A few weeks ago, in mid-December I was chatting with a woman I had just met in Vineyard Haven in the way strangers talk when waiting for their holiday gifts to be rung up at the cash register. Suddenly she stopped the banter and said, “You should come to a party someone told me about.”

OVERPRICED REAL ESTATE

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Before the economy took a tumble, homeowners used to check the weekly sales of nearby real estate rather than the Dow Jones averages to see how much their net worth had increased. It was a joyous experience for those who owned a home as well as the real estate agents who were reaping high sales commissions.

Surf and Turf

From Gazette editions of January, 1936:

Menemsha Pond appears to be producing an unusual variety of scallops this winter. Although the set is not particularly heavy, the scallops, especially those in Gay Head waters, are said to be the largest ever marketed in this locality.

Cold and Comfort

From Gazette editions at the turn of the year 1935:

Richard L. Pease of Oak Bluffs opened the ice harvest season at Crystal Lake, harvesting ice eight inches or better in thickness and of a fine quality. Granted a freezing temperature, or anything approaching it for a few days, Mr. Pease expected to fill all available space in his icehouses.

We’ve been accused of being lazy, complacent, having everything handed to us on a silver platter, growing up in the boom years without a care in the world. Trust me, I know some of those people.

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride: It’s the story of my life. But the hairiest part of the story is that I am the only bridesmaid I know with a mustache.

That is why I was not surprised to find out that I recently finished second in the Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year Contest.