by Judy Handley | Dec 9, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 342: First Snow on Jed’s Birthday
Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Weather: Snow: High 33, Low 25 Degrees
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
What a surprise Shadow and I got this morning when we walked into the living room and looked out the window. It snowed last night! And it was still snowing. So we headed outside and played for over an hour. Shadow loved the little bit of snow we got last winter and he still loves it. He romped, shoveled snow with his nose, and ate snow. He was a happy puppy. When we came in and I checked my phone, I saw that Heather and Jed had made a decision on how to quarantine. Since Sam’s Covid exposure was yesterday, we safely had until the end of the day today to get things arranged as it takes longer than 24 hours for someone to become contagious. Jonah and Ollie are going to continue going to school for now and are staying at my house. Heather is staying here with them. Jed is staying at home with Sam and after school today was our last time all together. We were super cautious and wore masks. Today was an early release day, so I picked up Ollie at 12:30 and we then went to Grasmere to pick up Jonah. Heather came along at the end of the workday.
But as Ollie, Jonah, and I were getting in the car, Sam came out to wave goodbye to us. He looked so lonely standing in the snow. Hopefully this is only for 11 days, but I know he will miss his brothers and they will miss him.
Jonah and Ollie played outside in the snow with Shadow when we got home and a little later we made our first Christmas cookies. 
Heather arrived while we were doing that and she got her things put in the bedroom she and Jonah will share. Actually, tonight all three of them are sleeping in that room. After she got settled, I headed into town to pick up sushi for Jed’s birthday dinner. Heather made two orders, one for Sam and Jed, and one for the rest of us. I delivered Sam and Jed’s sushi, picked up Ollie’s violin and Jonah’s trombone, wished Jed a happy birthday, and rushed home for our 6 pm Zoom dinner. Jed’s mother, Marti, joined us from her home in Washington, DC, and Jed’s brother Tobey joined us from Portland where he was driving in rush hour traffic. It was fun, but not the birthday I know Jed would have preferred. I suspect we will meet on Zoom for dinner on most evenings during this quarantine. Happy Birthday to Jed. Jonah made a card for him that said simply “7 x 7”. The boys told him this was his ‘not quite old’ birthday. Next year is the big one.
by Judy Handley | Dec 7, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 341: Life in the Time of Covid
Date: Monday, December 7, 2020
Weather: Partly Sunny and Cold: High 35, Low 29 Degrees
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
Just last night I was with the Goldstones ushering in the holiday season. We were all so healthy and so happy to be together. Tonight, we are all still healthy, but there has been a ‘breach in the wall’ and everything has changed. Just like that. Sam’s principal called tonight to tell them that Sam and everyone in his class had a primary exposure today to someone who has tested positive for Covid. That means that any of the students exposed, plus their siblings and parents, must be in quarantine for the next 8 days when the students exposed can be tested (the schools require 8 days, not 5, after exposure before testing) and then the additional 2-3 days until the test results are returned. Or without testing, they all have to be quarantined for 14 days. So, what to do? Do all of the Goldstones stay together and all quarantine together and all take the risk of getting Covid? Or do they split up between my house and their house so that Jonah and Ollie can continue to go to school? In that case, one parent and Sam would stay at one house and one parent, Jonah. Ollie, Shadow, and I would stay at the other house. That is probably the safest option for all, but making the decision so quickly is so hard. Heather and Jed will decide tonight and we’ll take it from there in the morning. One way or another, if Sam does not get Covid, we can all be back together by Monday the 21st for solstice and then Christmas. In that case, we will definitely have a special celebration this year! Other things happened today, but whatever those things were pale in comparison to a Covid exposure that instantly changes the lives of so many. But there was one bright spot. I learned today that my friends Linda and Mike Stuart became first time grandparents. Welcome to Grant William Stuart. He arrived a little early and I will talk to Linda on Wednesday night to learn the details.
by Judy Handley | Dec 6, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 340: Ushering in the Holiday Season
Date: Sunday, December 6, 2020
Weather: Sunny and Cold: High 39, Low 28 Degrees
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
Today the Goldstones and I ushered in the holiday season. This weekend would normally be the official Falmouth By the Sea weekend when Santa arrives in the harbor, the lights on the Green are officially lit, and the annual Falmouth Christmas Parade marches down Main Street. This year none of those things could happen because of Covid but scaled down versions of those things were video-taped and shown on community television today at noon.
Heather was volunteering this morning at the Christmas tree sale to raise money for the school PTO and other non-profits. When I arrived to get my tree, I saw an elf working in the lot. On closer examination, I saw that the elf was my daughter. The elf helped me pick out a tree and then Jed and boys arrived to get their tree. Sam and Jonah had to go to do a service project, so Ollie stayed with Heather. When I went back to pick him up, he had convinced Heather to buy a second tree. He wanted a tree for the basement, but it ended up in the all purpose room. Ollie put the tree in my car and we headed to my house where he helped me get my tree up. At noon we had an impromptu gathering of the whole crew at my house where we watched the parade and had lunch. Then tonight we had dinner at Heather and Jed’s and I got see the their two trees up and decorated. Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco put their tree up last weekend. Mine is up but not yet decorated. Once it is, I’ll post photos of all.
Jed’s birthday is on Tuesday and at dinner tonight he received an early birthday present from Heather and the boys—a big gnome that they hope will be the first installment in a collection of gnomes in future years. Jed and his gnome were at end of the table and a stuffed Santa that I bought for Heather and Justin in 1985 sat at the other end. Hard to believe that Santa has survived 35 years, but then a Santa is forever.
by Judy Handley | Dec 6, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 339: Wind and Rain
Date: Saturday, December 5, 2020
Weather: Rain and Wind: High 50, Low 31 Degrees
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
The forecast was for 100 per cent rain today with up to 30 mile per hour winds. And the forecast was right. It was a blustery day with the winds building in the afternoon. The temps were mostly in the high 40’s, but according to Weather Underground, it felt more like 40 with the wind chill factored in. All in all, it was a miserable weather day outside. But the perfect day to finalize Christmas gifts and get packages ready to send on Monday. So that is how I spent my day. I’m afraid I didn’t get everything done, but I did make progress. There’s always tomorrow.
by Judy Handley | Dec 4, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 338: Yardwork Day
Date: Friday, December 4, 2020
Weather: Overcast and Windy: High 56, Low 45 Degrees
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
I finally made it outside today. I simply put Christmas to one side and made a little dent in the yard work project. Normally at this time of year, the landscapers would come to put Shirley’s yard ‘to bed’ for the winter and they would do some work in my yard as well. The landscaper was the guy who owned the house next to Shirley. But he sold that house in late summer and now I, along with the Goldpebbles, are doing all three lawns. But the Goldpebbles are doing school 5 days a week now and the weekends have been rainy or full of other activities. Andrew, who bought the house the landscaper used to own, was visiting this past weekend and appreciated that the Goldpebbles had cleared the leaves from his yard. He and his family will be moving in next spring, so we will do what is needed in the yard until they arrive. But today I focused on Shirley’s yard. I got all the leaves out of the yard and along the edges, I didn’t get to the landscaped areas that are mulched. There are tons of leaves that need to be raked out from under the plants and carried away. I really love doing yard work, so I am going to focus on one little area at a time. Hopefully before Christmas I’ll get the job done. And if the Goldpebbles have time to help, it will be done sooner.
Today was Shadow’s day to be groomed. Pampered Pets is up near the bridge, so it takes at least 20 minutes to get there. Shadow got up early and we went for a walk before I took him for his 9 am appointment. I then left him for a few hours and waited for them to text when it was time to pick him up. When I picked him up this afternoon, he was wearing the cutest little red and green necktie and I was given a Christmas present. I had to rush to pick Ollie up and I asked him to look in the bag and tell me what was in it. It was a clear Christmas ornament filled with some of Shadow’s hair inside and his name written in white on the ball. It was very sweet and Ollie suggested that since I have Shadow the Goldstones could have the ornament for their tree so they have a little bit of Shadow with them during the holidays. That is what we will do.
We have 100% chance of rain tomorrow, so I will focus on getting packages ready to send to Puerto Rico. Then on Sunday, I will go get a Christmas tree and decorate. Jed’s birthday is on Tuesday, so I have invited them over for dinner on Sunday evening so we can celebrate.
by Judy Handley | Dec 3, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 337: Still Caught in the Christmas Scramble
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2020
Weather: Mostly Sunny: High 49, Low 44 Degrees
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
Yet another beautiful day that I spent mostly inside, either doing online shopping or actually going out to shop. I got a text from Jo this morning saying that she heard the governor of Puerto Rico was going to ban all shopping for non-essential items which means no Christmas shopping. She was so sad for many of the children in Puerto Rico that would get no Christmas presents as their parents might not have the financial where withal to do online shopping. And she was hoping I could help her by buying stocking stuffers for Ziggy and Coco. She and Justin can order bigger things online, but that’s tricky for small stocking stuffers. My niece in Tennessee also contacted me this morning to help her with some online shopping. And I needed to complete my online orders for my gifts for JJZ&C in Puerto Rico. Right now things are being delivered on time, but I fear a rise in Covid cases could interrupt that. So, I put aside my outdoor activities for today and focused on shopping. It is going to take another entire day to sort things out. While I was in town shopping, I took a laundry load to Heather and Jed’s. While there, I asked Heather if there were things I could get for her while I was shopping. She made a quick list, so I was buying for all the grandkids at one time. Now I just need to get things sorted and delivered or put in the mail. I was working at the speed of light and will need to go back and make a list of the online orders. I couldn’t’ get everything on Amazon, so I have things coming from here and here. I did get a lot done . . . I’m just not sure what!
As I ended my shopping frenzy, I got another text from Jo saying she things she misunderstood the governor’s mandate. She thinks it only applies to Sunday. So what I didn’t get today, I don’t need to worry about. She can take over from here. At that same time, I got a text from the office of the governor of Massachusetts telling me that Covid cases on the rise in my town and that I need to protect my loved ones by avoiding groups. I read that to mean that I need to avoid shopping in stores, so I was glad that I had made the decision to do this today instead of waiting for a rainy day. The rainy days will come, but the Covid situation might require staying at home. I keep hearing people say they are so done with Covid, but it is obviously not done with us. It is time to become extremely vigilant.
