by Judy Handley | Jul 2, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 183: Not a ‘Do Nothing’ Day As Planned
Date: Saturday, July 2, 2022
Weather: Rain Early, Then Mostly Cloudy with a Few Raindrops; High 74, Low 66 degrees
Location: At Home with Sam, Falmouth, MA
Today was supposed to be the day when I was going to do nothing. That didn’t happen. I took Sam to work in his mom’s car, came back and had Sullivan Tire call a Lyft ride for me to come pick up my car, drove Shadow home to get his breakfast, and drove back into town for an 11 am program at the Museums on the Green called Celebrating Independence! with introductions by my dear friend Olivia White.
I was ten minutes late, but at least I made it. Afterwards Bruce and Jane Woodin invited me out to brunch
and when I got home, I took Shadow for a walk. As we walked past my neighbor Andrew’s yard that the Goldpebbles mow, I noticed it was looking a little shaggy even though Sam cut it less than two weeks ago, but it definitely needed a trim. So, I decided to mow part of it since there are no boys here to do it. It didn’t take long and I did then come inside to do nothing. The problem was that it was almost time to go pick Sam up from work. Maybe tomorrow will be a ‘do nothing’ day.
By the time I have gotten around to writing my logs the last few days, I have been too tired to think straight and have left out some very important details. Here they are:
The most exciting news is that on Thursday, Heather and Jed heard from the owner of Eider, the Cape Dory 36 they have been trying to purchase. He agreed to reduce the asking price to cover the cost of some of the issues found during the survey and sea trials. As of Thursday, they were scrambling to set a new closing date. Soon they will be Eider’s owners and we will have a sailboat in the family again!!! Congratulations, H&J.
More good news is that Heather is feeling a little better and her fever has subsided. The bad news is that results of blood test to determine if she has a tick-borne disease came back and revealed that she has Borrelia miyamotoi. This tick-borne disease infects humans through the bite of one of several species of hard-shell lxode ticks. These are the same critters that spread Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria that causes Lyme disease. So related, but not the same as Lyme. Borrelia miyamotoi infections have been successfully treated with a two-to-four-week course of doxycycline, so hopefully this will do the trick.
by Judy Handley | Jul 1, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 182: Tire Surprise
Date: Friday, July 1, 2022
Weather: Sunny; High 80, Low 69 degrees
Location: At Home with Sam, Falmouth, MA
Tonight, Shadow and I are spending the night at Heather and Jed’s with Sam as everyone else is in Maine. Sam returned from Maine this afternoon to go to the birthday party of a friend he has known since they both entered this world in 2007. I picked him up at the bus station late this afternoon, took him home to get dressed, and then took him to Sebastian’s party. Shadow and I went home for dinner and watched another movie! This is a record for me—three movies in two days. I changed gears tonight and watched Downton Abbey: A New Era. Just as the movie ended, I got a message from Sam that it was time to pick him up. We then went to his house to spend the night, as in the morning I need to take him to work here in town and it seemed silly to fight the July 4th weekend traffic from my house into town in the morning.
I spent the earlier part of my day driving in and out of town and fighting that traffic. I had to drive to town this morning to feed the kittens and guinea pig at Heather and Jed’s. While in town, I decided to go to the library book sale. I didn’t buy anything as it was overwhelming. Just too many books. I walked back to my car to go home, and it was then I realized that my front passenger side tire was almost flat again. Two weekends ago, the same thing happened with the same tire. Unknowingly, two weeks ago I had driven on it while it was flat and damaged the tire. It had to be replaced. Why was this happening again? I drove to Sullivan Tire to announce that my tire was cursed, and they agreed. Unfortunately, they were slammed at the time and couldn’t take a look until later in the afternoon. I decided to have them fill the tire with air so I could drive home, get Shadow, and figure out how I was going to pick up Sam without a car. I sent a text to Heather to ask if I could use her car. The last I had heard, it needed brake work and could only be driven for short distances. I hadn’t even noticed that it wasn’t in the driveway when I was there this morning. The good news was that the brake problem had been solved and it was at Sullivan Tire ready to be picked up. So, I once again braved the traffic to drive into town, leave my car at Sullivan’s. and pick up Heather’s car. I had to drive home again as I had not eaten lunch and I needed to get Shadow. Then it was back to town again to pick up Sam.
Basically, I spent my day driving to town and back in horrendous holiday weekend traffic. My car is ready to pick up, so tomorrow I will take Sam to work, pick up my car, and see if I can figure out a way to leave Heather’s car here at her house. Evidently the tire problem was sensor related. I will have to figure out what that means tomorrow. Right now, I feel brain dead. Hopefully a good night’s sleep will solve that problem.
by Judy Handley | Jun 30, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 181: Gardening, Gardening, Then Movie Night
Date: Thursday, June 30, 2022
Weather: Sunny; High 80, Low 63 degrees
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
I gardened here and gardened there today. I did some planting and worked on my drip irrigation system here at home, went to Olga’s to check on the tomatoes I have planted there, and while there, I extended her existing drip irrigation to a raised bed where we planted cucumbers and squash. Then I returned home and planted the last of the tomatoes. By the time I came inside it was 5:30 pm and I decided to watch a movie. I really want to go see the new Top Gun: Maverick, but I wanted to watch the original Top Gun first. So, I decided tonight was the night. I loved Top Gun in the 1980’s and I think I enjoyed it even more tonight. That prompted me to watch yet another movie that I loved from that era, The Right Stuff. I enjoyed it but it was very different from the way I remembered it. For one thing, I didn’t realize it was so long—almost three hours, but again, I enjoyed every minute. Now I just have to find a time to go to the theater to see Maverick.
Heather and family arrived in Maine by noon today. I hope this wonderful weather continues so they can enjoy their long weekend there. I saw on Facebook that Justin and family arrived in England to spend a month there with Jo’s family. So I guess I am holding down the fort here at home.
by Judy Handley | Jun 29, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 180: Yard Work
Date: Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Weather: Sunny; High 77, Low 61 degrees
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Today was another beautiful day–not too hot, not too cool, just right. I spent the entire day doing yard work in my yard and in Shirley’s yard. Ollie got part of her lawn mowed after school yesterday, but I had to finish it today. I love mowing, but my oh my, my body is letting me know that I am not as young as I used to be. I finished the day doing some repairs to my drip irrigation system. I have to complete that in the morning. And I went to buy a bolt cutter so I could shorten some of my tomato cages for those tomatoes that I planted in big, felt growing bags. They are growing and have baby tomatoes, so it was definitely time to get the cages in place.
Today was the last day of school, and tomorrow morning Heather, Jed, Ollie, and Jonah head to Maine for a few days. They return on Sunday evening to attend a Boston Revs soccer game at Gillette Stadium and to celebrate the 4th at home. Heather is really not feeling good. Over the weekend, she had a fever and chills, body aches, and headaches. She has tested for Covid multiple times and that does not appear to be the problem. She is waiting for blood work to determine if she possibly has a tick related disease. She is feeling a little better today, but something is definitely not right.
by Judy Handley | Jun 28, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 179: Shock and Awe
Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 75, Low 58 degrees
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Late yesterday the January 6 Congressional committee announced it would hold a last-minute hearing today. The witness was not announced. Hmmm? What was up? Well, today we found out.
I left home at 8:45 am to go pick Sam up after his last final to drive him to the bus station at South Station where he got on a bus that would take him to a stop in Maine very close to Boothbay. Our timeline was tight, but all went well. I did not have time to park and go in with him. I dropped him at the door and made him promise to text me once he was on the bus. The bus was to leave South Station at 11:15 am. We arrived at 10:59 am. I waited (illegally) outside the South Station entrance and finally at 11:11am I got the text from Sam that he was on the bus. I could then head home. I made the obligatory stop at Costco, this time to return things. In the end, I also bought a few things and was then on my way. Soon after I truly headed home, I turned on the radio and heard the words, “The January 6 Committee hearing begins in three minutes.” The next thing I knew I was in my driveway, unable to get out of the car for fear that I would miss the next revelation. If I had been reading a book, I would have called today’s hearing a real page turner. I thought I could no longer be shocked by anything former President Trump did, but this afternoon, I found myself shocked and ashamed that a President of the United States could act in the ways being testified to. I finally got out of the car and went inside to turn on the television to finish watching the proceedings. Finally, I tore myself away to take Shadow for a walk and then go get Ollie to do a little yard mowing. Life must go on.
Sam arrived safely in Maine and will return on Friday as he works on Saturday and Sunday. Heather and gang will head to Maine on Thursday and return on Sunday for a Boston Revolutions soccer game at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night and to celebrate July 4 at home.
by Judy Handley | Jun 27, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 178: Another Birthday . . . Happy 97th to Shirley
Date: Monday, June 27, 2022
Weather: Overcast, Rain Tonight; High 74, Low 60 degrees
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Shirley Wiedemann is the woman who owns the cottage I rent, and over the past four years, she has become a dear friend. Tomorrow is her 97th birthday. My friend Karen Baranowski is Shirley’s niece, and we decided that we would love to take lunch to her in Scituate where she is presently living with her 103-year-old sister, Doris. Peter went with us and we provided a lunch of lobster rolls, French pea salad with watermelon, and chocolate pudding pie for dessert. When we arrived, Shirley was deep into a Nora Roberts novel. I love that she is still an avid reader and that her mind belies her 97 years. Happy Birthday, Shirley!!!
When I got home, I took Shadow for a walk and then took Sam to Corner Cycle as a customer rather than an employee. The shirt I gave him for his Big Brother birthday gift was too small and he asked if he could get bike shorts instead of a shirt. That was fine with me and with his employee discount we got a great deal on the shorts. Tomorrow morning Sam has his last final and afterwards we will take off for Boston. I am taking him to South Station to catch the bus to Damariscotta which is near Boothbay. Grammie Marty will pick him up there and he will spend two days in Maine and take the bus back to Boston on Friday as he works both days of the weekend. The rest of the Goldstones will head to Maine on Thursday and return on Sunday. We are entering a new era with a working teenager. I am so proud of Sam for taking the initiative to get a job and still find ways to visit with family.
I finished my evening with a phone call with friend Lynne Kirwin who arrived in this country from New Zealand last week. She visited with family and friends in California and then flew to Michigan where she will spend the summer with family. But I learned tonight that she will be coming for a short visit on Cape Cod in late July. It has been almost three years since I have seen her, so I can’t wait.
I was ten minutes late, but at least I made it. Afterwards Bruce and Jane Woodin invited me out to brunch
and when I got home, I took Shadow for a walk. As we walked past my neighbor Andrew’s yard that the Goldpebbles mow, I noticed it was looking a little shaggy even though Sam cut it less than two weeks ago, but it definitely needed a trim. So, I decided to mow part of it since there are no boys here to do it. It didn’t take long and I did then come inside to do nothing. The problem was that it was almost time to go pick Sam up from work. Maybe tomorrow will be a ‘do nothing’ day. 
