by Judy Handley | Dec 13, 2013 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 54, Year 9: Christmas Frenzy
Date: Friday, December 13, 2013
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Temp in the 20’s F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
Today I had a Christmas frenzy. I turned Heather and Jed’s kitchen in to Christmas Wrapping Central and wrapped things that were going to Puerto Rico, as well as some things for here. We took these things to Bruce and Jane’s hoping we would get the job done there. No luck. Since them we have been carrying these things around in the back of the car waiting for a time to wrap and send. Today was my deadline, so I just did it. I was able to get a couple of boxes ready while Ollie was awake, but after he went down for nap, the real frenzy started. We sent five flat-rate boxes to Puerto Rico and also got some presents for the Goldpebbles wrapped. I’ll call that a successful day.
by Judy Handley | Dec 12, 2013 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 53, Year 9: Lobster–Yum
Date: Thursday, December 12, 2013
Weather: Mostly Sunny, High in the mid-20’s F, Low in the Teens
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
I thought of naming this log ‘Cold and Colds’, but I’m afraid the gift of lobster for dinner overrides the coldness of the day. Heather and Jed belong to a cooperative where they get local fish every Thursday, and tonight when they picked up their order lobster was part of the deal. Jed is dreadfully allergic to shell fish, so we were given the lobster. What a wonderful gift. We had curried veggies, rice, and lobster and felt like we were feasting. So thank you, Heather and Jed. It was delicious.
Now to the ‘Cold and Colds.’ It is cold with the nighttime low predicted to be in the mid-teens. But then we got an email from our friends Lee and Lynda in Myrtle Beach saying that it is cold down there as well, so that made us feel a little better. Misery loves company! Mark went to the doctor this morning and was put on an anti-biotic for a low level sinus infection. I probably have the same, but I am hopefully able to fight it better than Mark right now. Ollie’s cold was no worse today. He got lots of rest today which helped and hopefully he will get just a little better every day.
We’re hoping to get the last packages sent to Puerto Rico tomorrow and will then spend one day of the weekend wrapping up Christmas presents for here. Most of the packages being sent to Puerto Rico were sent from Amazon. We have Amazon Prime which gives us free shipping on most items, so we have also been ordering for Jo’s family in the UK. On the other day of the weekend, I plan to make braided bread wreaths with Sam, Jonah, and Ollie and deliver them to neighborhood friends. ‘Tis the season.
by Judy Handley | Dec 11, 2013 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 52, Year 9: Cold, Getting Colder
Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Windy and Cold; High Today 33 degrees F
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
Yes, it is cold. But it is getting colder by the hour. From now until Friday, we won’t see the thermometer rise out of the 20’s. Brrrrrr. And the forecast for the next ten days looks like we are stuck at the freezing point, give or take a few degrees. There are a couple of days where we might see 40 degrees F, but it is looking like December is going to be cold. Jonah refuses to admit that winter is upon us. He keeps telling us that it is not winter until solstice on December 21. I love you, Jonah, but I beg to differ. When the thermometer dips below freezing, I call that WINTER! And it looks like this might be a long and cold one.
And speaking of cold, unfortunately Ollie has one. We were so hopeful that by keeping him out of daycare that we could keep him healthy all winter. I was at least hoping that we could keep him cold-free until the New Year. But now my hope is that we can get him back on the healthy list before Christmas. I worry that Mark and I might have brought this cold on. We have both been fighting a long-lasting cold or a low level sinus infection for weeks now. I think we both have sinus infections, but Mark is less sure. At any rate, now Ollie, Mark, and I all have something. Mark has an appointment with a doctor tomorrow morning to get a professional diagnosis and we’ll take it from there.
by Judy Handley | Dec 10, 2013 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 51, Year 9: Second Snow of the Season
Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Weather: Overcast Early, Snow Starting Late Morning Onward
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
As predicted, we got our second snow of the season with an accumulation of 1-2 inches so far. It is still snowing ever so lightly, so we’ll have to wait until morning to find out the actual total. Oliver calls snow ‘no’ and he loves to watch it coming down and loves even more going out to play in it. When it first started late morning, Mark had gone back to the boat to do a few chores, so I was alone with Ollie and was in the middle of canning chicken mineral broth and couldn’t really go outside. Ollie would play in the playroom for a bit and then run back to the kitchen sliding glass doors, point outside, and say “No, no.” Then he would go back and run back to the kitchen a few minutes later. Once I picked him up and took him out on the deck. He watched the snowflakes fall on his hand and looked at me as if to say, “What is this magical stuff that falls from the sky and lands on my hand and just sits there?” I finally put his snowsuit and boots on him and let him play on the deck while I waited for the canning process to complete. I left the door open and I could hear his giggles and shrieks of delight as he experimented with the white stuff. After nap I took him outside to play with Sam. Sam taught him to make snow angels and ride downhill on a sled. And again, the shrieks of delight were infectious. Seeing the world through the eyes of 20 month-old is just about as good as it gets. Everything is a wonder and Ollie’s adventures fill our lives with joy.
And speaking of wonders, my oldest nephew became a grandfather today for the second time. Emma Grace came into this world weighing 8 pounds and 6 ounces. Congratulations to the parents, Rachel and Aaron, and to the grandparents, my nephew Rex and his wife Diana. And welcome, Emma Grace!
Today was an early release day for Sam, so by 1 o’clock he was home with his friend Ethan. Ollie was asleep, so we asked the boys to play quietly. I was astonished that they didn’t want to go out and play in the snow, but they chose to stay inside and play Legos and eat popcorn. A little later they started getting a bit rowdy, so I kicked them out of the house and into the snow. Once they were out there, they had a great time. While they were out, I baked chocolate cookies. It’s amazing how many cookies two 6 year-olds can eat. After Ethan left, Sam went back outside with me and Ollie. Dark comes early these days, so we were playing in the dark, but it was great fun. And then when Jed got home with Jonah, he went out and played with Jonah until dinner time. Tuesday is the day when Heather drives to Boston to do her television science bit. What a day for driving to Boston. But hopefully she is home by now, safe and sound.
The weather is giving us a bit of a fright. Two years ago when we lived aboard in this marina, the first freezy weather came on December 11 and our first snow flurries with no accumulation were on December 18. The New Year came in with vengeance, but then the temps went back to the 40’s during the day. This year, the freezy weather came in November, as well as the first snow. And now it has snowed again. We will adjust, but it is just much colder this time around. We have the same heaters on the boat that we had two years ago, but we are already having to run them much harder on a daily basis than we did in the coldest stints two years ago. We had daytime temperatures in the 40’s in mid-January of 2012, so I’m going to hope for a repeat of that in 2014.
by Judy Handley | Dec 9, 2013 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 50, Year 9: From House to Home
Date: Monday, December 9, 2013
Weather: Slush Overnight, Overcast with Sprinkles Today, High in the 40’s
Location: Brewer Fiddler’s Cove Marina, North Falmouth, Massachusetts
Last night we made the move from Bruce and Jane’s house where we have been housesitting for the past three weeks back to our cozy little home on Windbird. What a contrast! Bruce and Jane’s is a big 4-bedroom home with a cathedral ceiling. It is a beautiful home, but all I could think the whole time we were there is how much wasted space there is to heat. Here on Windbird, two little oil-encased heaters do the complete job of heating our VERY compact 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom home. So we have the heating advantage on the boat. But the spacious kitchen is greatly missed. Trying to cook in Windbird’s eency weency galley today rekindled the greatest frustration of living aboard a boat for me. The challenges of storing food and cooking meals in a tiny galley are many, but once I vented my frustrations, things actually went pretty smoothly. So I give Windbird a point for ease of heating and Bruce and Jane’s a point for ease of cooking. But even with its frustrations, there is no place like home. We are happy to be living aboard once again.
by Judy Handley | Dec 8, 2013 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 49, Year 9: Celebrations
Date: Sunday, December 8, 2013
Weather: Overcast and Cold, High Temp in the 30’s
Location: Back Home on Windbird in Fiddler’s Cove
Today was a day of celebrations. Beginning at noon today, the town of Falmouth celebrated the holiday season with a huge parade which we attended along with Heather, Jed, and boys. And then this evening, we celebrated Jed’s 42nd birthday. Jed cooked one of his favorite lamb dishes for his birthday dinner celebration which we all enjoyed. I normally don’t eat lamb, but I must say Jed’s lamb ragu was delicious. Heather added an arugula and goat cheese salad and chocolate devil’s food cupcakes filled with cream cheese for dessert. Happy birthday, Jed!
Just before dinner, Mark received an email on his phone from our very good friend Helaine Kanegsberg. Her mother, Lillian, passed away this morning. The death was not unexpected, but we all know that losing a parent is never an easy thing. Just four days ago, Helaine’s parents celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. During our voyage around the world, Helaine would copy our logs and send them to be read to her parents. They got to know us long before we ever met. Then this past February when we were visiting with Mark’s family in Florida, we got to meet Lillian and Ellsworth in person. When we greeted Lillian she said, “But I feel like I already know you.” She went peacefully this morning holding the hands of her husband, son, and daughter. She lived a long and wonderful life and we now celebrate that life in her memory.
