by Judy Handley | Nov 12, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 316: Update on Puerto Rico
Date: Sunday, November 12, 2017
Weather: Overcast, Turning Partly Cloudy in PM; High 48, Low 36 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
“We got water back this morning!!!!! Long may it last!!” My day started with that text message from Jo. A while later, I got a text message from Justin with two photos attached. He explained that Ziggy and Coco had taken advantage of the running water to wash their hair and Jo took post-shower photos of the wet heads.
Such pleasure from something so simple as running water. As Jo said, long may it last. Justin also sent then and now photos of a spot on their land. The ‘then’ photo was taken just after Hurricane Maria hit
and the ‘now’ photo shows how the green is coming back.
It looks like the land will be recovered long before the people. Next Sunday night, Heather and family, Justin and family, and I will arrive in Fort Myers Beach for a Handley family gathering. This was planned months ago as a gathering in Mark’s honor and I am so glad that Justin and Jo are going to be able to come. I wrote to tell them that I just can’t wait for a great big group hug. Again, I’ll quote Jo. “We are all so looking forward to that group hug, relaxation, feasting, family time and thanksgiving too!!” It will be wonderful to all be together after the last couple of months of struggles. And days in the 70’s and nights in the 50’s sounds a whole lot better than days in the 50’s and night’s in the 40’s. It will be a warm up for those of us from Cape Cod and a welcome cool down for the Puerto Rico gang.
Another day slipped through my fingers with not much to show for it. Unfortunately, I am dealing with email issues again. It all started yesterday when I got an email from Avast, an internet security system. The email said I had a payment due in November and it would be automatically deducted from my bank account. I know I just had the same message in July and September. So I called to find out what exactly I was paying for. The call turned into an afternoon affair as I had to get out my old computer, as well as the one I use now. The very patient guy on the phone told me how to access the services I receive and it turns out that I have been paying for internet security on two different computers and Avast computer clean-up on the two. I had 4 different billings and haven’t used the second computer since last fall. By the time we got it all sorted out, I was exhausted with computer issues. But he asked me to run the computer clean-up before we got off the phone. I noticed a message that said my router had issues, but I ignored that. When I got off the phone, I turned my attention to something else for an hour or so. When I got back to my computer, I could not get email. I just kept getting a task error message. This is what happened on the other computer last fall. Somehow I think the problem happened when I ran the Avast clean-up program. Today I took the computer to Heather’s to get some help, but it works just fine there. The problem does seem to be with my cable router, but I don’t know what to do about that. This same problem caused me to abandon one computer last fall as I never got the issue resolved. Heather is out of town for the next couple of days and then Jed leaves for four days and returns just in time for us to head to Florida. They are busy, busy. So, I am going to search for some service that can make a house call because the problem has to be resolved here between the computer and the cable router that supplies my internet service. In the meantime, I am struggling with using gmail on the internet. The issue there is that I have two email addresses which complicates matters tremendously. But at least I can limp along getting mail on my phone and through the internet. It is just not convenient, but I’m not totally disabled.
by Judy Handley | Nov 11, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 315: A Patriotic Tribute
Date: Saturday, November 11, 2017
Weather: Sunny and Cold; High 40, Low 26 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
Falmouth is a small town with big traditions. We have the largest Christmas parade in southeastern Massachusetts, a Memorial Day celebration, a 4th of July parade, and we have a Veterans Day parade and patriotic tribute on the 11th day of November at 11 o’clock that begins with ringing of the bell 11 times. Out of all of Falmouth’s holiday traditions, I think I most appreciate this one. The parade starts at the Village Green and travels down Main Street to Memorial Lane on the library lawn. The Military Honor Guard leads the way, followed by the Brian Boru Bag Pipe Band. Then come the Boy Scouts with Sam and Jonah marching with their troops. The Falmouth fireman always have a huge American flag flying high over the expansive library lawn
where everyone gathers to hear the high school chorus sing The Star-Spangled Banner, listen to a few remarks by the organizers, and then settle in for a speech by a veteran. This year it was a female Coast Guard veteran and she gave an uplifting speech about how people in the military are of every color and religion and manage to work together as a seamless team. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the whole world could manage to do this? And wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a leader of this wonderful country who fostered this kind of teamwork? Of course, that was not mentioned in the speech. Those are my questions. This was the coldest Veterans Day ceremony I have attended, but the sun was shining brightly, and the program was not too long, so the cold was manageable. Each year at the end of the tribute, the Brian Boru Pipe Band leads all of the veterans in the crowd in a walk down Memorial Lane while they are applauded by those in attendance. And then the Falmouth Chorale sings the patriotic songs of each of the branches of the military.
After the program has ended, the fireman invite young children to help them roll up the huge American flag. I missed seeing Ollie do this last year as I was taking a group photo of all the Scouts on the front steps of the library. But this year, I stayed with Heather and Ollie and got pictures of him rolling up the flag. Ollie is the little one in a red jacket. Perfect ending to a perfect patriotic tribute to our veterans.
by Judy Handley | Nov 10, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 314: Inching Forward, Sliding Backwards
Date: Friday, November 10, 2017
Weather: Sunny, Windy, and Cold; High 53, Low 21 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
In yesterday’s log, I reported that yesterday Justin and Jo had running water for the first time in seven weeks. Today I found out that the running water only lasted long enough for Justin to take a shower. But he was eternally grateful for that shower and a chance to flush the toilets. When I talked to Justin this afternoon, he also shared that some of their neighbors have electricity, but not them. So light is getting closer, but when he drove to Mayaguez to try and get some work done, the city that has had limited electricity for weeks had none. Something happened in San Juan that caused a shut down on all electricity. So, some things are inching forward in Puerto Rico, but some days the back sliding is very discouraging. Justin said that yesterday seemed like a low point for people in Rincon. They are tired of the fight with very little hope in sight. And this is from a town that did not have the same level of devastation as some others. I could tell this afternoon that the reality of two months without being able to contribute to his business is starting to settle in with Justin. He is trying to figure out some way to come out of this, but it is not easy. I’m so thankful that it looks like they will be able to meet us in Florida next Sunday for a Handley Family get together. The Thanksgiving week will give them a break and us a chance to brainstorm next steps. In the meantime, I just hope Justin and Jo can keep fighting the fight with the same strength and determination they have shown for the past seven weeks. They have made it this far because they have had tremendous support from family and friends. Thank you to all of you who have contributed. The outpouring of generosity has been overwhelming.
It is freezing here tonight, literally. We’ve had only one night that even approached a frost, but tonight the temp is supposed to dip down to 20 degrees F. And it is windy, making it feel even colder. Sam, Jonah, Ollie and I had a nice morning together, and after lunch I delivered Sam and Jonah to Jed who was taking them to a two-hour outdoor soccer clinic. There were all sorts of tears about having to wear layered clothing. Since it has been so warm, Jonah and Sam were sure they would be fine without those layers. But when Jed brought them back after the clinic to pick up Ollie, both boys were frozen. Tomorrow’s high is supposed to be only 38 degrees, but then things warm up again on Sunday. Thankfully.
by Judy Handley | Nov 9, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 313: The Power of One
Date: Thursday, November 9, 2017
Weather: Partly Sunny and a Tad Warmer; High 57, Low 38 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
The Falmouth Newcomers general meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. There is a social time with coffee and pastries followed by a presentation. And today’s presentation told one of the most compelling stories I have ever heard. A young Cape Cod resident named Beth Murphy made a presentation today along with Razia Jan. Beth is a documentary director, producer, and author. She founded her own film production company, Principle Pictures, and is the director of GroundTruth Films. She not only directs and produces films, she wins awards for them. And today we got to see snipits of her latest film, “What Tomorrow Brings.” It is the story of how one woman, Razia Jan, established the first all girls’ school in one small Afghan village. Razia came to the United States in 1970 from Afghanistan. She lived in Duxbury and made a living running a small tailoring business. She became an integral part of her community and served as President of the Rotary Club. Then 9/11 happened, and as she told us today, it changed her world. She was the only Muslim in Duxbury and there were officials that came to talk to her. But the people of Duxbury, who knew and loved her, stood by her. She repaid them for their allegiance to her by rallying the community to send over 400 of her handmade quilts to Ground Zero rescue workers. She sent care packages to US military personnel in Afghanistan. The list goes on, but the most important thing that happened was when she returned to her native country for a visit. She saw first-hand how things had changed since she grew up there in the 1950’s and 60’s and she determined right then and there that she had to do something for the young women of Afghanistan. Against all odds, but with the financial support from her Duxbury Rotary Club, in 2007 she found a village that would allow the building of an all-girls’ school and the work began. The school opened in 2008 as a K-5 school. Today there are 625 students in grades K-12. These students receive a quality education for free and many of the young graduates are going on to college. There is so much more to this story and I encourage you to read about it online. Razia, through her Ray of Hope Foundation, works full-time raising money for the school and traveling to Afghanistan to oversee its progress personally. And Beth Murphy, through her film documentaries, has made this story visible and tangible for all to see in the most compelling way. Here’s one review of the film that I found online. “I worked in Afghanistan for just six months in 2007, and I’ve watched so many documentaries and films, and read so many books, about the country and the situation there, and most fall short in showing how complex it is, especially for women and girls – at least in my opinion. This documentary nails it – it presents the people and their thoughts, without comment from the filmmakers. It’s a mix of heartlessness and hope – which is exactly what living in Afghanistan is like. You can ask “why” all you want – but you need to know that is how it is, for whatever reason, and see for yourself how brave Afghan women circumvent the culture to help the women of their country.” If you are interested in learning more or supporting a student for $425 per year, look up the Zabuli Education Center online. Or contact me and I will make sure that Beth Murphy gets your contact information. I’m sure she will be glad to connect you with Razia’s. I titled this log The Power of One, but in reality, it takes the vision and dedication of one and the support of the entire “village”.
Tonight I have the Goldpebbles with me for an overnight. There is no school tomorrow as it is the day of off for Veterans Day. Observances here will happen on Saturday, not tomorrow, as Saturday is the 11th day of the 11th month. Heather and Jed have to work tomorrow, so I will hang out with the boys in the morning. Then in the afternoon Sam and Jonah have a 2-hour soccer clinic. Not sure what Ollie and I will do, but we always find something of interest. Tonight we had what we call dinner theater. In other words, we watched a movie while eating our dinner. They talked me into letting them watch The Emoji Movie. Wouldn’t be on my Top 10 list, but they loved it. And then we read longer than we should have, but Ollie is really into Ancient Egypt as that is what they are learning about in kindergarten. I could not believe how much he knows. Even Jonah was a little wide-eyed. He had the same unit of study in kindergarten, but he didn’t remember learning the specific names for so many things. Ollie explained to us that he learned it from the Smart Board (projection board from a computer). He told Jonah that that Smart Board is always right. Jonah was having none of that, but it was a cute interaction highlighting how technology is interfacing with the education of young children these days.
I got an email from Jo’s mother late today saying Jo had sent her a What’s App message letting her know that running water is back in Rincon, Puerto Rico. Happy, happy. She said Justin was actually in the shower as she was writing. They are almost afraid to use the water even for bathing as there are so many stories circulating of disease caused by using the running water when it returns due to the water sitting in the pipes for so long and contamination of the water sources. For now, they will continue to get drinking water from the spring or from rain water. But hopefully soon they will be able to trust the water again. Well, I should be clear that they never trusted the water even before Maria. They have always put the tap water through their Berkey filter. What I should have said is that hopefully soon they will once again be able to trust it as much as they ever did. But things are improving.
I’ll end by sending a great big hug to friend Jane Woodin. She had a cardiac catheter ablation today to correct heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias). I got a text from her at 7:30 pm saying that it was a long day, but that all went well. Then I got another text from her just before 9:30. That’s when we switched roles. Jane is a nurse, but I took the nurse roll and told her she needed to be sleeping! From our brief text contacts, I’d say she is back to her feisty self. Sure hope so.
by Judy Handley | Nov 8, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 312: Voyage of Windbird Presentation
Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and Cool; High 47, Low 34 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
It was an early morning for me as I had to get up and drive an hour and 20 minutes to get to the Outer Cape before 9 am. I was presenting the Voyage of Windbird presentation to the Nauset Newcomers who meet in the Wellfleet Cinema. What a perfect presentation venue. I felt the presentation was well received and I know I enjoyed doing it. Reliving the memories of the almost six years spent sailing around the world is always a positive experience. And making the presentation gave me renewed energy to get started on writing that book. I just have to make the time.
There is no school here on Friday, so I have invited the Goldpebbles for an overnight tomorrow night so Heather and Jed can have a ‘date’ night. I haven’t seen much of the boys since school started, so tomorrow night into Friday will give us a chance to catch up. Today felt like winter and Friday is going to be even colder, but we get a bit of a break tomorrow. Looks like we could get our first frost on Saturday night and then things go back to 50’s during the day and 40’s at night . . . a little more like fall. The cooler weather brings those rosy sunsets that makes the harbor water glow pink and tonight was certainly one of those.
by Judy Handley | Nov 7, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 311: Mail Came
Date: Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and Cool; High 58, Low 42 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA
Justin and Jo both posted on Facebook today. Their Sprint cell service on their iPhones is actually working again which is fantastic news. I read Jo’s Facebook thank you note for all the packages that arrived today and then I saw Justin’s post which was a photo of their Subaru Outback absolutely filled completely with those packages that just said, “Mail came.” It sure did.
Jo’s post was a little longer than Justin’s and I need to add nothing to it. She writes so beautifully, straight from her heart.
“So blown away today. I headed straight to the post office this morning, and came home feeling like Santa with a truck packed full of boxes . . . And right in time to make the envoy that leaves tomorrow for Campamento de los olvidados/camp of the forgotten in Utuado, we have: diapers, cleaning supplies, powdered goat and cow milk, infant formula, life straws, water bottles, copious amounts of organic seeds, healthy snacks and dried foods, underwear, clothing, art supplies, female sanitary supplies, solar lights, baby bottles, D batteries, wipes…
Justin is dropping it at the collection center for the mountains in just a few moments, and all these wonderful supplies will be heading directly to the people who most need them.
It’s AMAZING!
Humbled and sooooo lifted by this incredible outpouring of generosity. What a caring and beautiful world this really and truly is, let’s not forget that as our oppressors march further into their own skewed reality and attempt to squash our spirit with fear-driven agendas and propaganda…
We are all so mighty and unstoppable and here for each other! Thank you Facebook world of lovers, dreamers, seekers, carers and fighters. You are one of our many blessings, and we will never forget this time and these lessons.
Maria was and continues to be the most incredible teacher and her lessons are swift, sometimes painful, emotional, unifying, baptismal, opening, restorative, and challenging.
I love you all. Blessed. All the hashtags. Thanks and praises on the Most High.”
