The flip-flops are back out! What a beautiful weekend we had — and a full moon to top it off.

I got some much-needed yard work started. People are starting to plant vegetables and it’s time to get the hoses out to water those plants. I am still a little cautious about planting so I keep an eye on the temperature. I won’t put my snow shovel away just to make sure we keep the temperature up there.

Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Maria Fonseca and Ava Trott who celebrated May 10, and to Alexandre Guerrero, Gunner Harlow and Edward Rosebeck who all celebrate on May 12.

Leo Convery will get a big birthday balloon this Sunday when he turns 90. Friends and family from around the country and the Island are here to celebrate his long and eventful life. Leo’s sister Marjorie Convery and her husband Jim Rankin are visiting from Florida. Peter, Karen and Andrew McFarlin are attending from Connecticut, Susan Convery and her sons Daniel and Jack Foltz are attending, also from Florida, Midge Simonds is here from North Carolina along with her niece Marsha Winters from Florida as well as Karen Yingst from Washington, D.C. and Tricia Brown Fugee from Ohio. Leo has many wonderful stories about growing up on the Island. Happy birthday, Leo.

The Phantom of the Opera has left New York but he is coming to Edgartown. We are all set to greet Ben Crawford who performed for several years in the title role. Ben and his bride of six months, Kelsey, are here for a relaxing weekend, visiting the home of her grandparents Joan and Bill Connolly. Ben and Kelsey were married and the Connolly’s home last October. Kelsey made her Broadway debut in The Phantom of the Opera, appearing as the young ballerina Meg. Joan reports that Kelsey has had an acute case of Island fever ever since she washed ashore in Katama some 25 years ago. Hopefully we will see them both back on the Vineyard soon.

This is Nurse and Teacher Appreciation Week. I come from a family of nurses and I appreciate what these amazing people do. They help others and comfort them in many situations. They also have time away from their families because of the hours that they work and there is no calling in sick. So, thank you to all these special men and ladies.

Teachers mold our children into adults not only grade-wise but confidence-wise. They also put a lot of hours in to help build our future and many use their own money to provide supplies for their classrooms to help educate students even more. So many thanks to these amazing people.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you amazing ladies. Now, this is a thankless job: they are teachers and nurses in their everyday life with no pay except that their children grow up to be fine adults. Thank you, Moms everywhere. I hope you have a great day.

Have a great week and keep the home candles burning.