by Judy Handley | Jul 20, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 202: A Little Cleaning, A Little Organizing, A Little Gardening
Date: Saturday, July 20, 2024
Weather: Mostly Cloudy; High Temp 77, Low 71 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Slow, slow, slow. Everything I try to do these days takes me so long. My body just doesn’t move as fast as I think it should, so I keep thinking something is really wrong with me. So tonight I Googled, “How long should it take to feel absolutely normal after a total knee replacement?” The answer I got is that it takes “3 months to return to most activities and likely 6 months to one year to fully recover to maximal strength and endurance.” Then I Googled the same question for a laminectomy and the answer to that question was between two and six months. Well, it has been exactly six months since the back surgery, but then when you read on it says, “However, you may find the area that was operated on will never be as flexible as it once was.” So, okay. I am just 2 months and 2 weeks out from the knee surgery and 6 months out from the back surgery, so I probably should not be surprised that my energy level is zapped so quickly requiring frequent rest periods while I work. I just have to plan for things to take twice as long as expected.
That said, I did get a little cleaning done today (very little), a little organizing which required putting accumulated things back where they belong. I had to make a number of trips to the basement to put things away and what seemed like a million trips from one end of the house to the other getting things back where they belong. Late in the day, I went out to plant a few things that were still in the containers I bought them in. And I continued my daily pulling of unwanted vines that seem to be encroaching suddenly in all parts of the yard. And the big accomplishment of the day was getting the twin inflatable mattress deflated and put away and the sheets and blankets washed and stored. Then I got out the full-sized inflatable mattress and got it ready for my friend Lynne who arrives on Wednesday. That was the one thing I had to do today, so at least that is done. Otherwise, I only got half of what I wanted done, so that work will continue tomorrow.
The other thing I had to do today got done as well. Justin and family will be flying home to Puerto Rico later this week and I had a whole pile of things they had to leave here because of space constraints. I went to the Post Office to get a couple of flat rate Priority boxes and came home and got them packed and ready to send on Monday morning. Mission accomplished.
by Judy Handley | Jul 19, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 201: Beach and a Movie
Date: Friday, July 19, 2024
Weather: Sunny and 70’s; High Temp 76, Low 66 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Today was a perfect beach day that I didn’t know I was going to get to enjoy. I had PT this morning (only one more session to go) and then went to pick Ollie up from soccer camp. The beach swim classes are only 4 days a week with Friday’s off, so I thought we were coming home. But we had a crossed communications and Seton’s grandparents were there for pick up as well and said that they were told to take Seton and Ollie to the beach even though there were no lessons. So, I decided to go as well, and I sure am glad that I did. It was a beautiful Cape Cod beach day. Plus, I got to know Seton’s grandparents, Betsy and Peter. The just moved to Falmouth from Martha’s Vineyard and we had a good time getting to know one another. When they left, Ollie was still in the water, not wanting to go home yet. So, we stayed for another hour just lazing on the beach.
We went home to check in with everyone. Ollie had been out in the sun for about 5 hours at this point and needed an inside reprieve. He has wanted watch the movie, Cars 3, but the older brothers are not interested, so we went to my house to watch. The movie has quite a timely theme—inability to see that it is time to retire and pass the baton to the younger generation. As I watched, I kept seeing parallels to our current political situation. “Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast cars, the legendary (race car driver) Lighting McQueen finds himself pushed out of the sport that he loves. Hoping to get back in the game, he turns to Cruz Ramirez, an eager young technician who has HER own plans for winning.” In the end, Lightening bows out and puts the young female technician in the limelight. Hmmmm.
I have big plans for this weekend. I host my Dining-in group on Tuesday and then on Wednesday my friend Lynne Kirwin arrives. So, I plan to get the house ready for company and do some gardening and weeding around the yard. And on Friday, I fly to North Carolina to visit with my sister for a few days. So, I need to get packed for that trip as well.
by Judy Handley | Jul 18, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 200: Couldn’t Do It
Date: Thursday, July 18, 2024
Weather: Sunny Early, Then Partly Cloudy; High Temp 83, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
I have been watching the Republican National Convention all week. I watched the full acceptance speech of the Trump’s choice for Vice-President. But tonight, I tried to watch Trump’s acceptance speech, but I just couldn’t do it. I recorded it, so maybe I’ll watch a little bit each day until I get through it. He is all show and no substance, and it breaks my heart to watch so many people cheering him on having bought into the whole show. Enough said. Goodnight my fellow Americans!
by Judy Handley | Jul 17, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 199: Car Repairs Done
Date: Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Weather: Sunny with Cloudy Periods; High Temp 83, Low 73 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA\
My hero of the day is Jim Curtis at Curtis Automotive. He worked to find used parts that I could afford and did the repairs in record time and under budget. Admittedly, getting the repairs done today made the day a bit crazy for me, but it all worked out. Peter Baranowski met me at Curtis Automotive this morning at 8 am with his van that he was loaning me for the day. I talked with Jim Curtis and explained that I had a 4-6 pm commitment and would check with him at 3:30 to see how things were going. He said he thought the car would be ready by 5 pm, so I thought I might have to pick it up tomorrow.
Meanwhile, after leaving the car to be repaired this morning, I took Peter home, went to two different stores to buy the shrimp and crushed ice I needed for my afternoon gathering, rushed home to walk with Shadow and then went to the beach to meet up with Ollie and his friend Seton. Seton’s dad delivered them from soccer camp to the beach for swim lessons, but he then left them in my care as Seton was going to spend the night with Ollie. The boys had their lesson and then played in the water for a while before we headed home for lunch. I had told Jed that I had to leave by 3:15 to get to an Encore-Newcomers get together, but I was “on duty” with the boys until then. Then at 2 pm, I got the call that the car was ready. That jolted me into reality. There was no way I was going to leave the Goldstones at 3:15, go home to change clothes and put my shrimp cocktail appetizer together for the gathering, drive to Curtis Automotive and pay for the repairs on my car, go pick up Karen, and then get to the gathering in Waquoit by 4 pm. So, I made a decision that I would leave the boys at home alone at 3 pm. If it had just been Ollie and Jonah that would not have been an issue, but I hated leaving them with a friend with no adult. But I did, and somehow, I got everything done, paid for the car so I could pick it up after hours, and got to the gathering at 3:55—with 5 minutes to spare! I got a text from Jed saying he was at home and all was well, I could then relax and enjoy the gathering. Since I had picked up Karen to take her to the event, she said she would drive me to Curtis Automotive so I could pick up my car. Fantastic. Thanks to the Baranowski’s for loaning me their van. I am so happy to have my car with a window that can once again be opened and closed and a new (actually, used) steering column with an ignition that works. All of this made for a busy day, but a really productive one.
by Judy Handley | Jul 16, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 198: Ollie’s Swim Lesson at Surf Drive Beach
Date: Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Weather: Sunny and Hot; High Temp 81, Low 73 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA\
Eleven years ago in July, Mark and I took Sam to his first swim lesson at Stoney Beach in Woods Hole. That was in July of 2013. The for the next six years, Mark and I, and then just I, took some combination of the Goldpebbles to swim lessons every summer. Some years it was at Menauhant Beach, other years at Falmouth Heights Beach. But during the summer of 2020, there were no swim lessons due to Covid and somehow, we never returned. It was so delightful today to sit on the Surf Drive Beach and watch Ollie and his friend Seton having their Jr Life Saving swim lesson. I have really missed those mornings on the beach with the boys. Of course, we have continued to go to the beach, but it is usually later in the afternoon. Ollie goes to Scout Camp at the end of next week, and then the whole family goes on their annual Maine vacation, so he has only this week and next. But I will enjoy each and every morning until then.
The rest of the day was just making sure all three boys eat lunch and then hanging out with Ollie. Sam had an appointment with Cape Cod Orthopedics in Hyannis this morning and he now has a wonderful removable cast on his hand that he can go in the water with and take off for showers. The original cast was falling apart after one week and was really uncomfortable. The new solution is so much better. So much for Falmouth Orthopedics.
I made reservations tonight to go visit my sister for a few days beginning next Friday. My friend Lynne is coming from Michigan on Wednesday to visit and then dog sit for me while I visit my sister. Because of her schedule, I will only have two days before my trip and two days after to spend with her. It is not as much time as I would like, but we will just make the best of it. But I am so grateful that she will be here with Shadow while I am gone.
Tomorrow I have to get an early start because my car goes in for repairs at 8 am. So it is time to end this day and get ready for the next.
by Judy Handley | Jul 15, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 197: Back to Normal
Date: Monday, July 15, 2024
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High Temp 80, Low 73 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Whatever has been causing my lack of energy issue seems to be resolving itself. Today life was back to normal. I picked Jonah up after the soccer camp where he has been helping out and took him home. Ollie attended that camp today as a participant, but he went to the beach with his friend Seton afterwards. When he got home, he announced that he decided to sign up for Jr Lives Saving swim lessons along with Seton. He is also going to attend the soccer camp on M-W-F this week and next. Sam was home from work today as Heather had to take him to the pediatrician this morning to check out the pain he is having in his hip. The diagnosis is a soft tissue injury, and the treatment is Advil, rest, and icing. So, he did not go to work today. I made sure the three boys got lunch and then I left to go to the grocery story to get some things I needed to fix dinner. I also went home to play outside with Shadow for a bit. The rest of the day was spent filling in for Heather and Jed as they both had meetings beginning at 5:30 for Jed and 6:00 for Heather. After dinner, Jonah, Ollie, and I made a trip to Smitty’s to buy ice cream to have the brownies we made. Not an exciting day, just a good day in the life.
