by Judy Handley | May 20, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 140: More Writing and A Short Shopping Spree
Date: Thursday, May 20, 2021
Weather: Sunny, A Little Cooler; High 66, Low, 48 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Shadow and I survived the night apart from one another. But I cheated. I did not feel that he was yet comfortable going into the crate for the night, so I let him sleep in the living room on the sofa and I closed my bedroom door so he couldn’t come in. He barked for about ten minutes once I went into my room, but then he was quiet for the remainder of the night. I spent time today putting treats in the crate to get Shadow thinking positively about it. Then this afternoon when I left to take Sam and a friend to rowing in Hyannis, I did put him in the crate. He went in quietly but didn’t look happy. When I got back four hours later, he seemed fine. Tonight I’ll try the crate.
I spent most of my day writing and then headed to Hyannis with Sam and his friend Alex. We have not been carpooling because of Covid, but now that the boys have had one shot, we decided to do it with all of us wearing masks in the car.
Once we got there, I watched as they got the boats in the water. Alex and Sam were in a double today. Once they were off, I headed into Hyannis to Home Depot. Jed has these amazing loppers that will cut down small trees and I decided that I needed a pair of those to help clear some small stumps I keep tripping over and to trim branches. I have been borrowing his, but I never have them when I need them. Now I have my own. Then I went shoe shopping. I needed something I can just slip on to take Shadow out for bathroom breaks and for gardening. I have never worn Crocs because one size is slightly too small and the next size up is slightly too big. But they seemed like the best choice, so I bought the wildest looking pair I could find in the size that is slightly too big. We’ll see how that works out.
by Judy Handley | May 19, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 139: Day School for Shadow
Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Weather: Sunny and Warm; High 73, Low, 49 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
The wonderful run of spring weather we have had for the past week continues. I’m hoping this continues right through until summer. It is fabulous.
Who knew parenting a dog could be so hard and so expensive? Not me. That’s for sure. And I am not new to dogs. I had two Wire Fox Terriers when I met Mark and he had an Irish Setter. When we decided to head to the mountains to build a cabin, I had to give my terriers to friends, but we kept Shane, the Irish Setter. Shane was not a smart dog and he was not obedient. But other than trying to knock Mark’s mother off her feet on Fort Myers Beach, he did no harm. While we were visiting in Florida, he kept running away. He finally succeeded. Then when Justin and Heather were almost one and three years old, we got a Collie puppy. Her name was Starr. She looked like Lassie and never gave us any problems. She barked at strangers, but other than that, we never had issues with her. At the same time, we had fourteen sled dogs that we ran daily. We certainly didn’t need expensive dog trainers. When Starr died, Justin talked me into getting the cutest little Cocker Spaniel I had ever seen. I spoiled her rotten, but still, I never felt the need to pay a trainer. I just had a spoiled, misbehaving dog that didn’t attempt to hurt anyone. But Shadow is another story. He is so very exuberant and anxious all at the same time. He jumps on everyone, nips at the grandkids’ pants leg, jumps at their faces, as well as Heather’s, will not come when called, and on and on. But he is a very smart dog. Too smart. Despite the very expensive training that we both went through when he was a puppy, nothing changed. The training was for me and I failed! So, we are trying again. This time Shadow is going to a very expensive day school with a few other dogs. He had his first day today and he is already better. I picked Shadow up just before going to pick Ollie up from school, so I took Shadow with me for the after school pick up. Normally when Shadow sees Ollie and the other walkers coming from the school, he starts pulling at the leash and jumping like a wild thing. I can barely control him. But today, he sat and watched as Ollie approached. He did jump once when Ollie got close, but I pulled him away and he settled. The difference was amazing. The reason—treats! The first trainer did not allow the use of treats. Her training was based solely on voice command and the use of a choke collar for corrections. The new trainer, Ian, doesn’t allow choke collars and trains using a special treat. I did not think this would work with Shadow as he is so picky about what he eats. But he LOVES Ian’s treats, and they work like a charm. Eventually, the use of treats will be lessened. But for now, lots of treats are making an unbelievable difference. Tonight, will be the test, however. I can no longer allow Shadow to sleep on my bed until he is fully trained. I have to put him in a crate at night. We are both going to hate that, probably me more than him. I am hoping it is going to be easier than it sounds. Shadow goes back to school on Friday, so you’ll get another update then.
by Judy Handley | May 18, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 138: Gardening, Writing, Playing
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Weather: Sunny and Warm; High 72, Low, 56 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
‘Have Children in Your Life’ is #9 on Dr. Roger Landry’s top ten list of things that are necessary to ‘Live Long, Die Short’. That is his way of naming the things that are necessary to age with grace and health. I am so blessed to have my Falmouth grandchildren in my life every day in one way or another, so I can check off #9. I spend time with the grandkids in many way, but this spring on Tuesdays and most Thursdays I spend a large chunk of my day with Sam. I leave home at 3 pm to pick up Ollie and take him home. On the way home, he talks about the things that are important in the life of a nine-year-old. Then I head to Falmouth Conservatory to pick Sam up after his drum lesson. We come back to home just long enough for him to change clothes and we head to Hyannis for his 5 pm rowing practice on Wequaquet Lake. I love having the time in the car with Sam. He helps me keep up to date on what is happening in the lives of teenagers and tries to help educate me in the world of technology. It is so special to have this little window of time with a fourteen-year-old. While he is rowing for an hour and a half, I read, go into Hyannis to shop, and pick up dinner for Sam. He eats on the way home and then I drop him off for his weekly Scout meeting. I get home around 7:30 pm and head out for a short walk with Shadow and then I play ball with him until almost 8 pm. Then I come inside and ‘think’ about dinner. It is almost 9 pm by the time I eat and then get on my exercise bike. Whew! All of this makes for a busy afternoon and evening, but I would not trade it for anything in the world.
I did a little gardening today and started writing the next chapter in my book. I am hoping to somehow finish writing about year one of the voyage of Windbird before the middle of June. Speaking of Windbird, Sam and Dawn said farewell to Windbird at Lightkeeper’s Marina in North Myrtle Beach today. They packed all of their belongings in a cargo trailer that they are pulling along with them as they head westward. They will visit with family and friends along the way. I wish them the best. Westward Ho!
by Judy Handley | May 17, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 137: Walk, Talk, Watch
Date: Monday, May 17, 2021
Weather: Sunny and Warm; High 72, Low, 52 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
What a day. I was all over the place, both physically and mentally. I started the day with a walk with friend Olga Mitchell. Olga is in her mid-80’s and recently lost her husband. She is also a woman her spent her life working for the Bell Lab as a physicist and loves nothing more than doing loops and spins in her Decathlon aerobatic plane that she keeps in her garage. She lives in the Falmouth Airpark and can drive her plane from her garage onto a fairway that leads out to the main airstrip. And she walks like she flies. We walked at least two to three miles in in an hour and half on the paths through the woods near her home. And when we got back, I was astounded by the shitake mushroom ‘forest’ she has growing on oak logs outside her garage and a worm farm with more garden worms than I have ever seen. I wish I had half of her energy. She is an amazing woman.
I got home just in time to take Shadow for his morning mile, had lunch, and headed into town to talk with Jerry Lanson. Jerry is a Professor Emeritus at Emerson College, and a former newspaper editor, reporter, columnist. I signed up for his Newcomers Memoir Writing Class last year and he encouraged me to start writing in earnest about the Voyage of Windbird. I haven’t talked to him since I did start writing in earnest in January of this year, so today’s conversation was about how things are going. We met at Coffee Obsession, outside in the beautiful weather, amongst others outside and unmasked. It seemed so normal! He asked one question that I did not answer out loud as I answered in my head. He asked who I perceive to be the target audience of my book. In my head I thought, “People who believe in fairy tales.” Out loud I answered, “People who enjoy adventure and travel.”
But then tonight I got a text from Sam and Dawn on Windbird. They wanted me to know that they had finished getting Windbird ready to be put on the market. She is in North Myrtle Beach, where we left her in the February of 2016 and where they first saw her and purchased her. The same agent and friend that sold her to them for Mark and I is the same agent and friend who will attempt sell her this time. They sent photos and she looks great. And they wanted me know that I will always be their “sailing fairy godmother.” Maybe the book I am writing really is a fairy tale! It is certainly the story of a woman who was incredibly reluctant to sail around the world and transformed into a woman who thought sailing around the world was the most wonderful way to see the world and get to know her people.
I picked Ollie up after school and he came home with me to cut the grass in Shirley’s side yard before I took him home. While he was cutting the grass, I played ball with Shadow. Then when I took him home, I got to see the kittens, Mel and Leo, at play. They are doing great and are so much fun to watch. And then I came home to quickly get dinner for Shadow and for myself and tune into a Zoom presentation presented by the Harwich Conservation Trust. It was advertised as a presentation to help you learn how native plantings can create a more inviting and healthier yard for birds, beneficial insects, and other wildlife. The talk was by Doug Tallamy who has written bestsellers on enhancing your eco-friendly yard. His books include Nature’s Best Hope and Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens. I was definitely convinced that turning your yard into a native plant haven is well worth the effort—less grass and more native plants.
by Judy Handley | May 16, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 136: Deck Party to Deck Dinner
Date: Sunday, May 16, 2021.
Weather: Sunny and Warm; High 74, Low, 51 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Shadow and I had a quiet Sunday morning walking through the neighborhood and doing a little gardening. Then this afternoon I went to Bill and Midge Frieswyk’s for a Sunday afternoon deck party. Midge even had her bubble machine going to add to the festive mood. This was an unofficial gathering of our Dining-in Group just celebrating the warm weather. Karen and Peter Baranowski brought a surprise strawberry rhubarb pie that we all enjoyed. Bruce and Jane Wooden and Olivia and Terry White were also there. Bill starts a new round of chemo this week so we hope he will be up for our regular gathering next Sunday. But if not, at least we had a fun time this afternoon.
I then drove home to make my 40-minute buns for a pulled pork dinner at the Goldstones. Heather took Jonah had an afternoon soccer game near Hyannis, so I offered to get pulled pork, coleslaw, and mac ‘n cheese at Wicked ‘N Wood, a take-out barbecue place near me. Heather picked up a spicy lettuce mix and feta cheese to add to beets that I brought to make salads for us. We ate dinner on their deck and celebrated the end of an incredibly busy week and the beginning of another.
The kittens, Mel and Leo, are still living in Heather and Jed’s master bedroom and bathroom. They are so tiny that they are afraid to give them full reign of the whole house for fear of losing them. They will probably spend a few more days in their present space and then maybe get access to the whole downstairs area. They are getting less and less afraid of new people and are loving their new climbing tower. They are certainly a very cute duo.
