I was sick and at Mass General for 10 days in 2013. Friends would call me. June Manning called one day and asked what room I was in. I told her, thinking she would send me a get well card. Twenty minutes later, my door burst open. In came a smiling, delightful June with a bouquet of flowers. We visited, we talked, we laughed. I immediately felt better.

That is always how I’ll remember my friend, my confidante, my sister columnist. A scintillating smile, joie de vivre, an armful of flowers. Rest in peace.

On Nov. 10, 1775, our United States Marine Corps was founded at Dun’s Pub, a tavern in Philadelphia. Thank you to all who served. Special shout out to my son and daughter in law, Chris and Lilly Clark.

My Academy of American Poets has posted poems for Veterans Day. Look them up! There is a great selection.

Our own avenue of flags at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Vineyard Haven is asking for help putting the flags up at 7:30 a.m. and taking them down at 3 p.m. on Veterans Day. I’ll see you there.

Holiday shopping has commenced. Featherstone has a wonderful array of handmade gifts by Island artists. One of my favorites, Kathy Poehler, always has a great selection. Featherstone will be open for your selections everyday except Thanksgiving Day.

The Louisa Gould Gallery also has great gifts. I am thrilled with her offerings.

I have a book to recommend for your future. Our Island author, Geraldine Brooks, will have her new book, Horse, on bookshelves in June 2022. Worth waiting for.

Of all the benighted ideas for renovations in our town, a developer of the Educomp building is suggesting painting the red bricks white. What?

Get well wishes go out to James Patrick Rafuse, a friend and poet. Jimmy has been in Mass General but will be moving to rehab today. He is still writing poetry from his hospital bed.

.Condolences to my friend Noel Macy, whose pet lizard, Draco, passed last weekend. Noel and Draco were a team for many happy years.

The birthday bandwagon pulled Mary Afton Crandall along to age 15 on Nov. 6. Liza Lagunay Buckley and Katie Oskan also shared that date. Corrine Dorsey claimed Nov. 7. Dennis Von Mehren partied on Nov. 8. And the fabulous artist Washington Ledesma took the cake on Nov. 9. Many happy returns.