2023 Life Logs, Day 353: Lost Day
Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 48, Low 30 F; Sunset 4:16 pm (+1)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Today was just a lost day. The insulation work continued, but today not just the kitchen end of the house was involved. The entire house was under siege. I worked in the dining room as that was the only possibility. I got a few presents wrapped, but I honestly feel further behind tonight than when the day started. Let’s hope I can make up for lost time tomorrow. And speaking of time, we have stopped losing minutes of daylight in the afternoons and actually gained two minutes in the past week. The tide is turning.

2023 Life Logs, Day 352: Raging Coastal Storm, Surgery Date, Mass Saves
Date: Monday, December 18, 2023
Weather: Torrential Rain; High 58, Low 42 F; Sunset 4:15 pm (+/-0)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Busy day here. The rain started last night and by this morning there was a full blown raging coastal storm. But despite the wind and the rain, the contractors from Mass Saves came today to begin a two-day project of properly insulating the main house that I live in and the attached studio apartment. I left early to take Shadow for his every 7 weeks grooming appointment and by the time I got back, I could barely get into my house. I snuck into the dining room and then on into the living room where I stayed for the next few hours. I had not planned well for this, but since I needed to spend a lot of time on the phone, it worked out fine. I got the return call from Dr. Papavasiliou’s surgery scheduler, and we set the date for the surgery as January 17, with pre-op and post-op appointments. A great big hurray for finalizing this. This surgery date required the cancellation of some other appointments, but I was not totally successful and will continue that process tomorrow.

My return trip to pick up Shadow allowed me to run a few errands along the way and get home in time to eat dinner and head to Heather and Jed’s to discuss ways they can help me ‘survive’ until the surgery and afterwards. We also talked a little about our upcoming trip to Maine for Christmas. Tomorrow I will wrap Christmas presents and maybe do a little shopping while Mass Saves finishes the work here. Then just take life one day at a time.

I found out today that my sister’s son-in-law had open heart surgery last Friday. He had evidently kept this a secret from most everyone. He is still in the hospital and is doing fine. Hopefully, he will be home for Christmas. And here’s hoping he is feeling good enough to enjoy it.

2023 Life Logs, Day 351: A Day of Music
Date: Sunday, December 17, 2023
Weather: Overcast, Then Windy and Pouring Rain; High 53, Low 51 F; Sunset 4:15 pm (+/-0)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

It was a day filled with music. Ollie’s jazz band had another holiday concert at the Steeple Street Music Academy this afternoon. Last week’s concert was outside, but this one was inside with seating. The group consists of Nate on trumpet, Gavin on trombone, Watson on drums, Ollie on alto saxophone, plus their instructor, Andrew, on keyboard. They have named themselves the “Jazzmanian Devils” and today, like last week, they played Christmas music. It is so much fun to watch young jazz musicians in their first attempts at solo improvisations, especially to traditional Christmas music.

I made one stop on the way home to buy an outdoor light timer for my Christmas lights, then hurried home to play outside with Shadow before heading to the theater at Highfield for the Falmouth Theatre Guild performance of “It’s a Wonderful Life—The Musical.” The lead roles of George Bailey Mary and his wife were played by a very talented married couple offstage, as well as on. The production was really well done and certainly put the audience in the holiday spirit. But instead of snow when we exited the theater, we were greeted with pouring rain. It has stopped for now, but rain is in the forecast through tomorrow afternoon.

2023 Life Logs, Day 350: Shadow Passed the Dog Sitter Test
Date: Saturday, December 16, 2023
Weather: Sunny; High 50, Low 38 F; Sunset 4:15 pm (+1)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

One decision was made today. Woohoo! Shadow passed the test this afternoon with Ric the dog sitter which means that I will be able to go to Maine to spend Christmas with Heather and family. Actually, Shadow was very well behaved and got along really well with Ric’s 14 year-old dog named Logan who Ric said can be a bit prickly. Shadow deferred and all was well. So, I will leave Shadow here with Ric this coming Friday to go to Revels in Cambridge with the family, spend the night in Cambridge, hopefully stop to have breakfast on Saturday morning with friends Detta and Tom in Greenland, NH, and be in Boothbay, Maine, by early afternoon. If all goes as planned, I will then start the drive home on the morning of December 26. No decision can be made about a surgery date until Monday when I can connect with the scheduling nurse, but I am hoping for Wednesday, January 17. I realize that is putting the surgery off a bit, which means more weeks of pain, but doing it any sooner just seems like a logistical nightmare—literally causing no sleep. But for now, I can focus on making sure I have things ready for Christmas and have the house ready to leave in Ric’s care.

Ollie came over this afternoon to help me with some chores. He played outside with Shadow, carried things to the basement, and then went with me to take bottles to recycling and to return a package to Walmart. I don’t know what I would do without all the help. For whatever reason, I could not sleep at all last night. I finally nodded off sometime after 4:15 am and woke up again at 6:00 am. I eventually went back to bed and slept until 10:00. I am hoping that the sleeplessness was just worry and now that things are a bit more settled, I can sleep tonight.

2023 Life Logs, Day 349: Holiday Luncheon with Friends
Date: Friday, December 15, 2023
Weather: Sunny and Warmer; High 49, Low 38 F; Sunset 4:14 pm (+/-0)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

This afternoon I had a delightful holiday luncheon at the Daniel Webster Inn with good friends. We ate and talked and exchanged gifts and just generally had a good time together.

On my way to the luncheon, I dropped an application for a temporary Handicapped Parking placard by my primary care physician’s office. They will get the doctor’s signature and send it on to the DMV, but by the time it is processed, I hope I won’t need it anymore. But I submitted it, just in case. I spent the remainder of my day continuing to weigh the pros and cons of back surgery and when to have it. I am taking the advice of Heather, Justin and Jo, and friends into consideration in making this decision. Most say do it now, as soon as possible. But yesterday, I declined the Dec 20 date, just too soon. And I might have missed the chance at the Dec 27 date that most are in favor of. I will call on Monday to see if that is still available if I decide on that. There are medical reasons for doing this as soon as possible. But disrupting the holidays with a surgery is no fun. I truly appreciate everyone’s advice, but in the end, I will have to make the decision that is the right one for me. This decision keeps my head spinning, but hopefully by Monday I will have it settled.

The other thing that has my head, and probably most of you, is the last minute rush to make sure everything you needed to order for Christmas has been done. I stopped on the way to my luncheon today to buy gift bags for my gifts I was giving and then realized I left the gifts at home. I will have to drive around and make special deliveries once I can get the gifts in the bags. Just too many things to think about right now!

2023 Life Logs, Day 348: Video Medical Call, Jonah’s Winter Jazz Band Concert
Date: Thursday, December 14, 2023
Weather: Sunny and Cold; High 37, Low 30 F; Sunset 4:14 pm (+0)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Jed came to walk Shadow this morning and I rushed to continue the research about back surgery prior to my 9:30 am call. The call was with the neurosurgeon’s assistant, Shannon. The doctor is just too busy to fit anyone else into his appointment schedule right now, but Shannon spent almost an hour on Zoom with me answering all of my questions and explaining that the doctor has reviewed my MRI twice and will try to get me into the surgical schedule as soon as possible if that is my choice. We tried the less invasive track of epidural injections of steroids after I met with him last November and that did not work. The next step he is recommending is minimally invasive laminectomy surgery in the lower spine area, L4-L5, for those of you who know what that means. That specific part of my spine is where descending nerve endings are being entrapped and that is the cause of my severe pain. Laminectomies have about a 90 percent success rate. If things go terribly wrong and a nerve is damaged … well, I don’t want to think about that. But if it works and I could walk pain free again, then at this point, I am willing to take the chance. The surgical scheduler called me later in the day and offered surgery next Wednesday, the 20th, or on Wednesday the 27th. I wasn’t expecting something so soon, but I guess no one wants surgery at Christmas time. I was tempted, but it is just too disruptive. So, the schedular is looking for another possibility in January. When the assistant interviewed me about my pain level and my inability to walk or stand for more than 5 minutes without taking a break, she must have decided that doing something before the end of February was a good idea. I have always said I would never have back surgery and now I am saying, “How soon?” Things are moving so fast that I might not be able to get a second opinion, but I will work on that tomorrow.

All of this had my head spinning and I am not sure where the day went. But all of a sudden it was 3:30 pm and time for Jonah and Heather to drop by to help me with some things. And then all of a sudden, it was time to go to Jonah’s Winter Jazz Band Concert at the high school. Heather and Jed wanted me to park in one of the handicapped spaces up close, but I just couldn’t do that. I’m the person who for years, could not walk on the grass if a sign said not to. But I did take the time to fill out a form to get a temporary handicapped placard for a couple of months. It would make life so much easier. I will try to get my primary care to sign the form tomorrow and then get it to the DMV. It takes 30 days to get one, but Jed suggested that I just put a copy of the signed application on my dashboard and hope for the best.

I arrived early to the high school concert so I could get a close parking spot and then waited for it to begin. The Falmouth High School Chamber Ensemble played first. They had two pianos, a cello, a bass, a guitar, and a xylophone. Not your normal array of instruments for a chamber ensemble, but the music teacher had chosen some interesting pieces that made it all work. I loved their “Blue Ridge Reel.” Then it was time for the Jazz Ensemble. Jonah plays trombone and bass and, as with all of the musicians, you mostly saw his legs and feet as his music stand covered the upper part of his body and his face. All you could see was the tops of their heads. And Jonah had great hair, but he definitely got my vote for best looking shoes. He was stylin’. He is the lone trombone player at the end of a row of dynamite saxophone players, including Sam’s longtime friend, Sebastian. Jonah’s love is the bass and he got to play two of the six songs on bass. The jazz ensemble was a delight to listen to and they were followed by the Falmouth Concert Band. Again, the music teacher, whose name I think is Casey Synder, made some really interesting choices in music pieces and the students were up for the challenge. It was another great evening of showcasing Falmouth’s public school music programs.

I left right after the concert, but as I left, Heather was headed to get a photo of Sam and Jonah with good friends. Later, she sent me a photo I took of Sam and friends on his 5th birthday along with a similar photo from tonight. In the 2012 photo, the boys were dressed as astronauts. Jonah was on the left, then Sebastian, Sam, Harrison, and Alex. Harrison and Alex have been replaced by Robert in tonight’s photo, but it will be another one of my all-time favorites. They are no longer ‘wanna be astronauts. They are handsome young men. It has been a gift to be here to watch them as they have grown through the years.

2023 Life Logs, Day 347: Meeting, Meeting, Concert, Dinner
Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Weather: Sunny; High 46, Low 26 F; Sunset 4:14 pm (+1)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

This was a busy day, but things were spaced out a bit so I could rest in between. The morning started with the last Encore Board meeting until March. I was running the meeting today. Christina and I provided coffee and treats before the meeting to celebrate the holiday season and we even took time at the beginning of the meeting to share a favorite holiday tradition. We then got down to business and got a lot done in our 90-minute time frame, only going over by 6 minutes. Not bad.

After the Board meeting, I headed home to relax, have lunch, and play fetch with Shadow to give him his afternoon exercise. Then it was back out to an Exploring Public Policy group meeting that I co-chair with Claudia Needham. Today’s topic was mental illness, focusing on the involuntary commitment of people who need care. Jane Woodin and Tim Bayer led this discussion, and it became evident that people are interested in pursuing other aspects of mental health care at future meetings. It was a good discussion with about 16 people participating. Thank you, Tim and Jane, and everyone who attended. Job well done.

I headed home to try and fix dinner before I realized that there was not going to be enough time to do that before heading to Ollie’s winter concert. I planned to go early to make sure I could park close, so I arrived there at 6 pm and took my MRI reports from 2020, 2022, and 2023 with me to make comparisons while waiting for the concert to begin. That was prompted by a phone call I missed during the Public Policy meeting. The phone message said I have a 9:30 am video appointment in the morning with my neurosurgeon’s assistant and that Dr. Papavasiliou will be in the office and can answer questions. This was a surprise as I was told yesterday that I would hear at the end of the week if they could move up my office appointment currently set for the end of February. A virtual call is not quite the same as in person, but at least it can get the ball rolling. So that was good news, but I need to make notes and have a list of questions ready. Back to the concert, Heather and family arrived, the back surgery info went away, and the concert began. At the end, Sam said that this concert was much easier to listen to than some in the past. I think that was a Sam compliment. The 6th grade band did sound good, and the jazz band was even better. Five of the ten saxophone players did a solo piece and Ollie was front and right in the center. I got their solo bit on video, and it really does sound great. Way to go, Ollie!

After the concert, I was getting ready to ask Heather if they had dinner before the concert. I was starved and, if they had not eaten, I was going to invite them to go to Tiger Ramen with me for dinner. But before that got out of my mouth, Heather was saying to Ollie that they would be heading to Tiger Ramen for a celebration dinner. Perfect. They have been there many times, but my interest was piqued when the Woodins and the Baranowski’s said they were headed there after the Public Policy meeting. So, I went with the Goldstones, and I can see why people like Tiger Ramen. The food was delicious.

My days from now until Christmas are not nearly as busy as they have been. Tomorrow I have nothing on my calendar except the virtual doctor visit and time to rest my back. I am looking forward to a whole day at home. I might be taking Ollie to his tennis lesson late tomorrow afternoon, but other than that it is R & R for me tomorrow. (But who wants to make bets that I find something that needs to be done?)

2023 Life Logs, Day 346: Book Club, Calling Doctors and Pet Sitters
Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Weather: Sunny; High 43, Low 36 F; Sunset 4:13 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

I have an appointment with a back surgeon with Boston Orthopedic & Spine on January 23 and my current doctor in Hyannis is trying to find a way to get me in before the end of February. I will continue that search tomorrow. I did find a pet sitter who will come live at my house with Shadow so I can go to Maine, but he has to meet Shadow on Saturday to make sure they are compatible. Please, Shadow, be on your best behavior. This is not cheap, so I will only be staying for two or three days, but I can make that work.

Book club was mid-day today and we discussed this months book, Hello Beautiful, and chose books for the next few months. Each of us presents three choices and then we vote on the one we want to read. Here’s the final list in case you are curious. Which one do you think I recommended?

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict, 336 pp
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Sutanto, 352 pp
Still Life by Louise Penny, 312 pp
The River We Remember by William Kent Kruger, 421 pp
West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge, 372 pp
North Woods by Daniel Mason, 384 pp
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See, 400 pp
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, 658 pp
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton, 432 pp
The Silent Patient by Alex Michael Ides, 323 pp

Tomorrow morning is Encore Board Meeting, tomorrow afternoon is my Exploring Public Policy meeting, and tomorrow night is Ollie’s winter concert.

2023 Life Logs, Day 345: Fondue Feast
Date: Monday, December 11, 2023
Weather: Rainy AM, Mostly Cloudy PM; High 60, Low 32 F; Sunset 4:13 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Today might been our last 60-degree day until next spring. But who knows. We might yet get another warm spell. But the past few days of warm weather have been a wonderful gift. Karen Baranowski drove me to Whole Foods this morning to get organic strawberries. The ones at the grocery stores here in Falmouth were just not going to do for our fondue dinner tonight. She also bought bread for our fondue feast. On the way home, I asked her to make a stop at Talbots in Mashpee Commons. I have been having a craving a green sweater. The only one in my size was in a Talbots store in Cranston, RI, so it will be a few days before I get it. But at least it was a mission accomplished. Thanks to Karen for taking me shopping this morning.

Our dining-in group met tonight for a fondue dinner that turned out to be a feast. And it was so much fun. We started with a cheese fondue with wonderful bread for the appetizer. Then we added a delicious salad and rice that we ate as we moved from the cheese fondue to an electric fondue pot filled with oil for the chicken and beef that we cooked as we ate the salad. In the end, we had a chocolate fondue with an array of fruit and pound cake. I may never eat again! It was all reminiscent to fondue parties we had all attended back in the 1970’s. So that was fun, and the food was truly fantastic. And thanks to Bruce and Jane Woodin for picking me up and bringin me home. I couldn’t have made it without them.

2023 Life Logs, Day 344: Making a Christmas Kissing Ball with Jane Woodin
Date: Sunday, December 10, 2023
Weather: Mostly Cloudy with Rain and Wind; High 59, Low 55 F; Sunset 4:13 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

I received the results of my MRI yesterday but didn’t really read it carefully until today. The news is not good, but it could be worse. But I need to get an appointment with my neurosurgeon sooner rather than later and I will make an appointment with another doctor to get a second opinion. That will be Tuesday’s job as tomorrow is a busy day.

Heather and Ollie came over in the early afternoon to finish the outdoor Christmas lighting project. Ollie also cut some greenery for my afternoon project and Heather took my recycling and trash cans out to the curb for me. Thank you, Heather and Ollie. All of the jobs they did for me seem so easy, but there is no way I can do them right now. I was able to walk Shadow around the block this morning, but then I was not able to walk without difficultly for the remainder of the day.

Jane Woodin and I got together at my house this afternoon to make a holiday Kissing Ball. I’m sure you’ve seen these balls of greenery, but I had certainly never made one. Jane did most of my ball for me as I got the greenery cut to size and ready to use. But mostly she did it because she is better at it. I started doing mine and it was not looking good, so Jane gently took over. This project took more greenery that either of expected. We had to keep going out into the yard to find more. Jane was quite pleased with our results, as was I. We’re not sure why it is called a Kissing Ball, but I suspect it is because mistletoe should be among the greenery and when you stand under the ball, you must be kissed.

Tomorrow night I have my Dining-In Group and we are having a fondue dinner. I’m doing the chocolate fondue for the dessert and that is my project for tomorrow.