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Happy New Year 2008
Reporting from New York City at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 29, 2007. Here we stand looking high in the sky at the spot where in 56 hours and 3 minutes the ball will drop and usher in 2008. If you look closely at the top picture you can actually see the 2008 just above the Toshiba sign. Excitement fills the air in anticipation of the start of a new and fresh year.
Martha’s Vineyard prepares for her own end of the year and beginning of a new one with some interesting activities. Enjoy the Last Day walk at Felix Neck on the 31st.
Last Night/First Day in Vineyard Haven is a two day event including fireworks… also rock to the music of Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish at Outland until the early hours of 2008.
Click on the link above to see a list of the other festivities to enjoy on this New Year’s weekend.
If you haven’t it’s not because of a lack of authors who live there year round or call MV their summer home. Maybe it’s something in the drinking water or the inspirational waters that surround the Vineyard but whatever it is there’s definitely creative forces there.
Perhaps one of the most well known authors who lives and writes there is David McCullough, among his mega hits are ”John Adams” “1776″ and “Truman”. William Styron author of “Sophie’s Choice” and “Confessions of Nat Turner” made his summer home on MV. As did his life long friend the late columnist and humorist Art Buchwald.
The late mystery writer Philip Craig wrote many novels about Martha’s Vineyard. Cookbook and decorating author Susan Branch also lived there, she now splits her time between the Vineyard and CA.
Singer/songwriter and children’s book author Carly Simon lives on MV. She is also a partner is a popular store in Vineyard Haven called Midnight Farm, which is the title of one of her books.
You’ll enjoy browsing for these and many other books in any of the three Island bookstores.
Sun Porch books in Oak Bluffs is charming and welcoming. Curl up on a sofa and pull up a good book to browse through including “Haunted Island” and “Vineyard Confidential” by the owner herself, Holly Nadler.
Edgartown Books which is pictured above is staffed by friendly and informative book lovers. Spend some time browsing through your new books while sitting in a rocker on their porch.
Bunch of Grapes in Vineyard Haven is the biggest of the book stores. Their table of Vineyard books and calenders is chocked full of Vineyard fact and fiction.
Merry Christmas
Cape Poge lighthouse is located on the eastern end of Chappaquiddick island which is located off the bigger island of Martha’s Vineyard. To get to Chappaquiddick you have to take a small, three car ferry from Edgartown called the On Time I or the On Time II. They’re called that because no matter when they run they’re always on time. To get to Cape Poge lighthouse you have to use a vehicle which will drive over deep sand or take a tour… no matter how you get out there it’s definitely worth it.
Cape Poge is the only wooden lighthouse on Martha’s Vineyard. The original strucure was built in 1801. By 1838 it had been destroyed by the ravaging seas and rebuilt further inland. It was again rebuilt in 1893. The present structure was build in 1922 and in 1985 gained distinction as being the first lighthouse to be moved by helicopter. It is the only lighthouse on MV that has guy wires with sand anchors to help protect it from powerful winds.
I know I’m off MV topic again but I can’t resist posting some of our sweet and whimsical dog Christmas ornaments. The one shown here is Stephen Huneck’s dog angel… his work is incredible.
Martha’s Vineyard in the off season is not only less crowded but very beautiful in an ethereal way. Cloud formations in the winter are quite dramatic and often look like the swirl of a paint brush across the sky… or like random dabbled puffs.
A dusting of powdered snow transforms the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs into a winter cake.
The Whaling Church in Edgartown looks cool and stately with a skirt of white at its feet.
East Chop Drive.
Sengekontacket Pond rimmed in ice… you can almost feel the chill in your bones. 
Edgartown Harbor with a thin sheet of ice floating gently past.
And now for a cup of hot chocolate …
Now - the ferry Islander left Martha’s Vineyard for the last time in March of 2007 and has reappeared in New York Harbor. According to an article in the New York Times by the summer of 2009 the Islander will have been refurbished and doing an 800 yard run between Governor’s Island and Lower Manhattan. The port of “Woods Hole” will be painted out and replaced with ”Governor’s Island”… there are no plans to change her name. In the hearts of all who’ve known her she’ll always be and will remain … The Islander.
Then - In February of 1950 the Islander began plying the waters between Martha’s Vineyard and Woods Hole… this relationship would continue for 57 years.
Martha! Martin! New York! Massachusetts! How many aliases and states have claimed this 100 sq mile island? The Wampanoags named it Noepe and that stuck until Bartholomew Gosnold came along in 1602.
No one seems to know who the Martin was whose name was once attached to the Vineyard… so let’s move ahead to Martha whose identity is still shrouded in myth. Was she one of Gosnold’s daughters, or his mother, or the name of an English royal. Whoever she was her name stuck and in my opinion has a nicer ring to it then Martin’s Vineyard.
According to the book “The History of Martha’s Vineyard” by Arthur R. Railton, in 1664 Charles II gave NY, NJ and the islands to the east to his brother, the Duke of York. In 1670 Thomas Mayhew, Jr and his grandson Matthew of Massachusetts traveled to NY to ask Gov Lovelace which colony his Island was under… New York or Massachusetts. Gov Lovelace made Thomas Mayhew “Governor for Life” of Martha’s Vineyard and gave him the authority to collect rents from all who lived within its bounds. Voila, Martha’s Vineyard Massachusetts. History lesson over.
I know this blog is sub-titled “All Martha’s Vineyard, All the Time”, but I didn’t think MV would mind sharing a post with another “M” island … Manhattan. Martha’s Vineyard was once part of NY , but I’m digressing. Since I couldn’t be on MV for the Edgartown weekend we went into NYC to stroll around and enjoy the beauty of Christmas that the city has to offer.
Ice skaters in Central Park.
Crowds and traffic on 5th Avenue.
Tree at Trump Tower.
Chrysler Building.
St Patrick’s.
And finally two of the most popular attractions at Christmas.
THE tree… and 
Now back to our regularly scheduled Island.
Happily clustered on the Christmas tree are some of my Vineyard ornaments. I don’t have as many as people think I do… if I did I’d need another tree. The Santa on the left is holding a wish list, it has only one wish on it “….trip to Martha’s Vineyard” which pretty much says it all for me.
A close up of the Tabernacle and the gingerbread house ornaments. These are glass ornaments with the pictures painted on the inside. In this picture the sun is shining through them.
Simple and beautiful.
MV bread basket with a handmade wreath sitting in it, although not an ornament is ornamental.
Every year the second weekend in December is the Christmas in Edgartown celebration. I’ve gone three times and it is quite an experience. Edgartown does a terrific job of celebrating the oncoming of Christmas. The town is decked out in all its holiday finery and happily welcomes visitors to enjoy all that is offered.
I took this picture of the Whaling Church early in the morning … it looks so typically New England to me. The Minnesingers from the high school put on a concert here as part of the weekend celebration. You can’t help but feel the Christmas spirit after this glorious concert.
Here are the Dr Daniel Fisher House and the Hob Knob Inn all decked out in twinkly lights and lots of greenery. The pictures in this post are from three different trips and little did I know when I took the picture of the Hob Knob that I’d be staying there the next time I was on MV for the Christmas celebration.
Edgartown Lighthouse.
I think one of the most fun things is the Christmas parade. You won’t find big inflated balloons here, but what you will find is pure enthusiasm and joy. From the horse drawn wagon in the beginning of the parade to the fire truck with Santa at the end it’s a crowd pleaser and a smile maker.
Even four legged celebrants get into the act wanting to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.
A Santa scallop !
It’s hard to keep up with all that Edgartown offers for the three day celebration. There are open houses at many of the inns where you can get a chance to look around and sample goodies they are offering. And while you’re enjoying that often times carolers drop in to serenade with a song or two. The stores are all open and they too have foods to sample and ciders and wines to taste. You can literally eat and drink your way around Edgartown.
Another highlight is Donaroma’s Evening of Enchantment (click on special events on the website), it’s a twinkling fairy land of lights, music, garden displays and entertainment by enthusiastic bell ringers.
Christmas in Edgartown … a joyful experience indeed.
Eight years ago Patty painted this for Deb for her birthday. All the pups and kittens have Vineyard names. Mark (Chilmark), Edgar (Edgartown), Tizzy(Tisbury), Buffy (Oak Bluffs), Martha, Vinny, Chappy(Chappaquiddick) and Katy(Katama) to name a few.
When Deb received this she still had Katy, her first Boykin Spaniel, represented here by the dark brown pup Santa’s holding in his right arm. The following Christmas Katy had since died and we had Chappy. When we took out the sculpture at Christmas time Deb took a look at it and gasped… “oh no, Chappy’s a kitten.” With a few strokes of her paint brush Patty changed Chappy from a kitten to the little brown dog on Santa’s right boot. All was well.
