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Thank you by woodleywonderworks-resized-600

This month I was forwarded a challenge on Facebook – for the month of November, make your daily status something you are thankful for.  “No Worries” I thought and dug straight in – family, friends, good weather, my dog, my job, my upcoming trip to Scotland – all things to be thankful for.
Then, this morning, I was out in my yard, raking leaves while the dog ran around and undid all my neat piles of leaves and just as I was about to yell at him, something stopped me.  I looked at the leaves, the beautiful yellows of the sycamore trees, the orange maple leaves, the copper oak leaves and the bright pinks and reds of my burning bushes and remembered, people flock from all over the world to see these New England fall colors and I’m getting upset about having to see them endlessly as I rake – I should be thankful I don’t have to travel to see them.  This led me to think about all the other things about Martha’s Vineyard that make me thankful to live here…

  • Our amazing community
  • Our beautiful beaches
  • the rolling hills of Chilmark
  • seeing the ocean every day
  • the hundreds of miles of trails to walk
  • the wonderful restaurants

I’m just starting the list for you…as fellow Vineyard lovers, what is it about Martha’s Vineyard that you are most thankful for?

Photo by Woodleywonderworks

 

Enjoy a Delicious Meal at Cafes in Edgartown
Cast Your Line with Martha’s Vineyard Fishing Charters
The Best Places to Eat on Martha’s Vineyard for Sweet Treats
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Jaws on Martha’s Vineyard
Fuel Up at a Martha’s Vineyard Coffee Shop
Embrace Spring in Massachusetts | Spend Time Outdoors
What to Do on Martha’s Vineyard on a Gloomy Day
Plan the Ultimate Martha’s Vineyard Spring Break Vacation

Time by Michael Fillion-resized-600

I had to do some soul searching this month.  Martha’s Vineyard seemed to be over-run with people who I haven’t seen in 6+  years – it gave me pause as I realized that, while they are all living in different cities, doing different jobs and living very different lives than they were when I last saw them, my life here on the Vineyard is pretty much the same as it was when they left.  I’m in the same job, married to the same man, hanging in more or less the same places with many of the same folks as I was 6 years ago.  In fact, this past week saw my 9 year anniversary working at the Colonial Inn.
At first this made me feel a little sad – ‘Gosh my life is so boring’ and then I realized – ‘Hey, I live on Martha’s Vineyard! Predictability is our strength!’.  Don’t you love it when you visit and the same person is there to check you in at the Inn as you remember from your last stay? You get the same waitress in your favorite restaurant (and the restaurant is still there with your favorite dish still on the menu!). It feels good to know that you can go to your favorite coffee shop, your favorite store and favorite beach and it will be just the way you remember it.  This is why so many people come to Martha’s Vineyard every year, and have done for many years – you feel right back at home!  I LOVE when a family checks in at the Inn who first stayed with us as honeymooners and now they are bringing their kids on their first visit to the Vineyard. Then we see the kids grow up, heck, we even recruit some as staff eventually!
I love the fact that so many of our guests greet us as old friends.  We sit down for a coffee and catch up on the year’s happenings, how the kids and dogs are and what books we have all been reading.  The familiarity and comfort are what make this place great.  Go on, I dare you to watch Jaws and not spend your time pointing out locations that look just as familiar to viewers now as they did when the movie was released in 1974.
More than that, I love that I go into the coffee shop and they ask how my visit with my mom was, I go to the bank and they ask how the dog is doing and predictably I go to a bar where everybody knows my name.  I’m at home, Scottish by birth but on Martha’s Vineyard on purpose.  I don’t want to be another face in the crowd, a cubicle dweller in the city.  I like my familiar, less dramatic life. Martha’s Vineyard is a bit like your favorite faded jeans – sure you’ve changed a little over the years, there’s a bit more (or less) of you than before, the shape is a little different but it still fits!  Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes there’s a little extra glitter here, or a new style there but essentially, in the heart of it all, the Vineyard is just the same as it ever was and it is great!

 

Enjoy a Delicious Meal at Cafes in Edgartown
Cast Your Line with Martha’s Vineyard Fishing Charters
The Best Places to Eat on Martha’s Vineyard for Sweet Treats
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Jaws on Martha’s Vineyard
Fuel Up at a Martha’s Vineyard Coffee Shop
Embrace Spring in Massachusetts | Spend Time Outdoors
What to Do on Martha’s Vineyard on a Gloomy Day
Plan the Ultimate Martha’s Vineyard Spring Break Vacation

March-May 2010 078-resized-600

Fall is digging in its heels here on Martha’s Vineyard. The weather has cooled, pumpkins abound, and many stores and restaurants have started to cut back their hours. One of my favorite island past times is still going strong for a couple more weeks, though. According to many, the best restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard is on the back docks at Larsen’s in Menemsha. They have no crystal or linens, and service is limited to someone yelling your name out of the back window. Sometimes it’s even a little buggy and smelly; but they have an abundance of fresh air, delicious fresh seafood that tastes twice as good when eaten with the fingers, delightful people to meet and get to know, stunning sunsets, and always a certain amount of “entertainment”.

For instance, one evening this summer, a friend and I patiently watched, for 15 or 20 minutes, a young man with an impressive camera arrange and then rearrange his lobster dinner on the edge of the dock until he got just the shot he was looking for. When he noticed our interest in his activities, he explained he was a freelance photographer who would shoot food photos and send them into culinary publications in hopes they would buy his work.

Another afternoon, a group of Karate enthusiasts, all decked out in their white robes and black belts, lined up single file on the dock, their lobsters placed in front of them, and asked me to take a group picture. It was great.

Most recently, with the Derby winding down, a very confident man unfolded a chair on the edge of the dock right in front of us and cast his line out into the harbor. His wife and travelling companions explained that a few years ago this fisherman had caught a record-breaking bass from that very spot and was determined that it could happen again. This time, not only didn’t he hook anything, but every time he would cast out his line, an equally determined seagull would swoop down and steal his bait right off it. He had a lot of fun though, and so did we.

Although the sunsets are bigger and longer and more vibrantly glorious than ever, it is getting a bit chilly on the Menemsha docks.  Last week, my steamers were cold before I could finish them, but it didn’t dampen the experience, and I will be faithful to Larsen’s until the door is closed and locked, then count the days until next spring when they unlock and the thought of fresh lobster and steamers beckons me to the docks again.

Enjoy a Delicious Meal at Cafes in Edgartown
Cast Your Line with Martha’s Vineyard Fishing Charters
The Best Places to Eat on Martha’s Vineyard for Sweet Treats
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Jaws on Martha’s Vineyard
Fuel Up at a Martha’s Vineyard Coffee Shop
Embrace Spring in Massachusetts | Spend Time Outdoors
What to Do on Martha’s Vineyard on a Gloomy Day
Plan the Ultimate Martha’s Vineyard Spring Break Vacation

Memorial day by the US ArmySo here it comes again – the official kick off for the summer on Martha’s Vineyard – Memorial Day weekend.  If you believe what “they” say, we can now wear our white clothes and sandals with pride as we enter what promises to be another fun filled summer season.

It is already shaping up to be a busy weekend with lots of great events going on.  If you enjoy browsing the many wonderful galleries the Island has to offer, then you are in luck – a number of galleries are having shows to kick off the season.  TheEisenhauer Gallery here at the Colonial Inn will be featuring some new artists at their show on Saturday evening. As an extra treat favorite Island band, Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish will be playing at the show, so stop by, say hi and get your groove on!

Up-Island, both the Grange Hall and the New Ag Hall are hosts to much anticipated annual shows. The Grange Hall plays host the 12th Annual Vineyard Artisans Memorial Day Showon Saturday and Sunday.  This is the kick off to the Vineyard Artisans summer season which sees them at the same location every Sunday in June and Thursdays and Sundays in July and August.  This show features arts, crafts and jewelry from many renowned local artists.

The New Ag Hall is hosting the Friends of Family Planning’s annual art show.  If you are in town early and would like to support this cause, their Gala Preview Party is on Thursday evening.  The show itself runs Friday to Sunday from 10-6.

If you get to Martha’s Vineyard early enough on Friday you can see a touching tribute to the holiday and a great reminder as to why many of you have the day off work on Monday.  The March to the Sea by the children of Tisbury school is a lovely tribute to the memory of all of those we have lost.  See the kids, waving their flags as they march from Tisbury School to Owen Park starting at noon.

This is just a sampling of the many fun and interesting events that are going on, not to mention all the new stores opening, old stores re-opening, restaurants old and new and much more besides.

How will you be spending your holiday weekend?

 

Enjoy a Delicious Meal at Cafes in Edgartown
Cast Your Line with Martha’s Vineyard Fishing Charters
The Best Places to Eat on Martha’s Vineyard for Sweet Treats
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Jaws on Martha’s Vineyard
Fuel Up at a Martha’s Vineyard Coffee Shop
Embrace Spring in Massachusetts | Spend Time Outdoors
What to Do on Martha’s Vineyard on a Gloomy Day
Plan the Ultimate Martha’s Vineyard Spring Break Vacation

Hello to friends of the Colonial Inn and Martha’s Vineyard. I’m happy to be back at work and in the loop after a quiet winter away from everyone. The Vineyard is bustling with spring activity. All of the busy little worker ants are scurrying about getting the island ready for our 2010 visitors. Restaurants and stores are opening their doors at record speed. As usual, you will find much the same, as well as some changes.

MV Bridge by cdsessumsTo follow up on the island doings I discussed in my last blog, let me start with the bridges along State Beach between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. As I mentioned then, they will be only half finished for this upcoming season, but you will certainly be impressed with the progress. From what I can tell, as I peek through all the work equipment as I drive by, both bridges will now arch a bit in the center, making the jump from Big Bridge a bit more challenging for all you aquatic daredevils. The railing is now going up, and it is an architectural delight.

Another work of art awaits you at the dock in Oak Bluffs. The new ferry terminal accomplishes what few new structures can. It is not only stunning and functional, but looks like it belongs to the scenery it inhabits. In addition to the impressive new building itself, the walkway down the Steamship Authority terminal dock is now much sturdier and completely covered to protect you when you happen to arrive on one of our infrequent stormy days. Just across the street, new road construction will keep the traffic flowing far better than ever before.

On the way into Vineyard Haven, check out our fantastic new hospital. Don’t hesitate to stop in and visit the long awaited, state of the art facility. Travelling on, you’ll find the now completed, temporary Lagoon drawbridge. The old bridge has finally disappeared into thin air, or at least to some salvage yard, and the area is greatly improved. The only thing you might find disconcerting is that there is now a bend in the road as you both approach and leave the bridge. Take special heed of this especially if you are dining in Vineyard Haven, whose residents have just agreed to allow beer and wine sales in restaurants. (That’s right folks. No more BYOB!) After all, we would hate to see you miss the curve and end up several feet beyond in the new hospital.

All in all, the Vineyard is mightily spruced up and waiting for you. Come see us soon.

Photos Credit: cdsessums

 

Enjoy a Delicious Meal at Cafes in Edgartown
Cast Your Line with Martha’s Vineyard Fishing Charters
The Best Places to Eat on Martha’s Vineyard for Sweet Treats
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Jaws on Martha’s Vineyard
Fuel Up at a Martha’s Vineyard Coffee Shop
Embrace Spring in Massachusetts | Spend Time Outdoors
What to Do on Martha’s Vineyard on a Gloomy Day
Plan the Ultimate Martha’s Vineyard Spring Break Vacation