by Judy Handley | Mar 25, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 156, Year 9: Calm Before the Storm
Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Weather: Partly Sunny and Cold, Daytime Temp in the mid-30’s F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
It is dead calm right now, but we are under a Blizzard Warning, a High Wind Warning, and a Coastal Flooding Warning beginning at midnight. At this point it looks like the Outer Cape and Nantucket will receive the brunt of this storm, but with predicted wind gusts up to 70 miles an hour, it could be quite nasty here. I guess we’ll know in the morning. But for now I’ll just sit here and enjoy the peace and quiet. If I’m awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of creaking and groaning lines, I’ll know the storm has hit.
by Judy Handley | Mar 24, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 155, Year 9: Freezing Again
Date: Monday, March 24, 2014
Weather: Mostly Sunny and Cold, Overnight in the Teens, High Today 32 degrees F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
We’re in the deep freeze again. I am sitting here on the boat with a jacket on and the oven going full blast, in addition to the heaters. It’s almost April. What’s wrong with this picture? We have blizzard warnings in effect starting tomorrow evening and after school today, the older kids in Sam and Jonah’s neighborhood told me that they are sure there will be no school on Wednesday due to the snow. We shall see if this pans out, but my hope of driving to Boston to spend Wednesday with Mark doesn’t seem like a possibility. So I’ll just continue helping Heather with the boys in Jed’s absence and we’ll all look forward to Granddad’s return on Friday and Jed’s return on Sunday. And we’ll also look forward to warmer weather. It must be on the way!
by Judy Handley | Mar 23, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 154, Year 9: Projects Completed
Date: Sunday, March 23, 2014
Weather: Overcast, High in the 40’s F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
After a delightfully slow start to the morning, we made a trip to the nearest Home Depot (not close-by) and bought the lumber and screws Mark needed to finish the playroom projects at Heather and Jed’s. It was mid-afternoon by the time we got to Heather’s, but Mark worked fast and completed both the low table for the dollhouse and the wardrobe for the boys’ costumes. They have everything from Darth Vader to astronaut costumes which were quickly outgrowing the drawer they were allotted in the playroom. Heather and I will have to be put the finish on the two pieces this week, but that is easy as we are using the same beeswax-orange oil that I used on the dollhouse. Heather and boys were out visiting friends this afternoon, so while Mark worked I took advantage of an empty kitchen to prepare the ingredients for a taco dinner for all. We barely got back to Windbird before Heather and the boys arrived for dinner. They had been visiting friends that live close to Fiddler’s Cove. We had a great evening together and Heather left with three tired little boys. Hopefully they all fell asleep on the way home and she was able to get them into bed without too much fuss.
Mark heads back to Boston tomorrow for his last full week of radiation treatment. He finishes up next week on Wednesday and we will definitely celebrate his return home. Windbird and I have been very lonely without him. It will then be a month or so before he returns to Boston for the scan that will tell us how successful these radiation treatments were. Hope with us for the best possible outcome.
by Judy Handley | Mar 22, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 153, Year 9: More Projects
Date: Saturday, March 22, 2014
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Windy, High in the mid-50’s F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
After putting Mark under house arrest and making him stay in bed and rest this morning, we headed to Heather and Jed’s to work on more projects. Ollie’s dollhouse is big and once it was unveiled last night, it became obvious that it needed a lower platform than the toy chests that are already in the playroom. So today Mark and Heather built a low table for the dollhouse and got the pieces cut out for a wardrobe for all of the costumes the boys have. Mark and Heather will work on that tomorrow and the playroom will take on a new look.
Jed left today for nine days. He is attending a conference in Phoenix and then visiting with his mom in DC before returning next Sunday. Mark will return to Boston on Monday and I will do what I can to help Heather with the boys in Jed’s absence. Mark will return from Boston on Friday and will only have three more days of radiation treatment the following week. He is starting to feel the effects of the treatments in terms of energy level. He feels fine but is easily exhausted and needs to rest on and off during the day. But that didn’t stop him from taking a nice long walk with Ollie today. Ollie led a willing Granddad to the cranberry bogs to see the swans and ducks before Mark launched into the woodworking projects with Heather.
by Judy Handley | Mar 21, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 152, Year 9: Happy Birthday, Ollie
Date: Friday, March 21, 2014
Weather: Mostly Sunny, High in the mid-40’s, Windy and Getting Windier
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
Oliver had a wonderful second birthday. He wore his shirt today that says, “i am 2” and worked hard all day to make sure that we are aware that he is every bit a two year-old. But no matter how hard he tries to exert his independence, he is still such a joyful child that the ‘no’s’ of a terrible two are quickly forgotten. Heather said it best on Facebook.
Oliver is …
Grateful for what he has
A spreader of joy and laughter
Two.
We love you, Ollie!
Ollie and I went to the grocery store early and then Ollie napped while I drove to Boston to pick Mark up. The whole trip took just over two hours and Ollie slept the whole time. When we got home it was time to get into party mode by baking the cakes and making the chili for dinner. Heather and Jed came home early and we all scurried around to get things done. It was a small party with only ‘family’ attending—the neighbors next door and the neighbors on the next street over. There were eight adults and seven children and we all ate, drank, and made merriment in Ollie’s honor. Between dinner and birthday cake, Ollie opened his presents. He got to unveil the dollhouse that Granddad made for him. It was filled with little dolls and furniture from us, from Grammy Marti, and from mommy and daddy and Sam and Jonah who made some of the pieces. It came as no surprise that his very favorite thing was the little dog and dog house. Then he unveiled the Plan Toys City Series Parking Garage from his Grammy Marti. He squealed with delight when he unveiled both gifts. He loved both the dollhouse and the parking garage and spent the rest of the evening playing between the two. Both pieces are made of wood and all the furniture and dolls and cars that go with the two are also made of wood. So it was a plastic-free birthday—which means nothing to him but felt very good to the rest of us. And to top it off, Grammy Marti sent crazy hats to the three boys which everyone wore and were enjoyed by all. Happy birthday, Ollie!!!
by Judy Handley | Mar 20, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 151, Year 9: Welcome Spring
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2014
Weather: Rain Overnight, Then Mostly Sunny, High Reached 50 degrees
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
Today it was like someone flipped a switch and told Mother Nature that she was supposed to start acting like spring might actually come this year. The overnight rain cleared out early and we had sunny skies and temps reaching 50 degrees F today. It was glorious. Even the crocuses in Heather’s front garden got the message. They have been sitting just ready to open any day and today they did. And when I got back to Windbird at the end of the day, I was greeted by coils of rubber hose. The marina decided that spring is here and they removed the bubblers and air hoses today. So the first official day of spring was really a spring day here. The forecast calls for snow next week, but I’m hoping that just might not happen. I’m going to pretend that spring has sprung!
