The Island was crowded with visitors for the long Thanksgiving weekend. My favorite thing is to see our young students returning to see family and friends. I had the pleasure of having lunch at Sharky’s in Edgartown with Noel Macy, one of my faves from my substitute teaching days. We actually have a plan to meet in the North End of Boston to take some Italian restaurants by storm. But Noel was coming to the Vineyard before I could get to Boston, so Mexican food it was. Noel’s lovely sister, Tanita, is in Thailand now, on her first trip back to the land of her birth since she was three years old. We cannot wait to see her photos and hear her stories. We expect to debrief her when she returns by Christmas time.

It might just be me, but I have a feeling next Thanksgiving will be very different. The sea change that is happening in so many aspects of our lives, the ability to review information and try to right many former wrongs will alter our conception of this take-it-for-granted holiday. The things we have learned since Standing Rock a year ago, the evils of colonialism, will guide our path to a greater understanding of our First Nations. I wish us all peace.

There is an uproar in town about the strict ticketing policy of our TPD. What do you think? Apparently, Oak Bluffs and Edgartown are now considered more parking-friendly to shoppers.

The Auxiliary of our American Legion post on Martin avenue will hold its annual Holiday Fair on Saturday, Dec. 2. Gifts, raffles, food and silent auctions will be the order of the day. I can see Ed Colligan smiling.

I could not wait to move to Manhattan to be closer to the great New York Public Library. And so I did. The Martha’s Vineyard Film Society, in conjunction with the Friends of our Island libraries, is offering free tickets to an award-winning documentary on this fabulous library. The date is Sunday, Dec. 3. The time is 2 p.m. at our Film Society in Tisbury Marketplace. The tickets are free. You may reserve your ticket at MVFilmSociety.com. I’ll see you there.

In other library news, you know our town’s library is now open from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoons. Great for homework club.

Sofia Anthony reminds us that the December Neighborhood Convention will be held at 11 am on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at the United Methodist of MV Church in Trinity Park, Oak Bluffs. Bring a sack lunch and enjoy, for free, our high school Minnesingers under the direction of Janis Wightman.

The birthday bandwagon pulled along Phil Gunter and Sarah Powell on Nov. 27, and on Nov. 28 Aiden Gomez-Blanco took the cake. Many happy returns.

Send Vineyard Haven news to iklean@yahoo.com.