The wind has continued to strip trees of their last leaves, and litter the ground with branches. The air is full of moisture that finally broke into a lightning-lashed rain. Despite a warm and misty sky, my view is open again, entwined branches, rhythmic lines of tree trunks that seem to go on into infinity, though only to Tiah’s Cove Road.
Norm and Kathy Lobb have been off-Island, or “up North,” in Kathy’s description, visiting their daughters in Vermont. They spent the first week with Dee, Doug, and Skylar Quesnel. Among their many activities, a highlight was attending Skylar’s gymnastic meet. They spent their second week with Amanda and Roger Clary. Kathy called it “a whirlwind trip.” Now she is getting ready for Thanksgiving, while Norm is busy laying out his Christmas lights for the magical show he puts up every year. Can’t wait to see it.
Beth Kramer asked me to remind seniors that the monthly luncheon in Aquinnah has been moved to Wednesday, Nov. 19. It will begin at noon in the Aquinnah Town Hall. The meal is healthy and free, sponsored by the Friends of the Up-Island Council on Aging. All are welcome.
Its annual Friendsgiving luncheon, also free, will be Thursday, Nov. 20, at noon. It will be held at the Chilmark Community Center this year. It’s always a fabulous meal, and it feels indulgent to be cooked for and waited on by West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah policemen, as well as UICOA staff. Fun to see all of our fellow elders, and to catch up with everyone, too.
There will be a special concert called “Longing and Listening” at the West Tisbury library on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 3:30 pm. Molly Conole and Lisa Weiss will perform a song cycle called “Bloomsbury Songs,” set to poems by James Joyce, and written by West Tisbury’s Phil Dieterrich. The concert will include music by Samuel Barber, André Previn, and John Kandor.
Also at the library on Saturday afternoon are a seed sorting and tea from 12 to 2 pm, and a program by Patrick Roden Reynolds about how to protect ourselves from ticks at 5:30 pm. Build a contraption with Hugh Phear on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 pm. At 2:15 pm, Heather Massey, Joyce Maxner, and Beth Kramer will talk about the newly formed Island Volunteer Community Care Circle for After-Death Care. The Climate Book Club will meet at 4 pm to discuss Bill McKibben’s book “Here Comes the Sun.” Sign up to attend and to get the book at
Wednesday, Nov. 19, there will be Tummy Time for Babies from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, and at 4:30 pm, a program by the West Tisbury emergency management department advising residents about preparing for cold winter weather and storms, and getting ready for the holidays.
Last Sunday was Lyn Hinds’ birthday. Ruth Kirchmeier, Claire Chalfoun, and I were invited by Lyn’s son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Monica Hinds, to visit her. We arrived bearing chocolate cake and ice cream, to find Lyn awaiting us at a festive, beautifully set table. Ruth had brought some photographs of the four of us from times past. We all brought memories and stories of our long artistic and loving personal friendship. Jackie Giordano joined us. Scott and Monica, who are musicians, gave a concert just for us. Word is they will be performing at Carnegie Hall sometime this spring. They were terrific, as was the whole afternoon.
