What is it they say about New England weather? Wait five minutes and it will change. Well, change it has — going from near freezing to the high 40s over the week. Gray days of December have arrived only to be brightened by the Christmas lights, decorations, and the renewed spirits of many you meet in your daily travels. Of course we will all be a little more frantic in the coming weeks while finishing Christmas shopping.

Always fun things to do at the Aquinnah Public Library. Welcome to new library associate Jen Burkin. She will be the programming and children’s librarian. Saturday there will be decorating of scallop shells for ornaments your family members will enjoy. On Thursday, Dec. 10 from 5 to 6 p.m. enjoy adult coloring. Storytime will be held on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.

Congratulations to our former neighbor James V. Taylor upon receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama at the White House. As if that was not enough, his latest album Before This World has been a great hit, and on Tuesday night he performed at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center.

On your next visit to the Up-Island Council on Aging at the Howes House, please congratulate Bethany deBettencourt upon her recent engagement to Stephen Hammond. The Thanksgiving dinner at Howes House was delicious and the high school vocal ensemble, led by Jan Wightman, entertained during dessert. The students are a talented group who meet and practice three days a week and it is rather obvious by their musical presentation. Thank you to baker Joe Keenan for the donation of his specialty dinner rolls to supplement the holiday dinners for elders.

The West Tisbury School students will perform during the Christmas luncheon on Dec. 17. For Thursday luncheon reservations at the Howes House, please call Bethany deBettencourt or Tanya Larsen at 508-645-2896. The conversations during lunch are priceless!

Dr. Thomas Greene and friends were at his Aquinnah home over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Mrs. Anne Vanderhoop Madison entertained at her annual Thanksgiving Day open house for family and friends.

Kayla and Kylee Manning returned home on Saturday after spending Thanksgiving in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. with Bill and Joan Kistner.

Paul, Theresa, and Noah Manning returned home Sunday night after spending the week with Bill and Joan Kistner and family for Thanksgiving. On Saturday, they ventured into Manhattan with Mike and Margaret Kistner and their granddaughter Ava for the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall, a visit to Rockefeller Plaza, and an all-too-brief visit to the Lego store.

John Patton and Lisa Donahue and their three children were at their Aquinnah home for a brief visit on their way to Boston to spend Thanksgiving with family.

Condolences to the family and friends of Janice Feltz Cournoyer, who passed away at Massachusetts General Hospital on Nov. 24. Janice was a former cardiac rehab companion in 1998. She was the widow of Francis Cournoyer and the stepmother of Molly and Becky and her family. She was the sister of our Aquinnah town clerk Carolyn Feltz. Carolyn and her husband Jerry Wiener have spent the past few months residing with Janice in West Tisbury during her recent illness. Janice was the daughter of the late John and Alice Feltz. She was the sister of Carolyn, John and Agnes, and the aunt of Jesse Wiener and his wife Maggie Anderson. Services were held on Monday, with interment Tuesday at the West Tisbury Cemetery.

Condolences to the family and friends of Hakeem Madison, who passed away on Nov. 24 at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Hakeem was the son of Jean Ann Madison. He had spent this past summer working at the Aquinnah Shop with his family. Services will be held at Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home on Dec. 4 at 11 a.m. with Medicine Man Jason Baird conducting the ceremony. Interment will be at North Cemetery on Rose Meadow Way in Aquinnah. A gathering will follow at the Aquinnah Town Hall. Hakeem was the brother of Amira, Tanisha, Channell, and Camille. As a descendant of the Belain and Madison families, he is survived by many tribal members.

Condolences to the family of Mary Kidder Rogers who passed away Nov. 21. Services for Mary were held on Nov. 24 at Trinity Methodist Church, led by Reverend Rego. Mary was the tax collector for the town of Oak Bluffs for 25 years, while I served on the personnel committee, and our meetings were always a pleasure due to Mary’s professionalism in the town hall. Our families had been friends for decades and it was always a pleasure to see Otis and Mary on their daily sentimental journeys up-Island.

Happy birthday wishes this week to Melissa Nichols Mahoney as she celebrates Saturday and shares the day with Ted Howes. Liz Durkee will party on Sunday. Marjorie Spitz and Jonathan Klaren share the day on Dec. 7. Candace Nichols celebrates on Dec. 8 and shares the day with twins Russell and Robin Smith. Wish Polly Renear a happy birthday on Dec. 9. Deborah Hancock will party on Dec. 9 — most likely on a warm Caribbean island. Paul Henry Jeffers-Mayhew will party on Dec. 9. Tamara Buchwald celebrates on Dec. 10.

Send Aquinnah news to junemanning152@gmail.com.