by Judy Handley | Dec 13, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 347: Meeting, Meeting, Concert, Dinner
Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Weather: Sunny; High 46, Low 26 F; Sunset 4:14 pm (+1)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
This was a busy day, but things were spaced out a bit so I could rest in between. The morning started with the last Encore Board meeting until March. I was running the meeting today. Christina and I provided coffee and treats before the meeting to celebrate the holiday season and we even took time at the beginning of the meeting to share a favorite holiday tradition. We then got down to business and got a lot done in our 90-minute time frame, only going over by 6 minutes. Not bad.
After the Board meeting, I headed home to relax, have lunch, and play fetch with Shadow to give him his afternoon exercise. Then it was back out to an Exploring Public Policy group meeting that I co-chair with Claudia Needham. Today’s topic was mental illness, focusing on the involuntary commitment of people who need care. Jane Woodin and Tim Bayer led this discussion, and it became evident that people are interested in pursuing other aspects of mental health care at future meetings. It was a good discussion with about 16 people participating. Thank you, Tim and Jane, and everyone who attended. Job well done.
I headed home to try and fix dinner before I realized that there was not going to be enough time to do that before heading to Ollie’s winter concert. I planned to go early to make sure I could park close, so I arrived there at 6 pm and took my MRI reports from 2020, 2022, and 2023 with me to make comparisons while waiting for the concert to begin. That was prompted by a phone call I missed during the Public Policy meeting. The phone message said I have a 9:30 am video appointment in the morning with my neurosurgeon’s assistant and that Dr. Papavasiliou will be in the office and can answer questions. This was a surprise as I was told yesterday that I would hear at the end of the week if they could move up my office appointment currently set for the end of February. A virtual call is not quite the same as in person, but at least it can get the ball rolling. So that was good news, but I need to make notes and have a list of questions ready. Back to the concert, Heather and family arrived, the back surgery info went away, and the concert began. At the end, Sam said that this concert was much easier to listen to than some in the past. I think that was a Sam compliment. The 6th grade band did sound good, and the jazz band was even better. Five of the ten saxophone players did a solo piece and Ollie was front and right in the center.
I got their solo bit on video, and it really does sound great. Way to go, Ollie!
After the concert, I was getting ready to ask Heather if they had dinner before the concert. I was starved and, if they had not eaten, I was going to invite them to go to Tiger Ramen with me for dinner. But before that got out of my mouth, Heather was saying to Ollie that they would be heading to Tiger Ramen for a celebration dinner. Perfect. They have been there many times, but my interest was piqued when the Woodins and the Baranowski’s said they were headed there after the Public Policy meeting. So, I went with the Goldstones, and I can see why people like Tiger Ramen. The food was delicious.
My days from now until Christmas are not nearly as busy as they have been. Tomorrow I have nothing on my calendar except the virtual doctor visit and time to rest my back. I am looking forward to a whole day at home. I might be taking Ollie to his tennis lesson late tomorrow afternoon, but other than that it is R & R for me tomorrow. (But who wants to make bets that I find something that needs to be done?)
by Judy Handley | Dec 12, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 346: Book Club, Calling Doctors and Pet Sitters
Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Weather: Sunny; High 43, Low 36 F; Sunset 4:13 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
I have an appointment with a back surgeon with Boston Orthopedic & Spine on January 23 and my current doctor in Hyannis is trying to find a way to get me in before the end of February. I will continue that search tomorrow. I did find a pet sitter who will come live at my house with Shadow so I can go to Maine, but he has to meet Shadow on Saturday to make sure they are compatible. Please, Shadow, be on your best behavior. This is not cheap, so I will only be staying for two or three days, but I can make that work.
Book club was mid-day today and we discussed this months book, Hello Beautiful, and chose books for the next few months. Each of us presents three choices and then we vote on the one we want to read. Here’s the final list in case you are curious. Which one do you think I recommended?
The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict, 336 pp
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Sutanto, 352 pp
Still Life by Louise Penny, 312 pp
The River We Remember by William Kent Kruger, 421 pp
West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge, 372 pp
North Woods by Daniel Mason, 384 pp
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See, 400 pp
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, 658 pp
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton, 432 pp
The Silent Patient by Alex Michael Ides, 323 pp
Tomorrow morning is Encore Board Meeting, tomorrow afternoon is my Exploring Public Policy meeting, and tomorrow night is Ollie’s winter concert.
by Judy Handley | Dec 11, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 345: Fondue Feast
Date: Monday, December 11, 2023
Weather: Rainy AM, Mostly Cloudy PM; High 60, Low 32 F; Sunset 4:13 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Today might been our last 60-degree day until next spring. But who knows. We might yet get another warm spell. But the past few days of warm weather have been a wonderful gift. Karen Baranowski drove me to Whole Foods this morning to get organic strawberries. The ones at the grocery stores here in Falmouth were just not going to do for our fondue dinner tonight. She also bought bread for our fondue feast. On the way home, I asked her to make a stop at Talbots in Mashpee Commons. I have been having a craving a green sweater. The only one in my size was in a Talbots store in Cranston, RI, so it will be a few days before I get it. But at least it was a mission accomplished. Thanks to Karen for taking me shopping this morning.
Our dining-in group met tonight for a fondue dinner that turned out to be a feast.
And it was so much fun. We started with a cheese fondue with wonderful bread for the appetizer.
Then we added a delicious salad
and rice that we ate as we moved from the cheese fondue to an electric fondue pot filled with oil for the chicken and beef that we cooked as we ate the salad.
In the end, we had a chocolate fondue with an array of fruit and pound cake.
I may never eat again! It was all reminiscent to fondue parties we had all attended back in the 1970’s. So that was fun, and the food was truly fantastic. And thanks to Bruce and Jane Woodin for picking me up and bringin me home. I couldn’t have made it without them.
by Judy Handley | Dec 11, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 344: Making a Christmas Kissing Ball with Jane Woodin
Date: Sunday, December 10, 2023
Weather: Mostly Cloudy with Rain and Wind; High 59, Low 55 F; Sunset 4:13 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
I received the results of my MRI yesterday but didn’t really read it carefully until today. The news is not good, but it could be worse. But I need to get an appointment with my neurosurgeon sooner rather than later and I will make an appointment with another doctor to get a second opinion. That will be Tuesday’s job as tomorrow is a busy day.
Heather and Ollie came over in the early afternoon to finish the outdoor Christmas lighting project. Ollie also cut some greenery for my afternoon project and Heather took my recycling and trash cans out to the curb for me. Thank you, Heather and Ollie. All of the jobs they did for me seem so easy, but there is no way I can do them right now. I was able to walk Shadow around the block this morning, but then I was not able to walk without difficultly for the remainder of the day.
Jane Woodin and I got together at my house this afternoon to make a holiday Kissing Ball.
I’m sure you’ve seen these balls of greenery, but I had certainly never made one. Jane did most of my ball for me as I got the greenery cut to size and ready to use. But mostly she did it because she is better at it. I started doing mine and it was not looking good, so Jane gently took over. This project took more greenery that either of expected. We had to keep going out into the yard to find more. Jane was quite pleased with our results,
as was I.
We’re not sure why it is called a Kissing Ball, but I suspect it is because mistletoe should be among the greenery and when you stand under the ball, you must be kissed.
Tomorrow night I have my Dining-In Group and we are having a fondue dinner. I’m doing the chocolate fondue for the dessert and that is my project for tomorrow.
by Judy Handley | Dec 9, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 343: Ollie’s Holiday Jazz Performance, Mingle and Mix
Date: Saturday, December 9, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny and Warm; High 50, Low 45 F; Sunset 4:13 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Fun and fun. This afternoon I attended Ollie’s jazz group holiday performance in Mashpee Commons. There are four members of the jazz group playing drums, trumpet, trombone, and Ollie playing saxophone. The instructor plays the keyboard.
It was fun hearing jazz arrangements of traditional holiday songs. I especially enjoyed listening to Ollie confidently play his solo parts. The Commons was in full holiday mode, so it was a great beginning to an evening with more fun.
I left the performance a couple of minutes early so I could get to the Encore Mingle & Mix on time. Each person or couple brings an appetizer, or a dessert and tonight’s food was over the top.
Jane Woodin was very proud of her baked brie
and Ellen Albanese brought a delicious gluten-free almond cake with sweetened sour cream and raspberries. It was to die for.
I especially appreciate the small group Mingle & Mix gatherings as you learn so many interesting things during conversations.
Donna Shaw was our ‘hostess with the mostess’. Thank you, Donna.
It was a great evening.
by Judy Handley | Dec 8, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 342: Happy Birthday to Jed
Date: Friday, December 8, 2023
Weather: Sunny and a Tad Warmer; High 42, Low 31 F; Sunset 4:13 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
I was up at 6 am to get to the hospital for a 6:40 am MRI. I don’t have any results yet and I hit a dead end in getting it send to my primary care. The hospital and my neurosurgeon do not use the same MyChart system and they couldn’t figure out how to get it to my PCP. We’ll continue that struggle on Monday morning.
This afternoon after school Ollie and Jonah came over to complete getting the garland and lights on my very long front rail fence.
They did a wonderful job and finished in the dark, but when we plugged in the lights, one part of one 300 light strand didn’t work. It was disappointing as they had worked so hard and hoped to be done. We celebrated anyway, but they will have to replace that complete strand tomorrow.
It was wonderful to see brothers working together to get the job done.
Heather got home around 5:30 pm, sleep deprived, but still with the energy to share things about her trip to Dubai. Yesterday was a tourist day and members of the Woodwell team got a chance to ride a camel and learn to wrap I keffiyeh or shemagh around their heads.
Heather bought one of the scarves used for wrapping the head and tried it out on the boys.
The keffiyeh is primarily used as headwear and can be secured with an agal or black cord. The shemagh can be used for various purposes, including as a neck scarf or face cover in addition to being a headdress. Based on that definition, I would say she has a shemagh.
Jed fried the latkes for dinner, and they were the best I have ever had.
We also had smoked salmon to go with the latkes and salad. The candles were lit for the third day of Chanukah,
we toasted, and we feasted. Jed opened his presents, the big present from Heather and the boys being a smoker to add another dimension to outdoor cooking.
Then we had the cake. Sam fashioned a candle out of the burned down candles in the menorah and place it atop the yule log from the French bakery, a Bûche De Noël.
Happy Birthday, Jed!
I got their solo bit on video, and it really does sound great. Way to go, Ollie!
