by Judy Handley | Nov 20, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 324: Gratitude Graffiti Wall
Date: Friday, November 20, 2021
Weather: Sunny and Cold; High Temp 46, Low Temp 37 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Food prep for the upcoming week continued today. The experiment today was making a grain free pie crust from scratch. It is made of almond and cassava flour. Making the crust was a little tricky as the dough doesn’t hold together like one made with wheat flour, but now I know it is possible. It won’t get a taste test until tomorrow. I got the crust in the pie pan and then put it in the freezer. Tomorrow I will thaw it and make a pie. If the frozen and then thawed crust passes the taste test, I will make and freeze the other crusts needed for later in the week. The pies I made as a taste test a week or so ago were made with store bought frozen gluten free crusts. They were just okay. I’m hoping the homemade grain free crust will be better.
In the early afternoon, Heather, Ollie, and I headed downtown to Main Street to write on the Gratitude Graffiti Wall being sponsored by the Waquoit Congregational Church and a number of other Falmouth organizations. 
It is a big piece of canvas on which you can write or draw your gratitude statement. Ollie drew a peace symbol, Heather expressed gratitude for this community, and I wrote that I am thankful for my five grandchildren who brighten my life every day.
I love watching them grow into responsible earth citizens. I also share Heather’s thankfulness for the Falmouth community and Ollie’s wish for peace in our world.
We really couldn’t leave downtown without visiting Eight Cousins bookstore. While Heather and I were perusing the book displays, Ollie noticed a Christmas tree in the store with paper ornaments, each with a child’s first name, age, and a specific interest. He asked Heather what this was about. She didn’t know, but we inquired and found out that each ornament represents one child in this community who could use a few extra Christmas presents this year. Ollie wanted to choose a younger child and he picked a seven-year-old girl who is interested in princesses. He found a princess book and bought it for her. Another show of gratitude for the afternoon.
Tonight, I talked to my friend Lynne Kirwin in New Zealand. It is spring there, soon to be summer, but like here, they are still dealing with Covid. While we were talking, she sent me a photo of the brown Labradoodle that lives where she is currently house sitting for a friend. As soon as we got off the phone, I sent her a photo of Shadow. He is still a wild one, but I am so grateful that we share a life together. I might have to go back downtown and add a note of gratitude for my best buddy. 
I have had him for exactly 2 years and 3 days, so it was time to for a then and now photo comparison.
by Judy Handley | Nov 19, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 323: Beginning Food Prep for Next Week
Date: Thursday, November 19, 2021
Weather: Sunny and Windy; High Temp 60, Low Temp 30 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
What a difference the wind makes. Yesterday the high was 64 F and too warm to wear a jacket. Today was only 4 degrees cooler, 60 F, and a winter coat was not enough even though the sun was shining. I needed gloves. The difference was the wind. Tomorrow is not going to be as windy, but the high is forecast to be only 45 degrees F. I’m pretty sure I’ll need both my coat and my gloves for my walk with Shadow tomorrow.
Today I moved from house cleaning to beginning the food preparations for next week. As I have mentioned, Justin and family arrive on Tuesday and will be here for six days. They are staying at Heather’s, but all ten of us will eat our meals together there. We certainly don’t want to spend out precious days together slaving away in the kitchen, but we do have to eat. So, I am doing the bulk of the food shopping prior to their arrival and spending this weekend making things that can keep or be put in the freezer. I only have 96 hours left to get things done before they arrive, so I had better get to bed so I’ll have the energy to get lots done tomorrow.
by Judy Handley | Nov 18, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 322: There’s A Moon Out Tonight
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2021
Weather: Party Sunny and Warm; High Temp 64, Low Temp 41 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
It was so warm today, but it looks like another nor-easter is headed our way and it is going to cool things down considerably. Tuesday night when Justin and family arrive is forecast to be in the 20’s overnight. Yikes! That will be our first dip into 20’s this fall. I talked to Justin briefly this evening and he said they are going to buy shoes for Coco and Ziggy tomorrow. Sandals and flip flops, the only shoes needed in Puerto Rico, are not going to do it once they arrive here, When Mark and I came home from Malaysia to New Mexico for Ziggy’s birth in April of 2009, we arrived in sandals. That was fine when we landed in Los Angeles, but when we got off the train in Sante Fe there were two inches of snow on the ground. Justin picked us up and took us straight to a shoe store. Justin remembers that and thinks buying shoes ahead of time is probably a better idea!
When I was in junior high school, a group called the Capris put out a song that I loved. Evidently not a lot of other people felt the way I did about that record because sales weren’t great and the group broke up. But every time I see a beautiful full moon, I hear the Capris singing, “There’s a (moon out tonight) whoa-oh-oh ooh.” And I sure heard them singing tonight. The moon is not officially full until the early hours of tomorrow morning, but it hung majestically in a clear Cape Cod sky tonight. There is also a partial lunar eclipse occurring around 4 am EST when planet Earth will be positioned between the sun and the moon. I will not be getting up to witness this. The beauty tonight was enough for me.
Monday of this week was shop ‘til you drop day. Tuesday was a do-nothing day. Wednesday was a super productive day. And today was just a middle of the road day. I got a few things done, but I was nowhere near as productive as yesterday. I dare not predict what might happen tomorrow. Yesterday I made granola for Heather and family. The only nuts they like in granola are sliced almonds. Today I made granola for me that is chocked full of nuts—almonds, walnuts, and pecans. I did a little house cleaning and then mid-afternoon I headed into town to pick Ollie up after school and take him to his violin lesson. Heather had a Zoom board meeting and Jed had to take Sam to the chiropractor, so they asked me to get Ollie. Last year I picked him up every day after school. I miss that, so I jump at any chance to do so this year. And the trip to Heather and Jed’s gave me a chance to deliver bags of groceries that we will need to feed ourselves next week. I am sooooo excited that my whole family will once again all be together. Only 117 hours to go.
by Judy Handley | Nov 17, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 321: Making Up for Lost Time
Date: Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Weather: Party Sunny; High Temp 48, Low Temp 30 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
How can one day seem to have so many more hours than another? I did get up an hour earlier today and I put off doing my long walk with Shadow until later in the afternoon so I could dive right into the work early in the day. Otherwise, the two days were identical. But I got so much more done today. I did my best to make up for the lost time yesterday. I completed a number of the deep cleaning jobs that were on my list. These are things I do only once a year, usually in the spring. They didn’t get done this spring, so I was determined to get them done before the coming holiday season. What I didn’t get done today will be put on the spring cleaning list because I now need to focus on food preparation for Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco’s visit. I made a big batch of granola today and will spend Friday making a food prep list. I want to make as many things as possible before they get here so I can spend full time just enjoying their visit. They arrive on Tuesday night . . . six days or 144 hours to go.
by Judy Handley | Nov 16, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 320: Lost Day
Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Weather: Sunny and Cool; High Temp 48, Low Temp 30 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
I’m literally not at all sure how I spent this whole day doing almost nothing. But I did. My ‘to do list’ is a mile long and maybe I was just overwhelmed by it. So, I procrastinated. Whatever, I’d better do better tomorrow. I salvaged my day by at least doing something to help someone else. Good friend, Bruce Woodin, has his knee replacement surgery today. Late afternoon I went to pick up Jane Woodin who had a knee replacement three weeks ago to take her to PT session. That was a three-hour commitment, so at least I know what I did for three hours today!
Tomorrow is house cleaning day. Wish me luck!
by Judy Handley | Nov 16, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 319: Shop ‘til You Drop
Date: Monday, November 15, 2021
Weather: Sunny and Cool; High Temp 51, Low Temp 34 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
It was a last minute decision to go shopping today, but Shadow and I took off and returned seven hours later. Costco was our first stop, and it is an hour and a quarter drive from home to Costco with no stops or traffic. When we arrived, I took Shadow for a walk and then went into Costco. I emerged two hours later with a cart load of clothes and food. I am usually a hunt and kill shopper, in and out in no time. But today I was shopping for a few winter clothing items for Justin and family and that took me longer than usual. When I did emerge, I packed the things in the back of the car, took Shadow for another walk, and then went back into Costco because there was an item I had forgotten to purchase. On the way home, I made another stop at Whole Foods to pick up some things I didn’t find at Costco. It was a shop ‘til you drop day, but a successful one.
The sun had set by the time I got home but there was still enough lingering light to play ball with Shadow. I had an early dinner and then took off again. This time I went to pick Ollie up after his Cub Scout meeting and take him home. Both Heather and Jed were attending the annual Town Meeting, so I volunteered to come get the boys to bed and stay until Heather got home. Jed is a Town Meeting member and is probably still at the meeting. But Heather just had to go make a quick presentation on behalf of the science community supporting the need for more affordable housing. The presentation was short, but she had to wait for her slot on the agenda. Even with the wait, she was home before lights out and got to say goodnight to the boys while I headed home.
It is a big piece of canvas on which you can write or draw your gratitude statement. Ollie drew a peace symbol, Heather expressed gratitude for this community, and I wrote that I am thankful for my five grandchildren who brighten my life every day.
I love watching them grow into responsible earth citizens. I also share Heather’s thankfulness for the Falmouth community and Ollie’s wish for peace in our world.
I have had him for exactly 2 years and 3 days, so it was time to for a then and now photo comparison.
