This time of year opportunities for connection abound. It is also a time to pause and ponder.
I am rereading David Silberman’s “This Land is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving.”
This is the time of year when I like to carpool, so I can visit with friends, because it feels as if the chore list has grown exponentially; at the same time, opportunities for shopping, great movies, and music crowd out quiet moments. I prefer to spend less time getting places and more time in places.
This week I am pulling out the recipe books to offer alpha-gal-friendly soups, etc., for the reception after the Offerings of Music and Light, Sunday, Dec. 1, at 5 pm at the Chilmark Community Church, 9 Menemsha Crossroads, Chilmark. Rabbi Lori Shaller will tell a story, “The Power of Prayer to Create Light,” and Warren Doty, Seán McMahon, Adele Dreyer, Georgia Halliday, and the Loon Lane Players will sing. We will light candles, lift one another into the light, and break bread.
I have marked Friday afternoons, from 2 to 4 pm, for the Sewing Circle at Pathways in Chilmark. We are encouraged to bring a project, knitting, slow stitching, mending; questions answered, start something with their materials, or just visit. No previous experience required (free).
Alex Karalekas brings us a Chilmark Potluck Jam this Saturday, Nov. 30, at the Chilmark Community Center. This is one of my favorites, because it is easy for most of us to find yummy potluck contributions and to enjoy a visit with many who have returned for the holiday.
Katie Carroll, in memory of the late June Manning, honorary grandmother of Station Menemsha, is looking for volunteers to deliver sweets, treats, or snacks to the station Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays throughout the month of December, with a kickoff date of Monday, Dec. 2. This is less formal than the “Adopt a Coastie” initiative, but equally as rewarding. It can be as simple as a batch of cookies, or as indulgent as shrimp cocktail (June’s go-to treat to drop off). You can base your baking and whatnot on about a dozen people.
Get your tickets for the Grange Hall, Thursday, Dec. 5, at 7 pm, for an evening of readings and conversation with Chilmark treasure and author Nancy Slonim Aronie, celebrating the launch of her new book, “Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay: Crafting the Story Only You Can Write.” Nancy will be joined by fellow writers John Abrams, Naomi Beinart, Glenn Bergenfield, Kate Feiffer, Daphne Friese, Brad Hamermesh, Julia Kidd, Steve Kemper, Jim Murrin, Joy Reichart, Suzy Trotta, Kate Taylor, and Gerry Yukevich, who will each share their own short personal essays. It’s followed by a reception featuring refreshments, charcuterie, and an opportunity to meet the writers, and it’s sponsored by Circuit Arts. Here’s the ticket link: circuitarts.org/bookreading.
If you have any Chilmark town column suggestions, email Claire Ganz at cganz@live.com.
