by Judy Handley | Aug 12, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 224: Free and Easy Day with Kevin and Claire
Date: Thursday, August 12, 2021
Weather: Sunny, Humid with a Breeze; High Temp 82, Low Temp 72 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
When I got up this morning to take Shadow out, Kevin and Claire were already returning from an early morning run. They then brought folding chairs from their motor home and had coffee in the driveway while I headed into town to feed the critters at Heather and Jed’s. When I drove back into my driveway and saw how comfortable they looked, I decided to move one of my small outdoor tables and three chairs out to make a driveway patio where we can eat while they are here. Kevin and Claire are sleeping in their motor home at night and Claire is working there during the day. Since they came here from a big family gathering in New Jersey, they want to minimize the amount of time we spend inside to protect me in case they might have been exposed to the Delta variant, so they both wear masks inside and in the car. Once again, Covid is complicating being together with other people, but I am constantly amazed at how creative we have all become. Dining in the driveway seemed elegant!
While Claire worked, Kevin and I went to the Farmer’s Market and then came home to prepare the one big meal they eat each day. Their new health regime is to eat between 10 am and 6 pm. They have breakfast and then graze on things like fruit and nuts and raw veggies until mid-afternoon when they eat their big meal of the day. Today Kevin fixed marinated veggies on the grill with quinoa and fresh organic corn from the Farmer’s Market. They don’t include any oil in their diet, so I learned that the recipe for marinade that I have made for years with olive oil and that Kevin uses as the basis of his marinade, doesn’t need the oil at all. I am trying to learn as much as I can from them about their plant-based diet and their daily fasting from 6 pm to 10 am the next morning. Tonight our ‘entertainment’ was watching a Zoom Masterclass from one of my health gurus followed by watching a couple of video presentations from their health guru who advocates a strictly Vegan diet. So much to learn!
We also took a late afternoon walk to the Knob in Quissett Harbor with Shadow. It was my second walk there this week, but I never tire of walking there. So beautiful.
by Judy Handley | Aug 11, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 223: Kevin and Claire Arrive
Date: Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Weather: Partly Sunny; High Temp 78, Low Temp 72 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
After having no visitors during the past almost year and a half due to Covid, I’m making up for it all in one week. Good friends Detta and Tom arrived yesterday and left this afternoon after spending a time touring Woods Hole this morning. Then tonight, Kevin and Claire arrived. Kevin and Claire are closer in age to our children than to me, but we became life-long friends in 2003 when we were living aboard our boats in Boston. Claire was getting her PhD at Harvard Medical at the time and bought a boat to live aboard instead of paying the high cost of rent in Boston. At the same time, Mark and I left our land life and moved aboard Windbird in the same marina. We hit it off and the rest is history.
Detta, Tom, and I drove to Woods Hole this morning and walked through the village. We stopped at Coffee O to get coffee, visited WHOI’s Ocean Discovery Center, had lunch on the deck of the Woods Hole Market, and watched one of WHOI’s research vessels, Atlantis, come in to dock. Atlantis is 273 feet long and backed into a spot on the dock. It was the most amazing parallel parking job any of us had ever seen. Atlantis is the host vessel for the deep submergence vehicle, Alvin.
As is often the case in the summer, it was foggy in Woods Hole today, but when we got back home the sun was shining. It was time for Tom and Detta to head home and time for me to take a nap. Since Detta and I had stayed up talking until 2 am, I felt I deserved a nap! Then this evening Kevin and Claire arrived. We spent a couple of hours catching up on life and will continue tomorrow. I am so envious and so impressed with the two of them. They spent their time during Covid working on becoming super healthy. They switched their diet to be plant-based and have both shed many pounds. They look like teenagers and have both lowered their cholesterol numbers by 100 points each. That is impressive. I’m hoping to spend some of our time together learning from them. I could definitely benefit from losing more than a few pounds myself.
Shadow is loving the company. She spent as much time as possible beside Detta and Tom, and she continued tonight with Kevin and Claire. He is loving all of the attention.
by Judy Handley | Aug 10, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 222: Walk to the Knob with Detta and Tom
Date: Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Weather: Overcast; High Temp 73, Low Temp 70 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Friends from New Hampshire, Detta and Tom Porat, arrived today. I met them in Cataumet at the Chartroom at Kingman Yacht Center for lunch. They have nicely spaced outside tables, so it felt Covid-safe and we all enjoyed the ‘yachtie’ atmosphere. Then it was home to pick up Shadow and take him with us for a walk out to the Knob in Quissett Harbor.
No matter how many times I do that walk, it is always beautiful. We went home to sit down by the dock to enjoy our wine. We ended the day with a lighter than planned dinner as we were still full from lunch and then Detta and I talked into the wee hours of the morning. So good to be with them again.
by Judy Handley | Aug 9, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 221: To the Bridge and Back, Times Three
Date: Monday, August 9, 2021
Weather: Rainy; High Temp 76, Low Temp 67 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
I spent my day driving up to the Bourne Bridge and back home again, over and over. The trip takes about 20-25 minutes one way depending on traffic and I had to make the trip three times today. I took Shadow to the groomer at 9 am, came home, went back for an 11 am doctor appointment, and then back at 2:30 pm to pick up Shadow.
Tonight was much more fun. Our dining-in group gathered at Terry and Olivia White’s for a wonderful Indian dinner. It was Bruce Woodin’s birthday, so we celebrated that with an ice cream cake from Smitty’s. Happy Birthday, Bruce!
by Judy Handley | Aug 8, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 220: On to Paris 2024
Date: Sunday, August 8, 2021
Weather: Cloudy; High Temp 79, Low Temp 68 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
I watched the 2020 Tokyo Olympics right up to the end and will now look forward to the Summer Game in Paris 2024. Heather, Sam, and Jonah arrived in Boothbay this evening and I will be on kitty and guinea pig duty until they return. I got a call from friends Kevin and Claire and as we talked, they made a decision to come visit this week. Can’t wait to see them. Tuesday friend Detta Porat comes for one day. I’m not sure Tom is going to be able to come with her, but we’ll just have to have fun for him while he stays at home to oversee a construction project. Then Wednesday night, Kevin and Claire will arrive. Looks like this is going to be a week of visiting with good friends. Can’t wait.
by Judy Handley | Aug 7, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 219: Saturday Mix of Work and Play
Date: Saturday, August 7, 2021
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 78, Low Temp 68 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Yesterday I learned that Heather and Jed are having a team come in to paint their front hallway while they are in Maine. This means that access to their laundry room will be difficult. I had been putting off doing laundry until after Heather, Sam, and Jonah leave for Maine tomorrow, but decided that I should get that done today so as not to interfere with the workers. Besides, I wanted to see Sam and Jonah when they returned from Scout camp this afternoon, so I timed going to do the laundry so I would be there when they got home. While waiting for the laundry to dry, I turned on the television to watch the Olympics. When the boys got home, they both shared that they had a fantastic week, and then they turned their attention to the Olympics trying to catch up on what had happened all week while they were gone. They will leave for Maine in the morning as soon as all the laundry from camp has been washed and dried and the house is ready for painters. Looks like they should have nice weather to enjoy their time in Boothbay.
Tonight I was invited to dinner at a friend’s home with a two other couples that I have met but don’t know well. It was great to get to know them better and to enjoy a great meal. Thank you, Christina and Warren Brodie for a wonderful evening!
