by Judy Handley | May 10, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 130: Happy Mother’s Day
Date: Sunday, May 10, 2020
Weather: Partly Sunny, Still Windy; High 51, Low 46 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
It was a different kind of Mother’s Day, but it was a good one. Jed’s mother, Marti, and I got an email from Heather early this morning thanking us for the various ways we show how deeply we care about her, Jed, and the Goldpebbles, as well as our commitments to our communities and our world. “In that spirit, I have made a donation in honor of each of you to the International Rescue Committee. They are a top-rated charity responding to COVID-19, by serving the health and education needs of moms and children in crisis around the world.” What a beautiful way to celebrate Mother’s Day. Thank you, Heather. And she also invited both of us to an 11 am Zoom concert where each of the boys would show off their musical talents for their very proud grandmothers. Just before that Zoom call, I got a text from Justin wanting to Skype, but we had to postpone that for a couple of hours.
The three-way Zoom concert was great. When we got online at 11 am, Marti started the call with her own little surprise piano concert. Then Jonah played his base guitar. When he first started playing the electric guitar, I challenged him by telling him I would pay him $500 when he could play Iron Man. Well, today, he played Iron Man on his bass. I might be in trouble because he is getting very close to meeting that goal. Ollie then played a set of Scottish tunes on his violin and ended with a couple of classical tunes. Sam played drums for us and then Jed gave Marti a tour of their new home. I stayed online for most of the tour, but then got off so I could talk to Justin and family. It was cold and windy here today, but so hot in Puerto Rico that they ended the call early to jump in the pool! But I had plenty of time to have great conversations with everyone. Jo got all the seeds I sent her planted yesterday. Hurray! And I learned that Ziggy and Coco are already out of school for the summer. In fact, they ended school a couple of weeks early at the first of May so parents wouldn’t have to pay tuition for a partial month since money is tight due to the coronavirus shutdown. They are still in shutdown mode, so Coco plays dollies with her girlfriends on Zoom. Ziggy has not found Zoom to be a satisfactory way to communicate with friends, but he has started playing MineCraft with one friend and is enjoying that. Like here, they are trying to figure out what the summer is going to look like. The big question is whether or not the kids are going to be able to play with friends at some point. I know Heather and Jed are wrestling with that issue as well. Like so much in our lives right now, we shall see.
?
Justin took me on a bit a tour of their property by taking me down to see their horse Hopi and her baby Barnaby. Justin could not get Barnaby to come close enough for me to see, so he called on his little horse whisperer, Coco, and Barnaby came right way.
Friend Jane Woodin stopped by this afternoon to drop off a book and we sat outside wearing our winter coats and our masks and used proper social distancing to visit for a bit. Peter and Karen Baranowski were next door visiting with Karen’s aunties, so when they saw us, they come over to visit as well.
And then it was time for me to get dinner ready for the Goldstones. They spent their day working on renovations and my contribution was dinner. We once again had hamburgers and hot dogs (uncured, pasture-raised organic beef, but still hot dogs) on those 40-minute buns that have become a favorite. And then just sitting and visiting with family in person was the greatest Mother’s Day gift of all.
by Judy Handley | May 9, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 129: Windy and Cold, Even a Little Icy Snow
Date: Saturday, May 9, 2020
Weather: Partly Cloudy, Really Windy; High 49, Low 35 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
The high temp today was 49 degrees, but with the 25 mph wind, it felt colder. For me it was a winter coat, winter hat, and gloves day for my walks with Shadow, even when the sun was shining. It is not as windy tonight, but the wind will return tomorrow. But hopefully we have seen the last of the icy snow. I had heard that areas north of here were going to get snow today, but I didn’t expect to see any here on the Cape. But on my morning walk with Shadow, he looked like he had a bad case of dandruff. Little icy balls were falling from the sky and accumulating on his black coat. He would shake it off, only for it to accumulate again. The snow only lasted about 15 minutes. Then the sun came out, but the wind didn’t go away. So, I kept on my winter gear and Shadow and I headed to Melissa Berryman’s for a people training session. This was a one-on-one pep talk to convince me that I have to come down harder on Shadow when he does something that is not acceptable. I do say no, but Melissa explains that I need to say it like I REALLY mean it and add a little bop on Shadow’s head when he jumps up on people. We’ll get there.
After the class with Melissa, Shadow and I went home to have lunch and then I left him at home while I went to Heather and Jed’s for the afternoon. Because of my back, I really can’t help much with the renovation work, but I offered to pitch in as the laundry lady. Most of the clothes were already washed and dried and just needed to be folded. Then I headed home for a 5 pm Zoom call with my dining-in group. During the afternoon, Olivia White had delivered a little bag containing some of her famous lemon cake to each of our homes, so our first order of business was to thank her for that. This was her Mother’s Day gift to each of us and she included a card that read, “God could not be everywhere, so He created Mothers.” Thank you, Olivia.
by Judy Handley | May 8, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 128: More of the Same
Date: Friday, May 8, 2020
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and Cool; High 55 degrees, Low 38 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Today was more of the same. More walking and exercising to battle the sciatic back pain, more overcast and windy weather, and more success in doing nothing. I walk the dog, come back and ice my back while doing some computer work, then walk the dog again, and then do a little cooking and more stretching exercises. Then I start over. Today I spent a good deal of time preparing for my book club meeting on Tuesday. The book this month was suggested by me. It is Barbara Kingsolver’s Unsheltered. I read it when it was first released in 2018, so reviewing it today was quite interesting. I had remembered the science connections in the book, but I had totally forgotten that it also includes a lot of references to our current political situation. I’m looking forward to our discussion via Zoom on Tuesday. And speaking of Zoom, this evening I had a Zoom meeting with my wine group. It is a very eclectic group of great people and I always enjoy our Friday Zoom meetings. Tomorrow evening I meet again on Zoom with my close friends in our dining-in group. It will be the second time that we have met on Zoom and I am looking forward to the sharing of ideas.
Tomorrow morning I have an 11 am People Training class with Shadow and Melissa, the trainer. Then in the afternoon I am going Heather and Jed’s to see how I can be helpful. I think folding laundry is my easiest contribution. I can do while sitting down so that it doesn’t involve any lifting or bending over. It is not a huge contribution, but something is better than nothing.
For Mother’s Day, I think we are having a three way Zoom meeting with me, Jed’s mom Marti, and the Goldstones. Then I have invited the Goldstone’s here for dinner on Sunday. The weather tomorrow and Sunday is supposed to be overcast and extremely windy. So it sounds like a weekend of inside activity.
by Judy Handley | May 7, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 127: Practice Makes Perfect
Date: Thursday, May 7, 2020
Weather: Partly Sunny, Cool; High 56 degrees, Low 44 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
I’ve been practicing doing nothing this week, and I’m getting darn good at it. I guess practice really does make perfect! The reason for the ‘do nothing’ policy is the sciatic nerve pain in my hips, originating from a problem in my lower spine. It is not getting better and today the chiropractor insisted I call my primary care and try to get him to refer me for an MRI. My chiropractor wants to see what’s going on before he continues to try and adjust things. Usually my back issues are caused by misalignment, but that is not the case this time. My primary care is not seeing patients unless it is an emergency, but I do have a Zoom appointment with him on Monday. Hopefully, I can convince him to make the referral for the MRI so that it can be determined if the problem is a herniated disc or bone spurs or just general bone degeneration in my spine. Ugh. This getting old thing is just no fun.
Heather saw her doctor this morning, but she really doesn’t know much more. The doctor thinks her problems stem from stress/anxiety and exhaustion but did test for thyroid and anemia. But no coronavirus test. The doctor’s prescription is light exercise, meditation, and sleep. The problem is that the reason for the exhaustion is not going away. So, we’ll see how this works out.
Tonight, I had my now nightly phone conversation with my sister who lives in the Nashville area of Tennessee. The extreme weather events there are really wearing her down, but today was a calm weather day and she seemed a bit better. Living totally alone during these coronavirus lockdown days has been really hard for her, but I was happy to hear that she seemed better tonight. Then I talked with my friend Helaine Kanegsberg. Alan and Helaine live in a multi-leveled retirement community. They live in their own home on the campus and life is good for those in independent living conditions. Dinner can be ordered and delivered to their door and there are planned online activities all day and all evening. There have been a number of cases of coronavirus in the nursing home facilities on campus, but the staff has been able to control that and are being sought out by other assisted living and nursing facilities for advice on best practices. We agreed that we are blessed to live in a state where Republican Governor Charlie Baker is leading by setting policies based on science and facts. When I see what is happening in different states across this country, I am so glad I live in Massachusetts. At this point, Charlie Baker certainly has my vote of approval.
by Judy Handley | May 6, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 126: Day Off to Rest Ye Old Back
Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Weather: Cloudy and Cooler; High 54 degrees, Low 38 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
I took today off to give ye old back a rest. I walked with Shadow three times today, instead of our usual two long walks hoping the walking will help with my back. And then I just did a little of this and little of that. Justin called during the afternoon. Their pony Hopi, who had baby Barnaby in March has been sick from some sort of infection, so the vet was visiting today. Justin was running errands while we talked and when he went into the post office, he got the little box of seeds I sent to Jo last week. Hearing that motivated me to do some planting after our call. I planted some sunflowers and luffa gourd seeds in the indoor planters. I have another package of seeds to send to Jo which includes the luffa seeds. I ordered two packs so I could try to grow some here just for fun. There’s a place at the back of Heather and Jed’s new house that has a trellis. Since the luffa vines can climb to 30 feet, I’m hoping we can grow the luffa in that spot and pick our own sponges. It can be a science experiment of sorts. Do luffa plants produce more gourds in Puerto Rico or Massachusetts?
Wednesday has become science day for me. On Wednesday afternoons, the Woods Hole Research Center webinar that Heather hosts is online from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. This afternoon I watched their Zoom presentation on how climate change is affecting the Arctic. Then tonight at 7:30 pm I watched the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s now weekly webinar. Tonight the topic was shipwrecks. Both very interesting webinars.
Phil and Margaret are my daughter-in-law Jo’s parents who live in England. We keep in touch via email, but we seem to be corresponding a bit more often during this coronavirus time. Among other things, we compare the response of our national leaders to this pandemic and the work we are doing in our gardens. Their garden is their backyard surrounded by beautiful flowering plants. It is in full bloom right now and the photos they sent today are stunning. Usually their garden is a source of peace and beauty, but in today’s email they shared that last week they had a bit of garden drama. 
Their 120 year-old American oak tree made a very loud noise as it fell into their garden and partially into their neighbor’s garden at 4:15 am. Miraculously, it didn’t fall on the house or on their two garden sheds. No one was hurt, but it did break their treasured magnolia tree and the fence in a couple of places. Other than that, they are surviving these challenging times just fine. They do not get to see any of their children, but they are keeping in touch via Zoom and FaceTime.
Shadow is no less rambunctious after his day at the kennel yesterday, but I sure am happy to have him back. I was amazed at how much I missed him for the few hours he was away. The trainer, Melissa, sent me a text this morning reminding me that I have to rise to his level of excitement, directing my intensity at curbing his behaviors like I am doing karate. Wish me luck!
by Judy Handley | May 5, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 125: Mother’s Day Gift a Few Days Early
Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 57 degrees, Low 40 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
?
Today was not as warm as yesterday, but it was a totally delightful day with plenty of sunshine and not too much wind. It was a perfect day to get the raised beds ready for planting, but I could not do the work without help. So, I offered to hire the Goldpebbles for an hour. What I got was two Goldpebbles and Jed. The ‘paid workers’ put in their hour and then Jed continued until more than I had expected was done. I felt like it was Christmas, but then I remembered Mother’s Day is coming up. Jed, Jonah, and Ollie just gave me the best Mother’s Day present a person could ask for. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Jonah took charge of completing the transplanting of the raspberries and Ollie took charge of spreading composted manure and new garden soil in the raised beds. Before they arrived, I had removed the chicken wire fencing so we could rake the leaves and remove the grass growing right next to the beds. Jed assisted with raspberry planting, removed the grass, moved the heavy bags of garden soil, and when we were all done, he put the fencing back up. I had expected to do that myself, but I am delighted that he did it. I kept trying to do things to help and Jed must have reminded me at least 25 times this afternoon to give orders and do nothing so that my back can heal. I am just not good at doing nothing, but I really appreciated how hard he tried to control my misguided deeds! Tonight my back tells me I did do too much, but I’m hoping that icing and a good night’s rest will put things right.
Early this morning I took Shadow to Melissa Berryman’s kennel so he could spend the day there. Melissa wanted to observe his behaviors. When I went to pick him up, it was Melissa’s husband who gave me the report from the day. And it was glowing, of course. Shadow is a really nice dog, got along well with the other dogs, went on a long walk with Melissa and did everything expected of him. While Shadow was doing all of that, I was here at home missing him very much. It just seemed so weird not to have him by my side. So, basically Melissa is saying that he’s a great little puppy. I just need to find some magical way of getting him to stop jumping on people and nipping at them in excitement. So, I will go spend an hour with Melissa and Shadow on Saturday to get another people training class. I have to figure this out because after being without him today I know that I really can’t give up my little Shadow. He is family and life is so much brighter with him.
Now that I have been given my Mother’s Day present, we are all going to focus on a special Mother’s Day for Heather. She has not been feeling good for more than a week and she is not getting better. I tend to think she is just totally mentally and physically exhausted, but she is going to call her doctor to see if tests are in order. She doesn’t have a fever and has only mild respiratory symptoms, but something is just not right. By 4 pm each day, she barely has the energy to keep moving forward. She has been working full-time at home, overseeing the homeschooling of the three boys, and moving all at the same time. Who wouldn’t be exhausted?! It exhausts me to just think about it. I just hope that Heather’s issue is exhaustion and not Covid-related or a tick-borne disease.
I’m going to sign off and call my sister in Tennessee before I go to bed. She lives just to the east of Nashville and they have had horrendous weather for weeks. Just before the shutdown there were tornadoes that tore apart a great deal of the town she lives in. This past Sunday there were storms with high winds and she ended up with no power overnight. She has basically been alone in her house since mid-March with almost no face-to-face communication. It is terribly lonely for her and the weather adds an additional scary aspect. She wasn’t as prepared for the power outage as she would have liked. She is fine now, but am calling her every night, just to check on how things are going. Tough world we live in these days. We have be prepared for food shortages caused by Covid-related issues as well as extreme weather happenings. I’ve always thought about these things, but I’ve never really taken action . . . until now. The new world we live in gets more interesting with each day.
