Easing into September might just be my favorite time of year in Edgartown. Labor Day is past us, and Sissy Biggers of the Vineyard Preservation Trust stated it perfectly: “The season has been marked by glorious weather and grateful visitors, starting with the combined celebration of the 50th anniversary of ‘Jaws’ and our own 50th celebration of the Vineyard Preservation Trust, and capped with Labor Day Weekend, with even more grateful visitors discovering the magic of what September is.” I chatted with Sissy recently when I stopped by the Carnegie to get some work done on my laptop. The Insider secret is that the Carnegie is open to the public who not only want to explore the Island’s history, but are also looking for a quiet place of respite to read, write, or tackle emails in between beach outings and dinner reservations. On that note, photographer Libby Ellis has a new collection of black-and-white photographic portraits of garden-grown flowers displayed here. Interweaving “little particles of dream,” Ellis has re-envisioned the front reading room cabinets at the Carnegie. All are warmly welcome; the exhibit will be up through Oct. 18.
As we all find ourselves with more time, it’s also the time when we’re seeing our friends back in line at the Post Office, and I recently ran into Christian Thornton, chef and owner of Atria, while waiting for our packages at the mail, and we got to chatting about the season. Seeing him reminded me I had yet to stop in to dine there, and as luck would have it, two days later I received an invite for dinner there from a friend. May this be a reminder not only to support our locally owned restaurants, but to also check in with your friends after a busy summer and grab a meal together. I’m sure we all have some great summer stories to share over Atria’s Crispy Wok Fired Calamari, Summer Peach and Arugula Salad, and its Eight-Hour Braised Boneless Short Ribs — exactly what we ordered last week and blissfully enjoyed.
A couple of events this week that I have my eye on to attend and have jotted on my calendar: on Sept. 8 at 6:30 pm, there’s a serene yoga class under the moon and stars at Bend in the Road Beach, led by YogiJay, who will teach “sleep yoga,” a guided practice that leads to a deep state of relaxation and healing. All levels are welcome. Please bring your own mats, blankets, or towels with you. Contact the library if you require directions.
Another library event is on Sept. 9 at 4 pm, and let me tell you, this sounds oddly interesting, and at the end I’ll tell you why: an educational presentation with Dr. Robert Gagel, who will be focusing on strategies for preventing and treating fractures and osteoporosis. Dr. Gagel is the former head of the department of internal medicine at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and has served as the president and chairman of the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation. Why does this sound interesting to a 40-year-old woman like me? Well, because bone health is something we don’t talk about enough at this age, and it’s quite important, so much so that the latest marketing health trends are the weighted vests you might have seen all over social media. There’s science-backed research on how walking daily with weighted vests might help your bone density, but don’t believe me. Attend this conversation with Dr. Gagel, and ask him directly!
Birthday wishes go out on Sept. 6 to the talented island photographer Jocelyn Filley; on Sept. 7 to Puppy Cavallo of Soigné, who makes one of my favorite brownies on the Island; and on Sept. 8 to Denise McCann, whom I’ve enjoyed following as she became the launch boat lady this season in Edgartown, and Colleen Macsuga on the same day, known for not only being a friendly face at our local lululemon, but also who puts us into vinyasa yoga positions that make me rethink my life choices! Cheers to you and all you do for Edgartown; may you have a marvelous week ahead!