2024 Life Logs, Day 260: A Day Trip to Nantucket
Date: Monday, September 16, 2024
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 68, Low 55 degrees F
Location: Back Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

The Newcomers/Encore field trip to Nantucket today was perfect. It was sunny and warm and the field trip was fun and very informative. It couldn’t have been better. There were 15 of us who boarded the fast ferry in Hyannis at 9:15 am. By 10:30 am, we entered the Nantucket Harbor and walked through the crowds of people to the Whaling Museum where we met our walking tour guide. The guide was a young man named Isiah who has lived on Nantucket for all of his young life except for his college years away. He gave us a complete course on Nantucket history from the thousands of years that the Wampanoag people lived on Nantucket before the Quakers came to escape the strict laws of the Puritans,to the days when Nantucket was the Whaling Capital of the World and finally a tourist destination.

We went to the waterfront to learn what it was like in its whaling days. We walked the streets and learned about the businesses that helped Nantucket grow. We walked to the Atheneum, the historic Methodist Church and Pacific National Bank in the center of downtown. Our walk ended in the 1700’s Friends Meeting House.

We changed gears at that point and went to lunch before arriving at the Whaling Museum for our tour at 1:30 pm. Our first stop at the museum was a lecture on the whaling ship Essex that went down in the Pacific Ocean.

The story is told in Nathanial Philbrick’s book, In the Heart of the Sea. I read that book before sailing around the world, but not until I was sitting in the museum listening to the story while looking at the huge map on the wall did I realize that the spot in the Pacific Ocean where Windbird sailed up and over a female sperm whale was very close to where the Essex was attacked by a male sperm whale and sunk. In my log on that day I wrote: “ We think we crossed the path of a pod of female sperm whales. The one we hit must have been close to the surface and then dipped when we hit. Unlucky to hit a whale; lucky we didn’t sustain more damage.” And lucky our encounter was with a female rather than a male like the Essex!

2024 Life Logs, Day 259: Back Home After Whirlwind Trip to Florida
Date: Sunday, September 15, 2024
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 73, Low 52 degrees F
Location: Back Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Thank you, Delta Airlines, for getting me to and from my one-day trip to Fort Myers, Florida without a hitch. I arrived in Fort Myers 30 minutes early yesterday and arrived back home right on time today. I am back at home tonight and happy to be here, but I did have a fabulous time. So glad I went. And when I got back to the Cape this evening to pick Shadow up from Bruce and Jane Woodin’s, I was invited to a steak and roasted veggies dinner. Lucky me! Thank you, Bruce and Jane, for everything.

2024 Life Logs, Day 258: From Boston to Fort Myers, Florida
Date: Saturday, September 14, 2024
Weather: Sunny, Then Rain Late; High Temp 89, Low 76 degrees F
Location: At Home with Stacey and Mike Dickey, North Fort Myers, FL

I left home at 4 am this morning and arrived in Fort Myers, Florida by 10:40 am. By this time tomorrow I will be back at the airport for the flight home. I flew down for the surprise 80th birthday of Mark’s brother, Steve. Steve’s two daughters, Kristi and Stacey, hosted the party. It seemed a bit crazy to fly all this way for a party, but it was not just any old party, and it was not just for any old guy. Mark and I were always very close to Steve, and I am so glad I came. He was truly surprised, and it was great to see so many of Mark’s family members. Mark’s two sisters, Mary Ellen and Jeanie, were there along with many others. So Happy Birthday to Steve! And Happy Birthday to Justin! As I mentioned previously, he was hosting a work brigrada for his birthday. I’ll let you know how that went when I get home and have a chance to talk to him

2024 Life Logs, Day 257: Early Happy Birthday to Justin
Date: Friday, September 13, 2024
Weather: Another Beautiful, Sunny Day; High Temp 73, Low 59 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

Yes, it is Friday the 13th. So, I decided to focus on the positive and take the day to just enjoy this beautiful place where I live. I spent a couple of hours at Stony Beach in Woods Hole and got into the water for the first time this summer

The water is still plenty warm enough to enjoy. I thought I might have the beach to myself, but I had to share. There are evidently a lot of people like me who are not going to let go of summer easily. I drove home along the water and made a stop at Nobska Lighthouse. I love the view of the water from there. Otherwise, I spent my day getting ready for my 24-hour trip to Florida. I will be spending time with family tomorrow night and probably won’t post a log. So, here’s an early Happy Birthday to Justin. He and his Uncle Steve share the same special day. I talked with Justin this afternoon. For his 47th birthday tomorrow, he and Jo are hosting a work brigada to clear some of the fallen trees from Ernesto in mid-August. He promised to send before and after photos, so I’ll check in with you when I get home on Sunday evening and share those photos if he really has time to take them.

2024 Life Logs, Day 256: Activity Fair, Ice Bucket Challenge, and a Secret
Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024
Weather: Beautiful, Sunny Day; High Temp 72, Low 58 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

This morning was the annual Activity Fair sponsored by Newcomers showcasing the more than 70 activities open to Newcomers and Encore members. I find it phenomenal that we have so many wonderful choices. I was there as co-leader of the Field Trip group and the Exploring Public Policy group. I was seated at a table beside Jon Kaufman who has volunteered to be the co-leader for the public policy group. But today he was representing a new photography activity he will lead. I definitely joined that one today, as well as another new one called Exploring Cultural Diversity in Falmouth. I am going to need a real camera, not just my phone, to be in the photography group, but I do need a camera, so now I have the incentive to buy one.

After the fair, I came home to can a load of tomato sauce and was then off to an Ice Bucket Challenge for my friend Art Gilbert. Art has always helped me and so many others with our technology issues, and now Art needs our help. He has been diagnosed with ALS. Today’s challenge was raising money for an ALS research fund at Mass General Hospital. I chose to donate rather than get wet, but plenty of others took the plunge. Art’s son Brian and his wife Nadia were there, along with a surprise visit by Art’s daughter who lives in Connecticut. Brian and Nadia have stayed with Shadow for me a couple of times, so I consider them part of my extended family.

I left the challenge at Bristol Beach to pick up Ollie and Simon after soccer practice and then I headed home to can another load of tomatoes. I am now done with tomatoes for this year. Hurray! I also talked to Karen Baranowski. She and Peter just returned from a two week trip from here through Maine to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

In between these activities, I spent more time dealing with some of my sister ‘s issues. Today I had to talk to an administrator at Autumn Care to find out why Patsy is being dressed and out of bed until mid-afternoon, and then only if one of her companions insists it be done. I made some progress, but we’ll see if what I was told is really put into action. Tomorrow, I am taking part of the day off to go to the beach. I know this beautiful weather cannot continue much longer, so I am going to enjoy it fully tomorrow, with sand between my toes. And now I have something to tell you that I have been keeping a secret. Shhhhhh! In the wee hours of Saturday morning, I am getting myself to the airport in Boston for an early morning flight to Fort Myers, Florida. Mark’s baby brother, Steve, turns 80 on Saturday and his daughters are having a surprise birthday party for him. They let me know about this last weekend and I decided that I just had to go. My friends Jane and Bruce Woodin said they would keep Shadow (Heather and family are going sailing) and I found a really reasonably priced flight. I will arrive in Fort Myers at 11:30 am, getting me there in plenty of time for the 3 pm party. I will stay the night at Steve’s daughter’s home and then return home on Sunday afternoon. At first, it seemed like a truly crazy thing to do, but I really haven’t seen any of Mark’s family for far too many years. Saturday is also Justin’s birthday and my ‘adopted’ son, Kevin Russel’s birthday. I will celebrate for all three of them!

2024 Life Logs, Day 255: Tribute to Mark
Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Weather: Mostly Sunny Day; High Temp 71, Low 54 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

Mark Daniel Handley died eight years ago tonight. He was only 74 years old, but he had lived a good 74 years. Every September 11, I go out to dinner, somewhere near the water, with Heather and family as a tribute to Mark. All five grandchildren visited with him on his last day. They were all young, but they do have memories that I hope they will carry with them throughout their lifetimes. Mark loved his children and grandchildren, his proudest accomplishments in life. He also loved taking little power naps every afternoon. I have photos of him napping with each grandchild and those five photos are some of my favorites, with Sam, with Ziggy, with Jonah, with Ollie, and with Coco.

His other love was New Hampshire Public Radio. The development of public radio in New Hampshire from a small station in Concord (WEVO) to a statewide network was his proudest career accomplishment. He also served as the Chair of National Public Radio simultaneously during the last few years of his career, but his real love was always NHPR.

Mark and I had a wonderful forty-three years together and I miss having him by my side. But he is always with me in spirit. Tonight’s dinner was at The Flying Bridge on Falmouth Harbor. That is where we had our first tribute dinner in 2017. My, my, how those boys have changed!

2024 Life Logs, Day 254: Sunset Cruise and THE Debate
Date: Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Weather: Another Gorgeous, Sunny Day; High Temp 69, Low 61 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

Sunset Cruise on the Island Queen … perfect.

Debate … perfect.

Great day!

2024 Life Logs, Day 253: More Tomatoes
Date: Monday, September 9, 2024
Weather: Gorgeous, Sunny Day; High Temp 69, Low 61 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

Somehow every September, I find that I have let paperwork pile up during the busy summer months. I have a pile of Encore things that need to be filed and another huge pile of paperwork for my sister that needs to be dealt with. I needed to prepare for my Wednesday Encore Board meeting today, so while doing that, I attacked the pile of Encore papers. I’m not there yet, but I made a lot of progress. On my sister’s side of things, I had to file another appeal to her insurance company today. As soon as one of my appeals is denied, she has to pay $9,900 up front for one month’s rent. So, I am hoping my appeals continue to be honored.

Late afternoon, I got another email from Carrie at Peach Tree Farm letting me know she had more tomatoes for me. After picking up Ollie and Simon from school and taking them and their band instruments home, I went to pick up the tomatoes. It should have taken about 15 minutes, but there was an accident and it took almost an hour there and back. I started processing tomatoes tonight. That will continue tomorrow.

2024 Life Logs, Day 253: Be Excellent to Each Other
Date: Sunday, September 8, 2024
Weather: Sunny, Windy. Cooler; High Temp 68, Low 54 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth

After a busy summer, I cherish every September day when I can just decide to do nothing. And that was true for most of today. I ready, I napped outside in the sunshine, but then mid-afternoon I went into action to prepare dinner for the Goldstones. They had a great afternoon at the Heritage Adventure Park. They were supposed to go for Jonah’s birthday, but that never happened. So today was the day. Sam didn’t go as he was working on his car and doing things with his friends. But Ollie and Jonah took friends and had a great time.

After an Indian dinner at Oma’s, I went to Heather and Jed’s to watch a movie with Ollie and Jonah. The anniversary of Mark’s death is coming up this week and last night I was thinking about him and some of his moral bottom lines. One of them was the 1989 movie, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I loved it and he hated it. He swore that movies like that were dumbing down our society. I argued that it was a hilarious movie that might get teenagers interested in history. Two people, two perspectives. But last night I decided to watch it for the first time in over 30 years to see if I still feel the same way. I do. And tonight, I mentioned it at dinner. Heather also loved the movie, so we all went to their house to watch it to see how it plays out with today’s kids. Since it is school night, there was no time for discussion after the movie, but I am sure they will talk about it as a family. I agree with Abraham Lincoln who says at the end of the movie, “Be excellent to each other. And… PARTY ON, DUDES!”

2024 Life Logs, Day 251: Soccer Saturday, Plus a Covid Vaccine
Date: Saturday, September 7, 2024
Weather: Sunny AM Turning Cloudy Mid-PM; High Temp 72, Low 55 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth

My morning started out slow and easy and normal. But after my walk with Shadow, I decided that I should look into getting a Covid booster. I saw that I could get one in 10 minutes, so I reserved the appointment and headed out the door. Unfortunately, when I got there I realized the Falmouth CVS has only Pfizer and I am strictly a Moderna ‘user’. The pharmacist told me I could get Moderna at the CVS in Mashpee, so I checked my phone and saw that I could get an appointment in 15 minutes. I reserved that and took off, getting there just in time. Somehow it was almost 11 am by the time I got back in Falmouth, so I headed straight to the high school soccer field to see Sam and Jonah’s game, Falmouth v Nantucket. That one ended in a tie.
And a little later in the afternoon, I went with Heather and Jed to Ollie’s game in Bourne.
No soccer tomorrow. Just a day at home for me.