by Judy Handley | Sep 13, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 257: Head Spinning
Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Rain Early; High 78, Low 59 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Kevin and Claire had to leave this morning, but I didn’t really get to spend the quality time I wanted with them before they left because I had to leave before they did. I had to rush off to an Encore Board meeting and that left my head spinning. They are the best friends a person could have, and I just hated running off so quickly. I know they understood, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Our visit was too short this year, but it was a good one. I’ll just have to plan to have more free time when they come to visit next summer.
The rest of my day was a blur. A two hour Board meeting, errands I had to run, home for lunch and to walk Shadow, checking out the latest info on the approaching storm, out again to take Ollie to sax lessons and a trip to Staples to run off some things I need for a meeting tomorrow morning, home for dinner. Then I crashed in front of the television for way too long. I just needed some down time to clear my head.
I do have another all morning meeting tomorrow followed by lunch with a friend. Then I have to get serious about getting ready for the effects of Hurricane Lee. It is expected to bring hazardous coastal conditions here on the Cape with lots of wind. That means all outside furniture and anything else that might blow in the wind needs to be moved inside or lashed down. Heather and Jed have to go to the boat to take down the sails and dodger and also get their outside furniture secured. It could move further to the east and cause less damage here, but you do have to be prepared. The winds should start ramping up late Friday and by Sunday the storm will have moved on.
by Judy Handley | Sep 12, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 256: Island Queen Sunset Cruise
Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Weather: Rain Overnight, Cloudy AM, Mostly Sunny PM; High 79, Low 67 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Today ended with a sunset cruise on the Island Queen with Newcomers and Encore friends and with Kevin and Claire as my guests.
The weather has been ugly since Kevin and Claire arrived, so it surprised us all when it cleared up today for an outside lunch together and then for a delightful sunset cruise. The Island Queen ferry took us out of Falmouth Harbor, to Great Harbor in Woods Hole, and then through the ‘Hole’ to Buzzards Bay, and back to Falmouth Harbor. It was a great chance for Kevin and Claire to meet some of my best friends … Bruce and Jane Woodin,
Christina and Warren Brodie,
Claudia and Peter Needham,
and Peter and Karen Baranowski. The sun set as we were coming back through the ‘Hole’.
It couldn’t have been a more perfect evening.
After we had breakfast together this morning, Kevin and Claire were on their own for a few hours. I had to take Shadow in for his grooming appointment up by the Bourne Bridge. From there I drove back to Mashpee to do some grocery shopping prior to my much needed 9:45 am chiropractor appointment. I got home just in time to get set up for my 11 am monthly book club meeting that I was hosting this month. We discussed Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Such a great book. And as soon as that was over, I drove downtown to join Kevin and Claire on the outside deck of Estia where they treated me to lunch. After lunch we walked to Ben and Bill’s for ice cream. I had vegan (no dairy) chocolate raspberry, and it was honestly one of the best I have ever had. Who knew ice cream without cream could be so good?
The remainder of our afternoon was spent doing some work jobs. I introduced Kevin and Claire to the wonders of Jomax for removing mold and mildew. We cleaned the awning on their motor home and the lines on my umbrella style clothesline. Then Kevin dug a deep hole, removing a couple of big rocks that impeded our digging attempts, and put in the base. By that time, we had to move fast to get to the Island Queen ferry.
It was a busy, fun, and productive day, but Kevin, Claire, and I had very little time to visit. We did sit in the living room to talk when we returned home tonight. Shadow took full advantage and sat on Kevin’s lap, inching his way into Kevin’s heart.
We all have to leave in morning around 9 am. I am going to an Encore Board meeting and Kevin and Claire are going to visit with family in New Jersey. We have had a lovely visit, just way too short. I am already looking forward to their return next year.
by Judy Handley | Sep 11, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 255: Seven Years
Date: Monday, September 11, 2023
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Humid, A Little Rain; High 75, Low 68 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Seven years ago tonight, Mark left us, but he is still with me every day. If I had to make a list of the things that Mark did for me, I wouldn’t know where to begin. But I guess the main thing is that he opened my eyes to a world of possibilities that I never knew existed. We dreamed together and then made those dreams come true. My life will never be the same without him, but I live each day as Mark would want me to … looking to the future, dreaming of what comes next, and making plans to make sure those dreams come true.
Kevin and Claire dedicated their day to checking things off my to do list. And I am so grateful. They fixed clocks that haven’t worked for a couple of years, got the leaf on my dining room table properly attached, put up cup hooks under my cabinets that I just couldn’t do, and best of all, fixed the bedroom closet door that the flooring installers broke before I moved in here.
It was one of four folding doors and finding a match to replace it seemed impossible. But with Claire’s stash of odds and ends that included the exact screw we needed, a stick from the yard, some epoxy, a drill, and a lot of ingenuity, that door is now up and working. This evening, Lynda, the friend that owns this house I live in, stopped by to get her mail after a week away. She was delighted that the closet door was finally fixed. She stayed and visited a bit and Kevin and Claire told her the story of how we met. Before Lynda left, I made sure she went into the garden to pick her ripe tomatoes in our garden.
She beamed like a little kid in a candy shop. It seems my living here is a win-win for both of us.
Kevin, Claire, and I spent our evening talking about the Voyage of Windbird, my favorite topic. They had never seen my PowerPoint Presentation, so we went through that and then they gave me suggestions for things I can do to improve it. In November, I am giving that presentation to the Falmouth Newcomers for the third time in seven years. There are new members, but I really wanted input on how to change it up to still engage those who have seen it before. Their main suggestion was to tell stories that exemplify the closeness of the cruising community. In a world so divided, that suggestion makes all the sense in the world. And I have some wonderful stories to share.
by Judy Handley | Sep 10, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 254: Kevin and Claire Arrive
Date: Sunday, September 10, 2023
Weather: Overcast, Humid, A Little Rain; High 77, Low 68 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
It was not a beautiful day outside today, but it was certainly a beautiful one inside. Kevin and Claire arrived mid-afternoon. We spent the afternoon catching up on life and preparing for a family dinner tonight. Heather, Jed, and boys were returning from a weekend camping trip late this afternoon and were then going to join us. Tomorrow is the 7th anniversary of Mark’s death and I wanted our dinner to be a celebration of his life. I don’t know if Kevin and Claire adopted Mark and me, or we adopted them, but from the time we met, Kevin and Claire were family. So, it was fabulous to have them with us tonight. If only Justin and family could have been here, it would have been complete.
Kevin and Claire are my friends, but they are the ages of my children. Kevin and Justin share the same birthdate of September 14, just not the same year. Kevin, Claire, and Jed all went to undergraduate school at Yale, so they have that in common. And we all love sailing, so there is always a lot to talk about. The table will piled high with food and we devoured most of it, and talked way past bedtime for the boys who have to go to school early in the morning.
But I wouldn’t trade the time we had together for anything. I almost felt like Mark was there with us.
by Judy Handley | Sep 9, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 253: Canning Day
Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
Weather: Partly Sunny; High 80, Low 69 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Today was canning day for those tomatoes I processed yesterday. I ended up with 24 pints of marinara sauce from the 30 pounds of organic sauce tomatoes.
Hopefully with what is left over from last year, this will be enough to get the Goldstones through the winter.
Tomorrow my good friends Kevin and Claire arrive. They can only stay a couple of days, but we’ll just make the best of the time we have together. Today I heard from another friend, Peppe Christianson, and she and her sister that she is visiting in New Hampshire are hoping to come for a few days, arriving on September 23. And then Lynne Kirwin, my friend who lives in New Zealand but visits with family in Michigan each summer, is hoping to come right after that to spend a few days. My September days are filling up quickly! But that is fine with me as I am really looking forward to the visits.
by Judy Handley | Sep 8, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 252: Tomatoes
Date: Friday, September 8, 2023
Weather: Partly Sunny; High 82, Low 71 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
It is that time, time to process tomatoes and can marinara sauce for the winter. So, my day was mostly spent in the kitchen.
But when I did go out on the deck for a break, the hummingbird that loves my firecracker plant came to visit. I tried to get a photo, but this is when I realized the limits of a cell phone camera.
My Google Pixel phone camera is great, but it can’t capture small, fast-moving creatures like a hummingbird. Made me think I need to buy a ‘real’ camera.
Tomorrow, I spend the day canning tomatoes, and then on Sunday, Kevin and Claire arrive. Heather and family are in western Massachusetts for the weekend. They are all doing a Boy Scout camp out weekend with white water rafting tomorrow. I never knew there were places to do white water rafting in this state, but there certainly are. Can’t wait to hear all about it.
