Day 256, Year 11: Happy Fourth of July
Date: Monday, July 04, 2016
Weather: Partly Sunny, Still Windy; High Temp 75 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio #8, Falmouth, MA

Lovely day just hanging out at home . . . HJSJ&O came over for dinner . . . beautiful red, white, and blue sunset, really . . . walked a short distance to watch fireworks . . . fireworks with music were spectacular . . . boys were supposed to spend the night but backed out at the last minute . . . late night for the boys which means they will be super tired for their first day of swim lessons tomorrow. Rain is in the forecast, so maybe Wednesday will be the first day of swim lessons and tired boys can just play at home and hopefully take an afternoon nap.

Hope you had a Happy Fourth of July!

160704 Day 256 Cape Cod, USA–Fourth of July

Day 255, Year 11: Rex and Diana Head to Maine
Date: Sunday, July 03, 2016
Weather: Partly Sunny and Windy; High Temp 78 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio #8, Falmouth, MA

Mark and I drove Rex and Diana back to Logan Airport in Boston this morning so they could rent a car and head to Maine. We had a wonderful visit with them and are so glad they started their New England vacation on the Cape with us. After dropping them off, we made some shopping stops on the way home. We went to Home Depot to get a grill for our deck, but we didn’t find what we wanted. So instead, I bought two huge pots for my deck tomatoes, some basil to plant among the tomatoes, and a big bag of garden soil. We also went to IKEA to get another set of under-the-bed storage drawers and then went to The Christmas Tree Shoppe to get another small table and chair set for the deck. By this time we were shopped out, so we headed home. It was great to have a quiet afternoon and evening at home. We’ll have a quiet day at home tomorrow morning and then sometime late tomorrow afternoon Heather, Jed, and boys will come over dinner. And then we will all watch the fireworks from here.

Day 254, Year 11: Day Trip to Martha’s Vineyard
Date: Saturday, July 02, 2016
Weather: Beautiful, Sunny Day; High Temp 79 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio #8, Falmouth, MA

After sending the log last night, we had a preview of Fourth of July fireworks with thunder and lightning and lots of rain. But the storm seemed to clear the air and today was an absolutely gorgeous day. Mark, Rex, Diana, and I walked down the block and boarded the Island Queen for her 9 am departure to Martha’s Vineyard. We had a great day on the island traveling by local bus from Oak Bluffs to Edgartown to Aquinah (Gay Head) and back to Oak Bluffs. We walked among the gingerbread cottages in Oak Bluffs, had a late breakfast at Behind the Library in Edgartown, and spent time at Aquinah (Gay Head) admiring the beautiful views of the cliffs along Vineyard Sound. We sat on the top deck of the Island Queen for the ride back to Falmouth and just enjoyed the beautiful afternoon. Great day!

160702 Day 254 Cape Cod, USA–Day Trip to Martha's Vineyard with Rex and Diana

Day 253, Year 11: Great Day with Rex and Diana
Date: Friday, July 01, 2016
Weather: Sunny AM, Cloudy, Rainy PM; High Temp 80 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio #8, Falmouth, MA

We had another great day with Rex and Diana. It was a Camp Oma day, so Rex and Diana decided to go to the beach with us. Mark joined us a little later and then at lunchtime, Heather joined all of us for lunch at the British Beer Company—just across the street from the beach. It was a beautiful morning, but it started clouding up as we left the beach and started raining while we were in the restaurant. The rain didn’t last long, so when lunch was over we headed to Woods Hole to see the Hokule’a. This is a full-scale replica of a wa’a kaulua which is a double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe. The Hokule’a left Hawaii in the spring of 2014 and is due to return there by next spring after circumnavigation the earth. It is a sailing canoe with a huge steering oar. After watching the Hokule’a leave the dock in Woods Hole to be towed out to a mooring, we headed back to Falmouth to make a quick stop the Falmouth Library annual book sale and then headed home for a lobster and corn-on-the-cob dinner. We are now sitting here watching the stormy night—thunder, lightning, rain, and wind. Tomorrow we head to Martha’s Vineyard for a day of touring.

Day 252, Year 11: Rex and Diana Arrive
Date: Thursday, June 30, 2016
Weather: Sunny and Warm; High Temp 81 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio #8, Falmouth, MA

My nephew Rex and his wife Diana arrived this afternoon. We were in Boston for Mark’s weekly chemo treatment, so we were able to pick up Rex and Diana when they arrived at Logan Airport. On the way home we stopped in Plymouth to have lunch at the East Bay Grille and do a little touring. Years ago both Rex and I had separate, but similar experiences in Plymouth when we went to see Plymouth Rock. I don’t know exactly what we expected it to be, but we certainly didn’t expect it to be a small rock with a large monument built over it. Maybe a large rock with a small monument would have been more to our liking. Diana had never been to Plymouth, so it was fun to share the sights with her. The Mayflower replica is in Plymouth now, but soon it is leaving for renovations. So we took advantage of its presence to get photos. When we got home we had a nice dinner and a great evening of catching up on happenings since we last saw each other.

160630 Day 252 Cape Cod, USA–Plymouth Visit with Rex and Diana

Day 251, Year 11: Fun Beach Day at Woodneck
Date: Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Weather: Partly Cloudy, Humid, Evening Fog; High Temp 80 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio #8, Falmouth, MA

It was a fun beach day at Woodneck—our favorite beach/marsh combination. We started our morning by saying farewell to Grammy Goldstone.

160629 Day 251a Cape Cod, USA–Goodbye to Grammy

And then it was on to Woodneck. We chose that beach for today because it was low tide and the boys love playing in the marsh at low tide. Sam took his remote control boat and had a great time with that. Jonah collected green crabs and Ollie collected hermit crabs and found a ‘pet’ earthworm. We ended our day in Woods Hole at the dentist office again. Yesterday was cleaning and today was a quick check with the dentist.

160629 Day 251b Cape Cod, USA–Fun at Woodneck

Tonight Mark and I are gearing up for our weekly trip to Mass General tomorrow morning. And we are looking forward to picking up my nephew Rex and his wife Diana who will visit with us for a couple of days before heading on to Maine.

Day 250, Year 11: Grandmothers Join Forces
Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Weather: Mostly Overcast, Clearing in the Evening; High Temp 76 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio #8, Falmouth, MA

Jed’s mother is here visiting, so today the grandmothers joined forces. Marti and I worked together to take care of Sam, Jonah, and Ollie. We had planned to go to the beach, but it was overcast and just didn’t look like a beach day. Besides, by the time I arrived at Heather and Jed’s, the kids were deep into playing with other children from the neighborhood. So I did laundry for Heather and Jed and Marti did some garden work while the kids played. A little later, she and Sam went to the hardware store and drug store to get needed supplies for Camp Oma. While they did that, Jonah, Ollie, and I had lunch on the back deck. It was a low key day, but quite delightful. All three boys had annual teeth cleaning appointments with their dentist in Woods Hole this afternoon, so mid-afternoon we all headed in that direction. Heather and Jed met us and Heather took Jonah and Ollie to the dentist while Sam went with the grandmothers to a spot where we could observe the Neil Armstrong. This is the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s new research vessel. It was being inspected by the Governor this afternoon, so we observed from afar and Sam shared what he knows about the vessel. Jed had arranged for the third graders at East Falmouth Elementary to have a tour of the Neil Armstrong earlier this month, and Sam learned a lot that he shared with Marti and me. When I got a text from Heather saying it was Sam’s turn to have his teeth cleaned, he and Marti headed in that direction and I headed home. I had invited the whole gang over for dinner, so slipping away gave me a chance to get home and get things ready. Unfortunately for me, by leaving early I missed a chance to actually get onboard the Neil Armstrong. When Jed got off work, he was able to get permission to take everyone aboard for a tour. Tonight he offered to find a way to get Mark and me onboard tomorrow before the research vessel leaves for Iceland on Thursday. But since I will be on my own with the boys tomorrow, I doubt that we will be able to take advantage of the offer. But we are here for the long haul, so when the Neil Armstrong returns from Iceland, we can try for a tour later.

Heather and gang, plus Marti, arrived for dinner just before 6 pm. Our dining table only accommodates six people, so we set the boys up to eat on the coffee table in the living room. This arrangement seemed to work well and we all had a delightful evening together. I’ll be back on Camp Oma duty tomorrow alone as Marti heads back to Maine. But it was great fun to join forces with her today.

Day 249, Year 11: Day Off
Date: Monday, June 27, 2016
Weather: Sunny and 79 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio #8, Falmouth, MA

For the summer, I will be running Camp Oma three days a week. Today was not one of those days. It was a day off. The other weekday that I have off is the day we go to Boston for Mark’s treatment. Usually that day is Wednesday, but this week it will be on Thursday. We asked for the change because my nephew Rex and his wife Diana arrive at Logan Airport and we’ll be picking them up. So this week Camp Oma will be on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. But tomorrow I’ll have a little help from Grammy Goldstone. She’ll have the boys until mid-morning and then I’ll join them and we’ll all head to the beach. We’ll end our day here where we will all have dinner together.

Today we unpacked more boxes and then in the afternoon we ran some errands. When we got home, I cooked dinner and prepped things for other dinners this week. And unpacked more boxes. That seems to be the never ending story. While running errands we stopped by our storage unit and assessed what still needs to be done to empty that unit. Lots to do so we’ll make that our July goal.

Day 248, Year 11: Happy Birthday to Jonah
Date: Sunday, June 26, 2016
Weather: Sunny and 76 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio #8, Falmouth, MA

Happy 7th Birthday to Jonah! Today was his birthday and the day for his party. He planned his party around a bear theme since he has always been called Jonah Bear. He wanted his birthday cake to look like a Pacific salmon because he knows that bears eat salmon. So Heather made and decorated the cake and it was a masterpiece.

160626 Day 248a Cape Cod, USA–Jonah's Birthday Cake

Jonah wanted a small group of good friends for his party and it worked out perfectly. He had invited three boys and three girls. All of the boys came, but only one of the little girls. But she held her own with the guys. They had such a good time just being together. There were organized games to play, but they honestly seemed to enjoy playing soccer and playing with the guinea pigs just as much. When it came time to play Pin the Tail on the Bear, they were asked to decorate their ‘tail’. These guys took this most seriously and spent a great deal of time just sitting and drawing intricate designs on their personal bear tail while singing silly impromptu songs. It was a delightful afternoon watching happy children play together. Very refreshing.

160626 Day 248b Cape Cod, USA–Jonah's 7th Birthday Party

Near the end of the party, Jonah opened the gifts from his friends, and after they left, he opened family gifts. Jonah is the supreme athlete. He vacillates between wanting to be a great soccer player with wanting to be a great baseball player. Most recently he has wanted to become a catcher for the Chicago Cubs. So we got him catcher’s gear—a chest protector, shin guards, and a catcher’s helmet. For one of their gifts, Heather and Jed got him a catcher’s glove and he was just so excited to dress in all that gear and go out and practice. Too cute.

It was a delightful day. In addition to watching a group of seven year-olds play so nicely together for the afternoon, we also enjoyed visiting with Grammy Goldstone. Jed’s mother, Marti, drove down from Maine yesterday and will be here until Wednesday morning. She and Jed and will share kid duties tomorrow and I think Marti and I will share duties on Tuesday. Mark’s chemo day is Thursday this week as we arranged it so we can pick up my nephew Rex and his wife Diana arriving at Logan Airport in Boston on Thursday afternoon. They will be with us on Friday and Saturday and then take a bus back to Logan to rent a car that they will drive to Maine to visit with friends next week. Today another of my nephews, Tommy, went to our storage unit in North Carolina and loaded up all of the things left there to take them to his garage in Charlotte. One way or another, family will get those things to us sometime this summer. So we are now back to just one storage unit. But there’s no way Mark and I will get that one emptied by the end of the month this Thursday. So we will make our new goal to get it emptied by the end of July or August. We are making progress and maybe by the end of the summer we will be storage unit FREE.

Day 247, Year 11: Just a ‘Normal’ Day
Date: Saturday, June 25, 2016
Weather: Sunny and 77 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Studio #8, Falmouth, MA

Wow! We just had what I would call a ‘normal’ day. That doesn’t happen around here very often, but hopefully now that we are getting settled it will happen with greater regularity. At the end of our very ‘normal’ day, Jane Woodin sent a text asking when a good time would be to deliver a lamp she had offered to give to us. When I met her for coffee a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that we didn’t have lighting for the apartment. She offered a lamp she had hidden away in her basement. She and Bruce brought it over this evening and it looks just perfect on the table next to the sofa. And we had a great visit as well. Thank you, Bruce and Jane.

Tomorrow is Jonah’s birthday party, so we’ll probably head to the Goldstones in the morning to see if we can help with set-up, and then we’ll enjoy the celebration. Jonah’s Grammy Goldstone was supposed to arrive today. We didn’t hear anything to the contrary, so we will assume she is here and we’ll enjoy visiting with her tomorrow as well. Sounds like another totally normal day coming up.