I awoke on Saturday morning to softly falling snow that had covered our yard and the woods beyond. It continued on and off all day, although it didn’t accumulate more than a couple of inches, just enough to freshen up the foot or so of snow already there. I can’t remember the last winter we had snow on the ground for any appreciable time; it usually falls, looks beautiful for a few hours, a day at most, then disappears as soon as the sun comes out.
Mike and I went out in the morning to do errands during a lull in the snowfall. First stop was the library. I hadn’t been since my knee trouble began. The staff has been wonderful, assembling a selection of books to leave on the reserve shelf for Mike to pick up for me, but it felt pretty good to look through the new mysteries, and to choose some for myself.
And I wanted to see the hooked rugs. What a show. The rugs are a varied collection of styles and sizes, running the gamut from the most traditional landscapes and bouquets to images that display the limitless creative possibilities of the medium and of the artist. I loved them all.
My very favorite was a long runner called “Glimmerglass Neighborhood” by Lynn Marquedant. It is so essentially West Tisbury, an area of town filled with images and people who are so special to me. I remember John Alley’s many references to “the Glimmerglass Girls,” and was delighted to find out who they were: Nancy Cabot, Judy Bryant, Ann Howes, and Susie Boass, cousins who were summer girls, and remained close neighbors after they married and settled on family land. Lynn Marquedant captured the personalities of each woman, the paths between their homes and gardens.
I called Mike in to look at it, to see what I was so excited about. Since Valentine’s Day is approaching, I will comment on how differently we see things. My literal-minded husband saw roads and landmarks not quite in the right places; I saw a work of art. Do opposites attract? I am grateful we can maintain a sense of humor. It has gotten us through 41 years together. Happy Valentine’s Day, Mike.
Do make a point of seeing this show, on display through February.
It is important for all of us to learn about the proposed MVRHS building project. There will be an information session at our library on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 4:30.
It is the time of year when Island organizations are accepting scholarship applications. Tisbury Waterways Inc. Environmental Scholarship was designed to recognize students pursuing a career in marine, coastal, environmental, or related science disciplines. The Martha’s Vineyard Bank Charitable Foundation has two scholarships for students who want to work in public service careers, named for notable Vineyarders who embodied those values, Ronald H. Rappaport and Philip J. Norton Jr. There are lots of others. Check with guidance counselors or websites of organizations. Do it soon; deadlines are coming up in the next couple of months.
Condolences to the family and friends of Nancy Evoy, who died on Jan. 3. Nancy was a librarian off-Island, and a beloved patron and supporter of our library during her years here in West Tisbury.
Our dear friend Shirley Howell died last week, another loss to our longtime Alley’s coffee group. I learned so much about West Tisbury and Island history from listening to Shirley. She was undaunted when Alley’s wouldn’t let us inside during COVID, coming up with the idea to keep meeting in the parking lot on even the coldest days of that winter. She taught me a lot about keeping my mouth shut with her quiet, laconic good humor. My condolences to Kathy and Patty, her beloved daughters, and their families; her brother Dick; nieces and nephews, and the friends she has left behind. We miss you.