It doesn’t quite have it’s foot in the door but winter has managed to make it’s way to the front stoop. The rays of light grow shorter and cooler but the drummers drumming, the ladies dancing and the partridge in the pear tree are sure to bring warmth to your heart and your hearth. Yes, I declare we’ve rolled up our sleeves and dived right in to the holiday season.

Jane Slater hopped in the driver’s seat of her Toyota Sienna and drove herself to Northbridge to visit with her son Caleb, daughter-in-law Chris and granddaughter Celia Slater, who was home from her sophomore year at Mount Holyoke. The foursome travelled to Attleboro to the home of daughter Sarah, son-in-law Aaron, and grandsons Jack and Scott Bennett. The Slaters portion of the clan visited the New Bedford Whaling Museum, which Jane shares is much enlarged and improved from the days some 40 years ago when she would take her children to visit.

Offerings of Music and Light takes place on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. at the Chilmark Church. This is the second of the series which was the brainchild of Lia Littlefield Kahler. Call 508-645-3100.

Margaret Emerson, our North Road neighbor, is the newly elected chairperson of the Chilmark Democratic Committee. She shares that the group will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 12 from 4 to 5 p.m. at the library.

Their meeting just so happens to overlap with the library’s giant book and DVD sale. What’s that saying? Reduce, reuse, recycle — the book sale is a great way to holiday shop with thoughtfulness and environmentalism on the mind. Yes, the sale goes right up through the holidays but to enjoy the best selection stop in early.

Julie Flanders was lucky enough to have her childhood friend, Jennifer Iacopino, visit this past weekend from her home in New Hampshire. Julie and Jenno passed their time together far too quickly this time with the help of the one-year-old German Shepherd, Zeb in the mix.

A first birthday is one to take note of especially when the birthday girl, Mae Thompson, made her debut into the big, wide world some six weeks early. On Dec. 4 the lovely little lass, daughter of Simon and Zoe and little sis to Nell, celebrated her first birthday. Happy happy.

Congratulations to eighth grader Graham Stearns who gets to step up his game to play on the MVRHS junior varsity hockey team.

The Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, continues to look for donations to reach their end of the year campaign goal. The board is in the final stages of pulling together a state approved pilot program, Luke’s Legacy, a program to allow the conch/sea bass permit previously fished by Luke Gurney who we tragically lost in 2016, to be fished by a young, qualified island fisherman. Check out the groups website at mvfishermenspreservationtrust.org.

John Packer and his band of merry pile drivers is back in the harbor with his Offshore Engineering barge and equipment. Monday, a pile of pilings (sorry, I just had to!) was delivered on flatbed to Menemsha and the team had the first one driven along Dutcher Dock within the hour. The calm, sunny and warm day worked in their favor to, as they say, “get ‘er done.”

I continue to receive lovely correspondence from Sarah Miller, editor of The Village Voice in Chilmark, England. I have found the time to reply to her communications briefly but I don’t feel as if I am truly doing our pen pal relationship justice. Is there anyone out there who might like to take over communications? Check out their local newsletter at: chilmarkchurchandvillage.scottryle.co.uk.

Two and a half weeks until those reindeer land on the roof and jolly ole Saint Nick tumbles down the chimney. Thinking about this makes me wonder what sorts of holiday traditions to my friends and neighbors have that might be neat to incorporate into my life. Do tell.

Send Chilmark news to squidrow@vineyard.net.