.
Still, it took time out of the Christmas preparations that should have already begun. I haven’t started baking cookies yet, or wrapping presents, or even bringing up decorations from the basement, let alone starting to decorate the house.
I learned early on that if you just put everything away on Christmas Eve, no one else will notice what you haven’t done. The tree will look decorated. The presents will be wrapped. Something will be blooming in vases or flowerpots. Then forget all you wanted to do, thinking you had plenty of time. The time is past for fantasy. It will be fine.
The Christmas Faire at the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury will be this Saturday, Dec. 11, from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. There will be greens, wreaths, decorations, cards, and gifts for sale. A silent auction has been added. You may bid online at bit.ly/fccwtauc. Another new feature is that you can pre-order greens, wreaths, and table arrangements and pick them up Friday between 9 am and noon. Call 508 693-2842 to place your order.
Franz Schubert’s “Winterreise” will be performed at the church at 3 pm on Sunday. “Winterreise” is an art song cycle for piano and voice that Schubert composed in 1827, setting to music 24 poems by Wilhelm Muller. It will be performed by David Behnke, baritone, and David Rhoderick, pianist. Tickets are $20 for adults, free for students.
Santa Claus will be coming to West Tisbury this Sunday. He will arrive at the Public Safety Building to greet children and families between 1 and 3 o’clock. Visits will be drive-through again this year, and masks will be required.
Town clerk Tara Whiting-Wells wants everyone to know that nomination papers for our town elections will be available at her office on Jan. 3, 2022. There are currently two vacancies: a one-year term on the select board and a seat on the board of assessors. Call Tara at 508-696-0148 between 7:30 am and 12:30 pm for more information.
We had an unexpected visit with Mark and Aimee Bessire last week. They had planned to fly to Tanzania to attend the opening of a photography exhibition that Aimee had curated, but the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID made them reconsider. A trip to West Tisbury seemed a prudent choice. It’s always a treat to see them. I found out about Aimee’s other project called Africa Schoolhouse. She designed and helped build Milembe School and dormitory compound for girls. If you are interested in learning about it or making a donation, see the website: africaschoolhouse.org.
This is my favorite time of year. I love seeing the lights through the trees when I take Abby out at night. The firehouse is outlined in multicolored lights and the Fishers next door have white lights strung through trees beside their house. Mike hung our lights yesterday, along the garden fence like his father used to do.
