You all know me well by now. The column that gets published Thanksgiving week lists my favorite causes for your holiday gift-giving remembrances. Get out your checkbooks and a pen. Get comfortable in your favorite chair. Here is this year’s list, not so very different from previous years: Red Stocking. So every Island kid has something under the tree. While toys are accepted, new and unwrapped, for donation, the main purpose is each child gets warm clothes, mittens, scarves, jackets, hats, and pajamas. You can volunteer for the gift wrapping also, which takes place the first week in December.

Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard. Who has not been touched by this wonderful organization? Connect to End Violence, a branch of our Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, to protect families in crisis. The Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts: if you memo in your check for Martha’s Vineyard the money stays on-Island for our kids.

Usually, I only mention Island causes. This year is different. Because the drinking of water and the breaking of treaties and the stand of truth to power affects us all. Stand with Standing Rock, which is expecting snow this week. Get all the information you can on it, difficult, I know, because the media is in cahoots with the government about this. Carole Vandal in Aquinnah will still be able to take your donation. Over $10,000 was collected at the Chilmark Community Center potluck and concert two Saturdays ago. We can always add to that. The water protectors have a hard North Dakota winter coming. The corporations protecting their pipelines have upped the ante. Please consider calling Carole and asking how you can help. May God bless you all.

A mighty wind. Last Monday reminded us of the perils of Island living —that is, for anyone who had to commute off-Island that day. When the boats did begin to run again several people wrote to me that they were seasick. Not my cup of tea.

Distract yourself from high seas and mighty winds by enjoying Sweet Bites, the new cafe that has gone into the shop across from Cumby’s in Vineyard Haven. This promises to become another favorite gathering place, especially in the off season.

The Vineyard Playhouse finishes out November with another Hitchcock masterpiece, North by Northwest. Always a white-knuckle movie no matter how many times you have seen it. Be there Monday night, $5 cash admission at the door, movie starts at 7 p.m. The Playhouse offers so much more in the arts. Linda Ziegler has a show there now of her plein air landscapes and still life paintings. The Playhouse is open for your viewing Tuesday through Fridays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment, or during scheduled events. Linda is a Renaissance woman, accomplished in so many things. I’ll see you there.

Condolences to the family and friends of my dear buddy, Pat Ginter. Pat died on Nov. 22, five years to the day since her darling husband Phil passed. Pat was an accomplished teacher, reader, raconteur, artist, mother of five lovely children — I used to babysit for them all and cannot remember one bad thing about them! Pat was part of my mother’s neighborhood coffee klatch, or cocktail party, depending upon what time of day it was that she passed our porch. Teri, Nonna, Pat and I spent many a fine sunny afternoon solving the world’s problems on Nonna’s front porch. Within less than a year, these three superwomen have left me.I am sorry for us all.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Martha Dunham and Nicole Masi on Nov. 25. Nov. 26 smiles on Kim Beal, William Bishop, and Anna Elizabeth Carlson. Nov. 27 belongs to Phil Ginter Jr., Fan Tuttle, and Heidi Schwab. Nov. 28 is shared by Joey Tobin and Aidan Gomez Blanco. Nov. 29 is claimed by Laine Levandowski and Sister St. John Delany. Nov. 30 shines on Marcia Cunningham. And on Dec. 1, Becca Dunham takes the cake. Many happy returns.

Send Vineyard Haven news to iklean@yahoo.com.