The fifth annual Aquinnah Thanksgiving Plunge was a success. Matt Born estimates that there were 25 plungers and many more spirited supporters there. It was a cold but sunny morning, so spirits were especially high. The senior plunger award goes to Bill Lake, followed closely by Jim Wallen, Tom Murphy, and John Born, whose ages remain classified. Youngest plunger award goes to Clovis Smith and Seamus Mahoney, the former who nearly missed the event with an unknown wardrobe malfunction at game time.
As promised, I wasn’t there, instead staying home to bake two turkeys, fruit stuffing, and a gallon of cranberry sauce. This was my contribution to what was an absolutely first-rate feast at Isaac, Noli, Emmett, and Tillie Taylor’s house. The place was filled with the joy of family, including Olive and Violet MacPhail, home from college for the holiday. The food was absolutely wonderful, and it was a great evening. There was a hilarious word game, and a “memory box” brought by Aunt Robin Smith. The latter required us each to write something we were thankful for onto a little card and put it, unsigned, into the box. After dinner the box was handed around the table as each person took out a card and read it aloud. Some of the “thankfuls” were profound, some were funny, but all of them were testimonials to how lucky we all felt on that night.
With Thanksgiving behind us, along with the seasonal closure of Berta, Carla, and Adriana’s shops up on the Cliffs, we are well and truly into a new season, a time of winter holidays and the attendant holiday events.
The first event is one that has lots of us scurrying around in preparation. It’s the eighth annual Aquinnah Artisans Festival, taking place from 10 am to 4 pm this Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6 and 7. It feels profoundly sad to be doing this without the indomitable spark that was Gabbi Camilleri, the woman who founded and stewarded this event for so many years. It is as a tribute to her legacy that it continues. If you attend, you’ll find that there are more artists participating this year than ever before, 28 in all, and many treasures will be available. There’ll be cards and crystals, paintings and pottery, ornaments and decor, photography and wooden toys. You’ll find handmade goods from Wampanoag tribal members, including top-quality jewelry and accessories, feather work, leather goods, and fabric arts. To top it off, you can fill your belly with delicious soup, pastries, and lunch from Orange Peel Bakery. This event is always a great community gathering, with lots of visiting among neighbors and happy children running around soaking up the holiday spirit. If you want a lift from the gloom of winter gray skies, come on by and be cheered.
The M.V. Agricultural Society has announced the return of the Home Grown Club. This is a gathering of home gardeners who meet monthly to share wisdom and find answers to things like seeds and soil, and planning of fruitful, healthy gardens. Attend and help bring the Home Grown Club back to life on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 5 pm at the Ag Hall.
Birthdays this week include Jacob Vanderhoop on Dec. 4, Margie Spitz on Dec. 7, and Mataquhs Vanderhoop on Dec. 8.
