It has been in the 70s most days this past week, with a few days of significant fog but for the most part rather sunny. The mayflowers and the shad are in bloom, as are the lilacs and paperwhites.

Mother’s Day at the Aquinnah Shop Restaurant was a joyous day for more than half of the Aquinnah mothers enjoying brunch. Very encouraging to see four generations of most families present. Grand matriarch Betty Eddy of Chilmark was there overseeing her family and friends. Sorry we missed by a matter of minutes another grand matriarch, Trudy Taylor and her four generations.

Jenna Petersiel and her staff will open the Chilmark Tavern on May 19 for the season where the evenings will be filled to the brim with her UPIS LAND friends.

Dona Mazza and Gordon Perry are sad to report that the Dreamcatcher will not be opening until June 6 due to unexpected damage from a flood in their building at the cliffs. Sorry for the inconvenience and they will look forward to seeing you when they open.

Al Alley arrived on Friday for a weekend visit with his father Forrest Alley as well as a Mother’s Day visit with his mom Emily Frank in Tisbury. Al and Forrest are already planning their annual trip to Maine.

Barbara Spitz Bassett and her sister Marjorie Spitz have returned this week after spending most of the past month in Arizona.

Welcome home to Linda Bergeron, daughter of the late Eugene and Hilda Bergeron, who has returned to the Vineyard to reside after spending the past 29 years in Hawaii. Linda was a former co-worker at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. We all agree it is great to have her home. She will be assisting in planning the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School reunion in a year or two.

Lang and Irina Gerhard and their daughter Sacha have returned from their annual visit to Hawaii where they once again thoroughly enjoyed themselves with beach time and of course daily tennis.

Condolences to the family and friends of Mildred Higgins who passed away in Beckley, W.Va. this week. She was the wife of James Higgins and the mother of 10 children and 17 grandchildren. The Higgins family were longtime summer residents of Lobsterville for the past half a century, where their home was right on the beach.

Thank you to Betty Joslow who after devoting 18 years as an Aquinnah library trustee decided it was time to step down. She has trained at least eight new directors during her tenure. Betty has previously worked at the Chilmark Library, the tribal library and at Pine Manor. She has enjoyed recent visits from her daughters Nancy Hawes and Wendy Nasberg and looks forward to her daughter Laurie arriving soon. We all thank Betty for her many accomplishments while a trustee, the greatest of all is overseeing the construction of the floating deck at the back of the Aquinnah Library which is enjoyed by so many year-round. She was a proponent of the CLAMS program as well under her watch.

It was good to see Joan Maciel over the weekend. She looks terrific and is enjoying being amidst her sisters but she is certainly missed on the Vineyard.

Jane Slater’s Oversouth Antique Shop is now open for summer season, now in the 35th year with another great selection of antiques to peruse for the season.

Maureen Dolby Stanus and her daughter Kathleen were here this past week to attend the memorial service for Ruth VanBrakle. Maureen’s family had a long history of residing and serving in what was once Gay Head. It was nice to see Maureen and her friends Renee VanBrakle Metell, Carole Ann Vandal, Linda Bergeron, Wendy Moreis and Katherine Hopp, the women who resided in the neighborhood within a half mile radius of each other in Tisbury. The only one missing was Lori Robinson Fisher.

Jody Reston will observe her special day on May 16, as will James Seccombe and James R. Taylor. Lydia Fischer will celebrate her birthday on May 16 while singing her way across Brooklyn. Herb Moody also parties on the May 16. Kyle Killebrew parties on May 17 and shares the day with Tom Seeman. Genie O’Donnell parties on May 18 and shares the day with Iole Gardella.

A very special birthday wish for Joan Kistner who will celebrate on May 18 with a party at the home of our grandson Noah while continuing to make major strides in her health over the past few months.

Captain Bob Kinnecom will celebrate on May 20. Elsie Fantasia parties on May 23 and shares the day with Kathy Kendrick and Jean Entine. The Martha’s Vineyard ambassador extraordinaire, Bridget Tobin, will celebrate on May 22, and gladly shares the day with Maureen Dolby Stanus, Matthew Hayden and Jailynn Hill.

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