by Judy Handley | Sep 2, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 245: Great Day on the Water
Date: Friday, September 2, 2022
Weather: Gorgeous Day; High 73, Low 54 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
At 10:15 this morning, Lynne, Kevin, Claire, Jonah, Ollie, and I piled into the Dearman’s motorboat and were off for 25 mile run
through the Woods Hole Cut into Buzzards Bay with not much wind, making it was a fairly smooth ride. Lunch was great, it was generally just a wonderful day to be out on the water, and the kids had a fun time together.
A great big thank you to Lara and Andrew. They return to their home in Larchmont, New York tomorrow as their three delightful kids start school on Tuesday as do the Goldpebbles. I love it when they are here in their summer home and will miss them until they return.
Tomorrow morning, I leave here at 5:45 am to go to Heather and Jed’s. I am headed to Kittery, Maine with the Goldstones to deliver them to their boat. They have a tough three-day trip from Kittery to Buzzards Bay, but if all goes as planned, they will have Eider at a mooring in Marion on Monday evening. Here’s wishing them three wonderful sailing days.
I will return home as soon as I drop them off, hopefully in time to have late lunch or early dinner with Kevin and Claire. They leave for New Jersey on Sunday and Lynne leaves for Nyack, New York on Monday. I pick the Goldstones up in Marion on Sunday night and the kids start school on Tuesday. All of a sudden, I think it will feel very lonely around here. Just me and my Shadow.
by Judy Handley | Sep 1, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 244: Holding On To Summer
Date: Thursday, September 1, 2022
Weather: Another Sunny Day; High 81, Low 55 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
The weather has been spectacular making it very hard to think about the fact that summer is coming to an end. I know fall equinox is not until later in September, but for me, the beginning of the school year has always been the end of summer. And I think Jonah, Ollie, and Sam feel the same way. So, we have been scurrying about trying to fit it the very last of the summer activities. Today when I arrived to pick up Jonah and Ollie, I discovered that Heather was working at home and Jonah and Ollie wanted to stay home and work on building a monumental pillow fort before going to the beach later in the afternoon. That was fine with me as it gave me the opportunity to go home and have a fabulous lunch with Kevin, Claire, and Lynne. Kevin and Claire eat their main meal early in the day, so after their morning walk or run, they begin the food prep. Kevin has been preparing the meals outside on the new to me glass topped table that Bruce and Jane Woodin were giving away. I took it and I love it. Thank you, Bruce and Jane. Kevin uses his electric induction plate to do the cooking on that table outside.
Today’s gourmet fare was Chicken Tikka Masala, without the chicken, which we ate outside on that table. Kevin uses marinated soy curls instead of chicken and I could not tell that it was not chicken. It was delicious.
After lunch and conversation, I headed back to the Goldstones to take Jonah and Ollie to the beach. The fort had just been completed and they wanted a little more time to play. While I was waiting, I got a call from Lynne telling me that Andrew’s son Charlie had come over to see if he could borrow a chain saw for his dad. Jed has a chain saw, so I offered to drop it off on our way to the beach. One thing led to another. Lena and Charlie ended up going to the beach with us and then Heather, Jed, and Sam came to the beach for a late afternoon swim and to take Jonah and Ollie home. But they wanted more time to play with Charlie and Lena. So, everyone came to my house. Heather and Jed ordered take out pizza and stayed the evening to talk with Kevin, Claire, and Lynne while the boys continued to play and play.
Andrew and Lara have invited Jonah, Ollie, Kevin, Claire, Lynn, and I to go boating with them tomorrow. We are going to the Chart Room at Kingman Marina for lunch. Then at 6 am on Saturday morning, I will drive the Goldstones to Kittery, Maine so they can start the last leg of getting their new sailboat, Eider, home to Buzzards Bay. I’m hoping to be back home in time for Kevin’s Saturday lunch special. We are all trying hard to pack in as many summer activities as possible before school starts on Tuesday!
by Judy Handley | Aug 31, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 243: Lynne Kirwin Arrived
Date: Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Weather: Beautiful Day After Early AM Rain; High 82, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
The gang’s all here. Kevin and Claire arrived yesterday, and Lynne arrived today. Camp Oma is still in full swing, so things are hopping here. Lynne is a tennis fan, so we watched Serena in the US Open tonight while talking and catching up on life. I hope to have time to write more detail tomorrow night.
My thoughts tonight are with my sister-in-law, Sue Cook. In 1964 she lost her first husband, my brother Bennie. Today she lost her second husband, Brad. After my brother died, leaving behind a wife with three young children, Brad entered the picture and became of wonderful and loving father to my nieces and nephew. Brad loved life and spread joy to all around him. This world needs more good people like Brad Cook.
by Judy Handley | Aug 30, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 242: Kevin and Claire Arrived Late Afternoon
Date: Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Weather: Mix of Sun and Clouds; High 82, Low 72 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Today was a bit of a ‘do nothing’ day. At least that was the goal of the boys. I did take Ollie shopping for his school supplies, and we then came home and I made sure both Jonah and Ollie had everything needed in their backpacks. Then we came to my house and fulfilled their wish to do nothing. I did a little house cleaning and they actually pitched in and helped. I also took Shadow to the groomer early this morning and picked him up just before Kevin and Claire arrived.
Tomorrow Lynne Kirwin arrives. The last time Kevin, Claire, Lynne, and I were together was in the fall of 2019 when Kevin and Claire were living aboard their sailboat Merganser in Philadelphia. A lot has changed since then. Lynne now lives in New Zealand but is spending this summer in the US with family in Michigan. Kevin and Claire have a new boat, White Raven. They now live aboard in Mexico (Sea of Cortez) and visit with family in Canada and the US during the summer months when it is just too hot south of the border.
Kevin and Claire turned in early tonight as they both have early morning online meetings. I am canning the pizza sauce, so I won’t get in bed early. But then I don’t have to get up early. Life is good.
by Judy Handley | Aug 29, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 241: Heather and Jed Return Home
Date: Monday, August 29, 2022
Weather: Partly Sunny; High 81, Low 71 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Heather and Jed returned from their weekend sail from Boothbay to Kittery, Maine. The adventure continues this coming weekend when they will attempt to the boat home to Buzzards Bay, or at least as close as they can get.
After an afternoon at the beach, I delivered Jonah and Ollie home to see their mom and dad. I am all alone tonight, but not for long. On Wednesday friends Kevin and Claire arrive, as does Lynne Kirwin. I will attempt to combine the final days of Camp Oma Summer ’22 with visiting with friends. But one day at a time. Tomorrow I will spend time with Jonah and Ollie making sure they are ready for the school year. Ollie needs to shop for school supplies and both boys need to make sure their back to school wardrobe in ready to go. Once I take the whole family to Kittery to get aboard Eider and begin the last leg of the sail home, there’s no way to know if they will get here on Sunday or Monday. But if it is Monday, school definitely starts the next day. We need to be ready!
The highlight of the day for me was a phone call to Home Helpers in Mooresville, North Carolina. I was able to arrange for a companion for my sister without having to interview prospects. They are going to assign a woman that I met while I was in North Carolina. She does a couple of shifts for my niece Jennifer each week but is otherwise available to be with my sister. This woman was like a miracle worker. I happened to be at my nieces home the first morning she arrived. In just minutes, she had Jennifer smiling and was organizing the entire household. It is such a relief to know that she is available to work her magic with my sister.
by Judy Handley | Aug 28, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 240: Two Goldstones and a Keefe
Date: Sunday, August 28, 2022
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 77, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Before Heather and Jed moved in 2020 from East Falmouth to downtown Falmouth, the Keefe’s were their neighbors. The Keefe’s have two children, Molly and Joey. Molly is Jonah’s age and Joey is a year younger. So, the three Goldstones and the two Keefe’s were like brothers and sister. Today was totally unplanned, but Jonah was talking on the phone to Joey this morning and Joey invited Jonah and Ollie over to play. I drove them over and then when I went to pick Jonah up to go to a Boy Scout patrol leaders planning meeting, Ollie was invited to stay awhile longer. When I went to pick up Ollie after Jonah’s meeting, Joey came home with us to play on the Maui mat.
Then we added dinner. Then we added an overnight. So tonight, I have two Goldstones and one Keefe. I delivered pizza to Sam for dinner as he decided to stay home alone again tonight. 
Jonah, Ollie, Joey, and I had our pizza dinner on the dock and made a mandatory trip to Smitty’s later in the evening.
Heather and Jed made it to Kittery, Maine, but it was late in the day when they arrived and they decided to drive back to Boothbay to pick up their second car and then drive home tomorrow morning. I got a text message from Heather with a photo showing a speed of 7.4 knots . . . faster than Eider is supposed to be able to sail. 
Then Jed sent a photo of Heather at the helm. She looked so happy and I know her dad would be so proud.
Somehow in between the activities today, I did get the pizza sauce made. Tomorrow it will simmer. Then hopefully canning will happen tomorrow night and Tuesday.
through the Woods Hole Cut into Buzzards Bay with not much wind, making it was a fairly smooth ride. Lunch was great, it was generally just a wonderful day to be out on the water, and the kids had a fun time together.
A great big thank you to Lara and Andrew. They return to their home in Larchmont, New York tomorrow as their three delightful kids start school on Tuesday as do the Goldpebbles. I love it when they are here in their summer home and will miss them until they return.
