by Judy Handley | Aug 27, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 239: Second Community Resistance Gathering
Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 75, Low 53 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
Tonight, I hosted my second Community Resistance Gathering. I had 11 people in my living room, a little crowded, but I think it worked out okay. I added three people who wanted to come observe so they can lead their own gatherings. It was easier for me to have them come tonight than meet with them at a separate time, and I think it was better for them as they got to see how a real gathering goes, a form of on-the-job training. I have another gathering planned for next week and then I hope to co-lead gatherings at other people’s homes. The one thing I do know from having two of these Indivisible sponsored events is that their idea of meeting with people in small groups to learn and grow together is a good idea.
Heather’s time in Groningen is coming to an end. She and Sam were having one last dinner together tonight. After an appointment at the bank tomorrow morning, she will leave for Amsterdam and then fly home on Friday. It sounds like she and Sam have had a very special time working together to get him settled in as a ‘resident’ of Groningen, and that Sam has accepted the mantle of responsibility from here on out. He is seeking opportunities to meet new friends and is truly excited about starting classes next week. All good.
by Judy Handley | Aug 26, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 238: Focus on Nonviolent Resistance Film Series
Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 74, Low 56 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
My main focus today was on the nonviolent resistance film series I have been “thinking” about all summer and am now finally making progress. That is due to forming a committee of a few people with fantastic ideas. We met during the first week of August and as a result of that meeting asked a few people to submit a list of nonviolent resistance films dealing with authoritarianism, civil rights, and the environment. The lists were due today, but I received them all by Sunday and went to today’s meeting with a spreadsheet of 45 films. We now have a tentative plan and are going into the next phase of planning. It is exciting. Stay tuned.
The update from Groningen today was exciting. Sam got his student card and his schedule of classes today. Heather sent a photo of him on the steps of the main academic building. The university was founded on August 23, 1614. I’d love to know when that building was built. I don’t know if Sam will have classes there, but he loves his schedule. No classes on Friday and only one class late on Monday, International Politics 5-7 pm. He is super excited about that class and is already imagining the lively dinner conversations with students afterwards.
Here at home, Jonah was super excited that Falmouth won their first preseason game yesterday against a team they haven’t beaten for 7 years. He had practice this afternoon and another preseason away game tomorrow. Jed and Ollie went exploring in the dinghy this afternoon. I’ll hear about that tomorrow. Progress is being made in Sam’s room, and the hope is that Ollie will move in on Friday. And here at my house the big news today was the bathroom mirrored cabinet door hit me in the head when I opened it this morning. The top hinge broke loose, and it is a very heavy door with mirrors on both sides. I had to leave it hanging by the one hinge while I went to get duct tape in the living room. I taped it shut, and tonight Jed and Jonah came over to put it back up. It was no easy task, but the good thing was the hinge was not broken. The screws just came loose and fell out. Thank you to Jed and Jonah.
by Judy Handley | Aug 25, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 237: Last Days of Summer Before School Starts
Date: Monday, August 25, 2025
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High Temp 74, Low 61 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
After a cloudy beginning, we had a beautiful, sunny afternoon. I had a morning meeting and then in the afternoon, Ollie and I went shopping for joint compound for Jed to patch a couple of places in Sam’s bedroom. Ollie is hoping to move into his new room by Friday when Heather gets home. Then Ollie came home with me and went to my neighbor’s whose lawn Ollie cut while he was out of town for two months. Then two of my favorite guys, Shadow and Ollie, played catch.
Ollie and Jonah start school on Tuesday and Sam this Friday. These are the last days of summer for them. Things are moving along in Groningen, but there was a setback when Sam found out the first appointment he could get at the bank is on Thursday, and the account won’t be activated until Friday. He can’t buy his phone until he can access the bank account, so he’ll have to do that after Heather leaves. Heather said the administrative list of things that need to be done at the university if growing, not shrinking. But they are making headway. Tomorrow is buy a bike day. So that will be exciting. And Sam is making himself useful in the dorm and making friends, as he had to unclog his shower drain. Then when others found out, he had to help them as well. I can see him giving cooking lessons next.
Tonight, I canned the tomato puree while watching an Indivisible Zoom on Partnerships and Collaboration, and after that I put together a spreadsheet of film possibilities from those titles submitted for the nonviolent film series I hope to launch this fall. Tomorrow morning is the meeting to decide on the films. I am pleased with the progress on that.
by Judy Handley | Aug 24, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 236: Working Sunday
Date: Sunday, August 24, 2025
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 77, Low 64 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
This was a working Sunday. I spent much of the day working on the nonviolent resistance film festival I am organizing for the Falmouth Immigrant Rights Coalition. Earlier in August I invited a few people to submit a list of their top ten nonviolent resistance films dealing with the environment, climate change, and authoritarian regimes. Today, I worked on organizing the responses. I still have work to do tomorrow, but I made progress today. I also developed an Excel spreadsheet of people sending me check for the Encore Welcome Back Luncheon. And later in the afternoon, I stopped to fix dinner for Jed, Jonah, and Ollie. They came over around 7 pm and we had a lovely dinner together.
I didn’t hear from Heather today, so no update from Groningen.
by Judy Handley | Aug 23, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs, Cape Cod, USA |
2025 Life Logs, Day 235: Saturday Rally, Groningen Update, Tomatoes, and MV
Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 74, Low 63 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
Across the pond today, Heather and Sam explored the North Sea coast just north of Groningen. They visited National Park Lauwersmeer where the sea comes inland a bit. This was the site of the last battle of World War II on Dutch soil was fought and Sam was delighted to find WWII bunkers. There were also a lot of sheep.
Later they ended their day with a sunset cruise on the Lauwersmeer which is a man-made lake on the border of the provinces of Groningen and Friesland. Heather also took photos today of the outside of Sam’s dorm, the courtyard, and the fields beyond. She said her photos don’t give us the real feeling of the area, but at least we know where he lives now.
As for me today, I attended the weekly rally on the Green, deseeded 30 pounds of tomatoes for making tomato puree, and went on an Encore trip to Martha’s Vineyard to have dinner and see the Illumination Week fireworks. The boat accommodated 40 of us and those of us sitting outside on the port side of the boat got duly soaked on the way over. But once there we had a great time, and I am happy to report that the trip home was . There were mostly couples, but five of us that were singles banded together and had dinner at the Sand Bar, walked through town, and returned to the boat to watch the fireworks from there. Fun evening.
