2023 Life Logs, Day 224: Star Wars Afternoon with Ollie
Date: Friday, August 11, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 78, Low 68 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

I took advantage of having no kids again this morning by catching up on Encore work. I am responsible for writing the greeting from the co-presidents for the September newsletter, so I got a start on that. I also continued working on my new herb and flower garden. Then I got a text from Jonah saying he needed a ride to go meet a friend downtown. I delivered him but then went back and invited Ollie to come to my house for the afternoon. He is a little better and I wanted to get him out in the sunshine for a bit. Besides, I really didn’t want to leave him alone all afternoon. After lunch and an Oma required 30 minutes in the sunshine, we came inside to continue my Star Wars education. Ollie didn’t want to watch the 8th major movie. Instead, we watched four episodes of Boba Fett. Ollie pointed out that I had ‘met’ Boba Fett in a couple of the movies we watched. He is a human male crime lord and a former bounty hunter whose career spans decades from the fall of the Galactic Republic to the end of the rule of the Galactic Empire. I am learning.

2023 Life Logs, Day 223: A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World
Date: Thursday, August 10, 2023
Weather: Partly Cloudy, Light Rain Late Day: High 76, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

It was another day without Ollie and Jonah. Ollie’s cold is no better, so again Heather said the boys would be fine and that I should avoid contact. I did take lunch to Heather and the boys and busied myself here with designing and buying a few plants for a new flower and herb garden. Then at 5:15 pm, Christina Brodie picked me up and we went to a wine and cheese reception at Highfield Hall followed by an author talk. The speaker was David Gessner. He is a NYT best selling author, and his latest book is A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World: Tales of Fire, Wind, and Water by David Gessner. The Highfield piece advertising the event said: “In A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World, Gessner takes readers on an eye-opening tour of climate hotspots from the Gulf of Mexico to the burning American West to New York City to the fragile Outer Banks, where homes are being swallowed by the seas. He does so with his usual sense of humor, compassion, and a willingness to talk to anyone, providing an informative and sobering yet convivial guide for the age of fire, heat, wind, and water. Gesner approaches scientists and thinkers with a father’s question: What will the world be like in 2064, when his daughter Hadley is his age now? What is the future of weather? The future of heat, storms, and fire?” Gessner doesn’t like to use the word ‘hopeful’ when talking about climate devastation and the future.. He prefers to use the word ‘possibilities’. This prompted a very thoughtful discussion.

2023 Life Logs, Day 222: Encore Board Meeting and Ollie with a Summer Cold
Date: Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny: High 82, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

At 7 am the alarm went off and I woke with a start. In all of my preparation for today’s Encore Board meeting, I had totally forgotten to get the key from the library ahead of time to unlock the door. Our meeting starts at 9:30 am. The library opens at 10 am. What to do? I emailed the co-presidents from the past two years to see if this had ever happened to them. No, it had not. So I headed to the library at 8:15 searching for a solution. There were workman at the back of the library working on the roof. They had a door opened, so I entered. The library was totally quiet, no lights on. I thought if I walked upstairs, I might find a maintenance person or someone who could help me. I wandered through rows of books and came to the administrative offices. A light was one. I knocked on the glass door and a very surprised woman came to the door and said, “You are not supposed to be here.” I said, “I know that.” She was very surprised that the alarm system had not gone off and that the police were not on their way. I was shocked that my presence could cause such a stir. But long story short, she finally gave me the key I needed to the unlock the outside door and the meeting room. All was well. I hurried home to get my things and then headed to the meeting. Whew! What a way to start the day when you are in charge of a Board meeting for the first time in your life. I will never forget to pick up the key the day before again!

After the Board meeting, I was supposed to take Ollie and Jonah to the beach, but Heather had contacted me early to tell me Ollie has a terrible summer cold. He was fine yesterday. This really came out of nowhere. He is testing negative for Covid, so it looks like an old-fashioned summer cold. Hopefully he is better by tomorrow. I took advantage of the time by catching up on paperwork. No fun, but it felt good to get a few things done.

2023 Life Logs, Day 221: Afternoon at the Mall After the Big Storm
Date: Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Weather: Heavy Rain with Tornado Warning; High 77, Low 71 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

What a storm we had this morning! There was thunder and lightning, pouring rain, a break with no rain, and then more pouring rain and a tornado warning. I was taking Ollie and Jonah to the Hyannis Mall for the afternoon. Jonah was meeting friends he met at his ASLP camp earlier this summer and Ollie and I were just going to hang out. When there was a break in the storm, I should have left to go get them. I didn’t, however, and when it was time that I had to leave, it was raining bucket loads. I put on my rain jacket and headed to the car to be met with a yard and a driveway with at least an inch of rain running across it. By the time I got to the car, I was soaked, but I was certainly not going to go back to change clothes. So, on I went. When I got to Heather and Jed’s, I called their home phone in the hope that one of the boys would pick it up. Ollie did and I told him there was no way I was fording the stream in their yard to come in and get them. I said that he and Jonah were just going to have to put on raincoats with a poncho over that if they could find one, take off their socks and shoes, and run to the car. They did that and still they got a bit wet., but on we went. It was slow going with traffic having to drive through deep water in some places. The water was so deep, we were making waves. And then Jonah got a message from one friend who was traveling to Hyannis from Nantucket on the ferry. The ferry had landed but they would not let anyone off the boat because there was a tornado warning. Whoa! We were halfway between Falmouth and Hyannis, and I just did not know what the responsible thing to do might be. So, once again, we traveled on, listening to the radio hoping we might get warnings, and constantly watching the sky. I told the boys that once we were in the mall we should identify where the restrooms were as they might be the safest places to be if a tornado hit. They have no windows. Jonah was going to a movie and a theater also seemed a safe bet. Still, I was a nervous Oma.

By the time we finally got to Hyannis, the storm was beginning to clear, and I hoped the tornado had passed us by. We went into the mall to wait for Jonah’s friends. Once he met up with them and headed to the theater to see Barbie, Ollie and I had a Thai lunch in the Food Court and then drove to downtown Hyannis to Mass Bay Company. This an upscale Army surplus store that Ollie wanted to visit. We went on to hobby shop to look at remote control vehicles, and then back to the mall. We looked at Legos at Target and then went to an arcade in the mall where Ollie spent more than hour playing arcade games. He loved it. AT 5 pm, we met up with Jonah and I drove home in the sunshine with two happy boys. Malls are not my favorite place, but it was not a bad way to spend a rainy summer day on Cape Cod.

And speaking of Cape Cod, Karen Baranowski forwarded a photo of Cape Cod taken from above. It was so dramatic, showing just how small and fragile our little niche in the world is . . . quite a jarring perspective.

2023 Life Logs, Day 220: Car Issues, Pain Management, DQ, and Candlestick Bowling
Date: Monday, August 7, 2023
Weather: Mostly Cloudy with Sprinkles; High 74, Low 71 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

A good deal of my morning was spent dealing with my car issues. I took the car in early to a third garage and was told it could be two weeks before they can get to my car. That seems like forever, but other alternatives are about the same. So, Heather met me at the garage. We left my car, and I took her to work so I could use her Honda Civic today as I had a 2:15 doctor appointment and had to have a car. We discussed the possibility of renting a car for me for the rest of this week as our schedules show we need
three cars. I came home and was getting ready to call Enterprise to see what they might have available when I got a text from Jane Woodin. She is in Florida dealing with a dire family health issue, but she had read my log and wanted to loan me one of her cars for this week. It was like she was reading my mind. I was so grateful, and I called Bruce as she said he was flying to Florida tomorrow and we would need to get the car to me before then. I now have their red Toyota Rav and Heather and Jed have their red Honda Civic back. All is well due to the generosity of wonderful friends. Thank you, thank you, to Bruce and Jane.

I checked in with Ollie and Jonah. They were enjoying a day just veggie out at home. I told them I would return after my doctor appointment, and we would find something fun to do. The doctor appointment was with the pain management specialist that deals with back pain. He agreed that I need another epidural steroid injection and that was scheduled for next Tuesday. Then I headed back to the Goldstones. I suggested we go to Dairy Queen for a treat and then go downtown for candlestick bowling. We did both plus a visit to a downtown park where Jonah did his best to try to go swimming. He was walking on a floating piece of Styrofoam out on the water. Miraculously, he did not fall in and we went on to bowling. Jonah killed Ollie and I score wise, but we all had fun. I laughed out loud when I saw the photos Ollie took of Jonah and bowling–his form versus mine. You could readily see why he won.
And then there was the photo I took of Ollie enjoying the curly fries.
A good deal of my morning was spent dealing with my car issues. I took the car in early to a third garage and was told it could be two weeks before they can get to my car. That seems like forever, but other alternatives are about the same. So, Heather met me at the garage. We left my car, and I took her to work so I could use her Honda Civic today as I had a 2:15 doctor appointment and had to have a car. We discussed the possibility of renting a car for me for the rest of the this week as our schedules show we need

2023 Life Logs, Day 219: Relaxed Sunday
Date: Sunday, August 6, 2023
Weather: Sunny; High 78, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Today was a day of forced relaxation. I’m not sure what I did to cause the problem, but my back was letting me know that it needed a rest. So did a few things around the house and then had Heather, Jed, Sam, and Ollie over for dinner. Jonah was with friends, so I didn’t get to see him. But the rest of us had a nice dinner outside. I had the table set for an inside dinner, but the weather was just perfect for being outside. We moved my outside table to the front side yard and had a feast while enjoying a perfect summer evening.

2023 Life Logs, Day 218: Car Back, Still a Problem
Date: Saturday, August 6, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 77, Low 62 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

My car is home, but the problem is not fixed. I was wrong last night when I said I thought the check engine light would come on after a drove a mile or so. I made it all the way home which was 17 miles and then drove the car to East Falmouth to pick up a few outdoor things at the cottage. It was on the way home from there that the light came on and when I was almost home it started flashing. On Monday morning I will drive it around until the light comes on and then drive it straight to an auto repair shop. Or at least that is the current plan. We’ll see what happens by Monday.

While I was out and about, I bought a few gardening items that were too heavy for me to carry. So later this afternoon Sam and Jed came over to unload the car. Heather drove to Rhode Island today to pick up Ollie and Jonah, so right after Sam and Jed were here, they were all headed to Coast Fest to hear the local band they love so much play. I’ll have to get a report tomorrow on the Crooked Coast concert. And sadly, Lily left this afternoon. Her month of internship at WHOI was over yesterday. Heather loved having another female in the house. It was like having a daughter. Lily and family will be back to stay in their summer home for two weeks starting next week. Heather and family will be in Maine for the first week of their stay, but they will get to see each other again at some point.

2023 Life Logs, Day 216: Finally . . . Drip-irrigation System is Working
Date: Friday, August 4, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 75, Low 67 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

It was supposed to be first on my agenda, but somehow that got switched to the last job of the day. Regardless, I finally got the drip-irrigation system all connected and working. I’m afraid it is too late to save my tomatoes, but I just might rip those out and plant some fall crops in their place. I spent the first part of my day planting the Black-Eyed Susan’s I bought at Job Lot yesterday. There are the beginnings of a little rock garden in front of my deck—there are rocks and some Hosta. So, I planted the Black-Eyed Susans in front of the Hosta and I have grand plans for the space directly in front of the deck. I got most of a drip-irrigation system to that area as well. But I will need some help transporting garden soil to the area. I’m hoping I can get Jonah or Ollie or both to help me with that before they head to Maine next week.. I also went on a weeding frenzy to get rid of all the tall weeds in parts of the yard that were getting ready to spread their seeds everywhere. They are now gone. But never fear, there are many more short weeds that need to be pulled. Still lots to do.

I spent some of my day on the phone with the mechanics at the shop where I had my car towed the second time. The car has been there since Wednesday morning, but they didn’t have time to check it out until today. They told me the same thing the first shop told me. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my car. They cannot get the check engine light to come on no matter what they do. And unfortunately, the first shop cleared the computer system, so no one can tell what is wrong until that light comes on again. Heather is headed to Rhode Island in the morning to pick up Jonah and Ollie from Scout camp. She will drop me off in Sagamore and I will attempt to drive the car home. I am certain the check engine light will come on after I drive about 3 miles and then the car will only go 40 miles an hour. The mechanic assured me that I can go ahead and drive the car home if that is the case. But he assured me that he drove it for five miles and had no problems. I don’t know what I will do with the car once I get it home, but better to have it back here than so far away. Or maybe the problem is solved. That would be great.

Jonah and Ollie have had a good time at camp this week. Tonight, Heather showed me a few photos that Mr. Bruce, the Scout Master, sent to her. On the first day, Jonah caught a 17.5 inch fish when all of the other kids were catching little 5-inchers. We knew Jonah would have a good time because his good friend Joey is there. But we were all a bit nervous about Ollie as this was his first-time camping without a parent. They have had good weather and both Mr. Bruce and Jonah assure us that Ollie has had a great time. Mr. Bruce just says he doesn’t want us to let Ollie grow up.

2023 Life Logs, Day 215: Swans
Date: Thursday, August 3, 2023
Weather: Sunny; High 74, Low 64 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

For the five years that I lived in the cottage, I enjoyed the beauty of the swans that visited the upper reaches of the Eel River. All winter, I could watch them fly up to the end of the canal and then float back down. In the spring, they hung out around the dock in Shirley’s back yard where I could watch them up close. Now I live in town, so no swans. But I do have a hooked rug that Shirley made hanging on my living room wall that depicts the bird life I enjoyed at the cottage. But why I am talking about swans? Earlier today I saw this post in my Facebook feed: “So stoked to have this little piece in the world today! Many thanks to @inquisitiveeater for indulging my interest in the history of the consumption of swan.” This was posted by my grandnephew, Josh Martin. He is a poet, a writer, a college professor, and a brand-new dad.

The complete article can be read here:
https://inquisitiveeater.com/…/03/on-the-eating-of-swan/

Otherwise my day was filled with meetings, a trip to the Farmers Market, a little cooking of healthy food, a computer search to find a place in North Carolina to cater a belated 90th birthday celebration for my sister the day after the wedding we are attending, and a bit of yard work. Last night I contacted my friend Patsy Decker who lives in Chapel Hill and today I heard from her. She will be able to come visit with me while I am in the area for the wedding. I was so excited about that. I did not get to finish the drip irrigation system for the garden. That is first on the agenda for tomorrow.

2023 Life Logs, Day 214: Yard and Garden Work
Date: Wednesday, August 2, 2023
Weather: Partly Sunny; High 76, Low 52 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Today I took advantage of having nothing on my calendar and gave myself the gift of a quiet morning doing very little. I then launched into a frenzy of yard and garden work. But the pain in my knee and lower back slowed me to a halt a few times during the day. I just had to sit and regain the fortitude to continue. I spent a lot of time trying to complete the drip irrigation system for the garden. I installed most of it in early June, but then got sidetracked with the move and just got back to it today. It is now very difficult because the garden is like a jungle. I did not complete the job, but will try to get back to it tomorrow.

Sam and Heather dropped by in the evening. They had been out giving Sam an opportunity to practice driving. We visited for a bit, Sam played with Shadow, and they picked up their lawnmower that I have had all summer. Time to cut the grass at 43 Grasmere.