by Judy Handley | May 31, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 151: Gardening
Date: Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Thunder and Rain Late; High 78, Low 54 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
As I started to write this log, I realized I have been a day behind since Saturday. But I am now fully aware that tomorrow is Wednesday, and I leave here at 3:30 am Friday morning to get to Boston Logan for a 6 am flight to Washington, DC. I am in a bit of a panic as I have so much gardening that needs to be done. I worked on that today and will continue to work on it tomorrow. But what doesn’t get done tomorrow will just have to wait until I get back. I will be in Virginia until Saturday, June 11. June 12 is a little late for getting things planted, but it will just have to be for this year. I will spend Thursday getting ready to go and then sit back and enjoy the trip.
Shadow’s every six-week grooming appointment was set for next week when I will not be here. The groomer I take him to is so booked that there is no way to reschedule, so today I tried a groomer here in East Falmouth. I got a call around 2 pm saying that Shadow was not being cooperative and that he was very matted. I wanted to say that I knew that. That’s why I made the appointment to get him groomed. But I didn’t say it. I just had no suggestions. Shadow has gone to the groomer every six weeks of his life, and I am always told that he is so cooperative. As I listened to the groomer on the phone I figured out the problem. This groomer uses an industrial hair dryer that is very loud and she said Shadow really didn’t like it. I don’t think the other groomer uses a hair dryer at all. They have told me that Shadow’s hair has to be combed while it is partially wet because it is impossible to groom when totally dry. But I just told today’s groomer to do the best she could. Sam and I picked him up on our way to rowing in Hyannis. He looked fine but was a little shaken. He’ll survive, but I don’t think I’ll be taking him back to today’s groomer.
by Judy Handley | May 30, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 150: Memorial Day
Date: Monday, May 30, 2022
Weather: More Sunshine and Blue Skies; High 74, Low 64 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
The Goldstone’s were well represented at Falmouth’s Memorial Day parade and observance this morning.
The fire department brings out its tallest crane to fly the red, white and blue high above the library lawn where the observance takes place.
The military honor guard, the Veteran’s Association, town officials, the Scouts of Falmouth, and the Brian Boru Pipe Band parade from the Falmouth Greene to the library lawn to begin the celebration. Jonah led the Boy Scouts carrying a big American flag, but he was so hidden behind the flag that I didn’t see him.
I did see Sam and took photos of him.
Later, when I looked at the photos, I saw that it was Jonah wrapped in that big American flag. Jed led the Cub Scouts alongside Ollie who was carrying the American flag for the Cub Scouts.
After the parade, there was a program celebrating the lives lost while serving our country and giving thanks for the veterans in attendance. After the observance, all the Scouts gathered on the library steps for a photo op
and I manage to get a picture of the Goldstone Scouts–Jed, Sam, Jonah, and Ollie.
This evening Heather got home from week in San Diego and Telluride. She had a wonderful time. If you’ve got to travel for work, let it be travel to beautiful places. Sam and I grilled meat and veggies for dinner to celebrate the return home of both parents. I now have three days to get ready for my trip to Virginia to be with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco. If I am going to get the garden planted before I leave, I am going to have to move fast. So I had better get to bed so I can get an early start tomorrow.
by Judy Handley | May 29, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 149: Sunday on the Water
Date: Saturday, May 29, 2022
Weather: Sunshine, Blue Skies; High 73, Low 56 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
It was a perfect day to be out on the water. Friends Jane and Bruce Woodin, and their sailing partner Sam Patterson, invited me to tag along for their first sail of the season.
This was the shakedown cruise. Yesterday was so gloomy, but this morning Shadow and I woke up early to sunshine and warmth. The sky above was Cape Cod blue with just a few puffy white clouds around the edges. Perfect, except for one thing. There was very little wind. So, on our trip across Buzzards Bay to Mattapoisett Harbor, we motored with just the main up.
Even though we were we motor sailing, it felt wonderful to just be out on the water.
In the small town of Mattapoisett, we went a waterfront restaurant, The Inn on Shipyard Park, where Sam’s wife Hazel joined us for lunch. Then it was back to L ’Escargot to sail back across Buzzards Bay. The wind piped up and it would have been a great sail, BUT when Sam went forward to unfurl the headsail, it wouldn’t budge. Once again, we motor sailed with the just the main, but it felt like we were sailing. Sam and Bruce dropped Jane and I on the dock and then went out to the mooring to try and figure out why the headsail would not unfurl. I think there was just a line wrapped around the top of the sail, but I don’t know if they were able to fix the issue as Jane and I had come in my car and we headed home. It wouldn’t have been a ‘perfect’ shakedown cruise if there hadn’t been at least one little issue, so I say it was a great afternoon.
As Jane and I walked to the car, I had a nice surprise when I heard someone say, “Hello, Judy.” It was Gretchen Coughlin from Concord, NH, walking back to her family’s summer home across from the West Falmouth Harbor dock. She and her husband Mike, plus other family members, are down for the weekend. It is always good to see friends. Then, when I got home, I called Jed to check in. Sam’s soccer team won one and lost one game today, so they will not be playing in the tournament finals tomorrow. That means that I won’t be driving him to the Outer Cape. Instead, I will be able to attend the Memorial Day Parade downtown.
by Judy Handley | May 28, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 148: Wrong Team Won
Date: Saturday, May 28, 2022
Weather: Rain Overnight, Overcast; High 66, Low 56 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
This morning I took Jonah shopping for food for his UEFA Soccer Championship (Liverpool versus Madrid) watch party. Friends came and they had a good time, but the wrong team won the game. Jonah is a die-hard Liverpool fan, and they were favored to win, but they just couldn’t do it. Jonah bounced back, the boys went out to play soccer after the game, and all was well.
By the time I stopped at the store, got home, and took Shadow for a walk, it was almost 8 o’clock. I ate a quick dinner and called my friend Lynne in New Zealand. We talked for an hour and half catching up on happenings in our lives and celebrating the fact that she is flying back to the US soon to visit family for about four months. She will be coming here to visit at some point, and I can’t wait to see her. She has not been back here since the fall of 2019. Too long.
Tomorrow is a sailing day. Bruce and Jane Woodin have invited me to sail across Buzzards Bay to Mattapoisett with them to have lunch and then return home. The sun is supposed to shine tomorrow, so I am looking forward to it.
by Judy Handley | May 27, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 147: Beginning of the Holiday Weekend
Date: Friday, May 27, 2022
Weather: Mostly Cloudy; High 68, Low 64 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
It felt good to go to bed in my own bed last night, but morning came much too soon. I had a morning Mah Jongg class, my last, came home to have lunch, and found that my part-time neighbors from New York were here for the holiday weekend. Their thirteen-year-old, Charlie, came knocking on my door to make sure I was home, and then returned with a bottle of Prosecco and a tray of beautifully decorated chocolate-covered pretzels.
In their absence, they sometimes text to ask me to check on this or that, so the goodies were a thank you. Andrew and Laura then walked over to say hello. Charlie wanted to know if the Goldpebbles might be coming over to visit this afternoon after school, so I sent a text to Jonah to see if he would like to come over and play. Charlie and I then went to pick up Jonah and Ollie. Ollie loves playing with Lena, who is his age. Charlie and Jonah played soccer and all four played some complicated version of hide and seek. Then Ollie and Lena got the kayaks out of storage and put them on the dock.
While on the dock, they discovered the three- to four-inch-long eels in the water around the dock and spent time catching and releasing them.
It is only fitting that there are eels in the Eel River! It was a fun afternoon.
Jed is off with Sam early in the morning for a soccer game and won’t get home until early afternoon, so mid-morning I’ll head over to check on Ollie and Jonah and take Jonah to the grocery store to buy snacks for his afternoon UEFA Soccer Championship (Liverpool versus Madrid) watch party. That’s tomorrow’s big activity. Unfortunately, the weather tomorrow will be more of the same overcast gloom. Maybe we’ll get some sunshine by Sunday.
by Judy Handley | May 26, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 146: I Survived Quite Nicely
Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022
Weather: Partly Sunny, A Tad Warmer; High 65, Low 58 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
I’m not really at home in the cottage quite yet, but I am expecting Jed to get home within the hour. Then I will be at home in the cottage. My three days and two nights with the Goldpebbles has gone smoothly and I survived, as did they, quite nicely. All three of them are old enough now to really take care of themselves as long as I feed them. The time has been fun for me, all except the 6 am get up. I must admit that when I get up later, I am missing a beautiful part of the day this time of the year. But until I can get myself to bed earlier, 6 am get ups are not for me no matter how beautiful.
After school today was an easy one. Sam had a 2:30 dental cleaning in Woods Hole and Ollie had after school band practice, but there were no soccer practices and Sam skipped going to Hyannis to row as I had to be here to pick Ollie up from band practice. It was an extra, but mandatory practice, to get ready for next week’s band concert. And there was no way Ollie was going to miss that practice. And Sam said he wanted a job like his mom’s.
Just before dinner, Heather called. Earlier she had sent a dramatic photo of the snow-capped mountains that she took from the airplane somewhere between California and Colorado.
She arrived in Telluride this afternoon and will be there until Monday. During the video call with the boys, she showed them the view from her window. Jonah immediately said that we could all get on a plane and be there tomorrow!
After our taco dinner, the boys had time to jump on the trampoline. They were having so much fun, I let them stay out until 8:15, but then it was definitely time for them to come in to read and relax before bedtime. They are all excited that Jed would be home tonight and wanted to stay up to see him, but 10:30 or 11:00 for bedtime on a school night is just not a good idea. When Jed gets here, Shadow and I will hurry home so we can sleep in our own bed tonight.
