by Judy Handley | Aug 31, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 243: Lynne Kirwin Arrived
Date: Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Weather: Beautiful Day After Early AM Rain; High 82, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
The gang’s all here. Kevin and Claire arrived yesterday, and Lynne arrived today. Camp Oma is still in full swing, so things are hopping here. Lynne is a tennis fan, so we watched Serena in the US Open tonight while talking and catching up on life. I hope to have time to write more detail tomorrow night.
My thoughts tonight are with my sister-in-law, Sue Cook. In 1964 she lost her first husband, my brother Bennie. Today she lost her second husband, Brad. After my brother died, leaving behind a wife with three young children, Brad entered the picture and became of wonderful and loving father to my nieces and nephew. Brad loved life and spread joy to all around him. This world needs more good people like Brad Cook.
by Judy Handley | Aug 30, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 242: Kevin and Claire Arrived Late Afternoon
Date: Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Weather: Mix of Sun and Clouds; High 82, Low 72 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Today was a bit of a ‘do nothing’ day. At least that was the goal of the boys. I did take Ollie shopping for his school supplies, and we then came home and I made sure both Jonah and Ollie had everything needed in their backpacks. Then we came to my house and fulfilled their wish to do nothing. I did a little house cleaning and they actually pitched in and helped. I also took Shadow to the groomer early this morning and picked him up just before Kevin and Claire arrived.
Tomorrow Lynne Kirwin arrives. The last time Kevin, Claire, Lynne, and I were together was in the fall of 2019 when Kevin and Claire were living aboard their sailboat Merganser in Philadelphia. A lot has changed since then. Lynne now lives in New Zealand but is spending this summer in the US with family in Michigan. Kevin and Claire have a new boat, White Raven. They now live aboard in Mexico (Sea of Cortez) and visit with family in Canada and the US during the summer months when it is just too hot south of the border.
Kevin and Claire turned in early tonight as they both have early morning online meetings. I am canning the pizza sauce, so I won’t get in bed early. But then I don’t have to get up early. Life is good.
by Judy Handley | Aug 29, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 241: Heather and Jed Return Home
Date: Monday, August 29, 2022
Weather: Partly Sunny; High 81, Low 71 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Heather and Jed returned from their weekend sail from Boothbay to Kittery, Maine. The adventure continues this coming weekend when they will attempt to the boat home to Buzzards Bay, or at least as close as they can get.
After an afternoon at the beach, I delivered Jonah and Ollie home to see their mom and dad. I am all alone tonight, but not for long. On Wednesday friends Kevin and Claire arrive, as does Lynne Kirwin. I will attempt to combine the final days of Camp Oma Summer ’22 with visiting with friends. But one day at a time. Tomorrow I will spend time with Jonah and Ollie making sure they are ready for the school year. Ollie needs to shop for school supplies and both boys need to make sure their back to school wardrobe in ready to go. Once I take the whole family to Kittery to get aboard Eider and begin the last leg of the sail home, there’s no way to know if they will get here on Sunday or Monday. But if it is Monday, school definitely starts the next day. We need to be ready!
The highlight of the day for me was a phone call to Home Helpers in Mooresville, North Carolina. I was able to arrange for a companion for my sister without having to interview prospects. They are going to assign a woman that I met while I was in North Carolina. She does a couple of shifts for my niece Jennifer each week but is otherwise available to be with my sister. This woman was like a miracle worker. I happened to be at my nieces home the first morning she arrived. In just minutes, she had Jennifer smiling and was organizing the entire household. It is such a relief to know that she is available to work her magic with my sister.
by Judy Handley | Aug 28, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 240: Two Goldstones and a Keefe
Date: Sunday, August 28, 2022
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 77, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Before Heather and Jed moved in 2020 from East Falmouth to downtown Falmouth, the Keefe’s were their neighbors. The Keefe’s have two children, Molly and Joey. Molly is Jonah’s age and Joey is a year younger. So, the three Goldstones and the two Keefe’s were like brothers and sister. Today was totally unplanned, but Jonah was talking on the phone to Joey this morning and Joey invited Jonah and Ollie over to play. I drove them over and then when I went to pick Jonah up to go to a Boy Scout patrol leaders planning meeting, Ollie was invited to stay awhile longer. When I went to pick up Ollie after Jonah’s meeting, Joey came home with us to play on the Maui mat.
Then we added dinner. Then we added an overnight. So tonight, I have two Goldstones and one Keefe. I delivered pizza to Sam for dinner as he decided to stay home alone again tonight. 
Jonah, Ollie, Joey, and I had our pizza dinner on the dock and made a mandatory trip to Smitty’s later in the evening.
Heather and Jed made it to Kittery, Maine, but it was late in the day when they arrived and they decided to drive back to Boothbay to pick up their second car and then drive home tomorrow morning. I got a text message from Heather with a photo showing a speed of 7.4 knots . . . faster than Eider is supposed to be able to sail. 
Then Jed sent a photo of Heather at the helm. She looked so happy and I know her dad would be so proud.
Somehow in between the activities today, I did get the pizza sauce made. Tomorrow it will simmer. Then hopefully canning will happen tomorrow night and Tuesday.
by Judy Handley | Aug 27, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 239: Kayaking, Legos, Tomatoes, and S’mores
Date: Saturday, August 27, 2022
Weather: Partly Cloudy Early, Turning Partly Sunny; High 77, Low 64 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Tonight, Jonah and Ollie are with me, and Sam is staying at home. That way he can get himself up and to work in the morning without waking up his brothers. Plus, he enjoys the independence of staying alone. But we did go into town to pick up sushi and have dinner with him. When we came home, we had a little down time before the boys were invited to my neighbors, the Dearman’s, for S’mores and a late evening game of hide and seek. It was the perfect ending to a fun day for Ollie and Jonah.
Earlier in the afternoon, they both kayaked more than a mile from here to Washburn Island to meet up with the Dearman’s who were coming home on their boat from Martha’s Vineyard. I drove down to the Menauhant Yacht Club where I could look across to make sure they arrived safely. Then Andrew towed the kayaks home. That was not without complication, but they made it home safely. And even earlier in the day, Ollie spent time playing with Legos. That led to a trip to Walmart to buy more Legos. In between all of this, I worked on processing more tomatoes. I got 30 pounds yesterday and hope to make and can another batch of pizza sauce by Monday.
Today Heather and Jed made it from Boothbay to Seal Cove at the tip of Cape Elizabeth just outside of Portland, Maine. Tomorrow, they hope to make it to Kittery, Maine. They drove two cars north on Friday. They left one in Boothbay and one in Kittery so they can drive home. The highlight of their day was a mola mola sighting. A mola mola is a big ocean sunfish and is one of he two heaviest known bony fish in the world. An adult can way about 250 pounds and they are so much fun to watch as they wobble about on the surface of the ocean. Jonah, Ollie, and I had a wildlife sighting of our own today, not nearly so big, but still exciting. Driving into my neighborhood we came across a turtle crossing the road. Jonah got out to make sure the little fellow made it. I think it must have been a common box turtle (Terrapene carolina), but the head and neck were a much brighter yellowish orange than I have ever seen.
Here’s hoping the turtle made its destination without harm and that Heather and Jed have a wonderful sail to their destination tomorrow!
by Judy Handley | Aug 26, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 238: Goldpebbles for the Weekend
Date: Friday, August 26, 2022
Weather: Sunny Day, Thunderstorms in the Evening; High 84, Low 69 degrees
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Tonight I have all three Goldpebbles and will have them until late on Sunday evening when Heather and Jed return. Sam worked today while Jonah and Ollie had a water day. They spent the late morning and early afternoon in the kayaks and jumping into the river from the Maui mat. We had a midafternoon break and then went to the beach with my neighbors, the Dearman’s. Jonah came home with them while Ollie and I went to pick up Sam after work. We came home and had a late dinner and a late night. Jonah wanted me to watch an episode of Iron Chef, which I had never seen before. How much fun! But it is late and time for me to get some sleep so I can be ready for another busy day.
