I don’t know what to say about the weather this week. It rains and it’s cold; the sun shines and it is warm. The nights are cool; the fog is here in the early morning. Some people are wearing short sleeves and the people behind them have sweatshirts on. Bertha is passing by us and causing rip tides and it is breezy. I guess like I have said many, many times before. Welcome to New England.

Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Chimari Dockery who celebrated his day August 3, and to Paige Herrick and Zachary Ward who celebrated their day August 5.

Special birthday wishes go out to Derek Avakian who celebrated a milestone birthday on August 3. I think I can actually say he turned the big 3-0 as this is the beginning of the uphill climb over the hill. Hope you had a great day, and here is to many more.

For many years in between, August 5 was a very busy day for many new mothers. Those celebrating their birthday on the fifth are Melanie Rankow Prescott, Rebecca Baird Tattersall, Pam Dolby, Renee Clermont and Floyd Norton. Here is to a wonderful day.

Tom Dresser, Herb Foster and Jay Schofield will speak at the Edgartown library on Wednesday, August 13, at 7 p.m. The topic is their new book, Martha’s Vineyard in World War II, which is already in a second printing. The book is a collection of interviews from people who lived on the Vineyard during the war; archival research from the files of the Gazette and the museum; and descriptions of life on the home front during the war, including accounts of military operations ranging from activity on South Beach to air raid shelters on Main street. There will be opportunity for comments and questions, books are available for sale at $20.

Sounds Like Summer, the library’s series of free concerts on the front lawn, launched on July 8 and has been blessed with rain-free weather throughout its first four weeks. The series, underwritten by the Friends of the Edgartown Library, continues with lively performances in August — all of them lasting an hour, all of them on a Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. This makes for a great family outing. Bring lawn chairs or blankets, if you like, and enjoy the music. The slate of August concerts is as follows: August 12: The Grateful Dread; August 19: Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish, and August 26: Jon Zeeman’s Jazz Trio.

The Island Theater Workshop will present a benefit performance of Peter Pan on Friday, August 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center. The performance, directed by Kevin Ryan, will benefit the Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living and help support programs and services for Island seniors including the Supportive Day Program (a social day care program for elders), the Medical Taxi Program, the Emergency Food Program and the Support Group for families coping with Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related dementia issues. Tickets are $25 for adults and $12 for children. Call 508-939-9440 for tickets and information.

Roy and Nancy Meekins’ guest house was the setting for the family of the Floyd and Jan Norton family reunion. Their son Stuart Norton and his wife Cathi were here from Indiana, along with Jan and Floyd’s step-grandson Robin Abbott and his wife and children, Heidi, Joel and Amanda from California, and Debbie Norton and her husband Bill were here from Vermont. It was a great time and they were all here for a week for the get-together, plus to help Floyd celebrate his birthday. Jan enjoyed all of them, but had a great time with great-granddaughter Amanda, who was enjoying drawing different things around the house especially Indy, Jan’s cat, and some of Jan’s stuffed animals. Of course Jan is a painter herself, so she had a great appreciation of Amanda’s abilities.

Have a great week and keep the home candles burning.

Send your Edgartown news to: kathleencase@comcast.net.