2023 Life Logs, Day 202: Star Wars, Yard Work, Beach, and Soccer
Date: Friday, July 21, 2023
Weather: Partly Cloudy; High 77, Low 63 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Today was Day 4 of the Star Wars marathon. Ollie and I have pledged to watch all of the Star Wars movies before summer’s end, and we got a great start this week. We tend to watch one episode in two sittings, one in the morning and one at night. This morning we finished the last of the prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith. Since I have previously only seen the major movies in the series, starting with Episode 4, watching the prequel this week allowed me to learn about the origin of the characters. I finally know where Darth Vader came from!

Ollie and I also spent time back at the cottage. Ollie cut as much of Shirley’s lawn as he could before the lawnmower battery went dead. The grass was heavy with moisture which made it a much longer and harder job than usual, but he persisted and got the entire side yard done. We came home to have a late lunch and then a late afternoon play date with his friend Seton at Stoney Beach. Heather, Jed, and Lily joined us after work just in time to enjoy the only real sunshine we had today. Heather invited me to their house for dinner which was a delicious veggie curry. Then Ollie and I headed back to my house for another Ollie overnight. He is loving his little ‘nest’ we have created on an inflatable mattress in the living room. After a dessert of fresh pineapple, we had a soccer evening switching back and forth between the FIFA Women’s World Cup, USA versus Vietnam, and Inter Miami versus Mexico City’s Cruz Azul. Ollie predicted that the US women’s team would win their game 3-0. And they did. We wanted to also watch the Miami game as it was Messi’s Major League Soccer debut. Messi didn’t play until the second half, and we didn’t get to see him make a goal in the 94th minute of the game giving Miami a win. We turned in at 10 pm because we were both really tired. Too much Star Wars kept us up very late last night.

2023 Life Logs, Day 201: Ollie Overnight
Date: Thursday, July 20, 2023
Weather: Partly Cloudy; High 82, Low 64 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Today Ollie decided that it is time for him to spend a few nights at my house. With both brothers away, I think he gets lonely at home. So, tonight was his first overnight at my new house. We brought over a twin-sized inflatable mattress and found a place in the living room that will have to serve as his ‘room’. We closed the blinds on the sliders, pulled the drapes, and closed the blinds on the skylights. Hopefully the morning light won’t wake him too early because we stayed up WAY too late watching the remainder of The Clone Wars and the beginning of The Revenge of the Sith.

It was a mostly cloudy day and not beach weather according to Ollie, so after I did a little morning house cleaning, we spent most of the day watching the Star Wars movies. I then took Ollie home to pick up some clothes and announce to his parents that he was moving to my house for a night or so. Then we came home and fixed dinner. Ollie wanted hamburgers, so I went to the store to get the burgers and buns. Ollie did the grilling while I cooked the corn-on-the-cob. The corn was really tender, and the burgers were done perfectly. Yum! It was the beginning of a delightful evening.

2023 Life Logs, Day 200: Beautiful Cape Cod Beach Afternoon at Stoney
Date: Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Weather: Sunny and Hot; High 82, Low 70 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Stoney is the beach in Woods Hole that is owned by the Marine Biological Lab, not the town of Falmouth. It is small, but it has always been one of our favorites, and today was no exception. We packed lunch and met Lily at the beach. Stoney used to rather large stones on the beach, but this year it is mostly beautiful, soft sand with a few little pebbles. I got in to snorkel with Ollie and didn’t even have to wear my dive booties. Stoney is always a shallow beach with a sand bar just a little offshore. Today the tide was going out, but we could still enjoy snorkeling in the calm water. Going into the water at Menauhant is always a chore for me as there are always waves coming in and pulling the sand out from under your feet as it goes out. This happens at all beaches, but it happens with greater force at Menauhant and very gently at Stoney. I quickly remembered why I always loved going there when the boys were younger. Plus, there is a jetty on both sides of the beach where the boys always loved to try and catch crabs.Using periwinkles for bait that they tie onto the end of a piece of grass is the method. This afternoon Ollie met a kid on the jetty and the crabbed for a while and then Conner borrowed my snorkel and he and Ollie had a great time snorkeling together.

Heather, Jed, Lily, and Ollie were going to the Barnstable County Fair for the evening. It is Demolition Derby night and Ollie loves that. I declined going this year as standing for any period of time is just too painful. In March, I had an epidural to inject steroids into my spine that really helped. At best, the shot lasts four months, and with the effect of the move on my back, it is time for another one. I understood that after four months, all I had to do was call to make the appointment. Not so. Because of insurance requirements, I must have another appointment with the pain management doctor first and he has nothing available until August 23. I leave that day for Charlotte for my grand niece’s wedding, but I made an 8:15 appointment hoping I can make that. But for now, I just have to persist, and standing for long periods of time is just one thing I can’t do.

2023 Life Logs, Day 199: Swap Shop, Shopping, Star Wars
Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Weather: Mostly Cloudy; High 79, Low 70 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

The weather is just not what is expected on Cape Cod in July. It is more humid than usual and we are just not having those sunny, Cape Cod days. The same is true in Puerto Rico. It is rainy season there, but the rain came early and is more intense than usual. When I was on a Skype video call with Justin and family on Sunday, a torrential rain came down sideways and was blowing right into the house. Then I got this message from Jo, “Remember on Skype the other day when the rain was a coming in sideways? It was a freaking tornado!” The direct hit was a mile or so from them, but it is just another example of this extreme weather we are experiencing. There was damage, but not directly on their property. For that we are all grateful.

This morning Ollie and I took my carload of things to get rid of to the Swap Shop. There’s a bit more to get rid of, but we are getting there. We did some shopping for Coco’s birthday and then we spent our afternoon watching a Star Wars movie. Tomorrow Ollie and I are going to try for a beach day. Hopefully we’ll have some sunshine and no torrential rain.

2023 Life Logs, Day 198: Back to Camp Oma
Date: Monday, July 17, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 80, Low 70 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Monday means Camp Oma is back up and running, but it is very, very different this year. Sam spent his day at home getting ready to leave for the National Scout Jamboree this evening. He will be gone all of this week and next. Jonah is still at ASLP for another week. So, I just have Ollie, and only part-time, this week. He likes to spend his mornings at home, so today I picked him up at 11 am. He went with me to the cottage to load all of the things in basement that go to the Swap Shop into my car. There was barely room for him to sit when we were done and tomorrow morning, we will take the things to the Swap Shop. We got back to my house around 1 pm and then spent the afternoon working and playing. Late in the afternoon, Ollie got his little John Deere tractor out of the storage shed and hauled the bags of soil and plants that I brought home from the cottage yesterday. He used my rubber mallet to pound one of my bean towers into unbelievably hard ground despite all the rain we have had and then delivered the bags of garden soil. I hope to get the beans planted tomorrow. Ollie is hoping a friend can come over to play tomorrow, but the last I heard, Heather had not heard back from the friend’s mother. So, we shall see.

I forgot to mention in last night’s log that I had a great conversation with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco yesterday. It is officially the rainy season there, and they got one whopper of a storm while we were on the phone. But, otherwise, things are going along good there. School starts on August 9 and Ziggy is not too happy about that, but otherwise life is good. But I’m with Ziggy. I can’t believe school starts so soon there.

2023 Life Logs, Day 197: A Day of Rest
Date: Sunday, July 16, 2023
Weather: Overcast, Heavy Rain Late; High 79, Low 71 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

I did a little work today, but basically, it was a day of rest. I worked in the garden for a bit to weed out the grass growing among the veggies. I picked a bunch of basil, a couple of cucumbers, and one big and one little zucchini. This was the first harvest of the summer for me. I also drove out to the cottage to pick up the bags of garden soil and bags of plants we dug up yesterday. Then I worked on a jig saw puzzle for the first time in months.

Heather and Jed were at a parent visiting time for Jonah’s camp at the Mass Maritime Academy and Sam was at work. So, I also stopped by to check on Lily and Ollie. They were fine, so I headed home. I did a little of this and a little of that, but nothing too strenuous. Then at 6:30 pm I went to back Heather and Jed’s for dinner. This was my last chance to see Sam for the next two weeks as he is leaving tomorrow for the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia. We had a great dinner. Then just as I started out the door, the skies opened, and we had a true deluge of rain. I decided to go anyway, with a borrowed umbrella. But by the time I drove the three minutes to my house, I stepped out of the car into two inches of standing water. I have no idea how much rain can fall in such a short period of time, but it was impressive!

2023 Life Logs, Day 196: Saturday Work Crew
Date: Saturday, July 15, 2023
Weather: Mix of Rain with Periods of Sunshine; High 81, Low 68 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Heather and Jed met me at the cottage this morning. Friends of theirs who own Moto Pizza wanted the shuffleboard table that was in the basement, so we all convened, disassembled the legs from the table and got it moved into their truck. I was an observer, but it was great to see one more thing disappear from the basement. Then Heather and Jed stayed and helped me move as much out of the basement as would fit in our cars. Some things went to their house. The other stuff went to my basement. There is still more to move, but we made fantastic progress. Heather also took photos of some of the small furniture pieces to give away on Free Falmouth. Hopefully more will go during the next week.

Before Heather and Jed left, they also helped me finish rakeing the soil left from where the raised beds were and to dig up a few more plants that I wanted to transplant here. By the time I got home and got everything from my car put away in the basement, it was time to get ready to go to a ‘tropical’ summer party at the home of one of my wine group members. I didn’t stay long as standing for any period of time is difficult right now. But I was glad that I made myself go. I met some new people and had a good time.

2023 Life Logs, Day 195: Same, Same
Date: Friday, July 14, 2023
Weather: Rainy Day; High 75, Low 70 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Today was more moving activity and hanging out with Ollie in the afternoon. Even though it was pouring rain, I went to the cottage this morning to disassemble the last raised bed and to get the shuffleboard table in the basement ready for pick up. The people that own a local pizza place are taking it. It was too rainy for them to pick it up today, so Heather, Jed, and Sam will help them in the morning. Heather knows them from the days that their children were at East Falmouth Elementary. I think just the couple was coming this morning and my memory is that it is just heavy for two people to handle. It will be good for them to have the extra help. While I was at the cottage, I tried to assess what else needs to be moved out of the basement. If things work out right, Heather and gang might be able to help me with some of that tomorrow morning.

Since it was raining, I picked Ollie up from his last day of pottery camp. We came home and had lunch and he spent the afternoon finishing the assembly of a Lego Technics fancy car. I slipped away for half an hour mid-afternoon to attend a planning meeting of a new Newcomers/Encore activity group focused on Wellness. I apologized for staying only a bit, but it was long enough for me to give some input and to know that I really want to join this group of like-minded women.

2023 Life Logs, Day 194: Just a Busy Day
Date: Thursday, July 13, 2023
Weather: Sunny; High 82, Low 72 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

I slept in this morning because I was up too late last night. Then Lynda stopped by to show a friend visiting from New Hampshire all she has done to the house. I was glad to get to meet the friend, Peggy, that I have heard so much about. But then it was a rush to get the carload of stuff to the Swap Shop as they stop taking things at 11 am. I didn’t get there until 11:30, but they did accept what I had. Now, at least, I have my car back as I have been toting the stuff around all week. I got home just in time to greet Ollie as he rode in on his bicycle from pottery camp, and we then got back in the car and went to the cottage to put on my bike rack so I could bring my bike here. I took apart one raised bed while Ollie was dealing with the bike rack and getting my bike on. Then we loaded up more outside things and headed to the Farmer’s Market to buy some veggies and buy Ollie’s lunch. I spent most of my afternoon going to the store and then getting food ready to take to my dining-in group dinner tonight. Ollie stored away the outside things we brought from the cottage and helped me with getting food ready. Then he rode his bike home and I headed to the Woodin’s for dinner. We had a lovely dinner and enjoyed the company of Warren and Christina Brodie who are joining our group.

2023 Life Logs, Day 193: Meeting, Street Fair, Beach, Talk with Lynne
Date: Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Weather: Sunny; High 82, Low 70 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

It was a full day. It started with an all-morning Encore Board meeting, my first as co-president, here at my house. This house is perfect for entertaining. I used the dining room for food and conversation. Then we moved to the living for the meeting. There were nineteen of us and we fit in the living room and no one felt crowded. It was great. The meeting ended just before noon when Ollie arrived on his bike after his pottery class. He played on the tablet while I got things cleaned up. We were then joined by Lily to go to the Street Fair downtown. Sam joined us and we all walked from here. It was more walking than I have done recently due to my back issues, but I made it. We walked all the way to the far end of the fair on Main Street and then worked our way back up the street checking out every booth and then walked back home. It was almost 5 pm when we got home and we then left for the beach. Somehow, we fit it all in and had a great time. Ollie found a quiet pool of water where I could sit in the water and watch him play. It was so relaxing. Just what I needed. Then tonight I had one of my marathon calls with my friend Lynne Kirwin. Lynne was supposed to arrive here on Sunday for a week-long visit, but her plans have changed. She is now hoping to come later in July or in August. I was looking forward to her visit but will just have to wait for a few more weeks. It was a good day.