The good thing about January is that it isn’t December. December, of course, is when we spend too much money on presents, stress out that we’re compelled to send cards and letters, attend parties and fundraisers, and string up tired decorations. Or we’re feeling guilty that we’re not doing any of those things. But on occasions during each Christmas season, we’re bound to partake of an event that makes it all worth while. A performance of Amahl and the Night Visitors is one of those occasions.

When Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, the story of a rape and murder told from three perspectives, was released in 1950, it won the Gold Lion at the Venice Film Festival and has since received some of the most gushing reviews of all time from Western critics. But the head of the Japanese production company which had coughed up just $5,000 for the film’s budget disliked what he saw so much, he took his name off the credits. Japanese critics called it complicated and boring, and they worried about the swear words.

Benefit Auction

A silent and live auction to benefit the Edgartown School eighth grade trip this spring to Washington, D.C., is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 1 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Oyster Bar & Grill, 57 Circuit avenue, Oak Bluffs.

Items slated for the auction include a Peter Simon family portrait, a Ray Ellis signed print, and 100 gallons of fuel. Edward Jerome will be the auctioneer.

Admission is $30. Tickets will be available at the door.

THIRD STRIKE: A Brady Coyne/J.W. Jackson Mystery. By Philip R. Craig and William G. Tapply. Scribner, New York, N.Y. December 2007. 323 pages. $24 in hardcover.

Cancer Support Fund

A fund has been established at the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank for Heather Jardin, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Heather is the manager of the herb garden at Morning Glory Farm in Edgartown, where she has worked for the past 10 years. Her address is Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Floor, 44 Binney street, Boston, MA 02115. Questions may be directed to Debbie Athearn by calling 508-627-8782 or by e-mail at morninggloryfarm@verizon.net.

Charter School

Monday, Jan. 21: No school, Martin Luther King Day.

Tuesday, Jan. 22: Tomato vegetable soup, hot dog or tofu dog on a roll, fruit smoothie and milk.

Wednesday, Jan. 23: Bagels with cream cheese, tuna salad or melted cheese and tomato, Japanese salad, pineapple and milk.

Thursday, Jan. 24: Pizza (plain cheese, pepperoni or tomato, zucchini and feta), tossed salad, fresh fruit and milk.

Friday, Jan. 25: Chili with beef or vegetarian, grated cheese, cornbread and butter, applesauce and milk

“Fight blue-sky thinking.”

So says part of the manifesto of the Cloud Appreciation Society. This London-based organization (with a membership of 11,546 cloud spotters) takes the position that “clouds are unjustly maligned and that life would be immeasurably poorer without them. Life would be dull if we had to look up at cloudless monotony day after day.”

Now that the annual Christmas Bird Count is fading into pleasant memories and a lot of fascinating data, we might be lulled into thinking that we can put citizen science aside until next winter. Nope! Such is not the case, as we have a request for help with a winter waterfowl survey of sites where people feed wild ducks and geese.

By LYNNE IRONS

I hope I do not sound completely hard-hearted, but, thankfully, my last rabbit has died. I started out with two adorable Easter bunnies when the children were little. I was assured they were both females. You must be able to see where this is headed.

Brickyard Hike

The Trustees of Reservations will sponsor a hike on Jan. 20 at the Menemsha Hills Brickyard ruins, the last remnants of a once-prosperous Vineyard industry. In this annual guided walk, participants will learn about the brickyard’s industrial past and plans for its future.

The walk is free for members of the Trustees and $15 for non-members. Pre-registration required; space is limited. No dogs will be allowed.