by Judy Handley | Apr 8, 2026 | 2026 Life Logs |
2026 Life Logs, Day 98: Long Distance Healthcare Advocate Day
Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Weather: Mostly Sunny, but Cool; High Temp 43, Low 31 degrees F
Location: At Home with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
The update to last night’s log where I described my sister’s current health issue, things have progressed. First, it was pneumonia, then last night Covid was added, and today when the doctor saw her, her oxygen level was too low. I was on phone and text early, went to an Encore Board meeting, and then it was back home to get back on the phone. At 3 pm, the decision was made to have her transported to ER because of the low oxygen level. After a round of tests in the ER, they declared what we already knew. She does have bilateral pneumonia and she does have Covid. She needs hydration and oxygen, and they need to make sure the infection has not gotten into her bloodstream. So, they admitted her. This is going to be a tough battle for her. Thankfully, she has a hired companion who is willing to stay with her overnight in the hospital. For now, I am not going to fly down. But if things take a further turn for the worse, I will. For now, I am on stand-by.
by Judy Handley | Apr 7, 2026 | 2026 Life Logs |
2026 Life Logs, Day 97: Happy Birthday to Ziggy
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Weather: A Little Rain, A Little Sunshine, Some Clouds; High Temp 50, Low 29 degrees F
Location: At Home with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
Happy 17th Birthday to Ziggy Milo Handley, my grandson who lives in Puerto Rico. I have five grandchildren in total, 3 grandsons here in Falmouth, and Ziggy and Coco in Puerto Rico. I talked to Ziggy briefly tonight and he told me stayed home from school today to celebrate and went out to a movie with friends tonight. Then I said to him that 17 sounds terribly old and he agreed! When Justin and family were visiting at the beginning of this year, I sensed from our conversations that Ziggy is thinking a lot about his future. What will he do? Where will he go? I caught him on camera more than once when he appeared to be in deep thought or looking at life through the lens of the new camera he got for Christmas.
I look forward to what the next year brings. Both Ziggy and Jonah will be seniors in high school next year. A year of big decisions. Happy birthday, Ziggy. Here’s to another wonderful year in the life!
I had an all-morning meeting today and then spent a great deal of my afternoon and evening dealing with my sister’s current health issues. I have had a week-long battle trying to get medication delivered to her that was prescribed last Wednesday. Don’t even ask why. But the bottom line is that the doctor prescribed an antibiotic, I think for a bacterial infection in her lungs. This afternoon, that medication still had not arrived. Long, long story. But just after I found out the medication still had not arrived, I got a call that she now has Covid. I have no idea if she had Covid last week and that was causing the coughing and congestion, or if she had pneumonia and now has Covid, or what. But I know her 92-year-old body has been battling hard. I have to wait until morning to talk to her doctor and I might have to go down to Charlotte to be with her. I hate the thought of flying right now, but it is a 14-hour drive and that doesn’t sound like fun either. Onward we go.
by Judy Handley | Apr 6, 2026 | 2026 Life Logs |
2026 Life Logs, Day 96: Quiet Monday
Date: Monday, April 6, 2026
Weather: High Temp 50, Low 36 degrees F
Location: At Home with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
My only meeting today was a Falmouth Immigrant Rights Coalition bi-monthly (twice a month0 meeting on Zoom. I spent the rest of the day working on Indivisible and FIRC tasks, but I did it at a relaxed pace rather than the normal breakneck routine. Tonight I am at Heather and Jed’s with Ollie and Jonah. Tonight is Town Meeting, so H & J probably won’t be home until sometime between 11 and midnight. Both boys are in bed now, so I will head home and spend the rest of my evening with Shadow. Oops. Spoke too soon. Jonah just came downstairs for a bedtime snack, but I will be heading home soon.
One last thing. I have been waiting for a month now for the first daffodil to bloom in my yard. On March 8, the green shoots had barely broken through. Fast forward to yesterday. I really thought this one daffodil might bloom, but it did not. Today, it half-heartedly opened just a little, but I will call that the first flower of the ‘yellow’ season. The forsythia will come next. And I’m hoping warmer weather will tag along. Not complaining. Just sayin’.
by Judy Handley | Apr 5, 2026 | 2026 Life Logs |
2026 Life Logs, Day 95: Easter Now and Then
Date: Sunday, April 5, 2026
Weather: Overcast with Rain; High Temp 53, Low 38 degrees F
Location: At Home with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
In last night’s log, I promised not to complain about the cool, damp weather, but a rainy Easter Sunday requires one more complaint. It was truly a dreary day. I have often had Heather and family over for dinner on Easter Sunday and I usually hide a few Easter goodies outside for the boys. No matter how old they get, they love an egg hunt that involves candy! Well, not today. And I wondered if it were my imagination or whether it really has not rained on Easter Sunday in in the past few years. So, I looked up each Easter Sunday for the past ten years in my logs and, indeed, it has not rained on Easter Sunday here on the Cape in the past decade. And I think that gives me the right to complain! Here’s the proof.
April 20, 2025: Sunny, Warmer; High 63
March 31, 2024: Mix of Sun and Clouds; High 53
April 9, 2023: Sunny (still felt a bit chilly); High 48
April 17, 2022: Sunny & Windy in Boston, Hot in PR (Flew to PR)
April 4, 2021: Sunny, North Winds; High 54
April 12, 2020: Mostly Sunny; High 55
April 22, 2019: Overcast with a Bit of Sun Late Day; High 61
April 1, 2018: Overcast, Windy, A Little Sun Late Day; High 51
April 16, 2017: Foggy AM, Sunny PM; High 72
March 27, 2016: Partly Cloudy; High ~50
This little bit of research was also prompted by a message from Jo. She shared that this morning, while they were opening their baskets, Ziggy and Coco were reminiscing about Easter’s past. Coco asked if someone dressed as the Easter bunny one time because she remembered when she had Easter with granddad and me in 2016 while Mark and I were living temporarily in Lowell, near Boston, and she thought granddad dressed up like the Easter bunny. Justin and family had flown up from Puerto Rico to see granddad, and Ziggy said that he always thinks about that Easter because for him it was the best Easter ever. Actually, they arrived a few days after Easter, but we had the best Easter egg hunt ever as soon as we got home from the airport.
I don’t think there was an Easter bunny, but as I told Jo, we should let that memory remain in Coco’s mind. It would make Mark so happy that she thought maybe it was him. So be it.
I did have Heather, Jed, Jonah, and Ollie over for dinner tonight, but there was no Easter egg hunt in the rain. I had the Easter baskets on the dining room table this year. We had artichokes for dinner, a family favorite, and had a lovely evening together. Ollie is still not 100% yet, but he will be going to school tomorrow. Normally on Easter Sunday, I celebrate by doing a little spring garden preparation, but that didn’t happen today either. I think I’ll wait until Earth Day on the 22nd.
by Judy Handley | Apr 4, 2026 | 2026 Life Logs |
2026 Life Logs, Day 94: Happy Anniversary to Justin and Jo
Date: Saturday, April 4, 2026
Weather: Mix of Clouds and Sunshine, Windy; High Temp 57, Low 49 degrees F
Location: At Home with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
When the sun was shining today, it felt okay, not warm, just okay. And as the wind picked up and the sun was hidden by the clouds, I had to put my winter coat back on. Here was my weather report on this day last year: Mostly Sunny and Warm; High Temp 64, Low 42 degrees F. I want that weather! I made it through the cold winter without complaining. In fact, I really enjoyed it. But this cool, damp spring is not my favorite. However, I must stop complaining about it. There’s nothing to be done about, except to find a way to enjoy it.
I am sure Justin and Jo had a wonderfully warm day to celebrate their anniversary today in Puerto Rico. This anniversary is #19 for them. Next year will be their 20th, and the following year will be Heather and Jed’s 25th. So many years of happiness. I hope Justin and Jo took time today to celebrate what they have built together in their nineteen years. Happy Anniversary!
by Judy Handley | Apr 3, 2026 | 2026 Life Logs |
2026 Life Logs, Day 93: Working AM, Shopping PM, Delayed Seder Evening
Date: Friday, April 3, 2026
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Some Sprinkle; High Temp 51, Low 44 degrees F
Location: At Home with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
My morning was filled with work. I met Leslie Jonas, who will speak to our combined Newcomers/Encore program meeting on Thursday, to make sure all of the tech set up was okay. Leslie is a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and will share with us four mini documentaries that show how earth, wind, fir, and water are central to the Wampanoag culture. Leslie has spent her life helping others understand that our connection to this earth, caring for it, preserving it, is central to our very being. And I certainly don’t want technology to get in the way of her getting her message across on Thursday. So, this run through with her with the microphones and computer and project and Bluetooth connection to the church speaker system was necessary. My next stop was the library to take care of business there. Then to Staples, and, and, and. Then I decided to head north to IKEA to check out some purchases I am thinking of making for Encore for our June reception at the Museums on the Green. If we rent wine glasses, it costs about $1 for each glass. I wanted to see the only wine glass I could find online that I can buy for just a little more than $1, and that glass was at IKEA. And as long as I was there, I stopped next door at Costco, and went to the New Balance Factory Store in the same neighborhood to buy a new pair of shoes.
Then it was home and to Heather and Jed’s for our delayed Seder. Ollie was too sick on Wednesday for Seder on the first night of Passover. But today his fever was under control, and he was feeling a tad bit better, so tonight was the night. Over the course of the evening, as Heather read the Haggadah, we ate the symbolic foods that include matzah and bitter herbs and drank the required four cups of wine during the 15-step ceremonial feast. Reading the Haggadah took us through the story of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. We feasted on matzah ball soup, brisket with caramelized onions and Brussels sprouts and Jed’s enormous latke. Unfortunately for Ollie, all of this took a while and he was fading. He is better, but not quite over this bout of flu. Hopefully by Monday he will be strong enough to return to school.
