by Judy Handley | Oct 25, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 298: Questioning My Sanity
Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Weather: Overcast and Rainy; High 69, Low 57 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
Today I started questioning my sanity, but in the end, I think I have decided that I am not the one with the problem. The questioning of my sanity started as I sat here at my computer trying to figure out what the most effective and most cost-effective water filtration system should be installed in every home in Puerto Rico. There have already been three deaths attributed to the water-borne bacterial disease leptospirosis and I read tonight hat there are now 76 more cases under investigation. The craziness comes into the picture when I start to wonder who else is working on this problem. There must be people much smarter and in positions of power who could move on this quickly before more people are added to this list. I can’t solve this problem, but I can’t stop trying to figure out a solution until I hear that someone else is dealing with it. Justin and Jo have a water filter called a Big Berkey that is rated as 99.999% effective in filtering out both water borne bacteria and viruses. So, I think they are probably safe. But I am worried about all of the other people who don’t have such a filter. A Big Berkey takes no electricity. It is a gravity feed system with very effective filters. It is big stainless steel item, but is also light-weight which makes it somewhat easy to transport. The initial cost is about $250.00. That is all good, but the filters cost a little more than $150 a year to replace and my fear is that people would not be able to afford replacement filters. My friend Alan Kanegsberg is aware of a sand filter from Pure Water for the World that has been proven to be very effective in third world countries. But Puerto Rico is not a third world country. It is a territory of the United States and our leaders should be dealing with this. I have been sending small-scale water filters with donated money, but we are now at a point where we need larger scale solutions. None of us should be standing idly by as we watch US citizens drinking unsafe water. Thousands and thousands of water bottles have been sent to Puerto Rico, but that is only a temporary fix. We need real, long-term solutions. Ideas? Suggestions?
I made a major breakthrough in my search for a solar solution for Justin and Jo today. I have made phone call after phone call all over this country and Puerto Rico to no avail. So this afternoon I started to look for a local solution. I found the name of a solar provider about 9 miles from here, so I got in my car and drove there. The young man I talked with was tremendously helpful. Once I explained the situation, he got on a computer and looked carefully at the package available in Puerto Rico. He showed me how to find detailed information on the solar panels, the inverter, and the batteries that come with the package. I had not been able to do that. And he quickly determined that it is actually a very cost-effective system that will meet most of Justin and Jo’s needs. He recommended that I continue to try and contact the company in Puerto Rico to see if any of these kits are really still available. If so, he suggested I purchase one immediately. If not, he will help me put together a similar package here that we will have to get to PR someway, somehow. The problem is the size of the solar panels. Getting a package there that is 3 feet x 5 feet x 1 foot and weighs 120 pounds is no easy feat. The other components, even the batteries, could be put in large suit cases and flown there, but not the solar panels. I thanked the young man and hurried home to call Maximo Solar in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, one more time. The line was still busy as it has been for the last two weeks. Justin drove there last Saturday but wasn’t able to get in as there were so many people. He said it felt like trying to get into a rock concert, not a store selling solar power solutions. Popular place these days. But their little online chat line told me this afternoon that a consultant will contact me within the next business day. They told me that two weeks ago and I have never been given a call. But I’ll hope this time someone will contact me.
I did hear from Justin this morning that one more Amazon package and one more USPS package arrived today. One of the two Halloween fun packages arrived for Ziggy and Coco. Hopefully the other one will arrive in the next couple of days. I was so happy to hear that, but the Amazon package that arrived today was cause for true celebration. It was the order of seed sprouting trays and sprouting seeds sent by Dave and Donna Laux. Jo has been anxiously awaiting this arrival so she can start sprouting seeds as a fresh source of green nutrition. Sprouted seeds have high levels of dietary fiber, B complex vitamins, and protein. In just three days, they can reap the benefits. So, praises to Amazon for getting that package there. It took two and half weeks instead of five days, but it is there. And thanks to the US postal service for getting that package of Halloween fun there for Ziggy and Coco. Thanks and praises.
Tonight was the last night of an eight-day docuseries I have been ‘attending’ online. This series was about repairing and maintaining brain health. I absolutely loved one thing that was said in this last program outlining the seven steps to achieve the ‘ultramind’.
Step 1—Eat Right
Step 2—Take the Right Supplements
Step 3—Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
Step 4—Sleep
Step 5—Find Ways to Relax
Step 6—Learn New Things
Step 7—Live Clean and Green
It was Step 5 that rang loud and clear with me. One thing that people would never say about me is that I spend time relaxing. But they might be wrong. One of the major ways to do this, according to these experts, is to write. It was stated that the more you write, the more you release. And the more you release, the happier your brain. So now I can justify this nightly outpouring. WordPress tells me I have published 3,977 logs since October 18, 2005. That is a lot of releasing, so hopefully a lot of brain health gained. And now it time for Step 4—Sleep. Good Night!
by Judy Handley | Oct 24, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 297: Puerto Rico on My Mind . . . Constantly
Date: Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Weather: From Sunny to Overcast with Sprinkles; High 71, Low 66 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
Five weeks ago tomorrow, Hurricane Maria ravaged the island of Puerto Rico. Since that day, Puerto Rico has been on my mind constantly. Finally, tonight in a phone conversation with Justin, I heard evidence that there is a speck of light at the end of the tunnel. Justin and Jo have always seen that speck of light and have been up-beat and determined since day one. I have had my share of doubts. But now there is evidence of progress that can give all of us the hope that Puerto Rico is slowly moving from survival to a period of rebuilding. As Justin told me tonight, it is strange that even though life is so very different than it was before the hurricane, all of a sudden life feels a ‘little’ like normal. At the center of most Puerto Rican towns there is a plaza and often there is an adjacent Catholic church. These plazas are the hearts of the little towns. People meet there, children play there, art markets and farmers markets are located there, and the little shops of the town line the streets around the plazas. And in Rincon last night, the lights returned to the plaza. Se Levanta, Rincon! Se Levanta, Puerto Rico! (translates as Puerto Rico Rises) There is still no power or water in most of the homes there, but at least there is light in the heart of this one little Puerto Rican town. And happening at the same time, communication has gotten easier. In addition to spotty cell service through the local provider called Claro, Justin and Jo’s iPhones now have a cell signal here and there. This is probably due to Google’s Project Loon balloons that now hover over the island, but for whatever reason, it is now easier to get in touch. There are water trucks that come to town and the people in the hills are still able to get water from local springs and rain water collection. Most people have enough food to survive and more food is trickling in. Seeds have arrived, and Jo has lots of little seedlings that, when they are ready to transplant, she will distribute to others. And I got a text from Amazon late today saying the sprouting trays and seeds for fresh sprouts to eat arrived today. Leaves are starting to come out on some of the trees that are still standing. People are working together to redistribute furniture to that lost all. Schools are starting to reopen. It is almost like the light in the plaza and the ability to communicate have started the heart of Puerto Rico beating once again. Justin thinks he will be back at work at some level starting tomorrow morning. Today he made a little money driving a friend to San Juan so she and her two children could fly back to the US. Yes, there is the exodus of people. The word on the street is that 100,000 people have fled since the hurricane hit and that another 1,000 are leaving daily. I have no idea if that is correct, but Justin says you can feel the emptiness. But those that have decided to stay are determined to make a go of things. I’d call this a good news day from Puerto Rico.
I heard from a friend in New Hampshire, Maureen Rogers, that the state employees of that little state donated enough food and water bottles to send to Puerto Rico to fill 17 tractor trailers. In just two days, they gathered 350,000 pounds of food and 300,000 water bottles that are not being loaded on a barge that will head to San Juan. Amazing! A catastrophe like this brings out both the worst and the best in people. I think it has brought out the worst in our President, but it seems to be bringing out the best in the people who have stayed in Puerto Rico and all of us here on the mainland who are doing what we can to support them. I have been amazed at the generosity of so many. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Little by little, day by day, I continue to research the best of this and that to send to Puerto Rico. Today I researched water filters. Which home filters are most effective in eliminating bacteria as well as water-borne viruses? Thankfully, the Berkey filter that Justin and Jo have gets an A+. But who can afford to buy one of these for every home? The filters alone cost over $150 dollars to replace once a year. Will most people really be able to afford replacements filters? Is there something cheaper and better? Justin and Jo had their Berkey before the hurricane as they have never trusted the water in Puerto Rico and they feel that as running water returns, it is more important than ever for every home to have a filter. If I can find the best and cheapest, can I then find someone to underwrite a project to supply every home in Aguada and Rincon with a filter? I have no idea, but I’ll proceed as if I can. Justin and Jo would like to distribute solar lamps like the Luci light to all homes with young children or the elderly as soon as possible. A Luci light is a bit like a little clear plastic beach ball with a solar-powered LED light inside. Justin and Jo have heard stories about young children struggling with the darkness at night and other stories of older people stumbling and falling in the darkness and they would like to help alleviate that problem. Today I found a different version of a Luci light called a Mokie that is a bit cheaper and then I discovered that there are other inflatable solar lamps. So, the search for the best and most affordable of solar lamp will continue tomorrow.
This afternoon I took a break and went to spend a little time with the Goldpebbles. Today was an early release day so that teachers could have parent-teacher conferences in the afternoon. So while Heather and Jed went to conferences, I stayed with Sam, Jonah, and Ollie. They have been so busy since school started and I have been so absorbed with my ‘hurricane central’ activities, that I just haven’t been able to spend much time with them. This afternoon we just enjoyed a relaxed time together. Sam worked on his homework while Ollie and I played card games and Jonah played outside. Then Jonah came in and worked with Ollie and I to do our favorite ocean puzzle. Then when Heather returned home, we worked together on setting up a homework center in the den. Right now the boys do their homework at the dining table which works okay, but Sam was requesting his own quiet space. The two of us brainstormed ideas and came up with the idea of setting up private cubicles around a table in the den. We got it set up, and we shall see if that works.
So life is good here. It is going to be rainy and windy tomorrow and the temperature is going to drop a bit, making it feel a little more like fall than summer. I’m always sad to see the warm temperatures fade away, but I can’t complain as we have had a beautiful fall to this point.
by Judy Handley | Oct 23, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 296: Happy Birthday to Ed and Lynne
Date: Monday, October 23, 2017
Weather: STILL Warm and Sunny; High 70, Low 63 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
Yesterday and today were the birthdays of my good friends Ed and Lynne from Nyack, New York. We officially met on December 1, 2009, when I knocked on the hull of their boat in Rebak Marina in Lankawi, Malaysia, to introduce myself and say that I had heard from friends that they were headed across the Indian Ocean. Unlike all of our other friends, Mark and I had decided to head home by heading to southern India then going south to the Maldives, Chagos, Madagascar, and then around South Africa. Everyone else we knew were going to brave the pirates and head through the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and then into the Med. We knew no one else going our way, until we heard about Ed and Lynne. Our boats were on the same dock, so I had seen them, but we had never officially met. That knock on the hull of their boat on the first day of December in 2009 started a lasting friendship. It was almost eleven months later, on Friday, October 22, 2010, after we had transited the Indian Ocean, that I first sent a happy birthday to Lynne over the radio. It was on her birthday that we got the weather go-ahead to cross from Madagascar to South Africa. So off we went. The next day, Saturday, was Ed’s birthday, and on Sunday we arrived in Richards Bay in South Africa. That was in 2010. Much water has flowed over the dam since then, but our friendship has continually strengthened. Happy birthday to two very special people in my world.
02 Sushi and Sundowners on Constance with Lynne and Ed
I spent my day doing a bit of accounting of things that I have sent to Justin and Jo in Puerto Rico over the past four weeks. It was on Wednesday, September 20, that Maria barreled her way across the island. Day after tomorrow it will be five weeks since the hurricane hit and so little of what has been sent has arrived. Three packages sent through the US Postal Service have arrived and none of the Amazon Prime packages. But hopefully more will arrive this week. Justin called in the morning to have me get on my computer to do some online banking for him (as he can’t do it from there), and then he called again in the afternoon to discuss current needs. Some of his stories of people he has met who have lost everything are heart-wrenching. When I hear those stories, I understand why he and Jo insist that they are fine. Their home, inside and out, was unscathed by the hurricane. They feel blessed by that and feel an obligation to help those not so lucky. I am so proud of their strength in facing the challenges and their desire to help those less fortunate. But as communications improve, Justin knows he must get back to work. That means less time to help others and to attend to the daily chores of survival. This afternoon’s conversation gave me a whole new list of things to research, so that will guide my day tomorrow.
by Judy Handley | Oct 22, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 295: Pumpkins and Soccer
Date: Sunday, October 22, 2017
Weather: Still Warm and Sunny; High 70, Low 52 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
Today was all about pumpkins and soccer, but it was also about the weather. It was 70 degrees and sunny and felt every bit like summer. For the afternoon soccer games, people were wearing tank tops, not polar fleece. All of my memories of fall soccer in the past five years has been of wearing polar fleece to keep warm. Not so this year!
This morning I went with Heather, Jed, and boys to the nearby Tony Andrew’s Farm to pick out one pumpkin for each Goldpebble to carve.
We came home with three big pumpkins, two little pumpkins, a hay bale, dried corn stalks for decoration, and three very happy little boys.
They took their pumpkins to the back deck and started the carving process.
Fast forward a couple of hours and we were on the soccer field. Sam had a 2:30 game and Jonah had a 3 pm game on an adjoining field. So, we walked from field to field to watch the action.
It was almost surreal to see everyone in tank tops and short sleeves, but it felt every bit like summer. Then fast forward again, and we were all at my place for dinner. It was a wonderful Sunday with the Goldstones.
While everyone was here for dinner, I got a text message from Ziggy in Puerto Rico. He said they have new goats, so I guess yesterday’s search for milk goats was successful. Yeah! Hopefully I’ll hear more detail from Justin soon, but it was great to get the text from Ziggy. I’ll be back on duty in “hurricane central” tomorrow and continue to find ways to help.
by Judy Handley | Oct 20, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 293: Connections
Date: Friday, October 20, 2017
Weather: Fantastic Fall Weather; High 70, Low 49 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
What a day. I’m not sure I really got anything done, but I was busy the entire day making connections. My first contact of the day was a call from Mark’s sister Mary Ellen. She has been battling a health issue since returning home after evacuating for Hurricane Irma. She is feeling a bit better and wanted to know what the most important things are that they could send to Justin and Jo. For the past couple of days, I have been focusing on solar and internet issues and had to jog my mind back to the day to day survival issues. As I talked about food needs, I mentioned that Justin and Ziggy have been craving beef. Mary Ellen said Mark’s brother Steve makes his own beef jerky, so she’ll get him moving on that. Then I talked about how Jo is trying to grow food and will start sprouting seeds as soon as the seed sprouting stuff arrives. I ordered the sprouting seeds and sprouting trays from Amazon on October 7 and, not surprisingly, the shipping has been delayed. Now it is not arriving until October 29. As Justin said to me on Wednesday, everything is taking so long. Deep breath. But in talking about this to Mary Ellen, she asked if I had thought of dehydrating veggies and fruit and send that to Justin and Jo. I had not thought about it, Mary Ellen is going to work on that and I am going to check with Heather. I think she has a dehydrator and maybe we can do that as well.
After I hung up from the call with Mary Ellen, I checked email and found a most interesting message from my friend Sue Wolowitz in New Hampshire. She sent a news clip from NH local television news reporting that a New Hampshire businessman that Mark knew well is headed to Puerto Rico on a one-man relief effort. The report wasn’t dated and I was moving so quickly that thought he had not yet left. So, I sent out an SOS email to friends in New Hampshire to get contact information on Alex Ray. Shortly thereafter, I got a call from my good friend Alan Kanegsberg who is a man who says that when he is gone he wants people to say about him, “He’s a man who got things done.” He had immediately called Alex Ray’s Common Man business headquarters, found out that he is already in Puerto Rico and probably unreachable. And then I heard from the President and CEO of New Hampshire Public Radio saying she had email Alex and was forwarding me his contact information. I sent Alex a text, but I doubt that he will get that until he returns home. The reason I wanted to reach him while he is was in Puerto Rico was to get him connected with The Rincon Beer Company that is doing so much good in Justin’s little corner of Puerto Rico. The Common Man, Alex’s business, is a chain of restaurants, and I think that The Rincon Beer Company, now the official non-profit relief center for Rincon, and Alex are a natural pairing. From the news report, Alex will return home after finding out first-hand what the people really need, do some fund raising, and then return. I will do everything I can to get in contact with him once he is back home. So, thank you to Sue Wolowitz, to Alan Kanegsberg, and to Betsy Gardella for your timely responses and actions. Connections are the name of the game.
Then the adventure continued. In response to last night’s plea for suggestions, a number of people responded that I should contact Elon Musk and Richard Branson. I wish I had some connection to either of them, but I don’t. They are definitely out of my league, but I will still consider how to them and other wealthy people like Bill Gates. They are probably already doing something if they are so inclined, but you never know. It can’t hurt to try. Thanks to everyone who made those suggestions.
Next, I continued to try and contact HughesNet about satellite internet information. I called so many HughesNet numbers yesterday with no results that I was exhausted, but I started again this afternoon. I’m still trying to learn who provides the equipment versus who provides the service. So, I once again tried to call a business called GroundControl who is advertising satellite internet coverage for Puerto Rico on the web. I called the same number I had called two or three times yesterday, and this time someone answered the phone. Hurray! A man named O.J. answered the phone. He explained that he is in a California office that is totally overwhelmed with supplying satellite internet equipment for military, fire departments, police stations, and big businesses in Puerto Rico. And I think he is the only phone contact. He has family in Cabo Rojo which is about 25 miles south of where Justin lives. He listened to my story and took the time to explain to me in detail what GroundControl provides, how much it costs, and how much it costs to ship the equipment from California to Puerto Rico by ship (takes two weeks). But he thinks their must be a cheaper alternative for residential use. He gave me numbers that he thought should connect me to another company who should be able to provide residential equipment and service. Unfortunately, after we hung up I tried those numbers and found out they were just different numbers for HughesNet and I got the same song and dance I got from them yesterday. There is only one person in the DC area that they say will be able to give me the information I need, and when I call that number, I get a very strange answering machine message. I keep leaving my number with no response . . . maybe on Monday.
In between all of this, I got the sweetest little text message on my phone from Ziggy. But when I saw the message pop up and clicked on it, my phone was totally frozen for about four minutes. My phone just went black and there was nothing I could do. Finally, the message came up and I responded, but he was gone. So wonderful to hear from him, but so frustrating that there is no way to respond.
In my evenings, I am watching an internet docuseries called, “The Broken Brain.” I’m sure I have one of those, so I’m watching to see if there is anything I can do about it! This log entry pretty much describes a day in the life around here right now. Thank you to everyone who is contributing to Justin and Jo’s cause and supporting me through this. It is just not easy for a mother and grandmother to stand-by and watch this catastrophe play out. Words cannot express how appreciative I am of your suggestions, donations, actions, and support.
by Judy Handley | Oct 19, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 292: Seeking Suggestions
Date: Thursday, October 19, 2017
Weather: Another Lovely but Windy Fall Day; High 67, Low 54 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
I realized after posting last night’s log, that although I don’t have Mark to help me figure out things, I have all of you. So tonight’s log is a call for suggestions. I have been researching satellite internet and solar power alternatives for Justin as he needs both to get back to work. Good friends, Tom Porat and David Laux, have stepped forward to help me understand what it is I am looking for as I have been unsuccessful in getting help from companies themselves. When I call the US phone numbers, the sales department people say they can’t help me because I need to talk to the offices within their company that handle Puerto Rico. When I call the numbers they give me, I either get a message saying the number is not in service right now—call at a later time. Or I get an answering machine that speaks only in Spanish. What I have been able to find out is that to purchase the equipment needed will cost somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000 dollars. It is much cheaper to buy and set up in here on the mainland, but prices for Puerto Rico are much higher. This search for Justin will continue, but the same information is needed for another project. And that is the project for which I am seeking suggestions.
Justin is on a newly formed committee of sorts that is trying to find solutions to the big problems faced by everyone in the community. Justin and Jo live on the line between two towns. Their actual street address is in Aguada, but they get their mail in Rincon. Both towns have a committee seeking solutions. Both towns have a central plaza. Each town now has an official non-profit relief center established. And the newly formed committees, representing the interests of the non-profit relief center for each town, would like to set up an internet hot spot and charging station in their town plaza for general public access. This will require satellite internet and a source of power. The source of power could be a generator, but they would prefer solar. They would like to get a corporate sponsor that will foot the bill for these stations, but they have no way of contacting anyone.
My call for help tonight is to ask anyone who has any experience or expertise in gaining large donations, or anyone who just has ideas, to contact me via email or by sending a comment to this blog page. Or if you know someone who has $10,000 that really needs to be spent, please send me the phone number! But please understand that I am not asking for money donations from you. I just need your suggestions on how to proceed. And if you have no suggestions, just send me the strength to try and figure this out. So many friends have reached out to be supportive and that is what gets me through these tough days. I know a tough day for me is a walk in the park by comparison to the challenges faced in the day in the life of anyone in Puerto Rico right now. So, thank you for keeping them in your thoughts and prayers. Now get creative and send those ideas!
