Once upon a time on Saturday mornings in the 1950s, my mother would trek to Elmsford to rehearse her choir, my father would be working on his lawn and flowers, and my brothers and I were left to our own devices in the living room with the one television in the house. We watched wrestling and then raided mom’s linen closet for sheets, set up a wrestling ring, and proceeded to practice half-nelsons, full-nelsons, and all kinds of tricky moves we thought were real.

Sometimes it was the older brother against us, sometimes it was the younger brother on his own, more often than not it was the two boys against me. The old “tag team.” We had no idea these matches were fixed so we really went for blood. I remember the names of some of the wrestlers, Haystacks Calhoun really comes to mind. If we were lucky, some of these players performed at the Westchester County Center and the folks took us.

You can imagine my surprise and delight to see Sid Counsell and Lori Robinson Fisher’s post on Islanders Talk which identified the old Tivoli building in Oak Bluffs. Some of you have written to say you attended dances there, others had family members in bands that played there, but there was a poster with Haystacks Calhoun who apparently came and wrestled there! I didn’t know the Vineyard hosted such illuminati before my time. If we had grown up here we would have been in line for Haystack’s autograph. No selfies then.

The scarecrow competition took place again this year. One of Martha Dunham’s grandkids, Connor West Dunham, all of five years old, said he would like to do a scarecrow. He wanted to make Medusa. Much as I love literature I don’t believe Greek mythology was in my lexicon at that age. Connor and his dad Jeremy put together a wonderful Medusa. It was posed in front of Educomp. And big thanks to the charter school, which once again presented this delightful display.

Another bonus to being a member of Islanders Talk was the photo from Sid of the old Oak Bluffs Steamship dock. The sign said, “Walk your horses.” Also before my time.

For those of you planning your spring trip to Cuba or just enjoying learning about our newly rediscovered neighbor island, be at the Vineyard Haven Public Library tomorrow at 1 p.m. Shari Geistfeld will lead the discussion from the Jose Marti Reader: Writings on the Americas. There are some copies still available at the circulation desk. For more information contact Shari at 612-236-3111 or sgeistfeld@gmail.com.

Confidential to Lyn K: what I am reading is The Roosevelts by Peter Collier with David Horowitz. I read this back in 1995 but any stories about the Roosevelts are worth revisiting. This book encompasses both branches of the family, Hyde Park and Oyster Bay. Teddy and Franklin. And my hero, Eleanor, of course.

A more local hero is Trish Bergeron who has just won the Spirit of the Vineyard Award from Vineyard Village at Home. All of us congratulate Trish. None of us is surprised.

Our Martha’s Vineyard Poetry Society is facilitated by Carole Vandal, an Island poet. Carole is doing a great job after the passing of William Waterway. I am enthralled with the latest poem from Arnie Reisman, Ghosts. Check it out.

The art exhibit at the Vineyard Playhouse shows Joan Margot Smith’s sketches of playwrights until mid-November. The playhouse has restarted its winter fare of Monday Night at the Movies with your host, Jamie Alley. Five dollars at the door at 7:30 p.m. gets you in to see some great classics. The playhouse continues full tilt. Reserve your seats for next Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. for Cornucopia, a “wicked good” music revue featuring Molly Conole, Phil Dietterich, Shelagh Hackett, Ken Romero and Paul Munafo.

Next Tuesday night, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the program room of our library be sure to catch Phil Weinstein’s discussion of his new book called Jonathan Franzen: The Comedy of Rage. I have been mesmerized by Franzen’s writings for years and I know you will enjoy this. The programming is made possible by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along CeCi, Ashley Tilton and Liza Buckley today. Tomorrow is a party for Corinne Dorsey, Lynne Kressin and Jeff Masi, Jr. November 8 shines on Kara Nadine Best, Ed Panek, Adelaide Silva and Nancy MacMullen. November 9 celebrates Matt Medeiros, Barbara Jo Cayer, Maria de Pinha and Evan Scott-Jennings. November 10 is the birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Michael West and Michele Lazarow share that day. Take a vet to lunch or dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day, and wish a happy to Lizanne Donegan, Victoria Hehre and Richard Cohen. And on Nov. 12 Suely Oliveira, Cricket Willoughby, Tim Sylvia, Matt Brown and Isaque Silva take the cake. Many happy returns.

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