I know what the first family will do on their vacation. Pretty much what everyone who visits Martha’s Vineyard does — the beach, water sports, farmers’ market, a movie if it rains, shopping, maybe a sailboat ride. I can’t help wondering what the first dog will do. And I’m curious about what kind of an entourage he’ll bring with him. Does he have a personal groomer? Chef? Poop scooper? That would make a good Possible Dreams auction item.

This is the time of year I miss going to church . Christmas and church always seem to go together. I was a lapsed Methodist when I retired to the Vineyard. Up until then I had had what I thought were good reasons not to go to church. I worked many Sundays and spent lots of weekends away from home. Church was low on my list of priorities. Besides, when I was young I went, you could say, religiously. I sang in the choir and taught Sunday school right through college. Then I got a life. A busy one. There wasn’t room for a lot of things.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I find it scary that I live in a country that is so misogynistic that the citizens would prefer to elect a goat for President rather than a woman. The fact that the population is 52 per cent women should clinch it but it doesn’t look that way. Which is another thing that scares me.

I admit that this election has me thinking with my heart as much as my head but, you know, it’s our turn, damn it. After centuries of men messing up, don’t you all think it’s time for a woman to try it?