by Judy Handley | Jan 21, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 21: Happy Birthday to Sam
Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Weather: Partly Cloudy and Cold: Temp 21, Low 11 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
Samuel Ellery Goldstone, my first-born grandchild, thus my oldest, turned 18 today. He was born on a day much like today, snow on the ground and very cold. But what I can’t believe is that I have an 18-year-old grandchild. I invited Sam and family to Hibachi Saga in Mashpee for Sam’s birthday dinner and we all had a great time. Sam was adamant that we not let the staff know it was his birthday as he did not want everyone singing Happy Birthday. About the time he made that very clear, which we totally respected, everyone at a different grill started singing Happy Birthday to disco music and flashing disco lights. The birthday person had on a hat with flashing candles. It was raucous and looked like a lot of fun, but Sam still said no. There was one other couple sitting with us around our grill. As Sam was pointing out that it should be obvious why he didn’t want anyone to know it was his birthday, the young man at our table announced that this was his 28th birthday week, and he certainly didn’t want to be deprived of the disco celebration. I don’t know how the staff found out it was also Sam’s birthday, maybe from the other birthday guy, but after dinner two birthday hats were distributed to the birthday guys at our grill and we had our turn singing Happy Birthday to the disco music and lights, flashing candle hats and all. The other birthday guy made it so much fun that I don’t think Sam really minded. The whole evening was filled with fun and good food. A perfect birthday dinner.
Sam opened his gifts when we got home. This year, every gift came in an envelope. It was a money birthday. I contributed money for a Eurail Summer Pass for Sam’s graduation trip with friends to tour Europe for 19 days. They are flying to Zurich, Switzerland, and then to Prague in the Czech Republic. From there, they will go by rail to Strasbourg in Austria, Freiburg in Germany, Maastricht in the Netherlands, Paris in France, Torino in Italy, and then to a yet determined destination from where they will fly home. The four boys that are going have planned this trip to be a combination of visiting World War II sites of interest interspersed with hiking in the Black Forest and hanging out in beautiful places. They have put a lot of thought in to the planning.
So even though I am still struggling with the fact that I have an 18-year-old grandchild who will be graduating from high school, going to Europe on a summer adventure, and then going away to college, at the same time, it fills me with pride to watch this process. Happy Birthday, Sam!
by Judy Handley | Jan 20, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 20: Too Much, but Heads Up
Date: Monday, January 20, 2025
Weather: Sunny and Chilly: Temp 32, Low 14 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
My head is spinning from a day filled with ‘too much’—MLK Day, Inauguration Day, Executive Orders and then more Executive Orders, Commutations for 14 individuals convicted of crimes on January 6. So how did I deal with all of that? I went with a friend to the Cape Cinema in Dennis to see a movie. That’s one way of sticking your head in the sand.
But I am now back home, trying to process everything that happened today. And it was a lot. Days like today do not happen in ordinary times. Tonight, I heard an interview with Timothy Snyder, Professor of History at Yale and expert on authoritarianism. He was also pointing out that much of what happened today was not ordinary. He said we need to be vigilant, not stick our heads in the sand. His quote was, “Heads up … look for the openings.”
Cecile Richards, previously the President of Planned Parenthood, died today at only 67. But something she once said will always stick with me in times like these: “One woman calling out an injustice is powerful enough; when we raise our voices together, we can shake the status quo to its foundation.” Or as another human rights activist and the world’s leading spokesman on the Holocaust., Elie Wiesel said, “One person is a protest, more than two is a movement.” In times like these, we need to join together to stand for what is just and right for our country. Look for the openings.
by Judy Handley | Jan 18, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 18: Gloomy Winter Day
Date: Saturday, January 18, 2025
Weather: Overcast, Rain Early and Late: Temp 36, Low 28 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
WeatherUnderground says we should be getting light snow right now, but instead we are getting short periods of driving rain. The temperature outside is above freezing, so rain, no snow. After a nice walk with Shadow this morning, I stayed inside the rest of the day doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Then tonight I watched the second episode of Ken Burns’ Leonardo de Vinci. Hopefully I’ll be a little more energetic tomorrow.
Heather and family are skiing/snowboarding at Sunday River in Maine this long weekend. Unfortunately, Sam fell so hard on his left wrist that he had to go to ski patrol for an ice pack. They suggested he go for an Xray, so Heather stayed on the mountain with Jonah and Ollie and Jed and Sam spent the afternoon getting that done. Later she sent a photo of Sam on the sofa at their rental holding up his left hand with a Velcro splint and he sent me a video assuring me he is just fine. He has a lot of pain when he moves his wrist, but he is still hoping to be back on the slopes tomorrow.
by Judy Handley | Jan 17, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 17: Afternoon Tea and Evening Mingle and Mix
Date: Friday, January 17, 2025
Weather: Mostly Sunny; Temp 35, Low 23 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
Last night after writing and posting my log, I headed outside with Shadow for his last pee break for the day. As I opened the door, I was shocked to see a coating fluffy white stuff. Since the last time I took Shadow outside, it had snowed. Not a lot, but enough to cover the ground and turn the world white again. Shadow and I did a happy snow dance.
Engaging socially is listed as one of those things you need to do to live a longer, healthier life. You could say that I spent my day working toward a healthier lifestyle. Or you could say I spent the day just having fun with friends. Whichever you might say, you are correct. I spent my morning walking with Shadow and catching up on paperwork. But by 1 pm, I was at Midge Frieswyk’s having tea with close friends. It was wonderful just spending an hour and a half talking about the things happening in our world. I left at 2:30 pm to go pick up Ollie, take him home, and then go home for afternoon outside playtime with Shadow. Then it was time to go to the next social event, Mingle and Mix. There were more than 20 people there tonight, some I knew and some I had never met. That is the wonderful thing about this event. You get to visit with people you know in an intimate environment and you get the opportunity to add new people to your repertoire of friends. So, looking on the glass half full side of things, I spent my day lengthening my life by socializing with friends.
by Judy Handley | Jan 16, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 16: A Little Field Trip to Boston
Date: Thursday, January 16, 2025
Weather: Sunny AM, Partly Sunny to Cloudy PM; Temp 31, Low 23 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
My search for a vintage watch for Coco continues. A woman in my book group that lives in Cambridge half time, suggested that I go to the Swiss Watchmaker on Church Street in Harvard Square. So, I took off this morning to do that, and to do a little reconnaissance in Chestnut Hill for a Newcomers/Encore upcoming field trip to a Mary Baker Eddy house there in late February. I took two watches that Heather gave me for Coco and two that Jane Woodin donated to be assessed to see if adding a battery would get them running again. I scored two out of four, but I had only one battery changed today. It costs $25 to have a battery replaced and $25 for some sort of high-tech cleaning. The watchmaker told me one of the watches from Heather and one from Jane are not battery watches. They are wind up types and the initial cost just to look at them is $50, so I skipped those even though one of them is perfect for Coco. The young woman at the desk at the watchmaker shop admired it and said it was ‘very’ vintage. She told me lots of girls wear vintage watches even if they don’t run. I think that is the watch I wore when I started teaching in 1969. If that is correct, it certainly is vintage! But it looks brand new and will make a nice bracelet. I should have had the band shortened on the one that got the new batter today, but at the time I was not sure just how much to have it shortened. Plus, shortening the band was going to take all afternoon. I will check to see if a jeweler here can shorten the band. If not, I will return when I can spend all day.
While I was waiting for the watch battery to be changed, I drove about 20 minutes from Harvard Square to Chestnut Hill to check out the location of a Mary Baker Eddy home and museum, and to see if there was free parking available near the restaurant that was recommended for lunch on the day of our field trip. There was easy and free parking at all three locations. I knew this from calling, but since I was in the area, I wanted to check it out in person before recommending the trip. The house is in one location and the museum is about a mile from the house. Then the restaurant is a mile from the museum. It is easy to get from one place to the other and will make a great little mid-winter adventure. Now I just have to learn something about Mary Baker Eddy. All I know is that she founded the Mother Church of The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston.
by Judy Handley | Jan 15, 2025 | 2025 Sailing Logs |
2025 Life Logs, Day 15: Democracy
Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Weather: Sunny, Windy, Cold; Temp 31, Low 19 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA
Tonight, my head is exploding with thoughts of democracy. I spent my day preparing for and then leading my Exploring Public Policy group. The focus was to help us better understand how representative democracy works in our local government. And then tonight, I listened to President Biden’s farewell address where he gave us a stark warning that our democracy is changing before our eyes into an oligarchy. Heavy stuff to absorb.
You could hear the frustration in the voices of the members of the Exploring Public Policy group this afternoon as they expressed a feeling of being overwhelmed with the complexity of the job of running town government. When they saw the huge number of committees filled with people who are elected, appointed, or who volunteer to serve, that advise and regulate and vote on everything that happens in Falmouth, they wondered how people do this in their ‘spare’ time. The committees and boards are filled with people holding down full time jobs, raising families, and just trying to survive. The group had one question. “How do you add the responsibility of making all of the decisions for your entire town to people who lead full lives and serve local government in their ‘spare’ time?” We do have a Town Manager, but all of the decisions are ultimately made by the people. Representative/participatory democracy is hard. But the alternative?
Then tonight listening to President’s Biden’s farewell speech with his stark warning that “an oligarchy is taking shape in America” sent chills running down my spine. He said it will be up to the people to keep democracy alive. The next four years are going to be very require vigilance and hard work to make sure democracy survives. I’m rolling up my sleeves to get ready to do whatever is necessary.
