A funny thing happened on the way to write my column. I’m okay now, but I was visiting my mother, didn’t feel well and ended up being admitted to emergency surgery at White Plains Hospital and kept there under lock and key for one week. What an interesting experience! A big thank-you to my surgeons and the staff on the fourth floor of the hospital. Now I can’t drive or lift anything, so I’m under house arrest here while you are under house arrest, depending on the weather, there. But our Bostonian friends! They are serving a life sentence! So you would think I could write my column as I recuperate. Oddly enough, in all three of my hospitalizations over the past year, my computer is attuned to break down and be sent to the shop the minute I sign the commitment papers. Not having MV Tech on hand for me in New York really stymied me until I met computer experts Gabi Borat and his family who have served me well. Thank you, Borats!

Until I can return to join you, here are some very interesting activities you may participate in this month. I only wish I was there to attend with you: the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center offers a Valentine Special Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. titled Amira and Sam. It is an unusual love story and I think you will like it.

Multi-talented musical director, Molly Conole, with Peter Boak as accompanist, presents some of your favorite Island vocalists in Love and Valentines Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse. Tickets are $23 in advance or at the door, mvplayhouse.org is a way to secure your seat. The playhouse will also be the site of Monday night at the movies hosted by Jamie Alley. This Monday’s film, at a mere five dollars for admission, is Batman, the Movie. See it on Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

The playhouse doesn’t end with that presentation next week, show up on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m. for our Martha’s Vineyard poet laureate Arnie Riesman who will host a poetry cafe. Rose Styron, Brooks Robards and Annette Sandrock are some of our stellar writers reading their work. Then on Thursday, Feb. 19, Island Moon Coffeehouse is hosted by Jemima James at 7 p.m. Twelve dollars at the door gets you in to some terrific music presented by Jemima, Geordie Gude, Stu Gardner, Rose Guerin and Shawn Barber. Report back to me on how all these performances go.

While the White Plains Public Library has been doing a stellar job keeping me entertained and delivering to the home bound, I must admit I miss our local Vineyard Haven library. Be in the program room for Tuesday’s movie night, Feb. 17, for a free screening of The Good Lie starring Reese Witherspoon and several new Sudanese actors. The story covers the plight of the boys orphaned in the Sudanese civil war. Popcorn by Betty Burton, of course.

On Thursday at the library join the sustainable living book club at 5:30 p.m. This club is sponsored by the Felix Neck Wild Life Sanctuary and the topic this week is The End of Night by Paul Bogard. Wish I could join you!

Other events I wish I could attend would be my American Legion Auxiliary meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Legion Hall on Martin Road. New president Carrie Welch always has a delightful agenda of topics and crafts to cover. We welcome new members, all aboard!

While Gilda’s Club is serving me in good stead here in White Plains, although I am temporarily house bound, I want to alert those of you on the Vineyard who belong to or want to belong to the Martha’s Vineyard Breast Cancer Support Group that your next meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m at Isabelle’s Beach House in Oak Bluffs. Hello to the whole gang there, did you get the letter I wrote last week? Call 508-696-6412 if you have any questions or want to join.

You all know my heart belongs to the Chicken Alley Thrift Shop, which I visit almost daily when I am on-Island. Imagine my surprise to have beautiful Noava Knight send me an invitation to the reopening of a renovated thrift shop last Saturday. Check it out yourself and someone, please, send me some pictures. I can’t imagine what the store looks like now, but I bet it’s great.

Get well wishes go out to Buddy DeBettencourt. Stay warm and don’t fall, Buddy.

May I be condemned to a canceled boat during a now-named snowstorm for not informing you in a timely manner of Pat Farrell’s birthday on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Brenda Campbell, Linda Amaral Dickson, Kristen Daly, Fiona Catherine Mayhew and Tom Buchert Friday. Valentine’s Day celebrants are Ray Whitaker, Alan Hirshberg, Gayle Stiller, Sam Bungey and Linda Jannace O’Leary. February 15 shines on Grace Burton-Sundman, Heliliani Mendes Souza and the beautiful Katherine Welch. On Feb. 16, Father Michael Nagle, Mary Lee Gerber, Chelsea Rose King, Jacqueline Baer and Stephen Kaufman party. February 17 honors Leslie Kent, Colin Kennedy and Jill LaPiana. February 18 is claimed by Charlotte Strople, AJ Ewart and Paul Howes. And on Feb. 19, Chris Paffendorf, Michael James Moore, Justin Keough and Bobby Gardineer take the cake. Many happy returns.

Send your Vineyard Haven news to: iklean@yahoo.com.