2023 Life Logs, Day 234: Getting Ready to Head to North Carolina
Date: Monday, August 21, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 77, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

This morning I had Encore business to attend to and at noon I went to pick Jonah up from his first high school soccer practice. Both Jonah and Sam are going to play high school junior varsity and varsity soccer for Falmouth High School this fall. That means no league soccer which means no practices far from home. At least that’s the plan right now and it sounds so much easier in terms of time traveling. Sure hope this works out.

I brought Ollie home with me when I dropped Jonah off. We had lunch and then he spent an hour helping with gardening tasks. And he will water the newly planted herb and flower garden while I am away. Thank you, Ollie. Then I took him to Mashpee for a jazz band class he will be attending each afternoon this week.

In between all of this, I got some packing done. I will finish in the morning and leave here early afternoon for Boston. I fly out of Logan at 5:45 pm and hope to be in Charlotte shortly after 8 pm.

2023 Life Logs, Day 233: Dinner with the Dearman’s
Date: Sunday, August 20, 2023
Weather: Sunny: High 78, Low 66 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

After trying to do too much yesterday, today I did almost nothing. I was afraid to move as I have to fly to North Carolina on Tuesday and I didn’t want to risk not being able to walk. But tonight, I did go to dinner at the Dearman’s with Heather and family. The Dearman’s are the family from Larchmont, just north of New York City, who bought the home next to my old nextdoor neighbor, Shirley Wiedemann. They are renting the house out for most of the year, but they reserved a couple of weeks for themselves this year. It was a bittersweet moment for me when we arrived. I was a visitor to the Eel River that I love so much. I no longer live there. But I soon worked through the nostalgia and enjoyed a wonderful evening. Lara and Andrew have three children the same ages as Heather and Jed and they always love getting together. Four of them are now teenagers, but they played in the backyard like they always have. Lara’s father, John, and his friend, Mandy, are visiting from England, and we enjoyed getting to know one another while the kids played. After dinner, there was a fire and s’mores for the kids. John and Mandy had never heard of a s’more and Mandy had to give one a try. She loved it. The rest of us had Heather’s amazing blueberry pie for dessert. Great evening.

2023 Life Logs, Day 232: Sunshine
Date: Saturday, August 19, 2023
Weather: Sunny: High 74, Low 60 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Finally … a beautiful sunny day after days of overcast, rainy weather. Of course, I tried to do too much in the garden, giving my back fits, so I finally stopped and just sat in a lounge chair in the sun. The lounge chair is in what I am calling my wild plant garden. Last year there was a huge tree standing in that spot, but because the backyard was totally shady, Lynda had three trees cut down. The one in this spot was huge and I have truly mixed feelings when I sit and look at the tree stump. It was a giant, and it is sad to think about cutting down a tree that size. But I love the sunshine and the new possibilities in the yard. What was once forest floor is now nature’s garden. I had never noticed that the huge trees around me are maples. At the cottage I was surrounded by oaks and I just assumed these were the same. What started out as a work day ended up to be an afternoon of contemplation under the towering maple trees.

2023 Life Logs, Day 231: Blurrrrrr
Date: Friday, August 18, 2023
Weather: Overcast, Rain, Clearing Late: High 77, Low 61 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

At the end of April, I flew to North Carolina for the Celebration of Life for my niece, Jennifer. I came home to a flurry of activity … completing the removal of varnish from the teak on Ardenna, taking over as co-president of Encore, dealing with a malfunctioning computer and getting a new one up and running, moving the garden soil and plants from the cottage to start a new garden at the Lakeview house. Heather was in Telluride for the last week of May, just before the boat was launched, so I did everything I could to help make sure the boat was ready for launching. Then it was June and time to seriously start packing for the move. Now it is the end of August, I truly feel like the summer has been a blur. Camp Oma was very different this year. Sam was working, Jonah was away at camp for two weeks in July, and the Goldstones welcomed Lily Dearman into their lives. She lived with them for the month of July while doing a high school internship at WHOI. Jonah returned from camp and was then in a daytime only soccer camp. Sam left for the Boy Scout National Jamboree. Ollie had one week of pottery class, but the rest of the time, we hung out together, and with Jonah when he was around. We spent time at the beach, played mini-golf, rode in the bumper boats, went to the Cape Cod Inflatable Water Park, When Sam got home, Jonah and Ollie left for a week of Scout Camp in Rhode Island. And all this time, I was getting settled in my new home. Then this week, the Goldstones went to Maine, and I had a week alone. But I have been dealing with knee and back issues and days on end of overcast, rainy weather. Not our usual for August. No wonder the summer seems like a blur. It is not over, but now I am preparing to head to North Carolina for five days to take my sister to her granddaughter’s wedding. By the time I get home, it will be the end of August and I am going to ask, “Where did this summer go?” I am hoping for a beautiful fall with warm weather so I can pretend it is still summer.

2023 Life Logs, Day 230: Birthday Luncheon at The Chart Room
Date: Thursday, August 17, 2023
Weather: Overcast, Misty Rain: High 70, Low 68 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Olivia White’s 86th birthday was almost three weeks ago, but today was the first time we could all get together to celebrate. She chose The Chart Room at Kingman Marina as the venue, so our group of friends all met there at noon today. Olivia is an amazing woman, and it was wonderful to be with good friends to celebrate.

I was a little late arriving for lunch as I had a chiropractor appointment. Dr. Mike confirmed what I thought. I have done something to really aggravate the two herniated disks that I have spent the last year working to heal. My spine was a bit out of adjustment, but no more than usual, so that is not causing the current pain. It is nerve related. The swollen disks are pressing on nerves and when I move certain ways, the pain shoots through my lower back and hips like an electric shock. The pain has somewhat lessened since I got the steroid injection on Tuesday and is better tonight after today’s adjustment. But I still have to move very carefully.

I went to pick up my car this morning and a woman who works there agreed to drive the car home while I drove Heather’s car. I then took her back to the garage in my car and we had a fascinating conversation. Her grandparents used to live in a house that is now the East Falmouth Library and her grandfather’s garage was where Smitty’s Ice Cream stand is today. Her grandfather developed the surrounding farm fields after World World II into the neighborhood that Heather and Jed used to live in. They lived on Vidal Ave and Vidal was this woman’s mother’s maiden name. Patricia Street, where all of the Goldpebbles learned to ride their bicycles, was named after this woman’s aunt. She said that all the little cookie cutter houses were transported to the neighborhood from Otis Air Force Base. I love history and learning about this little sliver of Falmouth history was fascinating. And the good news is that the car is running great.

This weather is starting to be really depressing with day after overcast day with rain. August is usually a time with no rain here, but the weather is just no longer ‘usual’. I got a photo today from Heather of Ollie and the Mackerel he caught today. They were having that for dinner and he looked very proud of his catch. She didn’t say what kind of weather they are having, but I hope it is better than here!

2023 Life Logs, Day 229: Oppenheimer
Date: Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Weather: Cloudy, More Rain: High 70, Low 64 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

My activity level these days is totally dependent on my back. I did something on Monday that threw my back out of alignment and I could not get an appointment with my chiropractor until tomorrow. Hopefully, we can get me back on track. But in the meantime, I am in slow gear. The steroid injection I had yesterday is helping manage the pain, but that doesn’t solve the problem. Since I have to fly to North Carolina next Tuesday and I have to be able to get my sister’s walker in and out of the car constantly for five days, I need a miracle to make my back better. Wish me luck with that.

I got a text message and email from the garage that has my car with an estimate on repairs this morning. The reason for the check engine light is one bad ignition coil plus the spark plugs. The estimate for fixing those things is about $500. But then they found that the battery needs to be replaced plus the front suspension stabilizer and sway bar need replacement parts. Neither the battery nor the sway bar have to be dealt with right now, but I decided to go ahead and have the work done. That doubles the cost to $1,000. The good news is that I should have the car back tomorrow.

This afternoon Andrew Dearman invited me to go to see Oppenheimer with him, Lily, and Charlie. It was great seeing them and seeing the movie. It is definitely a movie that makes you think, long and hard. As I watched the movie, I realized that I know almost nothing about Oppenheimer. But this movie insured that I will learn more. After I do some background reading, I will go back to see it again. Formidable is the word that comes to my mind in describing this movie. A must see for young and old.

2023 Life Logs, Day 228: Resting Ye Ole Back
Date: Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Weather: Cloudy with Rain; High 73, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Today I followed the doctor’s orders. I had an early afternoon appointment to get a second steroid injection in the lumbar region of my back. It is to manage the pain while my body hopefully, eventually reabsorbs the two herniated disks I have from a fall last summer. The injection just buys time for healing, but this time I am going to have to stop lifting and carrying heavy loads. The move didn’t help things, but I have to rethink the way I get groceries into the house, the way I do gardening and yard work, and on and on. But the doctors last words to me today were to go home and rest. So, for once in my life, I did what I was told. We’ll see how this goes.

2023 Life Logs, Day 227: Low Country Shrimp, Sausage, Potato, Corn Boil
Date: Monday, August 14, 2023
Weather: Partly Cloudy; High 78, Low 68 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

New England has its clam bakes. Maryland is famous for its boiled blue crab. The Great Lakes have white fish boils. In Louisiana, it is a crawfish boil. America’s coastlines all have their specialty. In South Carolina and Georgia, it is called a Low-Country boil and that is what I served to my dining-in group tonight. I have boiled crabs and I have boiled lobster, but it has been years since I did that. So, I was skeptical that I could pull this off, but I did it. Tonight’s Low-Country boil was a success, but it did take the better part of the day for me to get it together. I also made a super-moist jalapeno cornbread. Christina and Warren Brodie, our new members, brought cole slaw, Midge Frieswyk brought the appetizer, and Karen and Peter Baranowski added a blueberry cobbler for dessert. Great group, great fun being together, and good food. Can’t think of a better way to spend a summer evening.

2023 Life Logs, Day 225: Gardening and Trip to the Airport
Date: Saturday, August 12, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Rain Forecast for Tonight; High 79, Low 70 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Right now, I am sitting in the Cell Phone lot at Boston Logan Airport. The Woodin’s were kind enough to loan me their car this week, so I offered to pick them up from the airport tonight. They have been in Florida with Jane’s brother who is terminally ill and now in hospice. Jane had to come home for a few days as she has doctor appointments next week that can’t be missed, but she really didn’t want to leave her brother. The good thing is that Jane is very pleased with the hospice situation with a very caring and attentive staff.

Otherwise, my day was spent finally planting my new herb and flower garden in front of my little deck. I have spent a couple of days getting it ready, so today was the day to plant. Some things are in containers and others are in the ground, which was hard as a brick and full of roots and rocks. But I persevered and transplanted oregano, mint, and a perennial garden vining plant from my garden at the cottage. Then I added parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, chives, and a few basil plants in containers. I fear the rabbits will eat the basil, but I have more in the vegetable garden. I also added a container of green and red coleus in honor of Mark. When I saw it at the garden shop, I was compelled to buy it. When I first met Mark he lived in Bloomington, Indiana where he had a vegetable garden edged in coleus. I have never since had coleus in a garden, so now I do.

Update: It is now midnight and I just got home from the airport trip. Bruce and Jane arrived right on time, just before 9 pm, but they had checked luggage and the conveyor belt was not working. Plus, the traffic at arrivals was crazy. They have made it almost impossible to pick someone up. All passengers have to either walk a very long way with their luggage to one pick up area for all gates or they have to walk across three lanes of bus and taxi traffic and the car picking up simply has to stop traffic to load bags and passengers. It is very dangerous and I’m not sure why it has changed to be this way. It was after 10:30 when we finally left the airport. I know they were exhausted and will be so glad to sleep in their own bed tonight. My thoughts are with you, Bruce and Jane, during this very difficult time.

2023 Life Logs, Day 226: Early Morning Thunderstorm
Date: Sunday, August 13, 2023
Weather: Rain Early, then Partly Sunny; High 78, Low 66 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

CRACK! Rumble, rumble rumble, roar. Wham! That’s my best expression of the sounds that basically threw me out of bed at 6 am. The thunder was so loud, and it went on for an hour with driving rain. I stumbled though the house, shutting windows as the rain was in from and then I tried to go back to sleep. Shadow was shaking like a leaf for the entire time, so I had to hold him close to me to try and settle him down. I told him it was all okay, but he wasn’t having it. It was not until after 7 am that we could both finally close our eyes and get a little more sleep. I am happy to get the rain, but it comes down so hard, and the thunder and lightning is just scary. When I finally got up, the rain had stopped. Or so I thought. I got dressed and took Shadow out just in time for another downpour with more thunder. He was not going to pee as long as there was thunder, so we ran back to the house and waited until the rain finally did stop for that potty break. Then I spent most of my day shopping for food and cleaning house for tomorrow’s dining-in gathering here. Between the pain in my right knee and my back, everything is taking a longer than it should. But I’ll just keep on going at a snail’s pace and get the job done.