2024 Life Logs, Day 240: Eleanor Roosevelt
Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 76, Low 67 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

When I was in 7th grade, the school newspaper interviewed me asking me who was the most influential person in my life. My answer was Eleanor Roosevelt. In my house, FDR was right up there with God. Because of that, I had read a biography of his wife sometime in grade school and thought she was an amazing woman. So, this afternoon, when Jane Woodin contacted me to see if I wanted to go see Sheryl Faye’s one-woman Eleanor Roosevelt show tonight, I said yes. Sheryl Faye does these one-hour shows depicting historical women. I had heard that she is really good and now I know it, firsthand. Her depiction of Eleanor Roosevelt from birth to death in just 60 minutes was spectacular. Plus, Jane invited me for dinner and drink afterwards. Thank you, Jane!

2024 Life Logs, Day 239: Trip to the Wrentham Outlet Mall
Date: Monday, August 26, 2024
Weather: Sunny AM, Stormy PM; High Temp 75, Low 60 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

The morning was quiet. Even though Heather and Jed were both at home working, I hung out to take care of any needs the kids might have. As I arrived, Sam was heading out the door to work for a couple of hours, but Jonah and Ollie were on the X-box and reading. I knew Ollie was going to bike to Trotting Park with his friend Simon and that I should be ready for the call to come pick them up. That happened and after we ate lunch, Sam and Jonah left to go get on the school bus at the high school to go to a soccer scrimmage in Plymouth and Ollie and I decided to drive to Wrentham to go buy a pair of school shoes. He wanted Vans and there is a Vans outlet in Wrentham. We knew it was supposed to rain, so this seemed like a good rainy day activity. But before we got off the Cape, the expected rain came in the form of a whopper of a storm with thunder, lightning, and driving rain. The raindrops were so large and coming down so hard, I could hardly see the road. Many cars were pulled over, but the bumper-to-bumper traffic was almost at a standstill, so I persisted. It took us almost 30 minutes to go the last mile and a half to the bridge, but once we crossed the bridge the traffic thinned out and the rain stopped. Our shopping trip was short and successful, and we were home by 5 pm. Because of the rain, Sam and Jonah had returned home soon after they left. They got on the school bus, but before it left Falmouth High School, the rain started and the scrimmage was cancelled. Jed had a Health Board meeting tonight and Heather had Select Board, so I offered to get dinner for the boys. We ate around 7 pm. I stayed around for another hour and then came home to feed Shadow. Ollie has a birthday party to go to tomorrow, so I have the morning and early afternoon off. I am not sure what the plan is for late afternoon. I’ll check on that in the morning.

2024 Life Logs, Day 238: Goldstones Over for Dinner
Date: Sunday, August 25, 2024
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High Temp 76, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

It was another low key day. I knew Heather and Jed were going sailing today, so I offered to have dinner for them this evening . Heather had an all day Select Board strategic planning meeting yesterday, so I wanted to give her a day off dinner planning. Plus, I think they have had me over for dinner countless times recently. We all see each other almost daily, but it is often just in passing. Being able to sit down at the dinner table together gives us all a chance to catch up.

This coming week is the last week before school starts. I guess we need to cram in all of those things we meant to do this summer. Or maybe we just need to enjoy each minute. Not that life ends when school starts, but it does change things!

2024 Life Logs, Day 237: Enjoying a Beautiful Summer Day
Date: Saturday, August 24, 2024
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 75, Low 62 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

Shadow and I started today with a longer walk than usual. On the way home, we found ourselves downtown on the back side of the Congregational Church when I heard a bagpipe player. I saw a sign saying there was a performance at 10 this morning. What a nice surprise. I found a bench and sat for a bit listening to the music. I love bagpipe music.

I worked in the yard, sat in the sun for the first time this summer and read, and even took a little nap sitting in the sun. That’s the beauty of a summer day when there is nothing pressing that needs to be done. I did do a little yard work, but basically, I just enjoyed a beautiful summer day.

2024 Life Logs, Day 236: More About Whales, the DNC, My Sister, and Fall Weather
Date: Friday, August 23, 2024
Weather: Sunny, A Tad Warmer; High Temp 76, Low 61 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

Starting with the weather, it has felt like fall this week. And I am not ready for it to feel like fall. Today was a tad warmer, and the forecast indicates it is going to stay in the 70’s during the day, and 60’s during the night for the next week. That is much better than highs in the 60’s and with nights in the 50’s. There is just one more week before school starts, and if it is going to warm up significantly, it will probably be on the first day of school. That’s what happened last year.

About my sister. This has been a crazy week. But as soon as she finally met with her orthopedic surgeon and he declared four more weeks of non-weight bearing on the one leg, I anticipated a struggle with her Medicare Advantage. Yesterday morning, I got the call that tomorrow, Saturday, would be the last day the insurance company would pay for her stay at Autumn Care where she is being rehabilitated. But I was also given very specific directions for filing an appeal. The appeal was with an independent agency, and it took no more than 5 minutes on the phone to do it. I did this yesterday before leaving for the whale watch. When I hung up, I was sure that something that easy was not going to end up benefiting us. I was given instructions on how to check on the progress of the appeal on their website, so I did that this morning. There was a big banner saying they had been offline for hours yesterday and delays in decisions should be expected. But when I checked late this afternoon, I was very pleasantly surprised. An independent physician had reviewed Patsy’s case at 12:55 pm this afternoon and declared that a disagreement with the notice that her insurance benefits would end tomorrow. It said, “Continuation of skilled services is appropriate.” Then I got a phone call stating that her coverage would continue until the next review date. I was told that if services are denied then, I can file another appeal. Thank goodness filing an appeal is easy. And thank goodness my sister, and everyone else at Autumn Care exposed to Covid, are still testing negative. I sure hope they stay that way.

The Democratic National Convention is next on my list. Last night when I watched Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech as nominee of the Democratic Party for President, I couldn’t have been prouder. She looked presidential and she sounded presidential. After all, she is Vice-President of the United States. Plus, she sounded hopeful and that seemed to be contagious. I know defeating Donald Trump is going to be an uphill battle, but if she and Tim Walz can keep the hope and the joy in this campaign while offering serious and commonsense solutions to issues, I have hope that they can prevail.

Now for more about whales. I checked the Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises Facebook page and read the following about yesterday afternoon’s whale watch trip. “8/22/24: It’s trips like these that totally skew the answer to the question “What is the average number of whales you see?”. So far, we are up to 30 individuals, and that doesn’t include the whales in the distance that we never had close looks at! The fall is shaping up to be spectacular… whales yesterday include: Dusky and calf, Abrasion and calf, Fern, Rapier, Arroyo, Infinity, Leukos, Pleats, Draco, Jabiru, Azrael, Sprinkles, Woodwind, Samara, Nile, Pitcher, Milkweed, Wifi, Combat, Tangle, Snare, Lamp, Shatter, Snap, Putter, Bandit, Grackle, and Mostaza.” I felt like we were seeing something very special yesterday and this statement supports that feeling.

Finally, I get to today when I was just on kid watch at the Goldstones. Ollie and his friend Simon did more biking and this afternoon Ollie and I went to Staples to buy school supplies. This evening, Heather and Jed sailed Ardenna from Woods Hole to Quissett. A diver is going to replace the chain on their mooring tomorrow, so the boat needed to be moved temporarily. Sam was at a farewell party for his friend Sebastian who is leaving to attend his senior year at a school in Belgium. Ollie and Jonah stayed at home, and I came home to play with Shadow. I then went to Quissett to pick up Heather and Jed and take them to their car in Woods Hole. And now I am looking forward to a quiet Saturday.

2024 Life Logs, Day 235: Fantastic Whale Watch
Date: Thursday, August 22, 2024
Weather: Beautiful Day; High Temp 70, Low 59 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

Perfect day. Fantastic whale watch with the Goldstones. So many whales frolicking in the water. Couldn’t have been better.

2024 Life Logs, Day 234: Still Juggling
Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Weather: Sunny, Cool; High Temp 69, Low 56 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

I spent the day at Heather and Jed’s, just being the adult on the premises so kids could be kids. I was there “just in case”. Ollie had his friend Simon over to play. Just after noon, Sam went to work at Corner Cycle and Jonah got home from soccer practice. All I needed to do was make sure everybody ate lunch. So, I had a lot of time to get some Encore work done and just relax. Or so I thought I would get to relax. But just as I got to the relax part, I got a call from Autumn Care. The head nurse was informing me that based on the doctor’s decision yesterday that my sister cannot put weight on that right leg for another four weeks her Medicare Advantage will probably not pay for four more weeks of rehab. I’ve known this was a possibility, but I didn’t think it would happen this soon and that we would only get a 48-hour notice. I suddenly got the wake up call that I need to know way more about my sister’s Medicare Advantage plan and how to appeal a decision if I don’t agree. I drove home quickly to get my computer so I could look up her plan online. But just as I was starting to do the research, I got another call from Autumn care. This time they informed that my sister had been exposed to Covid last night from one of the aides. She tested negative and they will continue testing every other day until she is clear. But this meant I needed to start letting people know. I had to contact Home Helpers who sends the companions to be with Patsy on a daily basis, and I needed to let Brian and Tommy know as they drop in to see her often each week. I was too late as Brian had just left after being with Patsy for a couple of hours and Tommy arrived about the time I sent the text and didn’t see it until he left. Then it was time to take Ollie to his horseback riding lesson. Once we got there, I spent more time contacting people. And before I knew it, Ollie was riding by at the end of his lesson.

I have spent the evening watching the third night of the Democratic National Convention while familiarizing myself with the 291 page Evidence of Coverage booklet published by Blue Cross-Blue Shield of North Carolina for its Medicare Advantage members. Forty-one of those pages make up a Medical Benefits Chart that I need to memorize. And of the ten chapters in this booklet, one whole chapter answers questions like “What do you do if you have a problem or complaint with a coverage decision?” I need to commit those answers to memory as well so that when the time comes, I can be ready to go to bat for my sister.

But for the rest of the night, I am going to relax and watch the remainder of tonight’s speeches at the Democratic National Convention. And then tomorrow afternoon, all of the Goldstones and I are going on a whale watch. So, no juggling tomorrow. Just having fun.

2024 Life Logs, Day 233: Juggling Day Ends with a Supermoon Blue Moon
Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Weather: Partly Cloudy, Cool; High Temp 72, Low 55 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

The Supermoon Blue Moon was fully illuminated yesterday, but just now as I walked by the sliders in my living room, my breath was taken away with its beauty. And how about that celebratory roll call at the DNC tonight? A well-known California DJ put together a playlist with a different song for every state. It was fabulous. But now to the juggling part of the day.

I got up and contacted Autumn Care where my sister is in rehab. She had a post-surgery follow-up appointment with her orthopedic surgeon, and I wanted to make sure things were still on track as there was an appointment yesterday that didn’t happen because the rehab failed to get her there. But this morning I was promised that they had that under control for today. Now I could change focus, so I thought. Shadow and I walked to the Goldstones to pick up my car and while there I checked in with Ollie. I was only there for a short time and then on to something else. Jed was working at home today, so at least Ollie wasn’t alone when I left. I then went to Coffee O to visit with Dena Brodie from my book group. After a lovely hour and a half visit, but the whole time was I texting back and forth between one of Patsy’s hired companions who was overseeing the installation of new cable tv in her assisted living apartment and tracking down some packages that have been sent there in Patsy’s absence. Then I was back to be with Ollie. We had planned to go to Hyannis to buy something called a third hand for his soldering projects, but he decided he would rather do some blacksmithing today. The boys have a portable forge run on propane that they can wheel into the driveway to work. While he did that, I finished hemming his shorts for school. We had lunch and sometime after that I heard from the companion of my sister who was now getting her ready for her afternoon doctor’s appointment. Again, I was texting back and forth and finally they got to the appointment. I thought I could relax. But I got a text saying that the rehab had not sent Patsy’s medical information with her to her appointment with the doctor. He was her surgeon, but this was the first office visit and without the medical information, they might not be able to continue with the appointment. I was asked to fill in the missing information. First, they wanted a copy of the Healthcare POA. I have that scanned into my computer, so I ran home to send it to the doctor’s office. But then they needed her medical health history, then they needed her prescription list. What is allergic to? For an hour, I was scanning documents into my computer and emailing them to the doctor’s office. Then back to check on Ollie. Then finally back home for the evening. Whew! All day long I felt like I was juggling balls in the air and was not quite But able to keep them all aloft.

But now I am ready to watch Doug Emhoff, Michelle Obama, and Barack Obama speak. That will be my happy place for today.

2024 Life Logs, Day 232: Looking Ahead to the Start of School
Date: Monday, August 19, 2024
Weather: Rain Until Late Afternoon; High Temp 74, Low 65 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

Yes, it is that time of year. The first day of school is only a couple of weeks from now, so today Ollie and I worked on getting ready. Sam and Jonah will be returning to high school, Sam as a senior. How did that happen? I find myself tearing up every time I think about it. But they are independent young men now and don’t need Oma’s help getting ready for school. Ollie, on the other hand, is moving from elementary school to middle school where things are done differently than in his past seven years. The middle school here has a dress code. Students cannot wear clothing that has any logo showing. So, today’s job was to go through the bins of clothing that Sam and Jonah have outgrown and pull out the pants and shirts that are Lawrence Middle School ‘approved’. We had to order a few shirts to supplement and hem some shorts that were a little too long. I need to finish the hemming tomorrow and that should get Ollie in good shape clothes wise.

Right now, I am watching the Democratic Convention while writing this. It is much more interesting than my day, so I will close and give the freedom convention my full attention. I can feel the energy right through the television.

2024 Life Logs, Day 231: Falmouth Road Race Day
Date: Sunday, August 18, 2024
Weather: A Little Rain Early, Overcast; High Temp 73, Low 66 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA

By the time Shadow and I got to Lawrence Middle School this morning, the runners who gathered there very early had all been transported to Woods Hole and trucks were bringing back the porta potties from the other gathering places. And it was only 8:30. But by that time, the wheel-chair division of the race was starting in Woods Hole. Just after 10 am, I ventured out in my car to see how close to the Falmouth Heights Road section of the race I could get a parking spot. Cars were parked everywhere, but I was able to get close enough to walk a short distance to watch the runners for a bit. I will have to plan better next year. It is really not much fun to go by yourself so when hordes of people started walking back to town from the finish line, I high tailed it home. Heather, Jed, and Ollie rode their bikes to Falmouth Heights Beach and their volunteer work didn’t end until after noon. Riding their bikes home was a bit crazy. When there are more than 12,000 runners and thousands of spectators, I guess you have to expect it to be a bit crazy. But now that the Road Race is over and the tourist season is coming to a close, the traffic in town on a normal day be back to Falmouth normal.

I got another invite from Heather to come to dinner tonight. Sam was home tonight, so it was great to have the whole family together.