by Judy Handley | Apr 30, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 121: A Day of Battles
Date: Thursday, April 30, 2020
Weather: Overcast; High 51 degrees, Low 49 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
It was a gray and gloomy day, a great day to stay inside and have a battle with my computer. I don’t even want to try to explain my back up system for my photos. The first issue is the sheer number. Since 2005, my computer tells me I have 149,000 photos filed in 3,551 folders. That’s the original photos. I then edited each one of those folders and labeled each picture to be posted on my website. And until March of 2016, I kept up with that process and regularly backed up everything on two different hard drives, plus the copy on my computer. But when Mark’s medical condition worsened and we had to leave Windbird and move back to land, I got behind on my editing and labeling. Some folders got done, some did not. And what I have been working on for months, a day or so here and there, has been going back to name photos that were never named and then cross referencing every folder in the three different locations. It is painstaking work, but I think I am winning the battle. I have at least one more full day of work left, maybe two, and then I will be up to date. Whew!
That was my day today. No change with my back problem. Well, maybe just a tad of improvement. So that battle continues. It is still difficult to walk because of the pain shooting down into my hips, but walking is the only thing that helps. So I have to force myself to walk that first half mile until it gets easier. I also had a bit of a battle with food and beverage deliveries today. I still have not been in a store of any sort since Thursday, March 12. Heather has gone shopping twice for both of us and I order from a small organic market in Mashpee to have the things delivered that we don’t get in our weekly Misfits fruit and vegetable boxes that are also delivered. Today, I ordered a delivery of beer from a small liquor store that I ordered from once before. And then I waited and waited. The last time I ordered from the liquor store, they arrived an hour later. And each time I order from the organic market, they deliver in a one-hour time period indicated. Today neither of those things happened. I kept calling to check, but was assured things were coming. Then the truth came out. Both had been delivered to the wrong address. The beer delivery guy thought it was strange that he had called me 5 minutes before he was to arrive, but when he left the beer on the doorstep, I didn’t come to the door. He started to drive away, but then called me again. He was only two doors away at 23 Madeline. I live on a cross street at 23 Debbie Lane. Shadow and I walked out onto the street and he found us. Then I called the market again and the drivers had returned and assured the manager that they had delivered the bags of groceries at my house. I assured them that they had not. Then I wondered, “Did they also deliver my things to 23 Madeline. So Shadow and I walked down there and sure enough, the three bags were on the doorstep. Luckily no one was home, so all goods were recovered. I love living tucked in away from the street, but it is obviously not a good thing for deliveries. Both deliveries had used GPS and had gotten to the right area, but the GPS kept telling them to do a U-turn at 23 Madeline once they had missed my driveway, so they assumed that was the right house. I am going to have to get a big, bright sign posted out on the street because I don’t see these days of deliveries ending anytime soon.
The sunny news of today was that Ziggy has published another computer game. His first one was called Farmhouse Fortress and was only available on an iPad. This one is called Parkour Paul and is available to all. I went to arcade.bloxels.co, searched for Z1G0, that’s uppercase Z, number 1, upper case G, zero, and the game came up. Justin warned me that playing it might make me feel old, and it did. I couldn’t even figure out how to play! But I tried and I am very proud of Ziggy for persisting and publishing his accomplishments.
by Judy Handley | Apr 29, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 120: Back and Weather Better Than Yesterday
Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 55 degrees, Low 41 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Both my back and the weather were better today than yesterday, so I’ll call that a win, win. And then I had a fun afternoon with the Goldpebbles, so that’s a third win. But in these coronavirus days, the good news always seems to come with some disturbing news. Tonight on the Rachel Maddow Show, Rachel shared the results of a coronavirus projection model produced by Mass General Hospital, Harvard Medical, Boston University, and Georgia Tech. It shows that for the state of Massachusetts, if we keep doing everything exactly the way we are doing them right now, by the end of August, the number of deaths will go up from the current 3,000+ to almost 5,000. But if current standards are relaxed, that August death toll is projected to be almost 29,000. By this model, if we stay in lockdown, we save 24,000 lives. That part is good news. Lives can be saved, but it means continuing to live as we do right now and that is the reality according to this model. While Heather and Jed were here for dinner tonight, Heather got the news that there will be no 4th of July fireworks this year and that the Falmouth Road Race has been cancelled. It is most certainly going to be a different kind of summer.
Speaking of summer, there were times this afternoon when it felt like summer. I picked up the Goldpebbles around 1:45 pm and brought them here to spend the afternoon. We watched some of the Woods Hole Research Center webinar hosted by Heather and then headed outside to transplant raspberries. We didn’t get them all transplanted, but I called a halt to the work as it was time to head down to the dock to launch the kayaks. 
The boys spent the next hour and a half out on the water while I sat and watched. I had on my winter coat, which was needed while sitting still while the wind blew. But there were times when there was no wind orders the sun shining down on my face felt burning hot. It felt so good. But all good things must come to an end, so we headed back to The Cottage around 5 pm. I needed to make another batch of those 40-minute hamburger buns that I made last Thursday when the boys were here, as we were once again having hamburgers for dinner. Heather and Jed arrived in time for Jed to do the grilling. Thank you, Jed. He, Heather, and I had portabella mushroom burgers instead of ground beef burgers and the mushroom burgers were delicious.
No plans for tomorrow other than doing some online shopping for food and beverage deliveries. Afternoon activities will depend on the weather.
I leave you with a stark statement by Fintan O’Toole, Irish Times Columnist. He wrote, “The world has loved, hated, and envied the U.S. Now, for the first time, we pity it.” How I wish we had had wise, thoughtful leadership in this time of crisis.
by Judy Handley | Apr 28, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 119: Another Day of Rest
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Weather: Overcast, Still Chilly with N Winds; High 45 degrees, Low 36 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Ye old back gave me a direct message this morning that this would be another day of rest. I know the key to recovery is to keep moving, but I really didn’t sleep much last night due to the pain, so I slept away part of this afternoon. It was windy and cold this morning and no matter what exercises I did, the shooting pains from my lower back into my hips didn’t go away. As a result, I didn’t force myself to take my morning walk with Shadow. That was a mistake. I spent most of the day sitting or lying down, and still the pain was no better. So late this afternoon, I did more exercises, put on my hiking boots, and headed out for that walk with Shadow. Amazing. The first half mile was painful, but after that it got better and better. Maybe it was a combination of the rest and the walking, but I think it was just the walking that made things better. So no matter how painful, I just have to force myself to keep on walking!
The wind was from the north today, so no matter what the thermometer said, it was still a winter hat and coat and gloves day. But we should have a one day reprieve tomorrow. The winds have already died down and the forecast calls for some sunshine tomorrow. I have invited the Goldpebbles over for an afternoon of gardening and kayaking to celebrate the sunshine. Then Heather and Jed will join us for dinner.
I did venture out once today. After sending the seeds to Jo yesterday, she sent another request for some seeds for medicinals. I called the garden center that is right across the highway from my neighborhood and they had one of the four things she needs. They are open for business, but really only for curbside pick-up. So I paid for the seeds on the phone, drove over to their outside kiosk, waited until there was no one in line, and was handed the seeds through a sliding window. The governor announced today that things won’t start opening up in Massachusetts until after the middle of May, but this type of shopping works for me. I was able to find the other 3 things Jo needs online. They will deliver here, but not to PR. So once I get the seeds, I’ll send them on. It takes a village.
by Judy Handley | Apr 27, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 118: Something’s Gotta Give
Date: Monday, April 27, 2020
Weather: Overcast, Misty, Windy; High 45 degrees, Low 36 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Today I kept hearing Frank Sinatra singing in my head, “Something’s gotta give, something’s gotta give, something’s gotta give.” The weather has been miserable and I see no end to this slow cooker environment we have all been living in for the past six weeks. I have had it easy as I have been able to see my family. But most people have not and I know that is so hard. Regardless, this is not the time to let up. For me, the thing that has to give is my vision of how things should be. Maybe that has already happened as I find it hard to even think beyond today . . . therefore, no vision of how things should be. I have lost any vision for the future. But I heard an interview with Al Gore tonight that gave me hope for the future. He painted a picture of the possibility of an almost immediate future that looks very different from the past. He talked about the connections between the coronavirus pandemic and climate change and thinks we must come out the other side of this pandemic with drastically different energy policies. He thinks it is perfect opportunity to go totally green and leave fossil fuels behind. He also expressed his hope that all Americans will come together in November to make a change in who is leading our country in these very difficult times. He basically said this is not a partisan hope; it is our only hope. I couldn’t agree more.
I was much relieved this morning to get a text from Sam on Windbird saying they had stayed in the Intracoastal Waterway instead of going off-shore around Cape Hatteras. They are going to slow down and spend time in the waterways in North Carolina before heading further north. Before the end of May, they need to get Windbird to New York City where they will live aboard for the next year or so. But as Sam pointed out in his message to me, he probably won’t be doing a lot of flying, so no big hurry. I also heard more from my daughter-in-law Jo. She found a way to send me the video of her garden via WhatsApp. When I was last there in March of 2017 after Hurricane Maria, Jo had just started gardening on the hillside beside their home and the garden was in the shape of a heart. She has expanded and expanded and now has a lush hillside garden. 
It is beautiful and will soon start providing them with lots of fresh veggies. This morning, I was able to get seeds that Jo needs to expand the garden. She was shocked that I could get seeds here as there are none in Puerto Rico. I reminded her that it has been so cold here that no one is thinking about planting anything quite yet. Once the weather warms up, I’m sure the seeds will quickly disappear, so this morning I bought what I think I need as well. I went to the local hardware store where I could see the seed rack while still standing outside. I knew the seed rack’s location and most of its content as I had gone there in early March just before the lockdown to buy seeds. I talked to the clerk on my phone telling him which seed packets I wanted. He then checked me out via phone and brought the bag of seeds to my car. I did have to go in the Post Office to send the seeds, but I was very careful. And it warmed my heart to think that I could contribute to the garden at Finca Maravilla that will feed Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco.
Back to “something’s gotta give”—this weather is absolutely miserable, and it needs to give. It was misty most of the day and very windy. When I took Shadow out for a walk early this morning, I had on my winter coat and hat, but I had put my winter gloves away thinking they were no longer needed. Before my afternoon walk, those gloves came out and helped a bit. But Shadow got soaking wet on both walks and I’m sure he was freezing as well. Tomorrow looks a little sunnier but still windy. But Wednesday looks good before more rain on Thursday. So I’m going to plan a mid-week weather celebration.
by Judy Handley | Apr 26, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 117: Definitely a Day of Rest
Date: Sunday, April 26, 2020
Weather: Rainy Day with Thunderstorms; High 49 degrees, Low 41 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
I took the ‘day of rest’ thing seriously today and did absolutely nothing of consequence other than survive. Yet somehow I have been busy all day. The unfortunate thing is that my back is no better at the end of do-nothing day. The good thing is that it is no worse. I’ve started doing a few exercises for sciatica and they help for a bit, but then the pain returns. Walking helps the most, so even in the miserable rain, Shadow and I did our walking today.
I did hear from Sam aboard Windbird this morning. Windbird is rounding Cape Hatteras tonight as he and Dawn are headed to Norfolk on their way north. I also talked to Kevin and Claire in Philadelphia this evening. They have hardly been off Merganser in weeks. They are treating it like a long passage and are enjoying it. But the weather was beautiful there yesterday and they took a ride out in the country in their motor home. It was fun, but they feel safer back home on the boat. I didn’t talk to Justin and Jo in Puerto Rico today, but I got an email from Jo. She is working hard at growing as much food as she can but needs seeds that she can’t get locally. I have some of the seeds she needs, so I’ll get those in the mail tomorrow. And my other activity was to listen to the interviews on The Food Revolution. Today’s topic was brain health and the take-away from the three interviews was that the health of your brain is dependent on the food you eat. And the best food for your brain is fresh vegetables, and lots of them! Both Heather and I have been able to procure lots of greens during these coronavirus times. For brain health, greens at every meal is the recommendation. I get that with my green smoothie for breakfast, a big salad for lunch, and a dinner that includes at least three different veggies, one of which is a green. My assessment of what I heard today to maintain brain health is to “Go Green.”
by Judy Handley | Apr 25, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 116: Never Ending Move . . . Almost Done
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2020
Weather: Beautiful Sunny Day; High 57 degrees, Low 40 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Hurray, hurray! What has come to feel like the never ending move is almost done. I have not been able lift and carry boxes since throwing my back out on the first day of the move, but I have been able to find other ways to support. It was a huge decision for Heather and Jed to do this move without any professional help. But, understandably, they really didn’t want to introduce outsiders into the family unit during these days of the coronavirus. I left them around 6:30 this evening as they were unloading the ‘almost last’ van load. They were going to have take-out pizza for dinner and make one last trip before bedtime. That should be the last load. Then, hopefully, they can start fully focusing on the unpacking and the renovations in the new house. While Heather and Jed are working full time at home and home schooling the three boys, it is going to be a slow process. But I know it will be a huge relief for them to know that they no longer have to shuffle things from one house to the other. Closing on 60 Vidal happens on Thursday, so it will be done by then for sure. Today was a beautiful day and as we worked on packing up the last things, the boys played in the backyard with Molly and Joey from next door. They have grown up as brothers and sisters and the farewell this evening was definitely bittersweet. 
The Keefe’s were going somewhere, so the kids said one more farewell as their next door neighbors drove away. They will, of course, remain friends, but that is different from being next door. The Goldpebbles seem to be taking this in stride. They love exploring the conservation area behind their new house and they are excited about the renovations planned for their new bedrooms. And they are constantly planning a ‘man cave’ music room in the basement.
This evening I am listening to interviews from the first day of the 9th Annual Food Revolution Summit. This is hosted by Ocean Robbins, son of John Robbins, who was a major food revolution leader beginning in the 1970’s. I found the first interview of the series to be absolutely fascinating. It was with Dr. Matt McCarthy who is an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and an assistant attending physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He has been on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic and shared his experiences of the past few weeks. He wrote a book that came out last summer called, SUPERBUGS: The Race to Stop an Epidemic. Matt went to Yale College and played baseball for his four years there. When he graduated with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, he spent a year in Minor League Baseball. After one year, he left baseball and wrote about that experience in a book entitled Odd Man Out: A Year on the Mound with a Minor League Misfit. From Minor League Baseball, he went to Harvard Medical School. Once he became a physician, he wrote another book, The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly: A Physician’s First Year. He has the special talent of being about to write about his experiences. In Superbugs he wrote about his research in West Africa with pathogens transferred to humans from animals, specifically from bats. He saw clearly that a world pandemic was coming. He just didn’t know exactly when. He is now living through that pandemic, treating Covid-19 patients. The things I loved most about the interview was that he shared what he and his family are doing at home to protect themselves from Covid. It was interesting to hear how they deal with the food coming into their home. They unpack outside and leave paper bags and boxes outside to be recycled or thrown in the trash. They wash vegetables in water with nothing added. But as he pointed out, there is no research that tells us exactly the best way to do this. His family is just like mine or yours. We are all just doing the best that we can with the information we have.
