KATHIE CASE

508-627-5349

(kathleencase@comcast.net)

What can I say about the weather this week, except that we are here, we have electricity and we still have our homes. How fortunate are we?

Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Gabriella Carlos, who celebrated her day on Oct. 27; to Tobias Russell Schaeffer on Oct. 28; to Lillie Cabral on Oct. 30; to Joshua Brown on Oct. 31; and to Thiago Muniz and Tristen Sheller, who celebrate their birthday today, Nov. 2.

Once again we are fortunate to have gotten just the winds from Sandy. I talked to my girlfriend Carrie in New Jersey and they still do not have power. They are far enough inland not to have gotten flooded, but they have friends near the shore that they are worried about.

We ventured out to check on a house for a friend and drove through town while the water was up to Dock street and the Chappy ferry slip was put up to its highest point, with the water almost touching it. Charlie Blair’s harbor patrol boat was on the lift at Edgartown Marine — just a few more feet and they would have not needed to lower it back in the water.

We lost our power for about three hours, which brought us back to the old days when they lived by oil lamps. We pulled ours out figuring both our grandparents had used them during their lifetime. But we were back to the future real quick when I pulled out the laptop that had been charging and watched a movie while the lights were out. Just as the movie finished, the lights came on. That gave us a chuckle. I had told Ralph earlier that we might even have to talk if the lights stayed out. Now that was worth a laugh.

Just a reminder that there will be an auction/benefit for Tim Fullin Saturday night Nov. 3 at the P.A. Club in Oak Bluffs.

Last week I neglected to mention the scarecrows on Main street put up by the charter school. They were terrific. I had a hard time choosing my favorite, although I love the man by Summer Shades that looked so real you had to do a double-take. Then there was the dolphin from Dolphin Tales, a movie I had just watched. They were all great. Thanks to charter school; we look forward to next year’s goblins.

John Murphy of Tracker Home Décor in Edgartown is participating in the 2012 Southport, Conn. Congregational Church’s 18th Annual Design Showcase. The three-day event, held Nov. 2 to 4, features vignettes of Interior Design by 12 designers. This year’s show is a tribute to the design icon Albert Hadley, who started the event in 1994. The theme is Design on a Shoestring, which was inspired by an editorial, Summer on A Shoestring: Before and After, that Mr. Hadley wrote for Vogue in 1959. For more information you can go online to southportucc.org, or check it out on Facebook.

This week we watched Jesse Sylvia from West Tisbury win second place in the World Series of Poker. Many Vineyarders cheered him on both in Las Vegas and the Island. Congratulations, Jesse!

Our love, thoughts and prayers go out to our friends in New York and New Jersey. Many of them could be our neighbors here.

Remember to vote on Tuesday. Polls are open at the town hall from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Have a great week and keep the home candles burning.