We have gratefully lived here, in our beloved and beautiful half of a barn, for 10 years. During that time, chores attached to the change of seasons have become rites calling for a shifting of gears and an activated appreciation of what is being lost and what is being gained. Spring cleaning takes place sometime in April, a process of throwing open the windows, putting up screens, digging out the alarming mounds of dust and dead leaves and greasy bits accumulated during the coldest months of the year, and putting away space-filling winter coats and sweaters. Cleaning up after summer, like right now, is a time for preparing for the season of mostly staying in and being cozy. It consists of washing and putting away outdoor furniture, taking down the screens, scrubbing out ground-in sand, dusting off or throwing away piles of books and papers gathered casually for lazy days, and switching summer clothing and sun-protecting hats for those bulky sweaters, coats, and wintry caps and gloves we’d packed up in spring. As much as I always dread the chore part of this, I am also grateful for the reminder that each season ends and therefore needs to be embraced while it is still here. So while I curse the mud and debris caused by wintry storms, I also celebrate the fall and wintertime of less bugs, a fire in the wood stove, breathing space on our roads, and the coziness of quilts and soft sweaters.
Healthy Aging M.V. has volunteer drivers available to do the driving for seniors who need help getting to medical appointments. The need is particularly acute for those who live up-Island, as there are too few drivers available up here, and apparently some of the taxi services will no longer work with the program to pick up Aquinnah elders, due to distance. If you know anyone who would like to be a hero by becoming a volunteer driver, please have them call Diane Abbot at Healthy Aging M.V. at 508-560-4514. I know of at least one senior who currently needs rides to regularly scheduled physical therapy appointments. Do what you can.
I want to remind you that on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 3 pm in our Aquinnah Town Hall, you can learn some ballroom dance routines, thanks to the Aquinnah library and all the other libraries on the island. Then, the Gay Head 10k, Run for the Light, is taking place on Sunday, Oct. 4, beginning at 10 am. This terrific fundraiser for our lighthouse promises to have more than 100 runners. It means that traffic will be stopped and/or diverted for a time that morning, so plan for it and be careful, and come on out and cheer for the runners if you can. And then on Monday morning, go to the Up-Island Council on Aging to pick up some free fish from the Derby. I urge you to call the council beforehand at 508-693-2896, as it’s a first-come, first-served deal.
Happy birthday to Grace Vanderhoop on Oct. 1, Tim Murphy on Oct. 2, and Nadine Slate on Oct. 7. Also, anniversary cheers to Hollis Smith and Robin Robinson on Oct. 2.
