2020 Life Logs, Day 247: Judy Handley Squared
Date: Friday, September 4, 2020
Weather: Sunny and Hot; High 83, Low 59 Degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
Can you believe there are really two of us? Today I met with another Judy Handley. Here is what she posted on Facebook: “Today’s happy meeting between two strangers, now friends. The reason? .. we are both named Judy Handley, and we both live in Falmouth. My namesake is way more interesting than I am, but we got along great, and we look forward to figuring out ways of getting to know each other with COVID restrictions. Maybe I can think of something as exciting about my life as her … among other things…sailing around the world for six years on a 42 foot sailboat.”
And here is what I added: “Now I must add that the other Judy Handley has done things in her life that I find fascinating. For one, she taught middle school for her entire career. That makes her a saint! And after retiring, she trained and became a guide at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The stories of the people she has met through that connection are so interesting. I must admit that it is a strange feeling to meet someone with your same name. It kind of felt like we were long lost friends. We will definitely continue to meet and get to know one another.”
It did feel surreal to meet another person with the same name, but we hit it off right away.
Judy and her partner Craig met me on Main Street. Craig went to the French bakery to get coffee for all of us and we sat at a picnic table on the library lawn and talked for two hours. Judy and I are both retired teachers and both of us lost our husbands to colon cancer. The other Judy has lived in the same part of Massachusetts all of her life while I have bounced all over the country. She is a Handley by birth. I am a Handley through marriage. She is tall; I am short. She’s an Aires’ I’m a Pisces. So, we have some similarities and some differences in the paths our lives have taken. But I really felt like I was meeting a kindred soul and I look forward to opportunities to get to know each other better.
This evening I went to the Baranowskis for dinner. We had barbecued ribs, coleslaw, and calico beans. The food was fabulous, but as always the company was even more awesome. Bob and Jan Paninski, also Newscomers, were also there and were celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary. Great evening. And congratulations to Bob and Jan.
