Has it been windy enough for you? Child psychologist Christopher Green always said that windy days affect cattle and toddlers. I guess I’m still a toddler; a windy day discombobulates me.

As many of our off-season programs close I urge you to take advantage of some of the wonderful events over the next few weeks. Alas, Monday Night at the Movies, hosted by Jamie Alley, had its last show on March 28. That’s it for $5 movie fun until the high season ends. The final Wicked Good Musical Revue, starring the usual suspects, Molly Conole, Paul Munafo and gang, will be presented at the Vineyard Playhouse on Friday April 8 and Saturday April 9. Shakespeare for the Masses, a most lively reading, is on Saturday April 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday April 3 at noon.

My own personal favorite is the Tuesday night poetry cafe hosted by Martha’s Vineyard poet laureate Arnie Reisman. The last one until next fall takes place on Tuesday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. and will feature Justen Ahren, Claudia Taylor and other Island poets.

Richard Paradise invites us to a benefit screening at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society of the 1973 classic reggae movie The Harder They Come starring Jimmy Cliff and showing on his birthday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. The event is a benefit for WYOB-FM, the new radio station at the regional high school. Tickets are $30 which includes the movie, Jamaican jerk chicken, plantains, Jamaican meatballs and rum punch, and the music of Island Thunder.

Don’t over serve yourself at the reggae event because on Saturday morning, April 2, you are invited to the NAACP of MV annual membership drive at the Congregational Church in West Tisbury. Marie Doubleday rescheduled this event after the weather problems a few months back. Be there at 11 a.m. and register for this organization.

Our library is still churning out great events. On Saturday, April 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. you may attend the discussion Curious About Cuba. Several Islanders and Cape Codders visited our island neighbor from March 11 to March 20 and have returned to inform you of their experiences. One group attended a forum at a Cuban school and listened in on racism in Cuba. More trips are planned for the future. Get on board.

Seems like all we do is attend events and have meetings, right? Here is one too important to miss: the Martha’s Vineyard Task Force on healthy aging will meet at our MV Hebrew Center, 130 Centre street, on Monday, April 11. Coffee and registration are from 12:30 to 1 p.m. The program begins promptly at 1 p.m. and runs until 4:30 p.m. The task force has collected survey results and will share them at the event. There are tips about home services and support for caregivers. Your suggestions are still welcome. Space is limited so please RSVP at hatfmv.org. State representatives Tim Madden and Denise Garlick will be on hand to speak with us.

So many losses over these past few months. Many are mourning the passing of Mother Angelica who always gave a calm and soothing voice to the recitation of the rosary. Mother Angelica died on Easter Sunday. My cousin, Al Cucurullo, died at age 97 in upstate New York last week. A kind and fabulous man. Patty Duke, one of my very favorite actors, also left us this week.

And the hearts of many Island families in my neighborhood are mourning the death of Charles Howes. Charlie was a 22-year-old gray tuxedo kitty, dashing and full of aplomb. The only rebellious and extremely adventurous thing I saw Charlie, one of my feline playmates, do was cross Marge and Paul Howes’s porch one night to venture over to Bill and Jan Stokes’s porch and swipe a live eel from their son Wes Stokes’s bait barrel. Charlie brought it to Marge’s sliding glass door and expected her to fry it up for him for dinner. Charlie leaves many broken-hearted human friends. He was predeceased by his feline companion, Maybelline Paffendorf. Plant some catnip in honor of Charles.

May I be condemned to have all my tomato plants scorched for neglecting to inform you of florist and happy gardener Ellen O’Brien’s birthday on March 29. Belated bouquets to Ellen.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Angela Malara and Enoia Dos Rei on April 1; April 2 honors Bob Kalayan, Bo Andrews and Kate Desrosiers; April 3 is a party for Jim Reynolds, Charley and Chrissy McCarthy, and Denis Rogers; April 4 belongs to Amber Willoughby and Tine Sonderby; April 5 shines on Gary Mayrand, Kinsman Mayrand, Dan Fleming, Tripta Bahal, John Valley and Julian David Burghoff; April 6 is momentous for Kelsey Forend-Healy, Ken Vanderlaske and Nancy Shemeth; and on April 7 Muriel Gerhard takes the cake. Many happy returns.

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