by Judy Handley | May 27, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Days 147: Memorial Day Weekend on Cape Cod
Date: Saturday, May 27, 2017
Weather: Partly Cloudy; High 67, Low 49 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
Although it didn’t really feel like summer today, it was obvious that Memorial Day Weekend marks the beginning of the summer season on Cape Cod as the hordes from the north have arrived. The first indication was that the Island Queen is once again making her trips from the Falmouth Harbor to Martha’s Vineyard.
The next sure sign of the summer season was that when I tried to get out of the driveway to go to Zumba class, I had to wait for traffic coming from both directions. During the winter I hardly ever have to wait for even one car, but this morning the was so much traffic I thought I was going to be late for class. As I turned onto Falmouth Heights Road, there were tons of people heading to the ferry. Yep, with or without sunshine and warmth, the summer season is here.
I went to Zumba class and after lunch I headed to Woods Hole for May Fair. The Woods Hole Daycare Coop always sells strawberry shortcake at the fair as a fundraiser, so I didn’t want to miss my yearly treat. Jed was the only Goldstone there when I arrived as Heather and the three boys went to Jonah’s friend Luke’s birthday party. But soon Heather arrived with Jonah and Ollie. Sam had gone home from the party with a friend. I stayed around to watch the boys play some games and jump in the Bouncy House.
Then I headed back to town. I had invited Heather, Jed, and boys to dinner tonight, so I left the fair and went to the grocery store for a few missing items. I then went home to get dinner prepped. I was having grilled chicken shish kabobs with corn on the cob and I needed to get the chicken in the marinade. And I also needed to make Toll House squares for the Pebbles. I had already made the strawberry rhubarb pie for the adults, but good as it is, it’s not something any of the boys will eat. Before I knew it, it was 6:30 and the Goldstones arrived. We had a delightful dinner. It was finally sunny but as the sun got lower in the sky, the temperature started dropping quickly. Despite a bit of chill, the boys really wanted to have dinner on the deck. We set them up for that, but Heather, Jed, and I stayed inside to enjoy the warmth. Despite the cold, the boys played outside after dinner while we sat inside and watched the sunset. At this time of year, the sun sets directly across the harbor behind some buildings. The sunset is not usually spectacular, but the colors that fill in after sunset are a delight from this vantage point.
by Judy Handley | May 26, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Days 146: Another Rainy Day
Date: Friday, May 26, 2017
Weather: Overcast with Rain; High and Low Temp in the mid-50’s F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
This weather is a bit depressing. I know we have had some sunny spots here and there, but my overall memory from the past few days is that has been cool and cloudy and rainy. Tomorrow and Sunday look a little better, but then it is back to rain on Monday. But we shall persevere.
I looked at a condo for sale down the street this morning. It is smaller than this apartment, but is a ground floor unit and it has a nice view of the harbor. It has a huge storage area in the basement that seemed damp, but I suppose a dehumidifier could take care of that problem. But nothing screamed out to me that this is the place I should buy. So I think I am just going to stay put for another year and enjoy the lovely place that I currently inhabit. I told the realtor that I would start looking again late winter/early spring next year. But I told her if she sees something in the interim that has my name written all over it, to please let me know.
After I went to see the condo, I went bike shopping. I visited the bike specialty shop in town called Cycle Corner. I told the young man I was looking for an old lady bike and he had two immediate suggestions. They both looked promising, but the problem is that both were over $500. I came home and did a little internet searching. I found a Schwinn that should be at the local Walmart that costs only $150 and looked very much like one of the bikes at the specialty shop. I’ll follow up tomorrow by going to Walmart and checking this out in person. Since I only want a bike to keep up with the grandkids on the bike path, I’m hoping the cheaper Schwinn will do the job.
In the late afternoon, I made a strawberry rhubarb pie and then headed to the gym for an exercise class. It was almost 6:30 pm when I got home, and it was time to fix dinner. So went another day.
by Judy Handley | May 25, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Days 145: Past and Present
Date: Thursday, May 25, 2017
Weather: Overcast with Rain; High and Low Temp in the mid-50’s F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
I lived today partly in the past and partly in the present. The past consisted of doing more family history research. That was culminated tonight when I had a great phone conversation with a first cousin, Harry Biggs. He is the son of one of my mother’s brothers and has returned to Monroe County in West Virginia in retirement. Monroe County is the ‘motherland’ for my family and that is where we are having our family gathering in late June. It was great to talk to Harry after so many years. It was great to just talk with him and he helped me put together some more pieces of the family history puzzle. I can’t wait to visit with him and his wife Louise in less than a month.
The ‘present’ part of today consisted of a visit by my friend Olivia to bring me some more khichdi (the equivalent of Indian chicken soup), a foray to the first summer Farmer’s Market of the season with Olivia, and then a full immersion into the present when I picked Sam, Jonah, and a friend up from school and brought them home to play.
The weather today was cold and rainy. It was not cold like winter, the a damp cold that chills you to the bone. I think we are in for more rain tomorrow. Sure hope there is some sunshine for the weekend.
by Judy Handley | May 24, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Days 144: A Day of Living in the Past
Date: Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Weather: Cloudy AM, Partly Sunny PM; High Temp in the 60’s F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
My plan for today worked. I got up, sat down at my computer, and spent a day of living in the past by trying to piece my mother’s life together through transcribed interviews I did with her in the early 1980’s. I also spent some time on the phone talking with people who were able to provide some answers to questions that has arisen. At 6 pm, I got up and went out on the deck to plant some herb seeds in pots, and then I came back in to fix dinner and continue my work. That was it for me today. Tomorrow I will get up and go to the gym and then come back to do more genealogy research. It is slow, tedious work, but I am making progress.
by Judy Handley | May 23, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Days 143: Lunch with Jane and Olivia
Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Weather: Partly Cloudy and Much Warmer; High Temp in the 70’s F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
I spent my morning working on family genealogy. It is so easy to get lost in the details, and I’m afraid that’s what happened to me this morning. It makes me crazy to find official records that don’t match. My parents’ second child was born on April 30, 1926, but different West Virginia state records have him dying three years later on September 13 and on September 18 but being buried on September 14. He could have died on September 13 and been buried the next day, but he couldn’t have been born on the 18th and buried on the 14th. We have no official family record of this, so I’ll go with death on the 13th and burial on the 14th. But the real issue is that I shouldn’t have gotten sucked into that level of detail. I’m trying to put something together a story for the younger members of the family about their history. They could care less about a specific date. So from now on, I have to keep thinking of the big picture.
I met good friends Olivia and Jane at a close-by restaurant for lunch. Somehow the three of us find ways to keep ourselves too busy to visit with each other very often, so we’ll just have to make sure we have lunch together at least once a week this summer. After lunch, it took me about two minutes to drive home and do a few things before heading to East Falmouth to pick Jonah up from school. One of the great things about living in the middle of town is that I am never far from ‘home base’, so it is easy to head home, do a couple of things, and head out again. I needed to pick Jonah up today because Jed had picked Sam up a bit earlier to take him to the dentist and Heather was picking Ollie up in Woods Hole to bring him to East Falmouth Elementary for his kindergarten orientation. Can’t believe that little one is going to be in kindergarten next year. I hope he will be as happy at the end of the school day as Jonah is this year. Anytime I have picked Jonah up this spring, he is just as happy as can be. How wonderful!
Jonah and I headed home and I stayed to get dinner. Jed wasn’t sure what time he would be home with Sam and Heather had to head out as soon as she and Ollie returned from kindergarten orientation. Tonight was the school district VIP Recognition Dinner for those who volunteer their time, so it is an event Heather has attended for all of the years since Sam entered kindergarten. Busy as she is, she always finds time to volunteer in some capacity in the schools her children attend. In her absence, Jed, the boys, and myself had a great taco dinner.
Tomorrow is a full day of focusing on the family genealogy project—no details. I just have to keep thinking BIG picture thoughts.
by Judy Handley | May 22, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Days 142: Focus
Date: Monday, May 22, 2017
Weather: Overcast with Rain; High and Low Temp in the 50’s F—Feels Freezing!
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
The problem with a person who has many different interests is focus. And I am struggling with that right now. I have been focusing on searching for a house a buy. I have been focusing on my family gathering in West Virginia in late June which includes a focus on family genealogy. I have been focusing on writing a book, but most of that work is just going to have to wait until the fall. And I have been starting the spring cleaning process and gardening at Heather and Jed’s. And now I need to focus on getting that new dinghy relocated and ready for summer fun. And I haven’t even mentioned that Heather and Jed have talked to friends Bruce and Jane about jointly doing work on and sailing Bruce and Jane’s sailboat this summer. I know I can help with the work, so I need to fit that into the schedule. I find myself pulled in too many directions. But there is hope. I have just about exhausted efforts in looking for a home for now. I have one more possibility and if that doesn’t work out, I will just put this project on hold for a another few months. The gardening and spring cleaning won’t go away, but they don’t require focus, just time. And the same is true of the gardening, dinghy, and sailboat work. So, I am going to put all my focus into getting ready for the family gathering in West Virginia in June. I just about have the housing and food for the 40 of us all set, but I still need to work on the activities. That requires contacting folks in West Virginia that I haven’t talked to for years, and also contacting people I don’t yet know. And it requires a great deal of writing in getting together some succinct summaries of family history for presentation to the younger members of the family. This is passion of mine, so I will enjoy doing the work. I just need to focus on it.
