It all began with a paper cup.

Brigitte Cornand, longtime deputy director of West Tisbury’s Dumptique, called recently from France, where she now lives, with New Year’s greetings for all her Vineyard friends.

On Christmas Eve the sky was clear for Santa and for his reindeer.

It all began with a duck.

Every cloud, it is said, has a silver lining. Finding it in this era of Covid is hardly easy. But every now and then there are glimmers of it.

Fond as I am of winter, spring comes next as a favorite season and the gleaming gold of daffodils is heralding its arrival here and there.

The Rev. Cathlin Baker was busy. It was something of a day off from activities at West Tisbury’s First Congregational Church, of which she is the new minister. It wasn’t her sermon-writing day. But there was still unpacking to be done at the parsonage in Island Farms. Then Eirene (who was born on St. Patrick’s Day and whose name means “peace” in Greek) needed to be nestled and four-year-old Hardy had to be greeted when he came home from the Rainbow Place preschool in Edgartown.