KATHIE CASE

508-627-5349

(kcase1@verizon.net)

Mother Nature is painting our trees beautiful colors, it is warm, the Red Sox are in the World Series and the Patriots are undefeated. What more could we ask for?

Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day these past few weeks. Big balloons go out to Jullyo Lima, Michael Morris, Taylor Blair, Matthew Davies, David Sweitzer Jr., Erin Hill, Ella Jernegan, Kenon Veno, Maggie Lindland, Tayla Kuehne, Alexander Guest, Anna Bettencourt, Caitlin McHugh, John Morris, Michael Johnson and Mary Morano who all celebrated their birthdays during these weeks.

I know we read a lot of thank-you notes in the paper for our town police and local emergency medical services workers and the hospital. But until you experience it first-hand, you find out how much you do appreciate them.

Two weeks ago Sunday, my husband Ralph went out dip netting and I got the call he needed help. I called 911 and told them the situation and before I knew it he had oxygen on, the emergency medical technicians and the paramedic were at the scene. He was taken to our hospital where the nurses and doctors took over and then flown to Boston. This all within four hours. How lucky we are to have these dedicated people.

I cannot thank these people enough because if it weren’t for them, Ralph might not be here. Our family has been very supportive and thank God that Ralph will be all right with the right medicine and exercise.

It is a small world. While at Mass General, I was walking down the hall and ran into Claire Rabbitt from Vineyard Haven. She was just down the hall from Ralph and I introduced them and he remembered her husband Owen who worked for the Tisbury water department many years ago. Then while he was waiting for a procedure, Ralph thought he recognized the people across from him and he finally realized that it was his former classmate Barbara Stewart Lopes. She was with her mother, Kathryn Stewart. Come to find out Mrs. Stewart was just down the hall from Ralph also. Lela Gilkes was by my side for support and to lend an extra ear, and we were in the elevator going down and we noticed that out of 12 people, nine of us were Islanders. We were glad to see Mrs. Rabbitt going home and her family around her.

I want to let people know that we have let the fire department use our Halloween props this year. It will be interesting to see what they do with all those body parts. So drop by and check it out.

Have a great week and keep the home candles burning.