The month of December so far is showing below average temperatures. I want to thank Charlie Kernick and Pierce Kirby for pinch hitting at the post office while I attended to some personal errands, like shopping.

All is prepared in most homes for Christmas on Sunday. After a month of shopping and a lot of decorating, inside and out, families will soon begin to gather together to celebrate this most blessed day. The boats were packed with people going to and from the mainland to shop for Christmas last weekend.

Marian Irving over at the church notes that there will be three church services offered by the First Congregational Church. At 5 p.m. the annual children’s pageant will be held at the Agricultural Hall. Later, a lessons and carols worship service will be held in the church at 10 p.m. Also there will be a Christmas morning service at 10 a.m. Christmas caroling will highlight this service. All are welcome to attend.

As I write this I am looking forward to the 38th annual Solstice party held by Katherine Long and the Jacksons.

Last weekend Sig Van Raan and his wife Susan Dickler went down to Wilimington, Del., to attend his annual Christmas luncheon with high school friends. Then it was over to Baltimore to visit Susan’s daughter Emily and her husband Mike. They got home in time to meet his daughter Sofia for a shopping expedition to IKEA.

They arrived at their Music street home on Monday and are awaiting all the kids for the holidays: Zoe and Maxine from Santa Fe, N.M., Sofia and Zach from Brooklyn, N.Y., and Jackson from Burlington, Vt. The big family event will include assembling and decorating gingerbread houses for all the kids and grand nieces and nephews. As always it is good to be home for the holidays. They extend sincere best holiday wishes to all their friends and neighbors.

Warren and Marilyn Hollinshead recently returned from a three week trip. It started by visiting with friends in London and then on to Lisbon, Portugal and several other cities in the south of Spain, Seville, Madrid, Cordova and Segovia. Marilyn reports that they had great pleasure telling their Portuguese guide the origin of my last name.

Marjorie Peirce of the missions committee of the First Congregational Church reports that community suppers begin on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 5:30 p.m. and will continue every Wednesday through April. Please join them. Side dishes will be accepted but are not required. If you have any questions, please call her at 508-221-0314 or at the church office.

History note: on Dec. 22, 1949, the school presented their Christmas program the same afternoon it closed for the holidays. As the school was without heat due to an electrical failure the program was held in the Agricultural Hall. The play Mother Goose Land was presented by students Joan Merry, Walter Vincent, Alice Churchill, Virginia Bardwell, Winifred and Rita Alley, Peggy Scott, Constance Morrow, Meg Wilkinson, John Alley, George Churchill, Shirley Burt, Margaret Duquette, Dixon Rogers, Robin Elwell and Veronica Kelly. Christmas carols were sung by the entire school and recitations given by the students. Miss Helen R. O’Donnell, teacher for all four grades, directed the program with the assistance of Lydia Drew. Refreshments were served by the P.T.A.

Happy birthday to: Mark Clements, Wendy Gray, Dr. Caroline Flyer and Omar Rayyan Friday; Ann Howes, Holly Coyne, Marg Luening and Gabriel Robinson-Lynch Saturday; Christina Montoya and Michael MacLean on Sunday; Glenn Jackson, Charles Lewis and Rachel Baumrin on Monday; Claudia Lee, Eleanor Luce, Mary Gross and Mark Bernard on Tuesday; Gary Blodgett, Katherine Devane, Jennifer Tareila and Maitland Edey on Wednesday; Simon Hickman, Phyllis McMorrow, Tye Stein and Mary Van Nes on Thursday.

Well, that is all the social news for this edition. If you have any news about the holidays or guests at your house please call or e-mail me. Hanukkah — the eight-day festival of lights starts tomorrow. Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.

Send West Tisbury news to alleys@vineyard.net.