NANCY GARDELLA

508-693-3308

(vhavenvgazette@yahoo.com)

So here is the last installment — until next trip — of Cheyenne’s excellent adventure to New York. This neighborhood tomboy, who orders all the kids around and runs all their play projects, bought lip gloss. I know she used at least five layers of it before our final night out to dinner. She purchased a beautiful purple dress with spaghetti straps and gold threads running through it. Then the shoes! She dragged me to five malls looking for the perfect pair of shoes at the perfect price. Finally, one Payless didn’t have her size but had the shoes at another of their stores in another mall. By the time they gave her a discount coupon for her troubles, by the time I drove, parked, and fed another parking meter, we found the shoes at that store were also on sale. With her coupon she got a $49 pair of shoes for $11. I noticed she didn’t reimburse me for gas money. The shoes matched the dress perfectly. She paraded around to her new neighborhood friends to show her outfit. Meanwhile, my mother, who took the hair dye job better than I thought she would (red tips, black and purple streaks, with Cheyenne’s mother’s permission, of course), went nuts over the shoes. Six-inch combination platform-stiletto, I kid you not, gold. In other words, hooker shoes. My mother said to Cheyenne, “How are you going to walk in those?” Chey, all dolled up in her outfit, immediately bent over my mother’s walker and started pushing it around the room. Great laughs! By the way, Chey’s hair had been done by Allyson Alfano, now at Sal’s Hair Station on West Post Road. Off we went to join my cousins at The Melting Pot, 12-year-old Cheyenne and 94-year-old Nonna’s first fondue experience. Cousin Cathy Cucurullo joined us there, cousin Greg Malara was the manager that night. We went for three courses of fondue cooked at our own tables and had a big emergency spoon to yank out dropped tidbits. Oh, it was fun! I expect Cheyenne will be tormenting me to take her back soon.

There’s much library news. Our Civil War series discussion continues Tuesday, May 22, with Jim Thomas speaking on the interpretation of spirituals and their role in the underground railroad at 7 p.m. in the program room. Susie Bowman entertains the youngsters that same day, infants to two year olds, at 10 a.m. and the three to five set at 11 a.m. with musical storytelling. Crafts for ages five and up continue on Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tween gaming, ages eight to eleven, is on Wednesdays from 3 to 5 p.m., teen gaming is on Fridays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The library has been refitted with Envisionware for all public use computers and printers. This will offer you a lot more self-service options and delete all materials at day’s end. Bring your CLAMS card. There are also guest passes available. It’s not too soon to think about your entry for the seventh Annual International Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival. The deadline for short films, which must have been made before July 1, 2011, is July 15. Look up details on www.mvfilmfest.com.

Zephrus, a great fan of our film society, is now open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. There is an exciting new menu and new beers on tap, something to snack on before or after your films.

Our Legion Auxiliary meeting will be at Post 257 on Martin Road on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Remember to help us put up the flags for Memorial Day at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, May 28, and take them down at 3 p.m. We can always use the help. The Legion will be starting its lobster roll season again in June. Ours are on Tuesday nights, so that shouldn’t conflict with your plans to get one at Grace Church on Fridays. Lobster roll contest, anyone?

Don’t miss the always-touching Tisbury School Childrens March to the Sea at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, May 25. The band plays, the kids carry flowers in memory of our war veterans, we pledge allegiance at Robert Owen Park. I’ll see you there.

Executive chef Christian Thornton of the Island Fish House on Island Inn Road in Oak Bluffs has created a special evening of culinary pleasures for you to enjoy along with the program Hooked!, presented by some of our finest members of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, showing antiques and whaling ware. The dinner is on Thursday, May 24, and you should RSVP today at 508-627-4441 ext.117 or e-mail jbarker@mvmuseum.org. Cocktails begin at 6 p.m., dinner is from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person, a museum fundraiser.

Welcome home to Fred and Sally Benson, back in our neighborhood, working on their flowers. They spent the winter in Florida.

Happy anniversary to Allan and Judy Davey on May 21.

Today is the day! Iole Jannace Gardella, a.k.a. Nonna, turns 95. Happy birthday, Mom.

May 19 is a party for Dot Eldefry, Zach Charter, and Tony Gramkowski. May 21 honors Rosie Bick. May 22 is for Bridget Tobin, Theresa King, Frank Elliott, and Thomas Battistini. May 23 belongs to Jim Gardella, Judy Crawford, and Ambrose Seward. And on May 24, Bob Dylan, Lindsey Rendall, and Jessica Walsh take the cake. Many happy returns.