by Judy Handley | Mar 13, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 144, Year 9: Broken Record
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2014
Weather: SNOW—Cold and Windy
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
I’m freezing. I’m sure I sound like a broken record, saying I’m cold over and over, but this weather is record breaking. So I think I deserve to sound like a broken record. It should not be 13 degrees F on March 13, but that is the projected low for tonight. Right now it is 20 degrees outside, but it feels like 15, and it was a chilly 58 degrees inside the boat when I got home tonight. That is my fault because I lowered the settings on both of our heaters. I guess I didn’t fully register just how cold and windy today was going to be. In addition to the cold and the wind, it snowed until just about the time I had to go get Sam from school. I bundled Ollie up, put him in the stroller, and off we went. About half way home both Sam and Ollie were complaining about the cold. The wind was wicked and we were all half frozen by the time we got home. That’s the first time all winter that I have heard Sam say he was cold and it was the first time Ollie has ever complained. Hopefully this is the end of this biting cold and the snow. March certainly came in like a lion and it has stayed that way. I’m really looking forward to the lamb part!
by Judy Handley | Mar 13, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 143, Year 9: Another Big Day in Boston
Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Weather: Overcast with Rain, High in the 50’s
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
It was off to Boston again today. I drove the old Taurus up so Mark would have a car to drive home in on Friday with his sister and brother-in-law. Heather drove up in the van with the three boys, Jed flew in from DC, I picked up Lee and ME, and we all met at the New England Aquarium. When I first got into town, I delivered clothes and food to Mark at the Hope Lodge and got to see his new ‘home.’ Wow. It is very nice. So I think he is going to enjoy his time there.
We all had a good time at the Aquarium. I could go there once a week forever and never tire of it. It was a good day to be inside as the weather wasn’t great–but at least it wasn’t freezing. That happens tonight and into tomorrow. Here’s the weather report for our corner of the world—up and down, 50’s today, 30’s tomorrow. Mix of snow and ice pellets overnight and a 50% chance of snow tomorrow—not enough to be a big bother, but it is MORE snow. But the good news is that there is no more ice or slush in Fiddler’s Cove and the crocuses are blooming. So despite this wintry weather, surely spring is on the way.
by Judy Handley | Mar 11, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 142, Year 9: Big Day in Boston
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Weather: Overcast, High in the Upper 40’s
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
Mark had a big day in Boston. Just after noon his sister and brother-in-law arrived. Welcome to Mary Ellen and Lee. They flew up from southern Florida, so hopefully they won’t freeze to death! After getting them settled in their accommodations on Beacon Hill, Mark got on the T to go check into his new home away from home, the Hope Lodge in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The American Cancer Society provides this temporary housing for cancer patients receiving treatment and for their care givers. There are forty suites and the facility is at capacity most of the time. This is an unbelievable gift for patients who have to be in Boston for extended periods of time and we are most grateful for the generosity of the Cancer Society. I will drive to Boston in the morning and deliver Mark’s clothes and food supplies. Then we will both take the T into town. Mark will go to Mass General for his radiation treatment and I will go to the New England Aquarium where I will meet Heather and all three boys. Once Mark’s treatment is finished, he, along with Mary Ellen (ME) and Lee, will make their way to the Aquarium to join us. Jed flies in from DC around noon, so he will join us as well. ME and Lee have never met Sam, Jonah, or Oliver, so this will give them a chance to meet. After our Aquarium visit, I will then drive home with Heather and Jed, leaving a car in Boston for Mark, ME, and Lee to drive to the Cape on Friday where we will continue the family fun.
by Judy Handley | Mar 10, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 141, Year 9: Mark’s Week 3 in Boston
Date: Monday, March 10, 2014
Weather: Up and Down Weather—Warm One Day, Cold and Snowy the Next
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
Mark went up to the clubhouse to take a shower this morning and when he returned he complained that I had not told him that it was going to snow. I explained that the weather forecasts recently almost always include a chance of snow and if there is a ‘chance’ you can be sure that it will snow. And so it did. But by the time we got to Boston the snow had ended. Tomorrow is supposed to be gloriously warm and then on Wednesday evening the snow and ice and cold return. The weather is just up and down, but at least it is going to be relatively warm for the arrival of Mark’s sister and brother-in-law. They are coming from southern Florida and if they had been scheduled to arrive on a ‘down’ day, they might not have survived. So they will have a day of reprieve before the weather turns ugly once again.
When I take Mark to Boston on Mondays we meet with both his radiology oncologist and his regular oncologist. And in both cases this means that we also meet with nurses, nurse practitioners, and various students in training. Regardless of their status, they all say the same thing. Mark is a wonder and he is doing great. They warn that his energy level might start going down a notch or two over the next week, but we shall see. Right now he has more energy than any two or three of us put together!
by Judy Handley | Mar 9, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 140, Year 9: Still Celebrating My Birthday
Date: Sunday, March 9, 2014
Weather: Much Cooler Than Yesterday, So Back to ‘Normal’
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
We started our day with a Skype video call with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco. This was one of my birthday requests but we needed to wait for the weekend to make the call. Coco was intent on showing us her dolls and Ziggy was outside gathering items from nature to make a ‘potion.’ Seeing them on Skype is certainly not the same as seeing them in person, but it does help us feel connected. We just love watching them play. The weather there was sunny and warm and the call brought back wonderful memories from our recent visit. After the call, we headed to Heather’s to continue working on Ollie’s birthday present. It was much cooler today than yesterday, so working in garage was not all that comfortable, but Mark got all the pieces sanded and I oiled them with a mix of beeswax, orange oil, and carnauba wax. It smelled so good that Jonah said he would like to lick the wood. By the end of the afternoon we had all the dollhouse pieces oiled and ready to assemble. That will be next weekend’s job. Yesterday I got my birthday presents from Heather, Jed, and boys and today the three boys did a fantastic job of decorating my birthday apron with their original artwork. I have needed this apron for a very long time as I seem to constantly splash grease on my shirts while cooking. The apron was a nice gift, but the artwork made it very special. Thank you to Sam, Jonah, and Oliver.
Tomorrow morning I take Mark back to Boston and then return here tomorrow evening. Mark’s sister and brother-in-law arrive in Boston on Tuesday and Mark moves to the American Cancer Society’s Hope House in Jamaica Plain for the remainder of his time in Boston. He is so grateful to Jed’s Aunt Sue and Uncle John for hosting him for the past two weeks. Thank you, thank you to Sue and John Reed for their gracious hospitality.
by Judy Handley | Mar 8, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 139, Year 9: Spring Forward
Date: Saturday, March 8, 2014
Weather: Glorious Day—High of 52 degrees F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
Tonight we spring forward into Daylight Savings Time and today our world warmed up to 52 degrees F. It was glorious. We arrived at Heather’s around noon and Sam and next door neighbor Molly were running around in the front yard barefooted. The ground is still frozen, but they didn’t care. Spring is not here, but today was a wonderful reprieve from the wintry weather we have been experiencing.
I put Mark under house arrest this morning by not letting him get out of bed until almost 9:30. After breakfast we headed into town to go to the lumber company before they closed at noon. We wanted to purchase wood for making Ollie’s birthday present. He loves playing with the dollhouse at the public library, so Granddad is determined to build one just like it for him. We can buy the multicultural dolls that are really what Ollie likes to play with and we are hoping that Sam and Jonah can help build some of the furniture. Ollie’s birthday is not until the 21st, but since Mark’s sister will be here next weekend, this was his only chance to work on this project. All the parts are cut, so now we just need to sand, varnish, and paint. Tomorrow is forecast to be much cooler than today, but hopefully it will be warm enough to do the sanding outside and maybe get one coat of varnish on everything. I will then be able to complete the finish work during the next few days.
