Jen Dunham just sent me a beautiful picture of their family dog, Gracie. Jen said that Aug. 26 was National Dog Day. Having taken care of many of these critters for years, I thought every day was national dog day! Well if Moms and Dads and administrative assistants and grandparents get a day, certainly a dog must have his day, too.

If you sign up by Sept. 1 for the first Martha’s Vineyard Community Services fundraiser, a golf classic presented by our hardworking Rotary Club members, you will get a $50 discount off the registration fee of $250. The tourney will be held on Sept. 28 at the Vineyard Golf Club in Edgartown. Do you think Bill and Barack will return to play in the tournament?

Indomitable Shirley Mayhew will speak at the Vineyard Haven Public Library on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. This woman has done and still does everything. The topic is her new book, Looking Back: My Long Life on Martha’s Vineyard. Go to the program room downstairs. All talks are free and open to everyone.

Speaking of library activities, those of us who can’t get enough of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky’s masterpieces, may study Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov with Philip Weinstein from mid-September through December 2. Mr. Weinstein is the Alexander Griswold Cummins professor emeritus at Swarthmore and has graced our library with many fine programs. The talks will be held at the Katharine Cornell Theatre. A limited number of copies of the books with specific translations that Mr. Weinstein will be using are set aside at the library. Call 508-696-4211 0r visit vhlibrary.org. to register.

I probably should not say this after writing of such momentous literary works, but I had to take a break from the serious and heavy reading I have been doing. It actually gives me agita to study our many mistakes in Iraq in the book Blackwater.

My sister in law Pat Gardella came up from Brooklyn with the perfect summer reading book. Dog Days: A Year in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile by Dave Ihlenfeld. Pat tucked a photo in the book, which I am using as a bookmark. The picture is of Pat and a friend posing in front of the Wienermobile. Like most of us, Mr. Ihlenfeld didn’t know what to do after college so he signed on to spend a year in this ridiculous vehicle. Mr. Ihlenfeld says the best time of his whole year was being sent to the annual Albuquerque balloon festival. It boasts about 700 imaginative and beautiful balloons. American ingenuity once again.

The Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council grant writing workshop will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at the West Tisbury Library. This a very significant annual event. Those of you involved with all things cultural and nonprofit organizations would do well to sign up. Grant applications are due on Oct. 15.

Tammy Morrison Glenn has such a flair for all things edible. She announces that her closed group on Facebook, Cooking on the Vineyard, now has 600 members and all kinds of recipes from the frugal to the fattening. Ms. Glenn will let you join the group if you ask her. I am a member, as I am of the Martha’s Vineyard Poetry Society. I am too intimidated by the talent presented by my colleagues to enter anything on these groups. But I do enjoy reading about it. And the photos.

The Kleins had full houses and many visitors for several weeks now. One of the highlights over at Marvin and Susan Kanowith Klein’s cottage was the arrival of son Andy and his friend, Noa. Susan misses them greatly but will occupy her time now with art classes and reading for the next few weeks on Island. Perhaps she’ll read Dog Days?

Get well wishes go out to Jim Hart who is being tuned up at a hospital off-Island. We hope you are well and return soon, Jim!

Anniversary bouquets go out to Ed Mossy and Clare Ann Harrington on August 30.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Peter Weisman, Janet Stokes, Mat Rice, Chris Alley, George Platt and Debbie Healy today, August 28. Marck Baline celebrates on August 29. August 30 shines on Laura Honey, Monique Cormier, Greta Katova and Susan Kanowith Klein. August 31 honors Jessica Dolliver, Anna Edey, Tanita Macy, Jim Pringle and Van Morrison. September 1 is for Reymundo Garza, Crystal Ewart and my young friend, Shane on Leonard Circle. September 2 is a party for twins Brandon and Lindsay Smith, Ann Bassett and Joanne Beattie. And on September 3 Gabrielle Joubert, Judy Bitgood, Tessa Grant, Seth Gambino, Christine Geddis, Stuart Bangs and Leigh Anne Searle take the cake. Many happy returns.

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