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!
by Judy Handley | Dec 7, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 341: Happy Hanukah, Hanukkah, Chanukah
Date: Thursday, December 7, 2023
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and Cold; High 32, Low 28 F; Sunset 4:13 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Some say there are as many as 28 ways to spell Hanukkah, with Chanukah being the most traditional and Hanukkah being the most common. I have always used Hanukah because it is easier to type. But I will go with Chanukah as I like most traditional. However you spell it and however you observe it, Happy Chanukah. Jed and the boys had matzo ball soup tonight, but will wait until tomorrow night when Heather is home to have latkes. I will celebrate with them tomorrow night.
Jed came to walk Shadow this morning (Thank you, Jed) and then I was off for my annual physical exam. The meeting with my primary care is best summarized with his statement, “Whatever other issues you have will have to wait. This tsunami has to be dealt with first.” The tsunami referring to all of the issues I am having with the back nerve pain. I have my MRI at 6:40 am tomorrow and Dr. Ahmed will take it from there. After he reads the MRI results, he will talk with my neurosurgeon to try and get an appointment as soon as possible. I am so thankful for Dr. Ahmed. He always takes a situation and goes with it, and I was scolded for not contacting him sooner. I guess I thought I needed to go through the specialist, but from now on I’ll go to Dr. Ahmed first. He prescribed Prednisone along with the Lyrica I am already taking, but no more Celebrex. For a person who has taken very few medications in her life, all of these drugs are a little overwhelming. But if Prednisone can get me walking again, it will be worth it. Time will tell.
Karen Baranowski dropped by to pick something up around noon and we had tea and talked and talked and talked. This evening I picked Ollie up from tennis and took him to jazz group practice. They perform on Saturday afternoon in Mashpee Commons. I will be able to for about an hour and then I am off to an Encore Mingle & Mix. That’s about it for today. Heather comes home from Dubai tomorrow and it is Jed’s birthday. So, lots of celebrating tomorrow evening.
by Judy Handley | Dec 6, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 340: Long Day, Short Log
Date: Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Weather: Sprinkles of Snow; High 35, Low 25 F; Sunset 4:13 pm (-1 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
This was a long day, so it is going to be a short log. Encore Holiday Luncheon, Health and Wellness Group meeting, late afternoon and evening with the Goldpebbles as Jed had an event at WHOI. Just got home and have had so much back pain today that I am just going to get the ice pack out of the freezer and head to bed!
by Judy Handley | Dec 5, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 339: Goldpebbles Decorate My Christmas Tree
Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Weather: More Clouds Than Sun, Colder; High 44, Low 32 F; Sunset 4:14 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Late this afternoon, Jed dropped off Sam, Jonah, and Ollie to decorate my Christmas tree.
But, first things first, we had to have hot chocolate. Then I sent Sam out to wrap garland around the rail fence on the front of the property and Jonah put lights on the beautiful Christmas wreath that hangs on the front of the house. Ollie helped Sam. And then finally, we came inside to decorate the tree. They did a fantastic job.
Jed arrived and after the tree was decorated, he and Ollie were exploring my Jackie Lawson Advent Calendar and loving playing the games, which were challenging.
It was a great late afternoon decorating party. And Sam promised to come back and finish putting the garland and then lights on the front fence. He couldn’t finish because I didn’t buy enough. I’ll take care of that tomorrow.
by Judy Handley | Dec 4, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 338: A This and That Monday
Date: Monday, December 4, 2023
Weather: Partly Sunny and Warm; High 51, Low 46 F; Sunset 4:14 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Today was what I call a “this and that” day. I did a little bit is this and a little of that, but I’m not sure I really accomplished much. Jed came over at 8:15 am to walk Shadow. I am so thankful that he and boys are pitching in to help because the issue with my back just continue. I went to
a chiropractor appointment and even he said that he didn’t think there is anything more he can do for me. He wants to see the results of the MRI I have scheduled this Friday, and he wants me to talk to my primary care on Thursday when I have my annual physical to see what he recommends.
When I got home from the chiropractor appointment, Jane Woodin came over to gather some gre
Jane Woodin came over to gather some greenery for her Christmas decorating. Jane has a special flair for decorating, and I can’t wait to see what she fashions from the greenery this year. Our visit was short as I had an 11 am appointment to get blood work done. I had been fasting for that, so I was happy to get home and eat something. And after lunch, I drove to Woods Hole to check out possible Christmas ornaments for the grandkids,. There is one shop there that always has interesting ornaments and they didn’t disappoint this year.
The rest of the day was more this and that. I worked on Encore documents and read through a back log of Encore emails with attachments that needed to be saved and filed. I took Shadow over to Heather and Jed’s so Jonah could walk with him after school and I came home and researched items on the grandkids Christmas lists.
Just before dinner, Jed’s mother, Marti, called to invite me to stay at her house if I go to Boothbay for Christmas. Heather, Jed, and the boys are heading there on December 23rd and if I go, I will drive up on Christmas Eve and come home on Boxing Day or the next morning. Going is contingent upon finding a dog sitter for Shadow and my back. So, I just have to wait and see. But I truly appreciated Marti’s offer of a place to stay.
by Judy Handley | Dec 3, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 337: Falmouth Christmas Parade in the Rain
Date: Sunday, December 3, 2023
Weather: Overcast with Rain; High 47, Low 43 F; Sunset 4:14 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
The Falmouth Christmas Parade celebrated 60 years in a rainy day parade. I have been to most Christmas parades since 2011, and none of them were in the rain. There have been some mighty cold ones, but the temperature today was in the upper 40’s. Even with the rain and the wind, it was not one of the chillier parade days. But the rain did put a damper on everything. Many of the people in the parade looked miserable. Ollie and Jed were in the parade with the Scouts, and at the end when I asked Ollie how he felt about being in the parade today, he said “miserable.”
But despite that, the bag pipers played, organizations like Falmouth Newcomers had fantastic floats to go along with theme of “Through the Years”, and organizations like the Friends of Nobska Lighthouse paraded with their banners. Santa arrived at the end of the parade, but not in a fancy float as usual. That was a bit of a disappointment. Still, it was Santa.
I drove into town an hour before the parade started and it was like a ghost town. I had my pick of parking sport and I chose to park right next to Main Street so I could watch from my car. But closer to the beginning of the parade I got out of the car and took my chair to sit under an awning. I don’t own an umbrella, so that wasn’t an option. When the parade started, I decided to move my chair to the edge of Main Street, and I watched the whole parade from there. At the end, I tried to text Jed so that I could drive him and Ollie home. But I got no response. I drove down Main Street and didn’t see them, so I went home. Just after I arrived, I got a text saying they were on Main Street and walking to my house. So, I grabbed the chili I made early in the morning to take to Jed and Ollie for lunch. Sam and Jonah were gone all day as they had soccer games off Cape. They had rides with friends, which allowed Jed to be with Ollie. I knew they would appreciate a good, hot chili after being out in the rain for so long, and I headed out to find them. I ate lunch with them and then we headed to Highfield to tour the mansion decked out for Christmas through the years. There was an old telephone, a phonograph from the early days of the 20th century, radios from the 40’s, and televisions from the early 60’s, plus beautiful decorations. Ollie’s favorite display has always been the trains, so we spent a good amount of time in that room.
It was a lovely afternoon, but I had a great deal of difficulty walking through the mansion. I had to use the elevator, a modern addition, to get to the second floor. But I just had to walk down to enjoy the decorations in the stairwell. Spectacular as always.
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 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.
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!
