by Judy Handley | Dec 22, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 356: Midwinter Revels, Shopping, and Dinner in Cambridge
Date: Sunday, December 22, 2024
Weather: Partly Sunny and Cold; 19 High Temp, Low 9 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Sheraton Commander Hotel, Cambridge, MA
Getting ready to leave for a trip is always a bit stressful, but it is even more so when someone is coming to stay in your home while you are away. Brian and Nadia Gilbert are coming to stay with Shadow while I am in Maine. So, this morning I was scurrying to be ready to leave by 10:30 am in order to get to Cambridge in time for a 1 pm matinee performance of the Midwinter Revels at Harvard’s historic Sanders Theatre.Heather, Jed, Sam, Jonah, Ollie and I were meeting Jed’s mother Marti and his brother Toby and significant other, Stephanie, there.
I have gone to this with Heather and family for most years since Mark and I sailed into Woods Hole in 2011, and a few times prior to that. For those of you not familiar with Revels, it began here in Cambridge in 1971 and has since spread to various parts of the country. Each year the performance focuses on the celebration of solstice and the holiday season from a different culture from around the world. This year the focus was on two different fishing villages, one Celtic and the other Cabo Verdean. It was called The Selkie Girl and the Seal Woman and the two were tied together by a package delivered to an Irish pub from Cabo Verde. As always, it concluded with a roaring “Welcome, Yule” from the stage and audience together.
After the performance, we settled into our hotel just off Harvard Square and walked into the Square to do the last minute Christmas shopping, followed by a wonderful Indian dinner at The Maharaja, and topped off with a drink by fireplace in our hotel bar. It really was a wonderful day from start to finish.
by Judy Handley | Dec 21, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 355: Ten More Days in 2024
Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024
Weather: Partly Sunny and Cold; High Temp 35, Low 20 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
The world was white today as the snow that came down last night is still on the ground. The snow stopped around midnight last night leaving about an inch on the ground. Then the temperature dipped down and the snow was frozen in place. It is not a lot of snow, but it was delightful playing outside with Shadow in the snow today. He loves to eat snow and just romps and eats and romps and eat.
As this day ends, there are only ten more days until 2015. On this 11th day until 2025, I spent my time getting ready to leave for Cambridge tomorrow and on to Maine on Monday. It is now officially tomorrow as it is after midnight, and I am still getting packed. But by 10 am, I will have to be out the door and on my way to Cambridge for Revels.
by Judy Handley | Dec 20, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 354: Snow for the Golstone’s Annual Solstice Party
Date: Friday, December 20, 2024
Weather: Sunny Early, Then Rain and Snow; High Temp 43, Low 31 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
I finished my Christmas shopping today which required a trip to Braintree near Boston and on the way home, it started snowing. But by the time I got back to the Cape, the snow had turned to rain. I checked the forecast and saw there was still a chance of snow starting around 5 or 6 pm, but I thought it felt too warm to stick even if it did come down. But what a surprise I got when I walked out the door to head to Heather and Jed’s annual solstice party. My car, that I had packed with chairs and coat rack just 40 minutes earlier, was covered in a wet snow. Of course, my snow scrapers were tucked away with my spare tire under all the chairs and coat rack. I grabbed a broom and used that to shove the heavy snow off and traveled on. When I got to Heather and Jed’s, the driveway was covered in snow. Ollie came out and said he had already shoveled three times, but since it was almost time for people to arrive, he shoveled it a fourth time and that did the trick.
A lot of people who had RSVP’d that they would be coming to the solstice party were sending texts to Heather saying they were not going to brave the weather. But that didn’t dampen the spirits of those who did come. And there were plenty of people who did. Jed’s gravlax and Heather’s yule log were the big hits of the night.
Heather put together the inside of the yule log but didn’t have time to assemble it and put the final coating of whipped cream chocolate icing on. So, Ollie did that for her and he did a super job. It was a most impressive yule log and absolutely delicious.
At the last minute, I was invited to a Feast of Seven Fishes at the Water Street Kitchen in Woods Hole, so I left the party a little early and headed to Woods Hole. The seven fish dishes and wine pairings were wonderful, but honestly, I liked Jed’s gravlax more. It was a wonderful evening of visiting with people, eating fabulous food, and loving the snow. Welcome, Yule!
by Judy Handley | Dec 19, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 353: Another Wonderful Winter Concert
Date: Thursday, December 19, 2024
Weather: Mostly Sunny with Temperature Plunging; High Temp 40, Low 22 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Tonight was Falmouth High School’s Winter Concert that included the chamber ensemble, the concert band, the jazz band,
the concert choir, the repertory singers, and Soulfege, FHS’s acapella group. Wow! It was a long concert, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the jazz band, probably because Jonah plays trombone in it,
but also because they are good. They had the whole auditorium rockin’. And when the concert choir sang “The First Noel” to the piano accompaniment of “Pachelbel’s Canon”, it was so beautiful it almost brought me to tears of joy.
I was at the Goldstones wrapping up the last of the cookie making at the time Jonah needed ride to the high school. He was dressed in the mandatory black from head to toe, and as he walked through the kitchen on our way out the door, I had to do a double take. My mind was not allowing me to admit that the tall, lanky, good looking young man walking out the door was my grandson Jonah.
All of My grandchildren are growing up in front of my eyes and it is both exciting and a little sad, all at the same time. But I am enjoying this new pre-teen and teenage stage. It just takes a little getting used to!
by Judy Handley | Dec 18, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 352: From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Weather: Sunny and Warm, Rain Late; High Temp 48, Low 38 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
The day started with getting an oil change and the tires rotated on my car, doing some shopping, and coming home to do some house cleaning–the ordinary. Things went up hill from there. Mid-afternoon the Exploring Public Policy group I co-lead with Jon Kaufman hosted Brian Stokes, Falmouth Public Library Director, at our December meeting. He talked about the role of public policy and the library, both how public policy affects the library and how the library supports public policy.
Then came the extraordinary. Ollie’s Lawrence Middle School Band Winter Concert was tonight. and it was great. The band is 125 musicians strong, and tonight they got to show off their talent. The jazz band played first, followed by the full band.
There are 20 saxophone players in all, but only eight saxophone players in the jazz band. Ollie is one of the three on tenor sax and he and one other tenor sax player had solo roles in one of the pieces.
Well done, Ollie, and Ollie’s proud parents!
I have gone to this with Heather and family for most years since Mark and I sailed into Woods Hole in 2011, and a few times prior to that. For those of you not familiar with Revels, it began here in Cambridge in 1971 and has since spread to various parts of the country. Each year the performance focuses on the celebration of solstice and the holiday season from a different culture from around the world. This year the focus was on two different fishing villages, one Celtic and the other Cabo Verdean. It was called The Selkie Girl and the Seal Woman and the two were tied together by a package delivered to an Irish pub from Cabo Verde. As always, it concluded with a roaring “Welcome, Yule” from the stage and audience together.
