by Judy Handley | Jun 30, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 252, Year 9: Summer
Date: Monday, June 30, 2014
Weather: Sunny and Windy, High in the 70’s
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
The weather has been fabulous the last few days and it really feels like summer. And it looks like we will have good weather until Friday. Unfortunately, Friday the 4th of July looks like a very rainy affair. All we can do is hope that the forecast will change. In the meantime, we will just enjoy the sunshine and warmth.
We spent the morning aboard Windbird with Ed and Lynne. We truly enjoyed our visit with them. I still can’t believe it has been three and a half years since we last saw them. We miss our cruising friends so very much and this reunion was very special. When we took them to shore to head back to New York, Mark and I then went to Woods Hole to switch off child care with Jed. He went to work and we stayed at the beach with the boys for a bit and then headed home for lunch and nap for Ollie. Sam had his first ‘class’ at the School of Science this morning and really enjoyed it. And then all three boys enjoyed their time at Stoney Beach in Woods Hole. Tomorrow Mark and I will meet Jed at the School of Science at 10 am to switch roles. We’ll pick up Sam from class and then head to the beach and Jed will go to work. Then mid-afternoon we’ll deliver the boys to Quick’s Tavern in Woods Hole to meet up with mommy and daddy to watch the USA – Belgium soccer game. I can’t believe tomorrow is already July 1. This summer is going to fly by, but we’ll do our best to enjoy every minute of it!
by Judy Handley | Jun 29, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 251, Year 9: Reunion with Ed and Lynne of Constance
Date: Sunday, June 29, 2014
Weather: Mostly Sunny Day, High in the 70’s
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
Our friendship with Ed and Lynne goes back to early December of 2009. We were in Malaysia and had just made the decision to cross the Indian Ocean and go around South Africa instead of going through the Red Sea. As soon as we made that decision we found out that Ed and Lynne on sailing vessel Constance were going the same way. We became instant friends and traveling buddies as we seemed to be the only two boats headed that way. We spent 2010 as constant companions as we made our way from Thailand to India to the Maldives, on to Chagos, Madagascar, and finally to Richards Bay in South Africa. After a year together, we said our farewells in Richards Bay and didn’t see each other again until today. Ed and Lynne were in New York visiting with Ed’s two sons and while only four hours away, they decided to come for a short visit. We talked and reminisced, toured Woods Hole (loved the new Rachel Carlson statue), traveled the scenic route from Woods Hole into Falmouth, and then visited with Heather, Jed, and boys. They had heard all about the Goldstones but had never met them. So today was a joyful reunion. Ed and Lynne have to leave by mid-day tomorrow, but the short time together has been fantastic. They are now headed to Michigan to spend the summer with Lynne’s family. Her mother is 94 and lives independently, so Lynne likes to spend as much time with her as she can. Then in the fall they will head back to Constance (currently in Fort Lauderdale) and go further south for the winter. If all works out, we might find ourselves in Spanish Virgins together next winter.
Mark is feeling stronger each day. He is still taking pain medication at night as he has a hard time sleeping without it, but the pain gets lighter as each day passes. He was feeling so good this evening that he had his first beer since the surgery. It was actually a beer Ed and Lynne bought in Malaysia, transported to South Africa, and gave to Mark on his birthday in 2010. Keeper that I am, I tucked that beer away and saved it for a special occasion. And the special occasion was our reunion today. Cheers!
by Judy Handley | Jun 28, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 250, Year 9: Jonah’s Pirate Birthday Party
Date: Saturday, June 28, 2014
Weather: Another Beautiful, Sunny Day, High in the 70’s
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
Today was Jonah’s Saturday afternoon pirate birthday party. And as birthday parties go, this one was top-notch. I got up early to go to the store to buy things for the party and then I went on to Heather and Jed’s to make salads. While I prepared the salads, Heather made a pirate ship birthday cake, and Jed worked on the pirate ship addition to the tree house. As is usual, the ‘getting ready’ took us longer than we had hoped, and all of a sudden it was 2 o’clock and time for me to go get Granddad as the party started at 3 pm. All of the children were given foam swords and eye patches to help them play their pirate role and they were unbelievably well behaved. With all those swords I was sure we would have a pirate battle, but actually it was a fairly calm afternoon. It was a great party and everyone seemed to have a really nice time. Jonah got some fantastic gifts and Heather’s pirate ship cake was quite a hit. Uncle Justin called to wish Jonah a happy birthday and to tell Heather to check her email to print out a map giving directions to their present to Jonah and Jonah got to talk to his Grammy Marti who was not able to come up from DC. So happy birthday once again to Jonah.
by Judy Handley | Jun 27, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 249, Year 9: Fish Prints and Party Prep
Date: Friday, June 27, 2014
Weather: Beautiful, Sunny Day, High in the 70’s, Low Humidity
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
The big activities for the day were 1) going to the public library in the afternoon so all three boys could make fish print pillow cases and 2) getting ready for Jonah’s birthday party tomorrow. The public library here has a wonderful array of summer offerings and one of them is Family Fun Fridays. Today’s activity was making fish prints and all three boys really enjoyed doing this. On the way home we stopped for Dairy Queen swirl cones and that was the real hit of the day for them. But I must say that I really enjoyed just hanging out with the boys in the backyard in the morning. They played basketball and soccer, ran in circles, and enjoyed a little down time on the swings. It’s nice to know that backyard play is still alive and popular in these days of organized activity for children. After we returned from the library, the ‘getting ready for Jonah’s birthday party’ activities began. Jed came home from work early to cut the grass and to try and finish his pirate boat extension to the current tree house. Heather did the grocery shopping and I got a bit of a head start on making the salad side dishes for tomorrow. Mark went with me today but he found it just a little too much to be out and about all day. So tomorrow morning I’ll leave him here when I go in early to complete making the salads and then come back for him before the 3 pm party time. It is going to be a busy weekend for us as on Sunday our friends Ed and Lynne are driving up from New York to visit. We crossed the Indian Ocean together and haven’t seen each other since South Africa. So it will be a wonderful reunion. But first we have to survive the pirate birthday party!
by Judy Handley | Jun 26, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 248, Year 9: Happy 5th Birthday to Jonah
Date: Thursday, June 26, 2014
Weather: Rain On and Off All Day with Periods of Sunshine
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
Happy birthday, Jonah! Jonah is a little dynamo and his birthday was all about sports. Heather and Jed got him an adjustable basketball hoop. They set it up in the drive-way in the wee hours of the morning and let him start his day shooting hoops. It was raining when I arrived around 9 am, so we played inside for an hour or so while we waited for the weather to clear. It did clear for a short time, so we then went outside to play soccer. Sam and Jonah are really enjoying the World Cup soccer games and today at noon the USA played Germany. So just before noon we had to go inside to watch the game. Heather made World Cup shirts for all three boys and I bought face paint so we could deck ourselves out in red, white, and blue. We were quite a sight.
After the game we went back outside and played more soccer. Ollie has to do whatever his big brothers do, so he played soccer, too. Heather came home mid-afternoon and we started preparing for the birthday dinner. Mark stayed home on Windbird today, but Jed picked him up on his way home from work so he could join us. Jonah got to open all the presents from his mommy and daddy today, but he will get presents from us on Saturday at his pirate birthday party. Mark and I gave Jonah five pirate bandanas this evening so everyone in the family can be ‘properly’ dressed for Saturday’s party. Jonah is one happy birthday boy getting presents both today and Saturday.
Heather posted her birthday poem for Jonah on her Facebook page today. It is perfectly Jonah.
“Jonah is
always singing
quick to laugh
a caring soul
an imp and a pirate
5!
Happy birthday, Jonah-bear!”
by Judy Handley | Jun 25, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 247, Year 9: Back Home in Quissett Harbor
Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Weather: Sunny with Temp in the High 70’s F
Location: Back Home on Windbird, Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
It is always good to be back home. We left Windbird three weeks ago tomorrow morning. Mark and I have both lost track of time, or maybe it is more like the last three weeks really didn’t happen. But hopefully as we get back into our normal routine, time will become real again.
This morning I got up early and went for a long walk with Jane and our friend Olivia. When we got back to Jane and Bruce’s, Mark and I started gathering up our things. We had a wonderful stay with them, but it was time to head home. So we did. Mark is not allowed to carry more than five pounds for the next month and nor is he allowed to pull the cord to start the dinghy engine. The latter is killing him. He wants to be able to come and go in the dinghy without me, but unless he can somehow find an engine to use that has an electric start, I’m afraid he is dependent on me for now. I lugged all of our bags of ‘stuff’ out to the car at Bruce and Jane’s and then out of the car, down the dock to the dinghy, and out to Windbird in Quissett Harbor. I still don’t have everything put away, but it will get there over the next day or two. Once everything was onboard and those things that need refrigeration were put away, we headed back to shore to go to Heather’s. Wednesday is her day off and she was enjoying the day with her boys. But we needed to do laundry and to check in with Heather on details for Jonah’s birthday. His birthday is tomorrow and we weren’t sure if we were giving gifts tomorrow evening or at his party on Saturday. As it happens, he wants gifts from mom and dad tomorrow evening and all other gifts on Saturday. That was a relief, since we have changed our minds about what we want to give him and I needed to go out shopping. I think we have things under control now and can focus on enjoying the occasion. The party on Saturday has a pirate theme, so we are once again gearing up for ‘piratey’ adventure. Heather took the boys to the beach this afternoon and Mark sat on her back deck and read while I went out shopping. The boys are all so glad that Granddad no longer has a ‘zipper’—their term for the 20 staples running from his belly button upward. Ollie was especially excited. He immediately said, “Now Granddad can hold me.” But unfortunately that is not the case. Ollie exceeds that five pound limit, so he will have to be content with sitting with Granddad and getting lots of hugs.
We are really enjoying our first evening back on Windbird, but we do miss the wonderful camaraderie of friends. We are so lucky to have friends like Detta and Tom Port and Bruce and Jane Woodin who let us stay with them. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
