JOHN S. ALLEY
508-693-2950
The temperature dropped like a stone on Sunday and the strong winds made it feel so much colder. Old Jack Frost paid us a brief Tuesday night visit. He vows to return again this weekend with a few more calling cards. The leaves, for the most part, have fallen to the ground, and along with the shorter days it is getting mighty grim outside. It is amazing that when the weather is warmer people are in a good mood. As you may have noticed the deer have been moving around lately, due primarily to the hunting season, and you are apt to see them in the strangest places. One was spotted wandering in the brush behind the post office in North Tisbury on Tuesday. Speculation has it that she might have been planning to mail a package before the holiday rush begins.
The Thanksgiving holiday will find quite a few families gathering in town and a fair amount of us going off-Island. Boat and air traffic will be busier than usual starting tomorrow and all next week in both directions.
Dudley Eppel and his wife Nancy, of Vero Beach, Florida, arrive tomorrow to prepare their house for family who will be arriving from around the country to enjoy a good meal and spend a long Thanksgiving weekend with them at their home on Pond View Road. Dudley has selected a farm fresh turkey and is bringing along oranges and grapefruit from Florida.
The First Congregational Church will be holding a family Thanksgiving service at 10 a.m. on Sunday. All are welcome.
Gloria Sylva, over at the school, reports that students will be dismissed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Tuesday and will not return to their desks until Dec. 1. Robin Maciel-Wingate and Marsha Curtis, teachers at the school, organized the 15th annual Turkey dinner drive.
Their goal is to furnish 40 families with a complete Thanksgiving meal. They ask that all donations be turned in by the close of school today. Because of the declining enrollment at the school, they ask if it is possible to donate an extra item. If any members of the community would like to donate, please contact the school. Gloria and her husband Roger will be hosting a family Thanksgiving dinner at their Old County Road home for more than 20 people.
Allen and Lynne Whiting will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary on Monday in the same house in which they were married. It was the first wedding ceremony I performed as a justice of the peace. Congratulations to a swell couple!
Sal Laterra, of Providence, R.I., arrived yesterday to spend the weekend with Phyllis Meras on Music street.
Conroy’s Apothecary in North Tisbury has begun two new services: Island-wide prescription delivery and a drive-through prescription service. For more information, call them at 508-693-7070.
Garcia’s (aka Back Alley’s) is accepting orders for Thanksgiving pies until next Tuesday. Alexis, her husband, Paul, and their son Noah will be heading down to Pittsburgh, Pa. to celebrate Thanksgiving with his folks.
The First Congregational Church will hold their annual Christmas Faire on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Faire will be selling holiday greens, homemade Christmas crafts and baked goods. For more information, call the church office at 508-693-2842.
Marsha Winsryg, of Road to the Pond, reports that there will be a Cultural Survival Craft Sale next Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School.
This year marks the 106th anniversary of the first electric Christmas ornament and it well worth your while to drive by the Gatchell residence on County Road in Oak Bluffs to view their superb display of Christmas lighting. They will be turning them on Thanksgiving night and every night until New Year’s Day. Bob reports that they have been hard at work decorating their yard, hanging almost 25 thousand lights for the past few weeks and that he will unveil a new surprise or two that he has been working on for several months that will make it an even more fantastic display of Christmas lighting than last season.
Mrs. Bradlee Martin, of Tiah’s Cove, set out to bake a custard pie on the morning before Thanksgiving Day in 1939.
The ingredients were 18 turkey eggs from the nest out in the barn, fresh milk and cream from the famous Martin Jersey cows, granulated sugar, Sumatra spices, and the finest that SM Mayhew Co. had in stock.
The mixture was beaten, whipped and blended. Mrs. Martin placed the dish in the oven and thought that in due time it would emerge a beautiful browned custard pie.
At the appointed time she went back to the oven opened the door and removed her culinary delight, but to her amazement, the crust was on top and the custard was on the bottom of the pie.
Her husband Bradlee immediately suspected it was the pure vanilla extract that she had used to flavor it with. “Why, that stuff is 40 per cent alcohol and s’nough to turn anything upside down!”
Happy birthday to: Danny Metell, Stephanie Russell, Willy Mason and Bernice Kirby today, Dan Cabot, Nancy Dole and Kenneth Silva tomorrow, Paddy Moore, Ann Reekie and Richard Greene on Sunday, Teddy Karalekas, Nick Bayer and Ken Belain on Monday, Dan Waters and Helen Green on Tuesday, Maria Gaskill and Owen White on Wednesday, Cindy Barrett, Joe Amaral, Eleanor Waldron, Erik Vanlandingham and Whitney Brush on Thursday.
Belated birthday wishes to Teresa Nelson.
Well, that is all of the social news for this week’s column. If you have any news please call or e-mail me. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
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