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Carly Simon, who is a long time resident of Martha’s Vineyard was in NYC to perform at Joe’s Pub on April 29th, the day her new CD “This Kind of Love” came out. I was lucky enough to be there and share in the excitement of the show.
Joe’s Pub is very small and intimate, it’s dark and cozy but not exactly photo friendly… I did my best.
Accompanying Carly were her son Ben Taylor, Jimmy Webb, Peter Calo, Jimmy Parr, Ben Saw and a beautiful young woman whose name I’m sorry to say I forget (I think she’s Carly’s manager) and if I forgot anyone I’m truly sorry. The almost two hour show consisted of a blend of new songs and old familiar ones. The title song from “This Kind of Love” is very lush and I love the Brazilian beat. They brought down the house though with a new arrangement of “You’re So Vain” which in the opinion of everyone there, should be recorded.
As is usually the case when you’re having a really good time, it eventually comes to an end. I’m glad I was there, congrats to Carly on a wonderful new CD and here’s to friends she helped bring together.
The Agricultural Society was begun in 1858. The Agricultural Hall, or Ag Hall as it’s commonly known, is located in W Tisbury. This building is a 100 year old post and beam barn that was transplanted from New Hampshire in 1997 piece by piece.
This picture which hangs in the entry foyer of the Ag Hall depicts a barn raising scene.
Posts and beams.
The inside of the building is huge. This is where the annual MV Agricultural Fair is held every August. Weddings, artisan shows, pot luck suppers, and meetings are just a few of the things the hall is used for.
On Sunday, the day after the festival we were invited by Susan and Patrick to visit the farm and see the babies who were too young to be at the festival. Oooooooooohhhhhhh, just look at these sweet baby faces.
The moms kept an eye on us, especially on Chappy, but let the kids come and sniff at us and let us pet and snuzzle them.
Oregano is Logan’s favorite and it looks like the feeling is mutual.
Susan and the kids.
And so there you have it, just a few of the babies born so far this year. All the names for these cuties were herbs and spices. Among them, Basil, Chive, Sage, twin girls named Saffron & Sassafras, Cilantro, Tarragon, boy and girl twins named Rosemary & Oregano, Juniper, and dear sweet sprig of Parsley who we miss. (If I forgot anyone I’m really, really sorry).
The Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm held its first fiber festival this past Saturday, April 19, 2008. It was a smashing success in my opinion and of everyone I talked with.
The people behind the success of the farm and the festival are Susan Gibbs and Patrick Manning pictured here with Patrick’s younger son Logan (older son Harry isn’t pictured). Susan and Patrick and many others worked tirelessly to put together a terrific event, there wasn’t anything they could have done differently… including the stunningly beautiful day they ordered. A 70 degree, bright sunny day with a gentle breeze in the middle of April on Martha’s Vineyard… the weather gods were kind indeed.
The sheep and goats and the older kids (goat, not human) were already out and about when we got there a little before 10 am. In the picture to the right you’ll notice they’ve closed ranks around one of the young kids and are all focusing their attention in one direction.
They are staring at Chappy, our Boykin Spaniel who to them is a predator. Chappy on the other hand is looking at them increduously and wondering, what the heck are these animals?
Whenever Deb and Chappy moved to another spot the sheep would move and face them… it was really interesting.
I’d never seen sheep sheared before and it’s very interesting. The sheep look almost in a Zen state while they’re being sheared and having their hooves clipped. The wool is mostly in one piece when the shearing is finished, it’s amazing. The wool is so soft you can hardly feel it and it’s still a little warm to the touch.
This is Patrick holding Basil, kid number 4 born in February (if I’m wrong about this Susan I’m really, really sorry). Basil is the softest creature I’ve ever touched, next to Chappy of course. He quickly charmed all the shareholders and everyone wanted to hold him a get a little kid kiss from him.
A before and after picture… unshorn to the right, naked to the left. They really seemed happy to get their coats off.
Chappy not only met sheep and goats but an Island dog named Fritz. Each time they saw each other their tails would wag and they’d do a little bit of playing.
Among some of the festival goers were Sally Taylor, her husband Dean Bragonier and their son Bodhi.
One of the many nice touches that Susan and Patrick thought of was having the shearing stop for lunch. It gave everyone a chance to meet up with one another and socialize a bit. They set up long tables in the entry of the Ag Hall. We wound up eating with Susan and this delightful group of shareholders, who all pulled out their knitting after we ate. We met so many nice people and it was hard to remember everyone’s names except for 11 month old Nora and her mom Kate. The incredibly delicious food was provided by the Scottish Bakehouse… I had one of the best turkey/Swiss wraps ever.
The shearing is done, the day is winding down and so is this post. I have lots more to add so stay tuned but in the meantime enjoy some pictures here and go over to my daughter’s blog at Chappy’s mom to enjoy her posts and pictures about the festival.
Check out the articles from the Wall Street Journal and the Vineyard Gazette.
Just returned from a short but very sweet weekend on MV. The reason for going was to attend the MV Fiber Farm’s first fiber festival and it was fantastic.
Posts (yes, plural) and pictures to come in the next day or so…. stay tuned.
The sign to the ferry in Woods Hole.
The ferries themselves ready to go.
Off to the Vineyard… will be back in a few days.
On October 27, 2007 I wrote a post about how Martha’s Vineyard supposedly got her name… it was cleverly titled “Naming Martha.”
Since that post there has been a story published in the Vineyard Gazette about how Martha got its apostrophe. Not earth shattering news perhaps but still interesting due to the fact that it is protected by federal decree and that only four places in the United States have been granted a legal apostrophe.
Reached at his home this week, Arthur Railton, former editor of the Dukes County Intelligencer, mused on the use of the apostrophe and its placement in the Island name. “An apostrophe suggests ownership, and Martha never owned a vineyard of course, so I don’t know how it got there,” he said. “I’m glad it’s there,” he continued. “Without an apostrophe, it seems like a different name. With the apostrophe, it makes it sound as though it is Martha’s vineyard, but without the apostrophe, I don’t know what it would be.”
If your interest is piqued then read the entire article here.
I am not the most patient of people… especially when a trip to MV is upcoming. I do try to contain myself but it’s hard when my head and heart are so focused on getting there.
I’m trying to incorporate the words seen here in a window display at Sanctuary in Oak Bluffs, into my goal of being calm and not driving those around me crazy with my anxiousness.
”IMAGINE” – I always imagine myself on MV, it’s part of who I am. I think about where I’ll go and what I might do and where I’ll be staying. I picture myself doing my favorite things and having new adventures.
“Enjoy The Journey” – part of the experience of going to MV is getting to MV. The travel routine is pretty well set. There’s always a stop in Mystic, CT for lunch and when Chappy is with us to give him a chance to stretch his legs. One of the favorite parts of the journey is driving down Route 28 from Falmouth to Woods Hole. There’s something about this two lane road that makes me smile and makes my heart race as I get closer to the ferry to MV. Once on the ferry the final part of the transition from mainland to Island begins.
“BREATHE” – something I almost have to remember to do as I get closer to MV. Once I’m there for awhile I relax… at least my version of relaxing, my family thinks otherwise.
“FAITH” – I have faith that I will return to the Vineyard. I have faith that I will always find peace and contentment there. I have faith that I am renewed there. I have faith that it will always, somehow, be in the lives of my family.
Part of the excitement of a trip to MV for me are most of the steps leading to the trip itself.
In 10 days we will be on our way to the Vineyard for a long weekend. The main reason for going is the MV Fiber Festival on April 19th. Once we decided we could make the trip I got busy and started setting the preparations in motion.
First was to find a place to stay that takes dogs. MV is a pet friendly island but not all places accept four-legged guests.
We’ve chosen Bradys, a sweet looking B&B located in Oak Bluffs.
Second step is to secure the all important ferry tickets.
If luck holds true for us we’ll make an earlier ferry then the one we have reservations for… extra time on MV is always a good thing. We will either be on the newest ferry, Island Home which is just over a year old… or we’ll be on the Martha’s Vineyard.
For me the third step is the hardest…packing. I hate to pack, yes, even when going to MV. I make myself crazy packing, rethinking, repacking, redeciding what to bring and checking MV weather websites. Somehow though I always manage to get it all together. Besides, if I forget anything, or the weather changes then I have an excuse to do some shopping.
These are the kind of signs you expect to see on MV. But another kind of “sign” is also associated with the Vineyard… signing for the deaf.
There was an unusally high number of deaf people on Martha’s Vineyard starting as far back as the 17th century. Some early settlers carried the gene for deafness and over the years generation after generation of children were born deaf.
Hearing Had to Learn Sign
If you could create a deaf utopia, what would it be like?Everyone would communicate in sign language, both deaf and hearing. Many, if not most, children would be born deaf.Deaf Utopia Did ExistThere actually was such a place once. It was an isolated island off the Massachusetts coast – Martha’s Vineyard…
Martha’s Vineyard created MVSL (Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language) which later merged with the American Sign Language.
Sign language was used freely on the Vineyard by hearing and deaf residents alike. Deafness on MV peaked in 1854 and around 1952 the last person born deaf died.
The book “Everyone Here Spoke Sing Language” by Nora Ellen Groce is an interesting and informative telling of the deaf community on Martha’s Vineyard.
