2017 Life Logs, Day 314: Inching Forward, Sliding Backwards
Date: Friday, November 10, 2017
Weather: Sunny, Windy, and Cold; High 53, Low 21 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA

In yesterday’s log, I reported that yesterday Justin and Jo had running water for the first time in seven weeks. Today I found out that the running water only lasted long enough for Justin to take a shower. But he was eternally grateful for that shower and a chance to flush the toilets. When I talked to Justin this afternoon, he also shared that some of their neighbors have electricity, but not them. So light is getting closer, but when he drove to Mayaguez to try and get some work done, the city that has had limited electricity for weeks had none. Something happened in San Juan that caused a shut down on all electricity. So, some things are inching forward in Puerto Rico, but some days the back sliding is very discouraging. Justin said that yesterday seemed like a low point for people in Rincon. They are tired of the fight with very little hope in sight. And this is from a town that did not have the same level of devastation as some others. I could tell this afternoon that the reality of two months without being able to contribute to his business is starting to settle in with Justin. He is trying to figure out some way to come out of this, but it is not easy. I’m so thankful that it looks like they will be able to meet us in Florida next Sunday for a Handley Family get together. The Thanksgiving week will give them a break and us a chance to brainstorm next steps. In the meantime, I just hope Justin and Jo can keep fighting the fight with the same strength and determination they have shown for the past seven weeks. They have made it this far because they have had tremendous support from family and friends. Thank you to all of you who have contributed. The outpouring of generosity has been overwhelming.

It is freezing here tonight, literally. We’ve had only one night that even approached a frost, but tonight the temp is supposed to dip down to 20 degrees F. And it is windy, making it feel even colder. Sam, Jonah, Ollie and I had a nice morning together, and after lunch I delivered Sam and Jonah to Jed who was taking them to a two-hour outdoor soccer clinic. There were all sorts of tears about having to wear layered clothing. Since it has been so warm, Jonah and Sam were sure they would be fine without those layers. But when Jed brought them back after the clinic to pick up Ollie, both boys were frozen. Tomorrow’s high is supposed to be only 38 degrees, but then things warm up again on Sunday. Thankfully.

2017 Life Logs, Day 313: The Power of One
Date: Thursday, November 9, 2017
Weather: Partly Sunny and a Tad Warmer; High 57, Low 38 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA

The Falmouth Newcomers general meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. There is a social time with coffee and pastries followed by a presentation. And today’s presentation told one of the most compelling stories I have ever heard. A young Cape Cod resident named Beth Murphy made a presentation today along with Razia Jan. Beth is a documentary director, producer, and author. She founded her own film production company, Principle Pictures, and is the director of GroundTruth Films. She not only directs and produces films, she wins awards for them. And today we got to see snipits of her latest film, “What Tomorrow Brings.” It is the story of how one woman, Razia Jan, established the first all girls’ school in one small Afghan village. Razia came to the United States in 1970 from Afghanistan. She lived in Duxbury and made a living running a small tailoring business. She became an integral part of her community and served as President of the Rotary Club. Then 9/11 happened, and as she told us today, it changed her world. She was the only Muslim in Duxbury and there were officials that came to talk to her. But the people of Duxbury, who knew and loved her, stood by her. She repaid them for their allegiance to her by rallying the community to send over 400 of her handmade quilts to Ground Zero rescue workers. She sent care packages to US military personnel in Afghanistan. The list goes on, but the most important thing that happened was when she returned to her native country for a visit. She saw first-hand how things had changed since she grew up there in the 1950’s and 60’s and she determined right then and there that she had to do something for the young women of Afghanistan. Against all odds, but with the financial support from her Duxbury Rotary Club, in 2007 she found a village that would allow the building of an all-girls’ school and the work began. The school opened in 2008 as a K-5 school. Today there are 625 students in grades K-12. These students receive a quality education for free and many of the young graduates are going on to college. There is so much more to this story and I encourage you to read about it online. Razia, through her Ray of Hope Foundation, works full-time raising money for the school and traveling to Afghanistan to oversee its progress personally. And Beth Murphy, through her film documentaries, has made this story visible and tangible for all to see in the most compelling way. Here’s one review of the film that I found online. “I worked in Afghanistan for just six months in 2007, and I’ve watched so many documentaries and films, and read so many books, about the country and the situation there, and most fall short in showing how complex it is, especially for women and girls – at least in my opinion. This documentary nails it – it presents the people and their thoughts, without comment from the filmmakers. It’s a mix of heartlessness and hope – which is exactly what living in Afghanistan is like. You can ask “why” all you want – but you need to know that is how it is, for whatever reason, and see for yourself how brave Afghan women circumvent the culture to help the women of their country.” If you are interested in learning more or supporting a student for $425 per year, look up the Zabuli Education Center online. Or contact me and I will make sure that Beth Murphy gets your contact information. I’m sure she will be glad to connect you with Razia’s. I titled this log The Power of One, but in reality, it takes the vision and dedication of one and the support of the entire “village”.

Tonight I have the Goldpebbles with me for an overnight. There is no school tomorrow as it is the day of off for Veterans Day. Observances here will happen on Saturday, not tomorrow, as Saturday is the 11th day of the 11th month. Heather and Jed have to work tomorrow, so I will hang out with the boys in the morning. Then in the afternoon Sam and Jonah have a 2-hour soccer clinic. Not sure what Ollie and I will do, but we always find something of interest. Tonight we had what we call dinner theater. In other words, we watched a movie while eating our dinner. They talked me into letting them watch The Emoji Movie. Wouldn’t be on my Top 10 list, but they loved it. And then we read longer than we should have, but Ollie is really into Ancient Egypt as that is what they are learning about in kindergarten. I could not believe how much he knows. Even Jonah was a little wide-eyed. He had the same unit of study in kindergarten, but he didn’t remember learning the specific names for so many things. Ollie explained to us that he learned it from the Smart Board (projection board from a computer). He told Jonah that that Smart Board is always right. Jonah was having none of that, but it was a cute interaction highlighting how technology is interfacing with the education of young children these days.

I got an email from Jo’s mother late today saying Jo had sent her a What’s App message letting her know that running water is back in Rincon, Puerto Rico. Happy, happy. She said Justin was actually in the shower as she was writing. They are almost afraid to use the water even for bathing as there are so many stories circulating of disease caused by using the running water when it returns due to the water sitting in the pipes for so long and contamination of the water sources. For now, they will continue to get drinking water from the spring or from rain water. But hopefully soon they will be able to trust the water again. Well, I should be clear that they never trusted the water even before Maria. They have always put the tap water through their Berkey filter. What I should have said is that hopefully soon they will once again be able to trust it as much as they ever did. But things are improving.

I’ll end by sending a great big hug to friend Jane Woodin. She had a cardiac catheter ablation today to correct heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias). I got a text from her at 7:30 pm saying that it was a long day, but that all went well. Then I got another text from her just before 9:30. That’s when we switched roles. Jane is a nurse, but I took the nurse roll and told her she needed to be sleeping! From our brief text contacts, I’d say she is back to her feisty self. Sure hope so.

2017 Life Logs, Day 312: Voyage of Windbird Presentation
Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and Cool; High 47, Low 34 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA

It was an early morning for me as I had to get up and drive an hour and 20 minutes to get to the Outer Cape before 9 am. I was presenting the Voyage of Windbird presentation to the Nauset Newcomers who meet in the Wellfleet Cinema. What a perfect presentation venue. I felt the presentation was well received and I know I enjoyed doing it. Reliving the memories of the almost six years spent sailing around the world is always a positive experience. And making the presentation gave me renewed energy to get started on writing that book. I just have to make the time.

There is no school here on Friday, so I have invited the Goldpebbles for an overnight tomorrow night so Heather and Jed can have a ‘date’ night. I haven’t seen much of the boys since school started, so tomorrow night into Friday will give us a chance to catch up. Today felt like winter and Friday is going to be even colder, but we get a bit of a break tomorrow. Looks like we could get our first frost on Saturday night and then things go back to 50’s during the day and 40’s at night . . . a little more like fall. The cooler weather brings those rosy sunsets that makes the harbor water glow pink and tonight was certainly one of those.

2017 Life Logs, Day 311: Mail Came
Date: Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and Cool; High 58, Low 42 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA

Justin and Jo both posted on Facebook today. Their Sprint cell service on their iPhones is actually working again which is fantastic news. I read Jo’s Facebook thank you note for all the packages that arrived today and then I saw Justin’s post which was a photo of their Subaru Outback absolutely filled completely with those packages that just said, “Mail came.” It sure did. Jo’s post was a little longer than Justin’s and I need to add nothing to it. She writes so beautifully, straight from her heart.

“So blown away today. I headed straight to the post office this morning, and came home feeling like Santa with a truck packed full of boxes . . . And right in time to make the envoy that leaves tomorrow for Campamento de los olvidados/camp of the forgotten in Utuado, we have: diapers, cleaning supplies, powdered goat and cow milk, infant formula, life straws, water bottles, copious amounts of organic seeds, healthy snacks and dried foods, underwear, clothing, art supplies, female sanitary supplies, solar lights, baby bottles, D batteries, wipes…
Justin is dropping it at the collection center for the mountains in just a few moments, and all these wonderful supplies will be heading directly to the people who most need them.
It’s AMAZING!
Humbled and sooooo lifted by this incredible outpouring of generosity. What a caring and beautiful world this really and truly is, let’s not forget that as our oppressors march further into their own skewed reality and attempt to squash our spirit with fear-driven agendas and propaganda…
We are all so mighty and unstoppable and here for each other! Thank you Facebook world of lovers, dreamers, seekers, carers and fighters. You are one of our many blessings, and we will never forget this time and these lessons.
Maria was and continues to be the most incredible teacher and her lessons are swift, sometimes painful, emotional, unifying, baptismal, opening, restorative, and challenging.
I love you all. Blessed. All the hashtags. Thanks and praises on the Most High.”

2017 Life Logs, Day 310: Reliving the Voyage of Windbird
Date: Monday, November 6, 2017
Weather: Mostly Cloudy; High 70, Low 43 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA

It was unusually warm when I left for the gym this morning, but by mid-afternoon, the temperature had dropped significantly. But it was warm enough this afternoon that I washed the outside windows before the really cold weather arrives. The storm we had last week left a salty residue on the outside of all of my windows, and I was tired of looking through the ‘milky’ window panes. Now I can watch the cooler weather arrive with clarity. Tomorrow the daytime high will be almost 20 degrees cooler than today. Ouch! Otherwise, I spent my day tweaking a PowerPoint presentation I gave to the Falmouth Newcomers last January. On Wednesday of this week, I make that same presentation to another Cape Newcomers Club. I truly enjoyed the day, reliving the Voyage of Windbird.

I talked to Justin briefly today. In anticipation of the solar power system we purchased last week being installed in December, he and Jo took a look at new refrigerators at Home Depot. The one they have is very old and takes way too much power to run off solar. Home Depot is having a big promotional sale on small Haier refrigerators and Justin asked me to look into their efficiency rating. I, in turn, sent a text to Heather, and upon a quick review by both of us, it looks like a good deal. The sale price in Puerto Rico is the same as the regular price here, but that is normal due to the import charges. I’ve got to do a little more research, but it sounds like the Home Depot sale is good for them. Last week they spent Home Depot gift certificates they have received to buy materials to rebuild a barn and fencing for their animals. The work is going more slowly than Justin would like, but they are very happy with the results thus far. And they are so very grateful for the donations that have made this work possible. So life marches on for them, slowly but surely.

2017 Life Logs, Day 309: Son, Daughter, and Me
Date: Sunday, November 5, 2017
Weather: Mostly Cloudy; High 62, Low 59 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA

My day was equally divided between a focus on my son and family in Puerto Rico, my daughter and family here on the Cape, and me. I’ll begin with Puerto Rico. A friend from high school sent me an email this evening alerting me to a segment on 60 Minutes focusing on Puerto Rico. I missed the segment, but then the same friend sent me a link to find it on the web. Thank you, Veronica. After that missed opportunity, I watched an Anthony Bourdain program on CNN about Puerto Rico. I had never heard of Anthony Bourdain until recently, but my sister gave me the tip to watch his program tonight focusing on Puerto Rico before Hurricane Maria. I felt that Bourdain’s take on Puerto Rico was right on target. It is a drop-dead beautiful island that has been compromised by its association with this country. It is part of this country, but I don’t think most Americans know that or even care. Bourdain’s program made clear that even before the hurricane, the future of Puerto Rico was in danger. But it also made clear that there are young people in Puerto Rico who are fully dedicated to making Puerto Rico survive. I put my son and daughter-in-law in this category and I will be eternally grateful that so many of you, my good friends and family members, have stepped forward to help me support the needs of this family that wants to stay in Puerto Rico. This support is so necessary while Justin and Jo are trying to find a way to exist, while at the same time trying to find ways to help rebuild their island in the post-Maria reality.

I invited Heather, Jed, and boys over for dinner tonight. Jed and Sam returned from their two-night Scout camp out this morning and tonight both showed the obvious signs of sleep deprivation that are inevitable after a Scout camp out. But despite that, we had a nice dinner together before they head into another busy, busy week.

And then there was the focus on me. I started my day going through the Powerpoint presentation I will make on Wednesday of this week. In doing this, I realized that I had totally forgotten to order a laser presentation remote that will allow me to control my computer without having to be right next to it. Alan Kanegsberg had shown me this little device when I was in New Hampshire almost a month ago. But somehow, I forgot to order it on Amazon. So this required a trip to Hyannis today. I’ll try things out in the morning and hope I have it all together.

2017 Life Logs, Day 308: Beautiful Full Moon
Date: Saturday, November 4, 2017
Weather: Partly Cloudy; High 53, Low 43 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA

Today was a quiet Saturday that ended with a dinner out with Heather, Ollie, and Jonah. Coming home from dinner in Woods Hole, we got to see tonight’s beautiful full moon. It was a delightful day and evening with no drama. And that has become a rare thing around here! Today was ten degrees cooler than yesterday, and it finally felt like fall. At midnight tonight the time changes, so that makes it official. We ‘fall back’ an hour and as a result sunset tomorrow will be at 4:32 pm. Definitely fall, even if there are still Monarch butterflies flitting about. The temperature today was also a reminder that fall is really here and winter is on the way. The high was only 53 degrees F and it felt chilly. Tomorrow will be a tad warmer and Monday the high should reach the upper 60’s. But after that, the forecast is for a week of repeats of today. It is time to start wearing fall clothes.

I went to the gym for my Saturday Zumba class, but no one was there. There was no sign or posted schedule, but before I left, I spotted the Zumba teacher. I haven’t been to class for the past couple of weeks, and she explained that the class time has been set back one hour. I missed today’s class, but will arrive on time next week. I headed home to change clothes and head over to Heather’s. But by the time I wrote a couple of emails and talked to Detta and Tom Porat on the phone, it was almost noon. I headed out, but when I arrived at the Goldstones, no one was home. I knew Heather was taking the boys to a birthday party, but I thought that was later in the afternoon. When I checked the calendar on my phone, I saw that it actually started at noon, so I took time to read the Falmouth Enterprise that comes out every Friday (and I am too cheap to subscribe to) and headed back home to work on a Voyage of Windbird presentation I am making on Wednesday. I returned to Heather’s mid-afternoon to hang out with Jonah and Ollie while Heather went for a run. Sam and Jed left yesterday after school for a two-night Scout camp outing. The boys don’t love going out to dinner, but Heather was able to talk Jonah and Ollie into going to the Captain Kidd in Woods Hole and they invited me to go along. We had a lovely dinner and drove home by the light of that full moon. Beautiful.

2017 Life Logs, Day 307: Never a Dull Moment
Date: Friday, November 3, 2017
Weather: Partly Cloudy; High 68, Low 41 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA

It seems like there is never a dull moment these days. Just when I thought that there is not much more that I can do right now about Justin and Jo’s situation in Puerto Rico, new information comes along requiring new research on additional projects. Since I had no electricity or internet at my apartment today, I headed to Heather and Jed’s to ‘borrow’ theirs. Just as I was getting set up to write some catch-up emails, I got a phone call. The young man on the line said he was calling in response to my need for internet from Enterprise. Since I have been dealing with having no internet at my apartment, I thought he was calling about that. So, I assured him I hadn’t called for information. But he persisted, saying he was sure I had made multiple calls and internet inquiries. Then it dawned on me that he was the person I had been try trying to contact about satellite internet for Justin in Puerto Rico. I first researched the possibilities five weeks ago and got nowhere. I kept trying and made no progress. Two weeks ago, I found a new phone number and tried that, but still no response. Justin and I decided this was futile and I gave up on the search. But the call today was the person I had last tried to contact over two weeks ago. When I got no response, I finally gave up. But here he was on the phone today. His name is Luis is he has just returned to the US mainland from Puerto Rico. He is in Houston for a week and is catching up on those phone messages he couldn’t respond to from Puerto Rico. There are all kinds of stories associated with this contact, but I’ll just say here that it is possible to get satellite internet installed for Justin and Jo at their home almost immediately. And it is affordable. But they have to have the power to run the satellite up-load, down-load module. Since the solar power set-up won’t be installed until sometime in December, that delays the time when Justin could get back to work. So Luis got me in contact with a Supervisor who might be able to get a generator for us to buy and then resell once the solar is installed. And then there is George who is in Puerto Rico to install satellite internet systems for Walgreens. Justin has been in contact with him to offer him a place to stay exchange for a satellite system. Luis knows of George as Luis’s company is supplying the satellite dishes. It is all intertwined and now we just have to figure out who is who and how to get things done as soon as possible. Luis is in Houston until next Saturday, so at least I will be able to contact him as we unravel the best way to do this.

While all of this was going on, power and internet were restored to The Studio. At least it is returned until Monday when the work continues to properly restore the whole system. The lines are all still laying on the ground, so when they are put back on a pole on Monday, we could easily lose all again. But progress is being made.

Tonight I attended a Friday night Newcomers Mix and Mingle affair. I was dreading going to this, but after I got there, I found it to be great fun. I met lots of interesting people and will do this again next month. It is cooling down tonight and the high tomorrow will only be in the 50’s. So, a chilly day. But things warm up again on Sunday. I’m loving this warmer than usual fall, but the fact that the increasing temperatures are probably attributed to climate change is quite alarming.

I’ll end with a tribute to my dad. He was born on this day in 1903 amd died at age of 70 in 1973. I always think of him on this day. He was an old-fashioned, tough father, and I so wish I had been given more years to get to know him as a friend. Happy 114th birthday to Hayes Winfred Martin.

2017 Life Logs, Day 306: The Bad with the Good
Date: Thursday, November 2, 2017
Weather: Mostly Cloudy; High 66, Low 53 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA

The good for today is that just now Justin called to say that things are going along okay. I hadn’t heard from him since Monday, and nothing has changed, but they are hanging in there. Packages continue to arrive, but unfortunately two people at the local post office left and haven’t been replaced. So it now takes twice as long as before to wait in line to get packages.

The “happy, happy” that happened here yesterday with getting internet back, went pear-shaped today. The ‘bad’ for today happened early this afternoon. A bucket truck was heading down Falmouth Heights Road not seeing that the wires from the pole on one side of the street to the other are a little lower than they were before the storm. He snagged one of the wires and brought three poles down. I heard a loud noise when it happened, but didn’t know what it was. There are three poles on the property of The Studio. The one on the road is maintained by the power company, but the other two poles that snapped are the responsibility of the owner to replace. One of those poles stands just outside my kitchen window. Or at least it did stand there. Right now the whole pole is on the ground and wires are everywhere. I talked to the owner on the phone, but he has no idea when or how the poles will be replaced. So, until then, we have no electricity and no internet or cable. When I returned from an afternoon bike ride, the power company was already shoring up the pole on the street, but that only serves the people that live in the house out front. Now the rest of us here at The Studio have to figure out how to live without electricity for a few days. I have only two little solar lights, so I am headed out now to buy a lantern. Thankfully it is not the middle of the winter and we don’t need heat.

I’m sending this early as I am going out this evening. I’ll have to let you know about the play I am going to see tonight in tomorrow night’s log. And hopefully I’ll have a positive update on restoration of power and internet here. When I start to complain, I just have to take a deep breath and think about all of the people of Puerto Rico who have been without water, electricity, and any means of communication for over six weeks now. So hard and almost unbelievable.

2017 Life Logs, Day 305: Happy November 1
Date: Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High 59, Low 53 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio, Falmouth, MA

The beginning of November was a happy day here. Comcast came to my neighbor’s apartment a few hours earlier than expected, and we were finally able to convince someone to look at the wiring coming from the street—not in our individual apartments. By early afternoon, my neighbor and myself both had cable TV and internet back up and running. During the morning, I kept making up excuses to go out and check on the progress of the work on the lines, and on one of those little trips, I went to get the mail. The only mail was a card from a colleague and friend from New Hampshire. When I opened the envelop and saw that it was a hugely generous gift for Justin and Jo, it brought tears of joy. With this gift, there is now enough money to buy a new refrigerator which will allow the solar power system we have purchased to work much more efficiently. This plus the restored internet made for a double happy November 1 experience.

Mid-afternoon, I joined the Newcomers Movie and Dining Out group for a late afternoon movie. Most everyone was going to see ‘Olivia & Abdul’, but since I had already seen that, I went to ‘Only the Brave’. I hadn’t really read anything about the movie and was pleasantly surprised. It is based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots in Arizona in 2013. These guys are forest fire fighters, and the movie highlights the struggles in their personal lives, as well as their struggles as members of this elite group. As the story plays out, it gives you a renewed and deep appreciation for what they do. After the movies, whichever one you chose to attend, all of the participating Newcomers met at the British Beer Company for dinner to take advantage of the two-for-one pizza night. I paired up with Jane Woodin and we had a very nice evening. So, another happy experience to add to November 1. It was a triple-play day.