NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(iklean@yahoo.com)

Oops! Time for new hearing aids. When I mentioned two lifelong West Chop couples in last week’s column who visited in the off-season, I heard the word “former” not “summer” friends. I apologize for causing any offense — these friends are still very much a part of our year-round lives.

Our Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center and our Good Shepherd Parish launched Thursday night community dinners on Jan. 10 at St. Augustine’s. Thanks go out to so many hot casseroles, desserts, salads and time from volunteers. Stop and Shop’s donations are especially welcome. These dinners will continue through March 21. What a great way to mingle with your neighbors, enjoy hearty fair and beat the winter blues! You are all welcome to the potlucks. Call Carole Early at 508-693-7914 if you have any questions.

Speaking of good eats with a flair, the first cultural luncheon of the year sponsored by our Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living takes place from noon to 2 p.m. next Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Grill on Main in Edgartown. The Center for Living is focusing on business and the arts in our community. The first speaker will be Ann Smith, the executive director of Featherstone Center for the Arts. Call Leslie Clapp to reserve your seat. Admission is $25. I’ll see you there.

That is also the weekend of the traditional Robbie Burns birthday dinner presented by the Scottish Society of Martha’s Vineyard. Everyone is welcome, but call Deborah Medders to reserve your seat. This is our annual opportunity to eat haggis. I haven’t seen it on any Island restaurant menus. The toasting to the queen, the president, the lassies, and the laddies . . . and the piper leading in the haggis and men in kilts — I suggest you experience this at the Harbor View Hotel.

Jim and Trude Hart report from Florida that their health is good and they are very busy; who’s surprised? Trude is working along with her West Palm Beach Garden Club and Jim is involved in all his many organizations, among them his American Legion Post, his Eastern Airlines Retirees Association, his 8th Air Force Historical Society and so on. Jim delighted the Eastern Airlines Retirees at their Christmas luncheon with the tale of our neighborhood’s big ruckus over Ruppert the Rooster a few years back. Ruppert lives on in our hearts and memories, and a few of us were fortunate enough to get his cock-a-doodle-do on recording.

As you know, the West Tisbury Library is using different facilities to keep their programs up and running while they are rebuilding. So, in addition to our own Vineyard Haven Library’s story hour for youngsters on Tuesday mornings, West Tisbury’s Mother Goose on the Loose will be at our library on the following Thursday mornings: Jan. 24, Feb. 7 and Feb. 21 at 10:30 a.m. All kids are invited no matter what town you live in.

Chase the winter blues with a free public event at our library’s program room at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 22. I warn you the movie is rated R. See Richard Gere as a supposedly successful hedge fund manager (with all the Michael Lewis books I’ve read I still don’t understand that concept), hiding his duplicity from his wife, Ellen, played excellently by Susan Sarandon. Very exciting, popcorn included. Time to guess the title.

Belated birthday balloons go out to Marvin Rosenkrantz who celebrated his 80th on Jan. 8.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Anthony Cardoza today. Tomorrow is a party for Ciara Seccombe, Patti Linn, Jade Berninger, Ruth Major and Mandy King Rice. Jan. 20 is shared by Kim Montanile and Mary-Beth Priore. Jan. 21 honors Carol Whitmarsh, Noah Casner, Cameron Moore, Derek and Travis Fennell, Annie McEvoy and Frederick Hehre 4th. Jan. 22 shines on Donna Bouchard. Jan. 23 sees Yesmin Silva and Lisa Jannace Meade age gracefully. And on Jan. 24, Katie Campbell and Eva Balboni Dias take the cake.

Many happy returns.