by Judy Handley | Apr 1, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 91: Cory Booker
Date: Tuesday April 1, 2025
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 53, Low 31 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
This afternoon while I was watching Ollie kayaking in Jones Pond, I was scrolling through today’s unread email. A Substack post written by Falmouth friend Jerry Lanson caught my eye. “Courage in the Congress—Senator Cory Booker Has Been on His Feet for 18 Hours Now and Is Still Making Sense.”
When I got home, I read Jerry’s post and it convinced me to get on YouTube to watch live streaming of Cory Booker, who by this time was 23 hours into his marathon speech on the Senate floor. I am paraphrasing here, but what I heard him saying is that what is happening right now in our country is not a matter of left versus right. It is right versus wrong. And he feels it is the greatest moral issue of our time. “This is our moral moment.” Booker was making sense, and I watched, spellbound, until he ended after more than 25 hours, the longest speech ever given on the Senate floor in our country’s history. I literally couldn’t stop watching because I felt I was watching ‘good’ history being made. Hopefully by now, you have seen some of his speech. And if you haven’t, I encourage you to get online and watch some of it. He was truly inspiring.
So, why did he do this? He says his constituents were pushing him to do ‘something’. He said their letters and emails were telling desperate stories of how the cuts DOGE and the Trump regime are making are affecting them. He did this as his ‘something’ and he said he hopes it will encourage others to do their ‘something’. No one has a magic answer, but as Rachel Maddow says, “If you do nothing, nothing will change.” It is up to each of us to pick our ‘something’ and do it. I am so thankful we have deeply thoughtful politicians like Cory Booker representing us. As he said over and over in his 25-hour speech, he was doing this because he wants people to understand that we are experiencing unordinary actions from our President that require extraordinary actions to fight back. Booker said to remember, “The power of the people is more powerful than the people in power.”
By the way, Happy April 1st. The daffodils in my yard bloomed today which I took as a message of hope. And the other message of hope was that Jonah got a positive report from his doctor at Boston Children’s. The X-rays today showed good progress. So thankful.
by Judy Handley | Mar 31, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 90: Lost Day or Lost Way
Date: Monday March 31, 2025
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Rain PM; High Temp 56, Low 47 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
Today was a lost day, or maybe I just lost my way. I had so many things I needed to get done and at the end of the day I think I accomplished only one to two things on my list. But I did a lot of thinking, and that is always dangerous. Last night when I had dinner with friends Jane and Bruce Woodin, I heard myself saying that we are not protesting to save our democracy. I feel Trump and Musk, in just 71 days, have literally put in motion all of the things that crumble democracies, even the most successful democracy in the history of the world. Last night, I was expressing that we are in the fight to take our democracy back. And just saying that shook me to the core.
At this point in writing this log, I stopped to watch The Rachel Maddow Show where I learned that I am not the only one in panic mode. Tonight, Senator Cory Booker is making “some good trouble” on the floor of the Senate tonight by disrupting business as usual. He says he will stand and talk for as long as he can physically do so. He is doing this to bring attention to the crisis we are in. There are too many people who do not understand the seriousness of the situation.
Then Rachel interviewed Pramila Jayapal, a representative from the state of Washington, who has started offering Resistance Labs. The first one was held in person with 500 people. Many more registered, but there was limited space. So, this past weekend they did one online with 1,500 people. I immediately emailed to find out how to sign up for the next one that is planned in two weeks. Then I got an email from Ezra Levin with Indivisible that the number of local events registered for this Saturday has gone from 600 to 1,000 with more sympathetic protests planned across the world. People power has gone into action. That gives me hope.
My daughter-in-law in Puerto Rico has been protesting, almost daily for the past two weeks, to try and prevent their town from starting construction on a concrete bicycle path the city is planning right along the coastline. A bike path is a great idea, just in another location. This one would be in the maritime zone and will take out many native trees. They have been successful in getting a stay until a hearing this week. It seems the need for public activism is in the air. Jo posted the following that I want to share with you.
“Resistance is NOT a one lane highway.
Maybe your lane is protesting.
Maybe your lane is organizing.
Maybe your lane is counseling.
Maybe your lane is art activism.
Maybe your lane is surviving the day.
Do NOT feel guilty for not occupying every lane.
We need all of them.”
Dr. Jordan Fields, Clinical Psychologist
I just want to add that I hope you will find your lane, whatever it may be, and get involved.
by Judy Handley | Mar 30, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 89: La Résistance
Date: Sunday March 30, 2025
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and Cool; High Temp 43, Low 41 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
This afternoon I met friend Jane Woodin at an Upper Cape Indivisible sign making workshop. Jane sent me a text around noon asking if I knew where we could buy signs for the upcoming nationwide protest day. I had already checked online and could not find a sign source that could get a sign here in time, so I told her about the workshop and said I would meet her there. After the hour-long workshop, Jane invited me over for pizza and salad for dinner. This gave us a nice to time catch up after the six weeks the Woodins spent in Mexico. Thank you, Bruce and Jane.
So why are we making signs? As of Thursday of last week, national Indivisible had 600 event sites registered for the April 5 Hands Off! rallies that will be taking place nationwide. There will even be a rally in London. Indivisible, 50501, MoveOn, and a few other organizations are sponsoring these events to make sure our voices are heard loud and clear in every state in this country and beyond. When I first heard about the rally plans, I decided I wanted to attend in Washington, DC. But for various reasons, one of them being that I want to be counted in my home state, I have decided I will be in the Boston Common near the state capital. If you have not made plans to attend a Hands Off! rally on Saturday, make those plans now. Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible at the national level, says to go to DC if you can. And if not, go to your state capital. Or if that doesn’t work for you, go to any rally location close to home. But please take the time to show up somewhere if you possibly can. If you live in Falmouth, you can go to the Hyannis traffic circle or attend the local event at the Falmouth Village Green from noon to 1 pm. I have copied the message from Indivisible that gives you more details about why this day of nationwide protest is being organized.
MESSAGE FROM INDIVISIBLE:
“We know that nothing stops authoritarians in their tracks like organized people power – and next Saturday, April 5, we’re organizing it in communities throughout the country. In the face of an administration that’s hell bent on dismantling our rights and our democracy, it’s up to us to declare that we will not go quietly. This is the moment where we say NO: No more looting, no more stealing, no more billionaires raiding our government while working people struggle to survive.
That’s why we’re hitting the streets on Saturday, April 5, to send a clear message: this country belongs to the people –, not to Trump, Musk or their other cronies. We’re going to show them what real people power looks like.
April 5 isn’t just a protest — it’s a recruitment drive. There are millions of people watching this crisis unfold, waiting for a reason to jump in. We need to show them the resistance is real.
We’re not just showing up for ourselves — we’re showing up for:
? The judges afraid for their safety
? The journalists getting threats
? The federal staffers and university leaders under pressure
? And yes … the Democrats who’ve lost their nerve
We’re proving they won’t be alone if they choose to fight. That courage is contagious — and public, peaceful resistance is how it spreads.”
by Judy Handley | Mar 29, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 88: PT, Costco, Job Fair
Date: Saturday March 29, 2025
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and Cool Rain Tonight; High Temp 46, Low 37 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
My day started with an early physical therapy appointment, the last one for the pain in my neck. The problem is not solved, but it is better. I really didn’t enjoy traveling so far for the appointments, so I am glad the sessions are over. If there is a next time, I am going to make sure I request being referred to the therapy center at Falmouth Hospital.
After the session, I drove further north to Costco to buy a few needed items. By the time I got back to the Cape it was 12:30 pm, so I headed directly to a one-day job fair at Mahoney’s Garden Center. I love living where I am, but the rent is really more than I can afford. So, I thought I would apply for a seasonal job where I would be surrounded by plants that I love. I have no idea if they will hire someone my age, especially since lifting heavy trays of plants and carting them around the huge greenhouse is part of the job. After the initial interview, I was interviewed by the young woman in charge of the indoor greenhouse. After that interview, I was told I would be called by the woman in charge of the perennial plants sold outside. After that interview, a hiring decision will be made. I have not interviewed for a job since 1989. It didn’t seem like a big deal until I walked through the doors. I almost turned around and walked right back out. But in the end, it was a positive experience. We’ll find out in a week or so if the positive experience turns into positive results.
by Judy Handley | Mar 28, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 87: Kayaking (Ollie, not me), Sign Making, and a Protest
Date: Friday March 28, 2025
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Windy; High Temp 52, Low 43 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
“This is What Democracy Looks Like. We Won’t Give Up!”
“In a Free Land, Legal Views Aren’t Crimes” “Democracy Demands the Freedom to Speak” “Free the Kidnapped Students” “Stop Arresting Peaceful Protesters” “Stop ICE Abductions” “Hands Off! Stop the Kidnapping” “Respect Existence or Expect Resistance” “And Then They Came For … Thee”
Chilling to read these signs, while holding one of them, in the United States of America I know and love. But if making my voice heard in this way might help get my country back, I will stand in every protest until we get the job done.
So, I ended my day standing out on Main Street in protest of the kidnapping of students in our universities. I started my day reading a post by Jerry Lanson on Substack. In between, I tried to live life, ignoring what the Trump regime is doing to tear down our democracy. The highlight of my day was picking Ollie up from school and helping him launch a kayak for the first time this spring. We carried and slid the kayak down the hill between the two houses across the street from 43 Grasmere. The trick was to get it into the water without getting our feet wet. We were successful and Ollie really enjoyed exploring Jones Pond.
