by Judy Handley | Dec 2, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 336: Slowly Getting Back to ‘Normal’
Date: Thursday, December 2, 2021
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Windy; High Temp 59, Low Temp 36 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Another trip to the laundromat, a morning mile walk with Shadow, started getting the kayaks the Lightning Opti sailboat tucked in for the winter, played ball with Shadow, went to a Newcomers Tech Tips class, did my 6 miles on the exercise bike. That was my day, and it was the first day recently where I got in my usual daily exercise routines. Now if I can just add working on editing the first 15 chapters of my book on the Voyage of Windbird, I’ll be totally back to normal.
It was windy today, but much warmer than it has been for the past week and a half. Tomorrow we dip back down into the forties, but that is fine for this time of year. The entire week when Justin and family were here was colder than before they came and colder than after they left. It’s too bad it was so cold while they were here, but we didn’t let the cold stop our outdoor explorations. But I must say I am happy with the moderation. Hope it stays this way for another couple of weeks as I have a lot of outside fall clean-up that still needs to happen.
by Judy Handley | Dec 1, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 335: Lonely December 1
Date: Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Weather: Partly Sunny; High Temp 49, Low Temp 32 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
One week ago today I was surrounded by both of my children, their spouses, and all of my grandchildren. Today it was back to just me and my Shadow. Jo sent a text this morning letting me know that they got to their hotel in San Juan a little after 2 am this morning. She sent a photo of Ziggy and Coco still sound asleep looking like little angels.
It is so hard to live so far away from them and it will take a few days to get used to being alone again. So, I decided to just keep myself busy today so I wouldn’t have time to think about it.
Since it is December 1, I sent an interactive online Advent calendar to a few friends and the grandkids. I had so much fun with the one last year that I decided to spread the joy. Then I qfor the Goldpebbles. That ‘calendar’ is like a little triangular stand-up cabinet with doors numbered from 1 to 24. I also had a few treats to put behind those little doors and got those packed up to take to Heather and Jed’s. I then gathered up the dirty sheets and towels and other dirty laundry from the past week and headed to town. I first stopped at the laundromat to put in a big load of sheets and towels and then went to Heather’s to deliver the Advent things and do a smaller load of more delicate items there.
Heather had a break in her work about that time, so we worked together setting up the Advent calendar. We finished that and while waiting for things to dry, I made a quick trick home to play ball with Shadow before dark. Just as we got down to the water to play, the sun sunk out of sight turning the sky a beautiful pink with reflections of that pink on the water. So beautiful.
I made a final trip back to town to pick up all the laundry and gathered a bunch of the food stuffs I bought for last week that we did not use. Then it was home for the evening. I busied myself putting clothes and food away and fixing dinner. While I was in the kitchen, I heard the front door creaking as it was opening. Had Shadow learned to open the door? I came out of the kitchen to check and found Heather coming inside. I had left my phone at their house, and she was delivering it. I had been too busy to notice, but I would have panicked later when I couldn’t find it. Thank you, Heather, for saving me from that panic and another drive into town.
by Judy Handley | Nov 30, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 334: With JJZ&C in Plymouth and Boston
Date: Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Weather: Partly Sunny; High Temp 40, Low Temp 32 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
On the final day of Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco’s visit, we traveled to Plymouth to pick up Justin’s violin. Hollis at Plimoth Violins did a wonderful job of refurbishing Justin’s violin.
While we were there, Jo bought Justin a new bow for Christmas and Hollis showed us the violin ukuleles that he makes. He is one very talented man. Since it was already noon and Hollis lives in Plymouth, I asked him for a recommendation for a good seafood restaurant for lunch. He suggested Wood’s Seafood on the Town Wharf.
As we walked, we took a wrong turn and ended up on Cook’s Hill where we spent Thanksgiving Day. It looked very different without a huge group of people and the view of Plymouth Bay was glistening in the sunshine.
We walked down the hill and took a look at the Plymouth ‘Pebble’ as Plymouth Rock is called by the Wampanoags. I don’t believe there is any written history of the Pilgrims landing near any particular rock, but regardless, it certainly has become a famous one. The Mayflower was not at the dock today, but there were plenty of fishing boats near the Town Wharf.
After lunch, we headed on to Logan Airport in Boston. We parked in Central Parking for Terminal C and took the Silver Line SL1 to South Station where we began a walk about in downtown Boston. We parked at the airport because I thought it would be faster to take the T back to the airport at rush hour. The traffic in Boston can be brutal at 5 pm and that is the time we needed to get back to the airport. We were all pleasantly surprised that the Silver Line came so quickly, was free, and got us to South Station in about 15 minutes. 
We walked from there to the gate at the entrance to Chinatown and walked through Chinatown to the Boston Commons on Tremont Street. 
We walked through the park and made many stops to so that Ziggy and Coco could take photos of the very fat and very friendly squirrels.
Coco is absolutely smitten with squirrels and couldn’t have been happier. After squirrel watching, as we walked on up Tremont Street I pointed out the historical spots of interest. When we got to Government Center, we walked down State Street and made our way to Quincy Market. We were looking for a place to have tea and a snack before heading back to the airport, but all of the restaurants were closed. We went into Quincy Market, but only about half of the food venders were open. We supposed this is because of Covid, but not sure.
Quincy Market, inside and out, is really decked out for the holidays.
The twenty-foot-high Christmas tree in the rotunda is stunning. Ziggy and Coco got drinks and Coco got the Chinese food she has been wanting for days. Unfortunately, due to Covid, there was no place to sit down. We found one chair and Princess Coco took the seat and ate those noodles with gusto.
From Quincy Market, it was a short walk to the Blue Line T stop. There were only two people inside when we entered which was surprising. We went to the machine to get our tickets and a man came over and said, “No, no, it is free. Come with me and I’ll get you in.” When we hesitated, he pulled out a card and put it in to open the gate and told us to hurry. We were not sure what that was all about, but we rushed through the gate. It seemed the gods were with us today and gave us a free tour of Boston. There is only one stop between the Aquarium Blue Line stop and the airport, so we were there in no time. We took the shuttle back to Central Parking, got the bags out of the car, and headed into the terminal. It was time to say farewell and that is never, ever easy. We kept reminding ourselves that we will be together again in April. And after hugs all around, JJZ&C headed to the security line to catch their 7:30 pm flight back to San Juan and I headed back to Central Parking to start the drive home to Cape Cod. I was dreading the rush hour traffic, but it was one of the easiest drives home from Boston I have ever had. There was bumper to bumper traffic, but it moved quickly. I was home walking with Shadow in an hour and 40 minutes. The flight to San Juan was delayed by 45 minutes, so the gang will not land until 1:15 am local time there. Thankfully, last night Justin and Jo decided to book a room for tonight and drive home to Rincon tomorrow.
Today was a wonderful day at the end of a wonderful week with my family all together. And part of the ‘wonderfulness’ of today was that I didn’t have to worry about leaving Shadow alone for so many hours. Karen Baranowski came over and walked and played with him for an hour and half this afternoon. Thank you, thank you, Karen.
by Judy Handley | Nov 29, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 333: A Day Together with JJZ&C
Date: Monday, November 29, 2021
Weather: Partly Cloudy; High Temp 41, Low Temp 27 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Justin, Jo, Ziggy, Coco, Shadow, and I had a great day today just being together. Ziggy and Coco played outside with Shadow and then we decorated the Christmas tree.
Justin hung a wreath on the front of the cottage and then we went to Mashpee Commons to get a few things we were going to need for our nachos dinner and Jo snuck in a little Christmas shopping for the kids. When we returned home, we launched into a cooking project that Ziggy wanted to do together. Since he arrived, he has been talking about making cat-shaped ice cream sandwiches. It turned out to be a longer project that we anticipated, but Justin pitched in and saved the day.
We didn’t get home from Mashpee until after 2:30 and we were meeting Ollie and Jonah on the Mullen Hall playground afterschool at 3:30 pm. We got the cookie dough made as fast as we could, put it in the refrigerator to chill, and then we headed into town. Jed met us at the playground and said he would stay with the kids and take Ziggy and Coco home with him while Justin and I headed home so he and Jo could make the nachos and he and Ziggy could roll out the cookie dough and make the cat face cut outs. We had to juggle the oven time, so as soon as the Heather, Jed, and the kids arrived, the nachos went into the oven. Then while we were eating dinner, the cat cookies baked. The nacho dinner was wonderful, and the cat cookies came out great. After dinner, the ice cream was sliced and cut out with the same cookie cutter as the cookies. It was a bit of a process, the ice cream sandwiches were adorable.
Parting is always difficult, but with a great big group hug the Puerto Rico Handley-Hunts said farewell to the Cape Cod Handley-Goldstones.
Justin, Jo, Ziggy, Coco, and I head north to Boston tomorrow. We will stop in Plymouth so Justin can pick up his repaired violin. Then we plan to drive the van to the airport and leave it for the afternoon while we take public transportation into downtown Boston. We are thinking that we will do a little historic Boston walking tour and then have an early dinner in Chinatown before returning to the airport. Their flight doesn’t leave until 7:30 pm, getting them to San Juan after midnight. I will have to say my farewells when I drop them at Logan and make the lonely drive home while visions of April vacation in Puerto Rico dance in my head.
by Judy Handley | Nov 28, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 332: Happy Hanukkah
Date: Sunday, November 28, 2021
Weather: Overcast, Snow Sprinkles; High Temp 38, Low Temp 33 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
This is the fifth day that Justin and family have been here and today was set aside for a walk to downtown Falmouth and then a celebration of the first night of Hanukkah. 
We lit the first night candle at sundown and then the kids started playing the dreidel game. They had a sizable ‘pot’ of gelt (gold and silver wrapped chocolate coins) with which to play the game and eat a few along the way.
Heather started frying the latkes and as soon as she had a full tray, we served them while she fried more. They were gobbled up so fast that we decided to bring in the reinforcements to keep frying.
Jed and Sam helped out and then Sam braised the steak. We grazed our way through dinner, eating the latkes while they were warm and adding prosciutto wrapped asparagus, a salad, and braised sirloin steak slices. The food was all delicious and everyone really enjoyed playing the dreidel game. I gave each of the grandchildren a book. Jonah and Ziggy got a book called RESIST that tells the story of people throughout history that rose us to resist tyranny and injustice. Sam got STAMPED: A Book About Racism, Antiracism, and You. And Ollie and Coco got a book called A BOOK ABOUT WHITENESS: Not My Idea. “An honest explanation about how power and privilege factor into the lives of white children, at the expense of other groups, and how they can help seek justice. —THE NEW YORK TIMES 
Each of the kids immediately began reading their books and the evening took a more serious turn with some indepth discussions on the many issues we are facing in lives today.
Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco came home with me tonight and will stay here tomorrow night as well. They fly home on late on Tuesday, so we have two more days together. As soon as we arrived at my house tonight, the first thing Justin did was put up my Christmas tree that I bought this morning. We went from Hanukkah to Christmas in short time, but Ziggy had really expressed an interest in decorating my tree while they are here. That will be one of tomorrow’s activities.
JJZ&C have really enjoyed their stay at Heather and Jed’s, but it is great to have them here now. We have invited Heather and family here for dinner tomorrow when they will have to say their farewells. But we are planning a family trip to Puerto Rico during the April school vacation which we are already looking forward to.
by Judy Handley | Nov 27, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 331: Trip to the Outer Cape
Date: Saturday, November 27, 2021
Weather: Mix of Sun and Clouds, WINDY; High Temp 41, Low Temp 29 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
A trip to the Outer Cape today felt like a polar exploration.
Well, it was not quite that cold, but with the wind chill it felt like it was below freezing all day. The wind was blowing a good 20 mph from the west, strong enough to keep the sand swirling around our feet. Despite the cold, our trip to High Head Beach to see the seals was well worth it.
Our first destination was High Head Beach in North Truro. We parked and then hiked the half mile to the beach. We were somewhat protected from the wind by the dunes and the sun shining, so all was well. We made the ascent up the dune and when the view of the turbulent ocean came into sight, it was really breathtakingly beautiful.
When we got down to the beach, however, the wind was wicked. We walked down the beach to see the grey seals and despite the cold, we just kept walking. We let Shadow off his leash and frolicked and ran for more than hour. We observed the seals, but he totally ignored them. That was a good thing. As we walked, we found the remains of one very lobster and large clam and crab shells. The remains of seal dinner?
At one point, Sam picked up a black plastic lid for a 5-gallon bucket. When he went to put it down, he decided to give it a spin to watch it roll on its edge. It did, but it didn’t stop. The wind was blowing so hard that as fast as Sam could run, the lid could spin down the beach faster.
When he did catch it to lay it flat, it would take off again with Sam and Shadow running after it. It was quite a show. When we turned around to walk back, however, it was a show of a different kind. The wind was blowing so hard into our faces, that some put on their Covid masks for protection.
Others turned around and walked backwards. Despite the wicked wind, I think most everyone really enjoyed the adventure. Near the end, Coco was unhappy with the cold, but she kept her complaints low-key. Despite the cold, I think she still enjoyed it, but when Auntie Heather mentioned driving into Provincetown to get hot chocolate, her eyes lit up.
We drove to P-town and got coffee, tea, and hot chocolate at The Wired Puppy. Great name.
We walked through town, some us still with our cups in hand for the warmth. As we were walking through Provincetown, Justin noted that I had left out one kind of beach when describing the types of beaches found in the various areas of Cape Cod. I had listed the rocky and pebbly beaches of the Upper Cape, the beaches adjacent to the marshy areas of the Mid-Cape, and the dunes of the Outer Cape. I had left out tropical beaches!
As we left Provincetown, we drove to ‘lands end’ to see the Pilgrims’ First Landing Park before heading home to have our favorite family dinner—sushi. It was a great way to end a great day.
