2024 Life Logs, Day 119: Laid Back Family Day
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, A Little Rain Late; High Temp 52, Low 49 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

I slept in an extra hour this morning just because I could. Then somehow it was noon and I had done almost nothing except go for a long walk with Shadow. I needed to check in with Heather about dinner plans, so I headed over and spent the next couple of hours helping fold the mountain of clothes that magically appear every Sunday. Of course, that is not magic. It is just the weekend laundry for five people. We talked while we folded, and I got filled in on plans for the remainder of the day. We were going to divide and conquer. Jed took Sam to Hyannis to get fitted for his tuxedo for the Junior Prom the middle of May and then on to a 5:45 soccer game. Heather had a Meet the Candidate event from 5 to 7 pm, so I said I would fix dinner for Jonah and Ollie. After leaving the Goldstones mid-afternoon, I went to the grocery store and came home to fix macaroni and cheese and chili. Jonah and Ollie preferred to stay home until around 6 when I picked them up and brought them to my house. Jonah had mac and cheese with a salad, Ollie had chili mac with salad, and I put my chili on a bed of arugula. I called it a mix and match dinner. Then Heather joined us for dessert which was as Jonah requested–brownies, chocolate croissants, and raspberries. It was wonderful to have a laid-back family day.

As I was leaving Heather’s mid-afternoon, I got a call from Helaine Kanegsberg. She was just checking in to make sure I was all right since I hadn’t posted a log since Thursday night. I told her I was too busy doing nothing to get the logs written, but promised to catch up tonight. Alan had the same back surgery that I had a few weeks after mine but his recovery is going a little slower than mine. Hearing about his setbacks made me feel so lucky that things thus far have gone smoothly for me. Alan, I’m sending you all the positive thoughts I can conger up to help you bounce back.

2024 Life Logs, Day 118: First Campaign Standout and Soccer, Soccer
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High Temp 53, Low 44 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

After a day of rest yesterday, I went full tilt today. At 8:30 am I headed to the main intersection in town to put signs up for Heather’s campaign standout this morning. The other volunteers plus Heather arrived just before 9 am and we started our three-hour stint. We divided ourselves between the four corners, held our signs high, and waved to every car passing by. I was amazed at the number of people who waved back or gave a thumbs up or honked their horn in support of Heather’s candidacy. Either that, or we just have extremely friendly people in this town!

At this four-way intersection with a stop light, I was standing in front of CVS. My back held up great, but my right knee was a different story. Walking up and down the sidewalk a few times every hour was much easier on my knee than standing still. Then at 10 am some new recruits came to join us. There were three people on my ‘beat’, so I got in my car and drove across the intersection to get a photo of Heather with her friend Jeanne Harper

and my good friend Olivia White. Olivia is a standout veteran. She brought her lawn chair and her sign on a tall pole so that she could sit on the busy corner for her three hours. Two other friends of mine came in answer to my SOS call for volunteers. Thank you so much to Midge Frieswyk, Jeanne Fortier, and to Olivia.

After the standout, we had a 45-minute break to eat lunch and then Heather, Ollie, and I headed to Norton, west of Boston, for Ollie’s soccer game. The morning had been sunny and windy, but in the afternoon, the weather couldn’t make up its mind. It was warm enough to take your jacket off when the sun was shining, but two minutes later the clouds would hide the sun and you had to put your coat back on. It continued this way throughout the game. Ollie’s team won 4-1, making #23 a happy kid.

We then drove back to the highway to meet up with Jed, Sam, and Jonah. The Goldstones, and a few of the other families at Ollie’s game, were headed to Gillette Stadium for the Boston Revolutions versus Miami soccer match. Lionel Messi, the best soccer player of our time, now plays for the Miami team, so going to this game in the hopes of seeing Messi play was a big deal. Jed said that this game was sold out, a completely full stadium; something they had never experienced. They were going early to try and avoid a last-minute traffic jam and tail gated with friends prior to the game. Pre-game Heather sent a photo of the packed stadium with Sam and Jonah standing on the opposite side of the field on the top balcony overlooking the entire stadium.

During warm-ups, Messi stopped and waved at the section where Jed, Heather, and Ollie were sitting, and Heather said Ollie’s face was one of amazement. The first quarter went great for the home team, but in the second quarter Messi scored and the stadium exploded with cheers. I guess that was to be expected, but it really upset Sam and Jonah that the fans abandoned their home team and cheered for Miami. They wanted to SEE Messi, just not CHEER for Messi against the Revs. Others felt differently. The online headlines right after the game called it a “dream show for fans.”

Last night was my monthly call with Lynne Kirwin in New Zealand. We always end up talking for a couple of hours to catch up on life and last night was no exception. She will be coming home for the summer, so at some point we will get to visit in person. Life is going smoothly in New Zealand, but Lynne says people are constantly asking her what in the world is going on back home in the US. She, like most of us here, simply have no answer for that question.

2024 Life Logs, Day 117: R & R Day
Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High Temp 54, Low 31 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

I took the day off today. I kept busy, but not with physical activity, as I have a big day planned for tomorrow. A day of rest and relaxation felt really good.

2024 Life Logs, Day 116: Physical Therapy and Local Campaigning Tutorial
Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Cooler than Yesterday; High Temp 48, Low 34 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Physical therapy for my back has been front and center in my life for the past month. I had a good session this morning and will have just one more next Tuesday. Then I am on my own to do the recommended exercise routine each and every day for the following two weeks leading up to my knee replacement surgery on Monday, not Friday, May 13th. My knee gets worse every day, so surgery day can’t come soon enough.

Then I spent my afternoon with a Falmouth woman who is very knowledgeable about local elections. She spent more than three hours with me going over the Falmouth way of doing things. One of those things is Saturday morning standouts at a main intersection in town. I have always seen campaigners at that intersection holding signs for their candidate of choice, but I have never done this. I will be initiated on Saturday and will spend part of tomorrow trying to find others to join me.

2024 Life Logs, Day 115: Two Wonderful Women I Love
Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 56, Low 34 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Today, after many years of waiting, my daughter-in-law Jo became a US citizen. Jo’s application was rejected the first time she applied, but this time she was successful. Congratulations, Jo! I just wish the citizens of Puerto Rico could vote for US President, but they can only vote in the primaries.

Tonight, I attended the League of Women Voters Candidate Night to proudly watch my daughter Heather field questions along with the other two candidates running for Select Board. A couple of the questions asked were particularly difficult, in my opinion, but Heather rose to the occasion.

So, I can go to sleep tonight and have sweet dreams about the two wonderful women I love.

2024 Life Logs, Day 114: Quashnet Trail Walk, Gardening, Soccer Practice
Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 51, Low 40 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Once a week my friend Olga Mitchell and I try to go for a long walk with Shadow. We all love the Quashnet River trail in Waquoit. If there are no other people on the trail, I can let Shadow off leash. He loves the freedom, but always stays close to me. Today we walked almost a mile before turning around, but we stopped for a little rest before heading back to the car to just soak in the quiet beauty of the area.

On the way home, we stopped at the nursery on the same road as the trail. Olga and I both bought some lettuce to get a little lead start on our spring gardening. I then came home and worked on getting hoses out of the basement and getting the watering system set up. The arugula I planted last week is coming up and the peas Ollie planted for me on St. Patrick’s Day are about three inches tall now. Right now we have been getting enough rain, but I want to get the watering systems working so that I can give them a little extra water from time to time. Slowly, spring is coming along. This evening I took Ollie to soccer practice. That was it for my day.

Today was my sister-in-law, Sue Cook’s, 90th birthday. Happy birthday, Sue!!! I hope you enjoyed this special milestone birthday.

2024 Life Logs, Day 113: Earth Day Number 54
Date: Monday, April 22, 2024
Weather: Sunny with a Cold North Wind; High Temp 54, Low 38 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Where were you for the first Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, 1970? I was teaching American History at an inner-city high school in Cleveland, Ohio, probably not focused on the environment. But millions of Americans, an estimated 20 million, attended events that day. Elementary and secondary schools, universities, and communities all over the country hosted events. Tens of thousands of people marched in Washington, DC, that day in support of a cleaner planet. Who started this movement? I had to look that up. It was a Democratic senator from Wisconsin named Gaylord Nelson. He was in Denver attending their Earth Day celebration and he said the following in his speech:
“Ecology is a big science, a big concept—not a copout. It is concerned with the total ecosystem—not just with how we dispose of our tin cans, bottles, and sewage. Environment is all of America and its problems. It is rats in the ghetto. It is a hungry child in a land of affluence. It is housing that is not worthy of the name, neighborhoods not fit to inhabit.
Environment is a problem perpetuated by the expenditure of billions a year on the Vietnam War instead of on our decaying, crowded, congested, polluted urban areas that are inhuman traps for millions of people. If our cities don’t work, America won’t work. And the battle to save them and end the divisiveness that still splits this country won’t be won in Vietnam. Winning the environmental war is a whole lot tougher challenge by far than winning any other war in the history of Man. It will take $20 to $25 billion more a year in Federal money than we are spending or asking for now.
Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality, and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures. Our goal is a new American ethic that sets new standards for progress, emphasizing human dignity and well-being rather than an endless parade of technology that produces more gadgets, more waste, more pollution. Are we able to meet the challenge? Yes. We have the technology and resources.”

But have we met the challenge? I’ll let you answer that. Tonight, I celebrated Earth Day 2024 by attending a showing of the 2023 film, Common Ground, at the Waquoit Congregational Church. I could have watched the film on YouTube, but I wanted to be with like minded folks while I watched it. It is an exploration of how to fix our broken planetary food production system. Farmers are interviewed that are implementing regenerative agricultural practices that they believe could save the world. It is worth a watch. Thanks to Falmouth Farming and the Falmouth Climate Action Network.

2024 Life Logs, Day 112: Jonah’s Soccer Game; Dinner with the Goldstones
Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Windy, Cool; High Temp 48, Low 39 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

On Thursday I went to a luncheon where the dessert was angel food cake with toppings. Since Sam, Jonah, and Ollie all love angel food cake, I got the bright idea of making one from scratch for our Sunday night dinner. I have never made one before and it was easier said than done! I spent a good deal of my morning making one. It was edible, but it was more like angel food pound cake, not the desired light and fluffy. Among other things, I didn’t leave it in the oven long enough. But with enough raspberries, blueberries chocolate and caramel sauce, and whipped cream, anything can taste good.

At noon, I picked up Heather and Jonah and we drove to Hyannis for Jonah’s soccer game. It was winter coat and toboggan weather for those of us sitting in the stands. This was the first chance I’ve had to see Jonah play this spring, so cold or not, I was glad that I went. It was after 4 pm when we got home and time for me to get the fixings ready for a salmon poke bowl dinner. That was another first for me, but that worked out better than the dessert.

2024 Life Logs, Day 111: Campaign Stand Out Cancelled; Soccer a Go
Date: Saturday, April 20, 2024
Weather: Overcast with Rain; High Temp 48, Low 39 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

Local campaign tradition in Falmouth includes Saturday morning stand outs along the main route through town in front of Stop and Shop. Candidates put their signs on the four corners of the main intersection in town and invite supporters to come stand out on the sidewalk holding campaign signs every Saturday morning during the last month before an election. Today was supposed to be the first Saturday, but the weather decided differently. Good friend, Olivia White, is a veteran of participating in these stand outs and this morning she came in her bright yellow raincoat ready for duty and filled me in on how to set up for these events. But the misty rain turned into a full out down pour, so we decided to cancel and try again next week. There were just three of us this morning, so we are going to rally the troops in hopes of getting more recruits for next week.

Spring Saturdays (and Sundays) are also soccer days. Jonah had a game early afternoon off Cape and the rain slowed down enough for that game to be a go. Then mid-afternoon, Ollie had a game at Falmouth Academy here in town. The rain had completely stopped by then. It was a good game. The other team scored first, and from that point on it went back and forth, ending with a final score of 4-3 in our favor.

My only other activity today was trips to the grocery store. Tomorrow I will go to Jonah’s second game of the weekend. This one is in Hyannis. Sam’s game is in Braintree, close to Boston, so I can’t make both games. Sam’s game is later in the afternoon, so when he gets home we will gather for a Sunday night family dinner.

2024 Life Logs, Day 110: PT Re-Eval, Meet the Candidate, Mingle & Mix
Date: Friday, April 19, 2024
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Some Rain; High Temp 50, Low 45 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA

This morning, I had my PT Re-Evaluation. On March 22 when I first met with Matt DiBono, my physical therapist, he did an initial back evaluation. I had terrible balance issues. As I went through the re-eval, it became obvious that I have made great progress. To me the progress has seemed slow and subtle, but on March 22, I could stand on one foot and then the other for only one second each. And now, even on my bad right knee, I was able to make it for 20 seconds. I met or exceeded all the goals Matt set for me, so after two more sessions next week, back surgery PT will be done. I will continue to do the exercises at home to prepare for my knee surgery, and two weeks after that surgery, I’ll be back in PT again.

This afternoon, Lynda Onthank hosted a Meet the Candidate event for Heather. I didn’t count, but I think there were 20-25 people there. Lynda had everything set up perfectly and it was a great opportunity for Heather to meet new people. She gave an overview of why she is running for Select Board and then she fielded questions. Heather is an impressive candidate and was well received with this group.

Then I was off for an Encore Mingle & Mix at the home of Denise DeCoste and Sam Gutter. T

hey live in a beautifully decorated condo with a view of Buzzards Bay. I arrived late, but I was in time to watch the sunset. It was cloudy which made for a dramatic sky. The photographers in the group spent time on the deck trying to capture the beauty. Peter Baranowski got a great photo which he shared with me.