Monthly Archive

  This is my daughter Deb standing outside the Stephen Huneck gallery that used to be on the Vineyard.  The picture in the window is perfect for her.  She is, to put it mildly, obsessed, with a capital Obsession, with her Boykin Spaniel, Chappy.  

  We surprised her a few months later with a print for her birthday.

Stephen Huneck is a fantastic artist and sculptor, we had the honor of meeting him at a book signing a few years ago and he not only autographed his latest book for us but he…

  … drew a sketch of Chappy inside the cover.

  We’ve purchased a few of Stephen Huneck’s paintings over the years.  I particularly like this one because of its Vineyard theme.  Didn’t you always wonder where all the Black Labs on MV came from !

  Here are two of his sculptures that have significance for us.   Before we had our chocolate brown Boykin Spaniel, represented here by the dog on the left, we had miniature Dachshunds, represented by the dog on the right.  I love the corner doxie, he’s definitely a conversation starter.    

Boats are important for getting to an island.  You can get there by plane, you can’t get there by train, you can only bring your car so far and then you need…  a boat.

    Drive your car onto a ferry and you’re good to go. 

  The Rotterdam from the Islander.

  The Katama from the Islander.

                                                Harbor boats.

  Big boats.  Little boats.

 Artistic boat and whale tail.

  Boat at night.

  3 car ferry.

 And …                                             

 !!!!!!!!                                                  

Chappaquiddick is a small island off the bigger island of Martha’s Vineyard. 

  To get there it’s about a 2 or 3 minute ride from Edgartown on one of two On Time ferries.  They are called On Time because there is no schedule so whenever they run… they’re on time. 

 Once you’re on Chappaquiddick, otherwise known as Chappy, you’ll want to check out the beaches.

 This is my daughter and her dog Chappy doing just that.   

 See the beautiful Mytoi Japanese garden. 

 Visit Cape Poge lighthouse.

 Boating, biking, hiking, spending time at the beach… Chappaquiddick is a nice place to get away to… 

 … and then head back to Edgartown. 

   In the Campground in Oak Bluffs sits the Tabernacle and across from it is Trinity Methodist Church.  Trinity Methodist was built in 1878, a year before the Tabernacle was erected.  They have shared the same grassy circle known as Trinity Park for 129 years. 

I spent my childhood summers on Martha’s Vineyard and many of those summers I spent my mornings at Bible School in the Tabernacle.  As was the custom a girl and a boy would be chosen each morning to walk from the Tabernacle to Trinity Church and ring the 8 o’clock bell.  I waited almost all summer to hear my name called, I didn’t think it was ever going to happen.  Finally it did and off across the lawn my partner and I scampered.

  Inside the vestibule tied to the staircase railing was the thickest rope I’d ever seen.  The rope was attached to the bell way, way, way up in the steeple and the longer we stood there and pondered the situation the higher up the bell seemed to get.  

First though we had to untie the rope, it did not go well, we fumbled along and finally the rope was free from the railing.   Time was ticking but neither of us were aware of how close to 8 o’clock we were coming.

Now all we had to do was pull the rope and the bell would ring and … well, that did not go well either.  Neither one of us had enough weight to pull the rope hard enough to ring the bell.  Rope burn was the least of our problems though as now we were sure it was after 8 o’clock and we’d failed our mission.  With what strength we had left we both grabbed the rope, stood on one of the steps and jumped.  Just as our teacher walked in the door to see what the problem was we heard… bong, bong, bong… it was ringing, the bell was peeling loud and strong, we had succeeded…  we had only missed the 8 o’clock bell by… oh 10 or so minutes.  Who would notice!

When I got home at lunch time the first thing my mother said was “the 8 o’clock bell was a bit late this morning, do you know who was ringing it this morning?”  I said it had been me…  she shook her head slowly and said nothing but I did notice a little smile.  By the way, I was never asked to ring the bell again.

  I had spent the morning walking along South Beach/Katama with my daughter, drawing in the sand and enjoying the solitude of the beach in May.   The waves are higher and more intense on the southern side of the Vineyard…but this day the surf was quiet.   We were enjoying the peacefulness when I spotted something out of the corner of my eye lying in the sand.  As I approached I saw that it was a large stick, at least that was my first thought.  Upon closer inspection I discovered that it was more like a walking stick… it was pretty solid and just the right height.

The top was rounded and well worn, the stick itself was dappled with knots.  I wondered where it had come from ?   Was it originally someone’s Christmas tree that had been brought to the beach to be recycled. Was it then discovered by a beachcomber and fashioned into a walking stick.  If so then why was it lying alone in the sand.  Had its owner washed out to sea, been abducted by aliens or perhaps the walking stick had magically walked away to seek adventures on its own. 

Then again perhaps it had been fashioned for a pirate years ago and had just washed up on the sand after floating aimlessly in the ocean for a century or more.  What tales could it tell of galleons filled with gold and jewels… of mutinies on the high seas… of long voyages to foreign shores.  My mind was filled with unanswered questions and thoughts of adventure.

From time to time I look at it and wonder what its story is, but alas inanimate objects are stubborn in giving up that information.

The Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm, the FIRST fiber CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in the world is having its FIRST Fiber Festival on Saturday April 19, 2008.

 Click here and then click on the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Fest link for all the information.  If you’re on MV or close to MV on April 19th come and enjoy the fun.  Here’s just a sample of what’s in store.

Join us on April 19th for the Inaugural Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Fest at the New Ag Hall in W. Tisbury.

The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

1. •Sheep and Angora Goat Shearing

2. •Demos, Demos and More Demos

3. •Needle Felting Workshop by Stephanie daRosa of Plum Hill School

4. •Dyeing Workshop by Rebecca Gilbert of Native Earth Teaching Farm
   

5. •Beautiful, Island-grown, hand-spun yarn, fleece and roving.

6. •Great music and great food!

In the middle of Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs sits the Bandstand, so much the centerpiece of Oak Bluffs that it appears on the town seal.

 As beautiful as it is to look at…

 …there is work that needs to be done to bring it back to its original glory and to also take care of safety issues.   According to an article in the Vineyard Gazette, the Dunkl family who own Chilmark Spring Water stepped up and devoted themselves to the restoration of the Bandstand.  

The Dunkls are no strangers to caring for old Vineyard structures. Years ago they were hired to do renovation work on the Flying Horses, built in 1876 and brought to the Vineyard in 1884, the same year the bandstand was built.

I think it’s great that the Bandstand is being lovingly restored and expect that it will stand in the middle of Ocean Park for another 100 years or so. 

Today would be my mother’s birthday. She’s the reason MV is in our lives.  Although born in Maine she was raised on MV and through her we’ve all come to love the Vineyard.

No words I could find could say so beautifully what my daughter Deb wrote below on her blog today about her grandmother. 

This is a guest post by Deb, Joan’s daughter, copied from her knitting blog.

Because it’s her birthday, I’m going to talk about my grandmother today. Mom’s Mom.

This is the grandmother of the famous diamond ring story. The one who, er, visited Mom and me at the Sweet Life Cafe. The one to whom my dog Chappy owes his name.

Because, you see, Grandma grew up on Martha’s Vineyard. She graduated from high school there, her mother is buried there, and she had enormous ties to the island before she moved to New Jersey and met my Grandfather.

She brought my Mom up every summer of her childhood, to romp around Oak Bluffs with her friends Willie Jones and Jackie Robinson. To be spoiled by her godparents. To go to the beach. To ride the Flying Horses. (That’s Grandma kneeling, and Mom is the itty-bitty tyke on the blanket.) All of which, of course, has made my mother absolutely love Martha’s Vineyard–which, of course, you all knew already since you’re here, reading about her MV Obsession. And that love, of course, she’s passed on to the rest of us.

 Unfortunately, my grandmother died when I was 9 years old. I distinctly remember the day–June 22nd, the last day of third grade–and I was setting the table for supper when the phone rang. It was Grandpa, asking to speak to my Dad–which scared me right off the bat because, why would he ask to speak to Dad first? And I remember the sound of Mom’s scream when Dad passed on the news. It was totally unexpected. She’d been in bed with a cold but–so far as we knew–relatively fine, until her sudden heart attack. She died in my grandfather’s arms and Mom still says that that was the worst day of her life.

 Since I was fairly young when we lost her, I don’t have that many stories of my own to tell about Grandma. (Her name was Maude, by the way.) I wasn’t old enough yet to really sit and talk and laugh with her … but I know that Mom got her sense of silliness from her, and passed that on to me. In fact, Mom has also said that she used to get silly with her mom the way that I get silly with her–obviously something she and I would have had in common.

She also crocheted–I’ve got a box filled with beautiful, dainty handkerchiefs with handmade lace around the edges, for which I give her great credit. I’ve tried doing that myself and find it far too hard to see what I’m doing with the crochet hook at such a small scale.

 And, um, did I mention her love of Martha’s Vineyard? (grin) Because, you know, if she hadn’t loved it so much herself, and had such ties to it, she wouldn’t have brought Mom there so often when she was little. And then Mom wouldn’t have loved it enough to infuse that into her kids and her grandkids. And then, certainly, I wouldn’t have a dog with a Martha’s Vineyard-inspired name. (Two of them, technically.) Considering how much I love Martha’s Vineyard, I’m really very grateful for that.

And, of course, those stories that I’ve got–like that diamond ring story–are certainly good ones. But the best thing I owe to my grandma?

 My mom.

Happy birthday, Grandma!

  Collecting rocks and stones is something you can’t avoid doing as you walk along an Island beach.  I admit I didn’t find the one with this poem:  

“Weathered posts and sea grass, waves rushing in to kiss the shore;  I closed my eyes and peace descends, I’m at The Vineyard once more.”

  These beautiful stone sculptures were done by a Native American, whose name unfortunately I’ve forgotten.  I asked him how he knows what to sculpt and he told me that he has to get to know the stone first… let it speak to him and tell him what it is meant to be… and only then does he begin the process of letting the spirit emerge from the stone.

  This particular stone is double-ended.

  The face of a Native American.

  The spirit of an eagle. 

                  I particularly like this one.  I like the way the face looks peaceful and wise.

Something I find interesting about these sculptures is that when you’re holding them they’re both cool and warm.  Perhaps it’s the spirit from within. 

Martha’s Vineyard is a great place for a family vacation. 

Unlike big crowded theme parks, a trip to the Vineyard is a more laid back kind of vacation.  

  Being an Island the main attraction is the beach.  The best kid friendly one is State Beach on the eastern side of MV between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown.  The water is mostly shallow and very calm.  The beach is great for finding shells and stones and sometimes an elusive piece of sea glass. 

 Here at Aquinnah (Gay Head) on the western side of MV lying beneath the colorful clay cliffs, the beach is rougher and dotted with large and interesting rocks.

 Bicycling is a terrific way to explore the Island.   One of the prettiest bicycle paths is right along State Beach between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown… the Atlantic Ocean is on one side and Sengekontacket Pond on the other. 

 Along the way look for an Osprey’s nest. 

 Try miniature golf at Island Cove Mini Golf on State Rd just outside of Vineyard Haven, and also try their rock climbing wall. 

 Some other things to do on MV are.  Nature walks and children’s programs at Felix Neck.  Watch glass being blown at the Martha’s Vineyard Glassworks.  Go ice skating at the MV Arena.  Try horseback riding.  Tour the lobster hatchery in Oak Bluffs.  Spend a few hours at Beadniks in Vineyard Haven creating a one of a kind piece of jewelry. 

 No matter what your age you’ll want to ride on the Flying Horses.

The Flying Horses in Oak Bluffs are America’s oldest platform carousel dating back to 1884.   They are listed on the National Register of Historical Places and belong to the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust.  Take a ride on one of these beautifully restored horses rain or shine.

 And rain does happen, so what do you do with kids to keep them happy. 

 Besides the Flying Horses and bookstores there’s always the movies.  There are several theatres on MV.. the one pictured here is in Vineyard Haven… Oak Bluffs has two theatres and Edgartown does also. 

 Shopping is always fun for a little while.  Try out Riley’s Reads and the Toy Box both here in Vineyard Haven.

 If you take a jaunt over to the smaller island of Chappaquiddick, which is a three minute ferry ride from Edgartown, take time to stroll through Mytoi, the beautiful and peaceful Japanese garden.  Also take a guided tour out to Cape Poge lighthouse.

 If you’re on MV in the middle of August you can visit the Agricultural Fair It’s amazing to see what the Vineyarders have created… from quilts and homemade jams and jellies to raising livestock.  There’s something for everyone, lots of good food, rides to go on, sheep shearing and interesting contests like skillet tossing… something I’ve been tempted to do in my kitchen at times. 

 So run, play, shop, go swimming and biking, ride on a flying horse or a real one, visit a farm or spend a week as a deck hand on a kids cruise on the Shenandoah or Alabama tall ships.  Enjoy all that Martha’s Vineyard has to offer.

As for where to stay… my personal recommendations are.  The Island Inn which is about a half mile outside Oak Bluffs on the road to Edgartown.  Each unit, no matter the size has a kitchenette which is always great when traveling with kids.  They have a playground and large lawns for romping and a nice pool. 

The Harborside Inn in Edgartown is nice also.  Each room has a mini fridge tucked away in the closet.  They have two pools.  Also in Edgartown are the Edgartown Lodge and Edgartown Commons.

… or, no inn at the room !!!

About 15 years ago my husband and I decided to visit MV in the middle of March.  Why?  Because we’d tried in December, gotten as far as Woods Hole and a raging blizzard prevented us from getting any further.  To quell my disappointment my husband said we’d try again in a couple of months.  We knew the Island would be quiet in March but didn’t realize just how quiet it would be.

  We chose to stay here at the Harborside Inn in Edgartown (this is a summer picture).  The Harborside is a complex of several buildings, in the winter they would keep only one building open.  The building we were in is the middle of the three pictured.  We were in the middle room of the top floor. 

Edgartown in the winter is quiet and solitary… ok, it’s pretty much deserted.  A few restaurants are open, one or two B&B’s, a few stores and not much else.  Some of the shops still have displays in their darkened windows, an unfair look at their tempting wares. 

We checked in and were told that after 5pm no one would be at the desk.  That we could make outgoing calls but incoming calls would go to their answering machine and those messages would be delivered in the morning.  This was before cell phones… the dark ages,  pre-personal electronic communication devices.  And we were warned that if we lost our room keys we’d literally be out in the cold. 

We settled in for our first night of quiet and solitude.  It eventually occured to me that there was just a little too much quiet.  There were no other human noises in the building, no lights on but ours… there was only the creaking of the floors and the eerie screams of the wind against the windows.  Were we the only ones at the inn, the only ones in the entire complex?  Yes we were, and suddenly the quiet was deafening and the solitude was ominous.  Daylight couldn’t come soon enough.

Our first full day on MV we explored the beauty of the Island in winter.. or at least I did with my camera, my husband sought shelter in the car as often as possible.  After a delicious dinner we headed back to the inn for the night.  The weather forecast was for a winter storm with wind gusts over 60mph.  I hoped that the power wouldn’t go out. 

And then I heard voices… muffled at first and then clearer.  A creak.  A door being closed.  Water running.  A laugh.  Could it be, were there other people in the building !  I felt relief.  That night despite the howling winds I slept well knowing that we were not alone.  I almost felt a bond to these other guests.  But in the morning there was no sign of them… no noises from their room next to ours, no creaks or voices, no nothing.  Did I dream them, were they real or perhaps visitors from across time and space that previously inhabited this former whaling captain’s home !   The mind runs wild sometimes on a blustery and stormy winter night especially on an Island with a history of hauntings… especially to a person with a vivid imagination.