Life After Windbird, Day 111: Deliciously Warm Start to December
Date: Thursday, December 1, 2016
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High Temp 60, Low 39 degrees F
Location: At Home at The Studio, Falmouth, MA

Today was deliciously warm, but when we wake in the morning, it will be considerably cooler. Unfortunately, after today’s teaser, the whole weekend and next week look much more normal for this time of year. Nevertheless, today was a delightful first day of December.

I started my day early, arriving at Heather’s at 7:30 am. Heather had to be at work at 8 am, so Sam, Jonah, Ollie, and I had breakfast together and got ready for school. Ollie and I delivered Sam and Jonah to East Falmouth Elementary and then I drove Ollie to Woods Hole. By the time I got home it was 10 o’clock and then just after noon, I headed back to Woods Hole to pick up Ollie. He wanted to drive by Nobska Lighthouse on the way back to Falmouth and then we headed to the Green in downtown. There were Department of Public Works trucks surrounding the Green and lots of workers putting the final touches on the holiday displays. We ignored the workers and enjoyed the displays with only one other mother and her two children. Ollie got to be the conductor on the child-sized Silva Express train, run the glass-encased Polar Express HO scale train, and look in wonder at Santa and his sleigh being pulled by nine reindeer. While we were singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I got a call from Heather. She had gone home to get the van and take it in for maintenance, but found my car instead of the van. We had not communicated about this. I didn’t know she needed the van, so I had taken it this morning so I could take some items to the Swap Shop at the town dump. I still can’t get a dump sticker, so I needed to use her van which does have a sticker. So Ollie and I quickly left the Green, headed to the town dump, and then met Heather at the Toyota dealership. We left the van there and she drove Ollie and I back to her house. She then headed back to work to do the 4 to 7 pm on-air fund raising shift at WCAI and Ollie and I headed to East Falmouth Elementary to pick up Sam and Jonah. The boys and I had a great evening together culminating with a taco dinner and game night. When Heather got home, she floated an idea by the kids that they all come here for an overnight tomorrow night. There are some kid and adult runs on Saturday morning—a 5 K Jingle Run and a Kids Elf Run and then at 10:30 Santa arrives in the Harbor by boat. So I’ll spend tomorrow getting ready for the holiday weekend. Heather has another 4 to 7 pm on-air fund raising stint tomorrow, so I’ll pick the kids up from school, pick up pizza for an on-the-go dinner, and go to the community Christmas caroling at Nobska Lighthouse. After that, we’ll all meet back here for the overnight. Then we’ll run, greet Santa, watch as the lights on the Green come alive, welcome Jed home from his week in Europe, and enjoy the holiday parade on Sunday. Busy holiday weekend in Falmouth.

Life After Windbird, Day 110: Same, Same
Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Weather: More Rain; High Temp 51, Low 47 degrees F
Location: At Home at The Studio, Falmouth, MA

Today was mostly more of the same–more rain (just a little cooler), more work in getting the kayak stored for winter (not done yet), more exercise at the gym, more grandkids after school. The new thing today was gearing up for decorating for Christmas. When I went shopping at Home Depot yesterday I bought mini-icicle lights to surround the deck. But when I got home, I realized that was a huge mistake. Since I live in an apartment, I have no access to outside power. Duh! So today I tried to figure out a way to hang those icicle lights inside. That required a trip to the hardware store to buy coax cable staples to hold the lights in place on the inside of the windows and sliding glass doors. I also had to buy some extension cords and little indoor plug-in switches with toggles so I can turn the lights on and off without unplugging them. I’m going to go back tomorrow to see if timer switches might be a better choice. But I am making progress on decorating for Christmas.

Tomorrow my day starts early and ends late. Heather has to be at work by 8 am, so I will arrive there by 7:30 to get the boys ready for school. I’ll get home around 10 am from taking Ollie to Woods Hole, but then I have turn around and go get him at 1 pm before daycare nap time. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to pick him up until after 4 pm and that would mean that Sam and Jonah would have to ride in the car for an hour after school to go pick up Ollie and then drive back home. And that doesn’t sound like much fun for anyone. So Ollie and I will have some special time together in the early afternoon before we pick up Sam and Jonah. Heather has to be at work doing on-air fundraising until 7 pm tomorrow evening, so I’ll be fixing dinner for the boys as well. Busy, busy week for Heather, and therefore for Oma, in Jed’s absence. But I am really enjoying the extra time I’m getting to spend with the boys.

Life After Windbird, Day 109: Ten Degrees Makes a BIG Difference
Date: Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Weather: Lots of Rain, but Warmer; High Temp 57, Low 46 degrees F
Location: At Home at The Studio, Falmouth, MA

At this time of year, ten degrees makes a BIG difference in just how warm or cold we feel. And it seems like every few days we go from what feels relatively warm to what feels downright cold. These days I keep three different jackets hanging on the coat rack—winter jacket for the cold days, polar fleece jacket for the warmer days, and foul weather jacket for the rainy days. I started today with a polar fleece, but by afternoon I had to change to the foul weather jacket as it was pouring rain. But the temperature stayed in the 50’s and it felt relatively warm. Unfortunately, this is short-lived as on Friday the temperature will start to dip again and by the weekend, it will be in the 40’s during the day and below freezing at night . . . and it will feel cold no matter how sunny it is. I was hoping it might be a bit warmer in Nashville when I arrive there next Thursday. But when I checked the weather tonight, the forecast tells me it will be colder there than here and that I will arrive with the first snow of the season. Brrrr. But despite the weather forecast for cold weather, I am really excited about my visit with my sister Patsy, brother-in-law Joe, and niece Janet. I’ll only be there for a little over a week, but that will give us time to do a little holiday celebration together.

Knowing rainy weather was coming this afternoon, I decided to bring the inflatable kayak inside to deflate, clean, and store for the winter. This would have been much easier to do on the deck, but I fear that I missed my window for doing this outside without freezing to death. The kayak is at least 16 feet long, maybe more, and it fills the entire long hallway in this apartment. I thought I could get it deflated and rolled up this morning, but then I realized I don’t know exactly how to do this. Heather inflated the kayak the past two years and Mark deflated and stored it. That leaves me with exactly zero knowledge of how to do this. It is now partially deflated and waiting for a time when I can get some pointers from Heather. After dealing with the kayak, I took off for Hyannis to do a little shopping. My first stop was at Trader Joe’s and I promptly tried to enter through the DO NOT ENTER door. The last time I was there, that door was the entry. Then I found out that in May they had totally revamped the store. Is it really possible that I haven’t been shopping in Hyannis all these months? Evidently. But I made up for lost time today, by going to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Home Depot. We have none of these stores in Falmouth. In fact, other than a lot of mom and pop stores, all we have is a Walmart, Staples, Michael’s, TJ Max, and Home Goods. The trip to Hyannis was prompted by the fact that I am out of Brazil nuts that are an ingredient in a high protein shake I make two to three times a week. And I could not find Brazil nuts in Falmouth. I got my Brazil nuts today and not much else except for a few purchases at TJ’s for Heather. But it was good to be out and about. Hopefully the stores won’t be rearranged before I return again.

Today I picked Sam and Jonah up from school and stayed with them until Heather and Ollie got home. Tomorrow we flip flop again, and Heather will come home early to pick up Sam and Jonah and I will head to Woods Hole at 4:30 to pick up Ollie. Heather has early morning and late afternoon engagements on Thursday, so I’ll be on Oma duty much of that day. On Friday Heather is also on the air from 4-7 pm, so I’ll be on Oma duty once again. And then the weekend of holiday activities begins . . . Friday night caroling at Nobska Lighthouse, Saturday morning arrival of Santa in Falmouth Harbor, Saturday night lighting of the Green in downtown Falmouth, and Sunday’s annual Christmas parade. Heather, Sam, and Jonah will be in the parade with the Scouts, so for the second year in a row, Ollie and I will be the observers. Last year Heather and Jed were in Europe, so Granddad was in the parade with Sam and Jonah. Busy days coming up.

Life After Windbird, Day 108: Giving Myself Permission
Date: Monday, November 28, 2016
Weather: Mostly Sunny and Cold; High Temp 46, Low 34 degrees F
Location: At Home at The Studio, Falmouth, MA

This was another one of those days where I really don’t know where the time went. I get up and do a little of this and little of that, but I don’t seem to make a lot of forward movement. Part of me thinks this is okay and part of me wonders where the old Judy has gone. But for now, I’m giving myself permission to proceed like this. The Thanksgiving weekend was harder for me than I anticipated. It seems that I miss Mark more as time goes on when I thought that it would get easier. So I’ll keep muddling through with the help of good friends and family. I did spend at least two hours on the phone today which is not my usual style. But I got calls from special people checking to see how I am doing, and for that I am very appreciative.

In late afternoon it was time for me to head to Woods Hole to pick Ollie up from preschool. If anything can snap you out of a funk, it is a smiling, loving four-year-old. Ollie and I got home just in time for dinner and then Heather, Sam, and Jonah headed out to Scout meetings. Ollie and I had a game night together and he beat the pants off me. We first played Jack Straws and then Zingo. Zingo is like Bingo and Ollie is just incredibly lucky. He beat me in four games in a row. With Jed out of town for the week, I will be picking up grandchildren every afternoon. Tomorrow I pick up Sam and Jonah and Heather picks up Ollie. Sam is gearing up for a holiday crafts fair at school, so tomorrow after school we’ll work on that. Thank goodness grandkids keep me hoppin’.

Life After Windbird, Day 107: The Sea Captain’s Nutcracker
Date: Sunday, November 27, 2016
Weather: Gorgeous, Sunny Day; High Temp 47, Low 32 degrees F
Location: At Home at The Studio, Falmouth, MA

This afternoon I went with Heather, Sam, Jonah, and Ollie to see Cape Cod’s version of The Nutcracker and it was a delight. Before the show, the boys read the program to try and figure out how this production was going to be different from the traditional. A Cape Cod author rewrote The Nutcracker to take place in a Sea Captain’s home here on Cape Cod. The dancers were from a local ballet school with the addition of about five or six professional ballet dancers who played prominent roles. Instead of sugar plums there were sea stars, jelly fish, mermaids, sea grass, sand pipers, and even a drunken Russian sailor who was spectacular. The costumes were both creative and beautiful and I think the boys really enjoyed the show. I know I did. And during the intermission, the boys had fun in the lobby pretending to be sea captains in a display. Seeing the show put Thanksgiving behind us and launched us into December holiday mode. ‘Tis now the season.

Life After Windbird, Day 106: Sushi Feast
Date: Saturday, November 26, 2016
Weather: Mostly Overcast, Rain Early; High Temp 47, Low 36 degrees F
Location: At Home at the Studio, Falmouth, MA

Not sure where the day went, but went it did. I did a little of this and a little of that and all of a sudden it was 5 o’clock and time to check in with Heather and order sushi for our sushi feast at her house. Jed had already left to catch his flight to London tonight, but his brother Toby and mother Marti were there with Heather and the boys. I picked up and delivered the sushi for all to enjoy. After dinner, we had a bit of a music concert put on by the boys and then it was bedtime. Marti and Toby will leave early in the morning to return to DC, so I said my farewells to them tonight. I will return by noon tomorrow to go to “The Sea Captain’s Nutcracker” with Heather and the boys. This is a performance of the traditional Nutcracker with a Cape Cod twist. We are all excited to see exactly what that means.

I did accomplish one thing today. I booked my December flight to Nashville to visit with my sister Patsy, brother-n-law Joe, and my niece Janet. I was going to drive, but I can fly on Southwest for less than $200 and decided that would just be easier. I’ll only be there for a little over a week, but it will be the perfect time to get into the Christmas spirit by enjoying some of Nashville’s spectacular Christmas activities.

Life After Windbird, Day 105: Thanksgiving Day Plus One
Date: Friday, November 25, 2016
Weather: Overcast, Rain Late; High Temp 50, Low 42 degrees F
Location: At Home at the Studio, Falmouth, MA

Today I did a tiny bit of Christmas shopping, wrote some emails, did some cooking, and went through a box of Christmas lights that all need to be thrown away. There was not one strand where all the lights worked, so I’ll be buying new lights this year. But I started my day by heading over to Heather and Jed’s to see Jed’s mom, Marti, and Jed’s brother, Toby. They drove up from Washington, DC, yesterday so they could head to Boston today for a day-after Thanksgiving feast with Jed’s Aunt Sue and Uncle John. In respect of family wishes, I have not previously written about the tragic death of Jed’s youngest brother, Ben, last Friday. And I do hope I am not offending by mentioning this now, but I feel the need to pay tribute to a young man that I will always remember with great fondness. Last Friday, upon getting the call from his mother, Jed flew immediately to DC to be with her. He returned on Tuesday, leaving his mother with his brother Toby who flew in from Portland, Oregon. They talked Marti into the road trip north for Thanksgiving, and Heather called just a bit ago to say they had a wonderful day with family. Toby and Marti will stay another day and return to Washington on Sunday. Jed flies to London tomorrow for a week of meetings, so he will not be with us for dinner tomorrow night. But the rest of us are planning a sushi feast.

This week the Goldstones have gone from one day of feasting to another. But they have also been riding the emotional tides of losing a brother, brother-in-law, and beloved uncle. Ben was a very talented musician who loved children. The Goldpebbles always looked forward to visits with Uncle Ben. On this day after Thanksgiving, I give thanks for all of my friends and family and pay tribute to Ben Goldstone—a kind soul who left us years before he should have. But we will always have the wonderful memories of a Ben who loved his family, made his little nephews giggle with his silliness, and brought joy to the world when he played Klezmer violin with absolute abandon. May he fill the heavens with his music.

Life After Windbird, Day 104: Happy Turkey Day
Date: Thursday, November 24, 2016
Weather: Overcast with Some Rain; High Temp 46, Low 32 degrees F
Location: At Home at the Studio, Falmouth, MA

Happy Turkey Day to all. I had a Skype call with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco and a wonderful dinner with Heather, Jed, Goldpebbles, and friends. The food was abundant and delicious. And it was so much fun to watch the children. Sam, Ethan, and Sebastian have been friends since preschool. And now there is a whole new crop of little ones. Thanks to Pax and Tim for hosting such a fabulous gathering. It was a great day, but I am zapped. So off to bed to regenerate.

Life After Windbird, Day 103: Thanksgiving Feast Day, Number 1
Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Weather: Partly Sunny; High Temp 46, Low 32 degrees F
Location: At Home at the Studio, Falmouth, MA

Just like the Wampanoag Indians and the Pilgrims spent three days feasting for the First Thanksgiving, the Goldpebbles decided they should do the same. We are having Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow with friends and on Friday the Goldpebbles are headed to Boston to have another Thanksgiving dinner with family. So in order to make this a three-day affair, we planned a day of feasting today. I was with the boys today while Heather and Jed went to work and we conjured up a feast day of seasonal ‘treats’. We started the morning with fresh fruit and then things moved to the more decadent side of treats. We made thin gingerbread and pumpkin bread and used cookie cutters to produce edible fall leaves and pumpkins. We made acorns from mini-vanilla wafers and mini- and regular-sized Hershey’s Kisses. And we made chocolate bark littered with sticks (broken pretzel pieces) and fall leaves (M&M’s). The boys really had a great time. Making the acorns was their favorite activity because when they made a mistake and got too much glue (melted chocolate) on the Kisses, I just told them to eat their mistakes. They loved that! We did most of our feasting before lunch in hopes that all the chocolate would wear off by bedtime. I stayed for dinner and by the time I left they seemed to be settling into a family game night. Hopefully bedtime went smoothly. Tomorrow the boys will take their seasonal treats to Thanksgiving dinner with friends. There will be nine children there, so they can share their kid-friendly bounty.

Heather and I will spend tomorrow morning preparing side dishes for the Thanksgiving Day feast with friends and then we will all spend our afternoon visiting and feasting. Whatever you are doing for Thanksgiving, I hope you have a wonderful day.

Life After Windbird, Day 102: Back to the Everyday
Date: Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Weather: Sunny and Cool; High Temp 44, Low 31 degrees F
Location: At Home at the Studio, Falmouth, MA
Today it was back to the everyday routine after a wonderful four-day weekend with friends. But, of course, it is not really an everyday time of year. We are gearing up for Thanksgiving and then it will be on to Christmas. I slept in, spent some time catching up on things, and then went shopping for items for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow Sam, Jonah, and Ollie don’t have school, but Heather and Jed have to go to work, so the boys and I have planned a Thanksgiving feast of desserts for tomorrow. Stay tuned for a report on that.