July always reminds me of that noteworthy quote from the cult classic film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

July and August are the two months we tend to succumb to the grind and postpone our happiness. Ferris’s words should be taken to heart as he reminds us to take a break from the hassles of life once in a while and revel in the good things.

The Athearn family did just that. Dan, Meg, Clara, Zeb, Penny and Meg’s mother, Pat Knapp, slathered on sunscreen, grabbed some ice cream from the Texaco and headed off on a boating adventure that took them 7.5 nautical miles across Vineyard Sound to Cuttyhunk.

Jane Slater was out for a Sunday ride with her daughter in law, Chris. The two circled the Bight, pulled up alongside friends recognized along the way (including myself) for a chat, took note of recent coming and goings and returned home for a slow but steady climb up the staircase.

After nearly a year without a family visit, Nathaniel Scott and Maureen Aciro Cac spent a week in town catching up with family and friends. The couple may have slept at Josh, Lindsey, Tristan and Charlotte Scott’s house but they managed to make the rounds of quality time with Nathaniel’s folks John and Marie, grandmother Rena, sister Malia and her kids Theo and Quinn and, of course dear friend Sam Hart among others. After a week in Washington, D.C., the couple will return to their home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where Nathaniel works to support sustainable agriculture for USAID.

Sweet little Hazel Mendez-Diez travelled from Rhinebeck, N.Y. this week along with her parents, Stefan and Robin. This was Hazel’s first trip to Martha’s Vineyard to visit her Gammy Jackie (*yes, Gammy with no r). Despite Hazel’s need for naps she managed to squeeze in a whole lot of fun. The Flying Horses and Menemsha certainly topped her list but Gammy time was the best.

There are more grandbabies in town this week, too. Olivia Jean Littleton and Kaleo DeWitt Kimi are visiting their grandparents Clem and Diana Littleton at their PondMark home. Olivia and Kaleo, two of the late Fred and Elinor Littleton’s great-grandchildren, were baptized at the Chilmark Church this past Sunday.

Remember the Soulagnets and Daisy the yellow Lab from that fun little shop in Menemsha, Up on the Roof? Years ago they moved to Marlborough, Conn. and now, in 2017, I have an update. Chase, 19, recently completed his first year at Eastern Connecticut University. Cam is 15 and just managed to come in 21st out of 150 competitors at his first Rubik’s speed cubing competition in Lexington.

I, admittedly, had never seen or heard the word horchata until a few short days ago but, now, thanks to landscape designer Tara Gayle of Gayle Gardens, I know the definition. Horchata is a traditional Mexican beverage made with rice, nuts and/or seeds. Find the featured recipe for horchata with strawberries and toasted almonds that Tara makes locally famous with her award winning smile, on the Anson Mills website.

Paula Lyons shares that there will be a gratitude gathering for Joe Woodin at the Grange Hall on Saturday July 15 from 4 to 6 p.m. It’s a Vineyard-style potluck so please bring your favorite dish, dessert or drinks to share. Paper goods will be supplied but maybe tuck a serving utensil in along with your goodies to share.

My sweet summertime neighbor, Jennifer Joanou Frank, will be showing her artwork at A Gallery, 8 Uncas avenue in Oak Bluffs, from July 22 through August 7. The opening will be July 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. so please, if you have the time to check out her work, do stop in. Standing there all by herself will be a nightmarish experience for her. Feel free to check out Jennifer’s website, jenniferjoanou.com. She has some very thought provoking pieces that push you to reflect within.

The Oliver Hazard Perry, largest sailing school vessel in the U.S., dropped anchor just off the Menemsha bell buoy this week. Although the 200-foot, three-masted tall ship appears as if she is straight out of the 1800s, she is a state of the art vessel that has only been underway for the past couple years. The family, teen and adult programs are geared towards creating strong leaders and confidence through seamanship. The group of teens on board this past week did venture to shore in Menemsha, and I can report they all looked quite happy.

Katherine M, a tuna boat out of Manchester, brought excitement to the commercial dock this past week with a 700-ish pound bluefin tuna. Although it was already dressed when it hit the dock, it still made quite a stir, snapping the boats’ boom and exceeding the size of the standard shipping box. Fish House employee and MVRHS high school student Otto Osmers expressed his awe as he gave the impressive catch a hug before it was shipped off to Boston.

Are you a mother with a baby between the ages of six weeks and one year? If so, Fallon Aiello’s Mom and Baby Yoga class at Yoga on the Vine may be just the thing for you. The location may be a little tricky since it’s at the Triangle in Edgartown but, if Fallon can rally and find childcare for her most adorable school-aged kiddos, Everly and Joaquin, then you can rally with baby in tow. Fallon has a way of radiating positive energy. You will just love to be around her. Meanwhile, Papa Carlos Montoya is chef de cuisine at Garde East in Vineyard Haven. Although I haven’t been in, I don’t actually get out often, I hear his food is truly extraordinary.

Send Chilmark news to squidrow@vineyard.net.