by Judy Handley | Jul 12, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 194: Free and Easy Friday
Date: Friday, July 12, 2024
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Windy, Misty Rain AM; High Temp 80, Low 74 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Other than fighting local traffic to pick Jonah up after a morning soccer clinic at the high school, I had the day off Cape Oma. I used the extra time to get a little gardening done, and after picking Jonah up, Heather, Jed, and I met with a local builder to get an estimate on our latest idea for turning their master bedroom into a grandma apartment. Our idea of adding a small bedroom on to the front of the house and turning the current bedroom into a living room was a no go. The price tag is just too high. So, we brainstormed with the builder and came up with an alternate plan. He will send someone to measure and do some drawings so that he can give us an estimate on just adding a few feet to the front of the house. While we were working with the builder, I got a call from Curtis Automotive. The parts are in to repair my car and that will happen next Wednesday. So, progress on the car, a little set back in our thinking about the apartment. But we are moving forward.
I am still puzzled by the lack of energy I seem to have after the knee surgery. I am certain the fact that I am still bothered at night by my knee when I turn is keeping me from sleeping soundly. Every time I turn, it wakes me up and sometimes it takes a bit to get back to sleep. Maybe I’m not getting enough sleep. And I am certain I am not getting enough protein. I have stopped eating dairy again which means no cottage cheese and yogurt. Today by the time I got up, did my exercises, took Shadow for his morning half mile walk, and fixed my smoothie, I was ready for a rest. But I soldiered on and by the time I got home from Heather and Jed’s around 2:30, I was wiped out. I had not eaten lunch, so again, maybe that was the problem. Plus, it is hot and humid and I have put off installing the window air conditioner. So, maybe the heat if getting to me. Or maybe I am just getting old or something is really wrong and I am just making excuses. But, whatever, I did take a short nap after I ate a late lunch before going back outside to weed and water and do a little more planting.
On this Friday night, Heather and Jed are spending the night on the boat. Ollie is at Seton’s for an overnight, and Sam and Jonah are home alone. Hopefully that goes well and the lines banging in the mast don’t keep Heather and Jed up all night. Justin and Jo are at another music festival this weekend where everyone camps out. Jo wrote and said it was expected to rain all weekend. Hopefully that doesn’t make for a muddy mess. And I am home alone enjoying a quiet evening with my Shadow. Life is good.
by Judy Handley | Jul 11, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 193: Cloudy, Rainy, Do-Little Day
Date: Thursday, July 11, 2024
Weather: Cloudy, Periods of Rain; High Temp 78, Low 73 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
In naming this log, I used the term “do-little” to describe the activity level today. That could be taken as a negative comment. But it is summer, the time for a few “do-little” days. But as I wrote the log, I realized we did a lot. It was just the mundane tasks of life that don’t sound very exciting. I had PT this morning and it was the most physically challenging session I have had. I could do everything, but I was a little shaky afterwards. But I came home, put my feet up for 15 minutes, and then headed over to check on the boys. Sam and Jonah were still in their rooms. Ollie had been to the dentist to get a filling and he was not particularly happy about that. Heather was on a Zoom meeting, so I told Ollie to tell everyone I would return at 1 pm. By that time, everyone was stirring. They fixed lunch for themselves, sorted the clean laundry and took their clothes to their rooms, and then it was on to afternoon activities. Jonah just wanted to stay at home as he was evidently in charge of cleaning the upstairs bathroom and while he was at it, he cleaned his room. Sam wanted to go downtown to get his hair cut, so I dropped him off, and then took Ollie to my house for some Lego time. The afternoon went on this way. Jed got home from work just in time for Sam to take the car to an appointment. Heather was still at work with the car, so Jed had no transportation and needed to go to the grocery store. Sam dropped Jed at the store and a little later, Ollie and I picked him up. Jonah needed transportation to and from the gym. And on and on. We were just doing the mundane things in life that need to be done. And during all of this, we had periodic downpours that lasted about two minutes and then stopped for a bit before returning. It was just the right weather for a “do-little” day.
by Judy Handley | Jul 10, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 192: Encore Board Meeting, Street Fair Stroll with Ollie
Date: Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Weather: Partly Sunny: High Temp 78, Low 73 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
My day started by taking my car to Curtis Automotive to get their opinion on how much life is still in my little Fit. When I went to pick it up this afternoon, I was told that it is good for at least another 2 years, so I am going to get the ignition and window repaired and keep driving it. I will continue to look for a good deal on another car, but this relieves me of having to do it in the middle of summer when things are so busy.
The car had to be in by 8 am, so Heather met me there and dropped me off at the Baranowski’s where I hung out until Karen took me to our 10 am Encore board meeting. After the meeting, Karen took me back to Curtis Automotive and I continued on with my day. I went straight to Heather and Jed’s to check in with Ollie and Jonah. Jonah helped out with a little kid soccer camp this morning and decided to stay home and watch a soccer game this afternoon. Ollie and I took off for Main Street, where we checked out all of the Street Fair booths. Then we came home to play with Shadow before I took him home.
I talked to my sister this afternoon whose 91st birthday was today. Happy birthday, Patsy!
by Judy Handley | Jul 9, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 191: Lazy Day
Date: Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Weather: Mostly Cloudy: High Temp 80, Low 72 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
After an exhilarating day yesterday aboard Ardenna using her as a launching pad for jumping into Great Harbor, today the clouds took over and Ollie and Jonah wanted to do absolutely nothing. They did have the energy to watch the 3 pm soccer match between Spain and France. While they watched, I folded some laundry. I spent my morning hours getting ready for tomorrow’s Encore board meeting and I finished that job tonight.
Heather and Jed have had to spend time dealing with Sam’s broken finger. Jed took him to the orthopedic surgeon at 4 pm yesterday, but the results were not what Sam was hoping for. He has a clean break in the neck of the 5th metacarpal bone (pinky finger) of this right hand. Prior to going to the orthopedic doctor yesterday, Heather, Jed, and Sam had Googled the best treatment for this, and they were fairly confident that the doctor would go with a Velcro splint, not a cumbersome cast. But the doctor did put on a cumbersome cast that is miserable and doesn’t seem to be doing the one thing needed which is keeping that finger from moving. Heather spent a lot of time on the phone today and will take him back in to see the doctor in the morning. In the meantime, Sam continues to go to work. He had just gotten promoted from rentals to repairing the bikes. But I think he is on the cash register now because it is difficult for him to do much else. Hopefully a second visit to the doctor in the morning will result in a different decision.
by Judy Handley | Jul 8, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 190: Fun on Ardenna with J and O
Date: Monday, July 8, 2024
Weather: Sunny: High Temp 81, Low 74 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Jonah and Ollie decided that they wanted to return to Ardenna today to use the boat as a dive platform for jumping in the water. It was a perfect day to spend the hot and sunny afternoon in the water. They used the boom to swing out over the water to jump off, and sometimes they just jumped off the side of the boat.
We took the dinghy out to the small island called Devil’s Foot where Ollie and I went on a little explore while Jonah found a flat rock for a mid-day lie-down. It was a perfect summer afternoon.
This morning, I went to Curtis Automotive and made arrangements for them to take a look at my car and give me their opinion on whether or not I should spend the money to fix the ignition cylinder and the window that won’t roll up. I made an appointment for Wednesday morning to have them take a look. If they think the car will last another two or three years, then I am going to spend the money to fix the problems and give up on the car search for now. I realize that is just postponing the inevitable, but it will give me time to really search and decide what I would really like. Searching for a new car during the busy summer is just too stressful.
by Judy Handley | Jul 7, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 189: In Honor of Mark
Date: Sunday, July 7, 2024
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Humid: High Temp 81, Low 70 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Mark would have celebrated his 82nd birthday today if he were still with us. Justin called from England today to let me know he was thinking of his dad. And Heather decided to do a little celebrating in his honor. Heather, Jed, Ollie, and I went to Quissett to do a little “messing about” on Ardenna and then motor her from Quissett to Great Harbor in Woods Hole. This will be her home for this season, but the mooring ball wasn’t ready until Friday. So, making the move today was the perfect thing to do to honor Mark. And if you have to mess about in a boat, it might as well be in beautiful Quissett Harbor with the Knob as a backdrop.
The first part of “messing about” was sending Ollie up the mast to put a line through a block in the mast. He wanted to do this, but when he got up there, he was afraid to let loose to the do the job. They lowered him, but then he decided he was no longer afraid of heights, so back up he went to get that job completed. He is now an experienced mast monkey and if his granddad were here, he would be super proud of him.
Next the jib went on, then the headsail. But we dropped the mooring and raised the headsail as we were motoring toward the Woods Hole cut. They got the headsail raised, but the line to roll it up seized up in the drum and the sail had to be lowered once, then twice. While Heather, Jed, and Ollie were busy with this, I was on watch to make sure the auto pilot kept us moving into the wind. When it was apparent to all that we had to abandon the idea of getting headsail on today, we headed for the “hole”. The current was with us as we started in, and Heather handed the wheel over to me while she helped Jed get the headsail bagged and put away. I haven’t been at the wheel of sail boat since March of 2016. At first, I was unsure that I could do it, but once I got going, I felt right at home. I was at the helm of Bruce and Jane Woodin’s sailboat about four years ago, but not for long. I am fine on a sailboat with a wheel, but not one with a tiller.
I got us into the mooring field in Great Harbor, but when it became apparent that we were going to have to weave through the whole field to find mooring ball #31, Heather took the helm. It took a while to find it, but we were finally successful. Sam and Jonah came down to Woods Hole to join us. Ollie drove the dinghy in to pick them up. They were on the boat only a short time before we got the notice that our table was ready at The Landfall. We had dinner with a toast to Granddad and then home for cheesecake (Mark’s favorite) and a happy birthday song. Mark, we all miss you so much and carry your memory with us every day.
Another day, another disaster. That’s my mantra these days. Today the disaster was Sam’s hand. Last night his fist hit the back of a padded office-type computer chair. By this morning the pain and swelling made it pretty evident that he had broken something. Heather took him to the ER today and sure enough, he has what is called a boxer’s fracture in his right hand. He has a temporary cast on until tomorrow when he can see an orthopedic surgeon who will put on a permanent cast of some sort. Sam is hoping it will be waterproof so he can still be in the water this summer. I don’t know if there is such a thing, but that would be nice.
