Every year, the folks at Merriam-Webster choose a Word of the Year. Can you guess the word for 2024? It was “Polarization.” Given the state of our nation, that’s not surprising. But it is disturbing. How did we get to this place? More importantly, how do we find our way out of this mess?
In mid-November, we seriously considered leaving the country. But the world is a small place, and turmoil seems to be everywhere. Plus, we love our home and community. So, we’re staying put for now and hoping that the 2025 Word of the Year will turn out to be something more positive.
Meanwhile, in the midst of this uncertain and surreal time, we’re doing our best to focus on the small ways in daily life where we can create peace and joy in this beautiful, flawed, precarious world.
Happy New Year, dear friends.
Life Post-Hurricane
Western North Carolina continues to heal from the ravages of Hurricane Helene. Some places look pretty much back to normal, while others may never recover.
Huge mountains of debris still line the roads of Western North Carolina. But expressions of gratitude are everywhere.
An enormous warehouse near our house served as a major distribution center for all of the goods that poured into our area in the aftermath of the storm. The generosity of people was heartwarming and uplifting. And I have never seen so much random stuff in my life. The tents, sleeping bags, propane heaters, shovels, warm jackets, and diapers were much-needed items. The old prom dresses and tutus, not so much. It took hundreds of volunteers and the National Guard to organize and distribute the donations.
The donated food was mostly weird. What I learned: If you want to most effectively help the victims of disasters, donate money to World Central Kitchen or other organizations that are set up to provide good meals or essential items to people.
With my friend Diane at the huge distribution relief center among mountains of diapers
We tried to pack boxes of appealing, healthful foods, but there was not much to choose from. There were a lot of saltines and Vienna sausages, lol.
Downtown Asheville looks normal…but is still very, very quiet
We were incredibly fortunate to have suffered no significant damage from Hurricane Helene
Our long list of favorite fall hikes didn’t happen this year, not only because trails were closed, but because Eric is suffering from significant knee pain. Although he has been diligent with physical therapy and at-home exercises, hiking with any elevation gain is too painful right now.
Fortunately, we’ve been able to do some biking. We always enjoy the nearby Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville.
The Swamp Rabbit Trail is one of our favorites
Friends Are The Best Part Of Life
One of the joys of living in our tiny home community is the friends that we’re making.
With neighborhood friends at a local brewery
Not having a dedicated dining space (other than the kitchen bar) has been a drawback of tiny home living. In summer, we eat on the porch, which we enjoy. That doesn’t work in the colder months, and it has been the bane of my tiny home life experience.
I figured out that with minor rearranging, we can turn the sunroom/art studio into a dining room. My art desk makes a good dining table, and we use the dining chairs from the front porch.
We transformed our sun porch/art studio into a dining room for Thanksgiving shared with our friends Ron and Karla
I’m enjoying painting, which is something I never got around to during our years of full-time travels. In late October I was on the committee for our annual community art show, which was also a benefit for a local emergency shelter. It was fun and successful!
At our annual fall art show in the community center
And Now…
We left home on January 2nd for a three-month trip south, just in time to miss the winter storm. We will return at the end of March, just in time to enjoy the 100 spring bulbs we planted in the fall. That’s hopeful, don’t you think?
Our friend Marti sent us this photo of our tiny house in the snow
One of my goals for this year is to catch up on travel posts that I’ve been wanting to write for a very long time. First up will be finishing up our trip from last winter. Wow, the last year went by fast!
Magnolia doesn’t worry about anything
I’ll miss you in Gainesville this time around. I was there for Christmas and ended up with COVID, then a head cold so not a good start to 2025. Let’s hope you have a better time of it!
Yes, challenging times indeed! One of the things that gives me consolation is reading your posts for many years and being involved in your life, if only a very little bit. Thanks for persevering, and sharing.
Hi Charlie, thank you for commenting, and thank you for continuing to read our blog! I hope that this year will be a good one for you personally, despite the challenges we face as a country. We’ll all get through this together. :-)
That sounds like a terrible start to the new year, Annie. I hope you’re feeling better by now. We’re enjoying our return visit to Gainesville…I’m sorry we won’t get to see you this time. Take good care!
Laurel, I just love seeing what a beautiful life you and Eric have crafted for yourselves. Thank you. I left the country years ago (2015) to travel the world, and now I live in Mexico full time. I’m so glad to not have to suffer the next four years, but I do hold my loved ones in my thoughts as you all navigate whatever the new normal will be. Community is everything.
Jessica, I’m so happy to hear from you! I’d love to hear more about your life in Mexico and where you’ve chosen to live. You’re absolutely right, community is everything. Knowing you, I’m sure you’ve created a community of good friends in Mexico. Be well, and stay in touch!
I think we ‘like minded’ people should follow Jessica’s lead and head for the Mexican Border…are they allowing Americans in?
Loved everything you said and shared. Thank you my sweet wonderful cousin!!!
My dear cousin, Mexico is still a possibility if things really get bad here. We could go together! I’m glad you’re my family. OXOX
Always great to hear from you, we are all feeling the disjointed, but what brings me a peace is that we are American first, we make a difference and as we travel and meander we set the example. Hope this helps….. at the end of the day did you bring a smile, make that difference. It will help heal the heart.
Our guide from Columbia is coming in May, will head toBiggest Week with her. Great contacts and fun people. Big trip to New Zealand in Nov. so that probably will be our last hurrah!!!! Shoulder is healing but way slower than I had anticipated…I am there with Eric. Have an awesome PT which helps.
Peace for you both in the months ahead….we have been challenged before…and we will be again!!!! Enjoyed the heartfelt comments about Jimmy Carter, what a challenge he left for all of us. Together we rock!!!!!❤️❤️❤️
Sounds like you guys have some exciting adventures ahead, Julie! I agree, there is much we can do to encourage positive energy and peace on a daily basis, and hopefully, spread goodwill—no matter what the political climate may be. I hope your shoulder heals well and that you and Martin have a wonderful year!
The balance of life…the good and the bad, the yin and yang. A reminder that friends and family make all the difference. Thanks for another inspiring message.
Well said, Karla—and a good reminder that the pendulum will eventually swing back. I just hope we’ll land in a place of moderation! We are so grateful to have you and Ron as our neighbors and good friends.
Excited for your art! How cool to be able to paint a bird and call it a self-portrait. :)
Haha!!! I do seem to gravitate toward painting chickadees! I look forward to seeing where your creative energy leads you, Gretchen.
Yes it has been challenging. I have missed your posts and pictures. Thank you for sharing, I always enjoy hearing about your adventures!
Thank you for your encouragement, Mike. I hope this will be a wonderful year for you!
It’s always interesting to see what sorts of foods get donated during disaster recovery, isn’t it? I’m now wondering what a saltine & Vienna sausage “sandwich” would taste like… Whatever the contents, I know the folks who benefitted from your hard work are very grateful.
Swamp Rabbit! Still loving that name, and this reminds me I need to beef up my bicycle paraphernalia for 2025. I’m glad to hear that Eric can still cycle. Is a knee replacement in the near future?
Happy to hear you’ve been able to get back to your painting and love your little chickadee-dee-dee! Can’t wait to hear about this current round of travels and to see those 100 bulbs a-poppin’ when you return.
Hugs to you both, scritches to Mags <3
Joodie, I was touched by how generous people from all across the country were in donating to the hurricane relief efforts for Western North Carolina. But wow, 95 percent of the food was just awful. It made me realize two things: 1) Donate money to relief efforts instead of sending stuff; 2) Make sure we have our own house in order with a supply of non-perishable emergency food items that could healthfully sustain us for a couple of weeks.
As for Eric’s knee, he saw an orthopedic surgeon right before we left on our winter trip, who thinks it is an issue with the meniscus. Some type of minor surgery may be needed, but no knee replacement. YAY.
I’m having fun painting and experimenting with folk art birdies! Hugs to you guys, too, from us three!
Re: Eric’s knee pain – If recommended by a surgeon, I am all in favor of having knee replacements sooner rather than later. If delayed, quad atrophy occurs, which makes post-surgery rehab more difficult. I had both my knees replaced at the relatively young age of 62, and it was wonderful. Back to hiking in 2 months and back to downhill skiing in 3 months.
Hi Alison, I appreciate your positive experience with knee surgery. If Eric is advised to have knee replacement, we definitely would opt for sooner rather than later. At this point, the orthopedic surgeon thinks it is a meniscus problem. Of course, Eric didn’t have an appointment until about a week before we left on our winter trip, so we’re waiting until March to find out the next step. Meanwhile, he has changed his PT exercises to focus more on strengthening his gluteal (AKA butt) muscles, and he says it seems to be helping.
We’re with you Laurel…A disorienting time for sure. I hate how it often makes me feel – suspicious of everything I read and hear, anger changing to hopelessness, changing to astonishment and back to anger at the drop of a hat. Breathe……
Your little house looks so lovely, despite the fact that it is surrounded by snow! It’s great that you three can get away during the worst of the winter and that Eric can still be active. Keep us posted on his progress?
I, too, wonder what a saltine and sausage sandwich might taste like, especially with a side of Skinny Pop.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way – I think your new “dining room” looks very cozy and all the more special because of your creativity! Wish we were there to share it.
Love the chickadee dee dee (sorry, Joodie, that’s what we call them too!)
Sue, I wish you guys were here to have dinner with us in our little dining room/sun room/art studio! Well, perhaps not in the winter, lol. I still have a lot of decorating to do in the studio, with a mix of my art and art by other local artists. I think it will be fun to dine surrounded by art and lots of chick-a-dee-dees!
Immersing myself in painting and creative projects is helping me find balance in this crazy time. The other thing that helps me the most is having good friends like you. Thanks for the reminder to breathe…Sending hugs and love to you both! ❤️
Thank you for the update. ❣️
Nothings happening in Gainseville.❣️
Im next door in the rolling hills of Alachua.❣️
Hi Kathryn, we always enjoy Gainesville and the liberal, creative atmosphere. We feel at home here. :-) I hope you’re doing well!
Hi Laurel, it is nice to see you guys looking well and enjoying time with friends. The picture of your home in the snow is so inviting. Looking forward to hearing about your travels.
Hi Suzanne, we are delighted with the community of friends that we’ve made in North Carolina. Our little house looks cute in the snow, but we’re happy to be in Florida right now, haha.
Ah, Laurel,
Thanks for the mostly positive post. I hope that you and Eric have a wonderful 2025. I share your concerns for our world and am sticking it out here for all the people that I love. And thanks for the advice about disaster donation.
Hi Nancy, we feel much the same as you do—we want to stay here for all of the people that we love. And we don’t want to give up on our country! But somehow, we need to find middle ground. The alternative of continued polarization is scary. On a brighter note, I hope you two have a wonderful year, too. Any camping adventures planned?
I’m always so happy to see a post from you (but even more bummed that we didn’t get to meet up last spring). We are hearing a lot about disaster donations for the fire victims in Los Angeles. I think some people just pull unwanteds from their closets and pantries without thinking. I prefer to send money to those closer to the action because they know what the needs are. World Central Kitchen is one of my favorite charities.
Although, like you, we won’t be moving out of the country, we are also wary of what the next four years could hold. Best case, it’s just chaotic like his first term. Worst case… who knows?
Janis, as I was sorting through donations I had exactly the same thought…people cleaned out their closets and pantries and donated some pretty weird things! I know people mean well, but even a small cash donation is much more helpful. World Central Kitchen is one of our favorites, too. We just donated to help the people in Los Angeles. With all of the recurring disasters, I think we need to start making monthly donations.
I’m looking forward to the day that we actually meet up in person. We definitely have a lot in common and we would have a lot to talk about!
Sadly we’re seeing a change in culture that will take much longer than a four year election cycle to remedy. And as you said, it’s not unique to the US (although no one else has the embarrassment of leadership we do). My sanity requires one-day-at-a-time focus on creating joy. I’m glad you have community and purpose in your new home! LOL at the prom dresses and tutus and abundance of snack foods – people are “interesting”. How exciting that you’re traveling again, can’t wait to see where and what you find! Many blessings for a tolerable 2025 :-))))
Oh, Jodee, I fear you’re right…the dramatic change in our culture is not going to be easy to remedy. Honestly, I don’t know how we got to a place of thinking it’s okay to elect such reprehensible people to represent and govern our country. (I agree that we needed some big changes—but I don’t think this is the answer!) Anyway, for my own emotional well-being I’m doing as you are doing—focusing on creating joy and peace and meaning, one day at a time. Many blessings to you and Bill, too.
Hola! So glad you and Eric are well in the land of …… “Mexican America”. I’m presently watching the Ashland Cam with the heavy wet snow falling on February 6th and not missing it. Sitting from our perch in pleasant San Miguel de Allende we see a world in spiraling. We all have choices to make and, it seems, as though we are all should be into that process. May we all live in interesting times…..
Saludos, Robert & Colleen
Hi Robert & Colleen, I’m so glad to hear from you! I was wondering if you were still in Mexico. San Miguel de Allende is one of the places that really calls to me…I’d love to know more about your lives there. Interesting times, indeed. I hope we get through the next four years without the current administration precipitating a world catastrophe. This last month has been surreal and scary.
It was so good to hear from you! You and Eric have been on my mind several times recently and I was wondering how you were doing. I’m not sure how far south you are coming but if you get close to west palm please come see us!
Barb
Hi Barb, I’m so happy to hear from you! I’ve been thinking about you, as well. We were disappointed that you and Jim weren’t able to make your trip to North Carolina in the fall. That darned hurricane. :-( Maybe you’ll come next year? The furthest south we’re going in Florida this winter is Gainesville. We’ll be here until the end of February, so if there’s any chance you might be headed this way, we would love to see you! Happy new year, my friend.
Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s way behind on travel posts, but inspired and optimistic about working diligently to catch up. 😊 Not surprised at all to see you jumping in to benefit your community and developing so many new friendships. Your home may be tiny, but your hearts are not. Wishing you and Eric (and Magnolia, too, of course!) all of life’s best throughout 2025! Travel safely and have a wonderful winter break! Feel free to raise a toast celebrating the good fortune that you’re enjoying a bit of paradise in a warm, sunny climate instead of struggling through snow storms and bitter temps like those of us in the northeast. We won’t hold it against you. 😘
Mary, I have a great idea! You and Alan could make a little trip to Florida this winter to get away from the freezing northeast winter! We’ll have a reunion in Gainesville. :-))
I appreciate your kind, supportive comment. We love our new home and community and are finding it very easy to make friends here. It’s exactly what we hoped it would be. We wish you and Alan a wonderful year, filled with many more adventures. And I’m wishing us both good luck on catching up on blog posts, haha!
The title of this post is the most Laurel-like thing I have ever seen. Love you, admire you, miss you!
Awww…I miss you, Tessa!! When do we get to see you guys? ❤️❤️
So great to hear from you and what’s been happening. I’m so so sorry to hear about Eric’s knee. No up hill hiking in Western North Carolina is no fun at all but glad he can still bike. Always amazed at how well you can distill months of time in one post. Would you give me lessons? Your tiny house is wonderful and I do envy you the wonderful neighbors and friends you have made there. Neither Charlottesville nor the farm seems to have the “these are my people” feeling for me. Loved all the pictures of your friends and neighbors and especially the one of you at the Art Show. You look great and so do your little birds.
I think what I really want is Magnolia’s life.
Thanks, Sherry! I’ve been having fun painting and have been creating small art pieces that are perfectly sized for tiny homes. We feel so fortunate to have moved to a community of like-minded people. We asked a lot of questions before we moved here, because quite honestly, we don’t want to live in a place that is dominated by the extreme right.
We’re hoping we can get Eric’s knee problems fixed before hiking season begins next spring. Magnolia always offers us an opportunity to slow down and relax. :-)
Sorry to hear about Eric’s knee issues and pain. Hopefully, taking it easy with non-elevation walks will help him get back to the hikes you enjoy doing.
Challenging times indeed. We’ve been discussing moving somewhere outside the USA, but haven’t taken the leap yet. As we travel around the world and talk to people living elsewhere, we realize that pastures that look greener when we are at home, are perhaps not so much. Changes in political climates seem to be creeping in everywhere. So we shall see. In the interim, our travels overseas give us a change of pace … a change of scenery.
Looking forward to your catch-up posts (it’s also nice knowing I am not the only one who has to catch up on past adventures 😉).
Erin, you and Mui travel more extensively world-wide than anyone we know. Your comment about the “pastures looking greener” but not being quite as appealing when viewed up close is exactly what is keeping us here—at least for now. As you said, we shall see. I do not understand at all the shift in our world toward authoritarianism. You would think we would all be paying more attention to history.
On a more positive note, I always enjoy reading about your travels. You two are such grand adventurers! Wishing you both a wonderful 2025.
“One of my goals for this year is to catch up on travel posts that I’ve been wanting to write for a very long time.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Ha.
And the word of the year for 2025 is going to be “shit show dumpster fire.” Just trust me on this. ;)
XOXO
Hahahaha. You just wait, Laura! You’re going to have to read through a full year of my backlog of posts, and then you’ll be sorry!
And yeah, I am terrified that you are right about the 2025 word of the year. You guys made the right move when you relocated to Portugal several years ago. But I miss you. ❤️
Not only do I love reading your catch-up blogs, I love reading the comments when I finally get back to a keyboard so that I can actually write something. The first thing that jumps out is what I always admired about you and Eric: your amazing ability to create a chosen family of wonderful friends no matter where you live, whether it be Ashland, Lopez Island, Florida, or now in North Carolina. No matter the political climate which is horrendous, that will always be your strongest grace I think. The fact that you and Eric are on the same page politically makes that a bit easier because you can attract like-minded friends. As you know, I am in a split family and this hasn’t been easy but we still manage to have a few good friends. Most of my friends are liberal and I do best with them, but we do have some wonderful friends we have made through the blog or were once good neighbors that are not. I love your little house, but I too would be sad to lose that ability to have my family here for big dining room gatherings. Your table for four was lovely, and you did a great job of making it perfect. So good to hear from you and see that you are making it through this difficult time. You are an inspiration. just a little side note as well, Laurel. I am no longer paying for the WordPress website for my blog, hence the old website.
Hi Sue, thank you for your lovely comment. I’ve often remarked to Eric how fortunate we are to find like-minded, fun-loving, supportive friends wherever we go. That includes our blogging friends. :-) I think you’re right that it’s helpful that Eric and I share very similar political and world views.
I admire you for your grace in navigating a long-term relationship where you have opposite political affiliations. Political views are obviously only one aspect of a relationship, but it is made so much more difficult in these times that have become so radically polarized. I blame social media, some news outlets, and some politicians (and the powers behind them). I hope we can find our way back to a more moderate place, on both sides.
Love the chickadee … can almost see it in a fiber arts version! Wish you were closer to play in the studio! Kinda has the humor of Charle Harper… I’ve sold or traded most of my bird alphabet art quilts but you’ve both inspired me to attempt to capture birds in the year ahead … creativity as sanity!
Sorry about Eric’s knee … new advances in knee repair all the time (thank Goddess for replaceable parts)! John is painting like a maniac and making bread 🍞 lucky me with cold weather hearty soups!
Loved your comments on strange disaster donations and the presence of World Kitchen…it’s a long process to recovery but the help and kindness from neighbors and strangers across the country can warm hearts and make us proud to be part of humanity! There’s been a quilt drive here for N. Carolina but I didn’t see it until it was over… bit intimidating as such beautiful quilts come from your area!
Enjoy vicariously your venture into warmer climates …. keep those photos happening for our chilly west coast. ❤️ Diana
Diana, I love your idea of a fiber art version of the chickadee! I have a variety of birds I’ve painted in a similar folk-art style. Charlie Harper is definitely one of my inspirations. I miss co-creating with you…maybe we could figure out something long-distance, but it wouldn’t be the same as working with you in your studio. Every time I see a quilt made by an artist here I think of you!
The outpouring of kindness and generosity during the aftermath of the hurricane reaffirmed my belief that most people are good and want to help. Hugs and love to you and John, keep creating, and enjoy your cozy soups and homemade breads!
As your post shows, being able to spend time in community with like-minded friends helps the world seem less crazy. So does taking positive action in the world, and you’ve obviously been able to do both this fall. Kudos to you for being a glimmer of hope in a dark time! Also, kudos for vindicating my gut feeling that cash is always the best thing to donate in a disaster situation. I hope Eric is able to use the time in flat, flat Florida for knee recovery. Looking forward to seeing you all when you make your way back to NC in the spring!
Shannon, we are fortunate that we landed in a community of like-minded people. I’m sure you guys feel the same way. I don’t think we would have survived our three years in Eastpoint without you. :-))
You inspire me in all of the ways you take positive action and participate in community, wherever you find yourself. I have a little plaque in my studio that says, “Do small things with great love.” That’s my plan for the next four years. Actually, that’s my plan for forever. We can’t wait to see you and Ken in late March! Hope you’re staying cozy.
It was a very challenging fall. It’s hard to believe 77 million people think “he” was a good choice. John always said 98%. Totally true. I just hope we can survive four years.
Sweet to see you volunteering at the Food Distribution. We’ve always been big supporters of the World Central Kitchen. The organization certainly has been beyond needed these last few years. Glad to see you on the road again for a winter vacation get away. Of course it’s not too different temperature wise in FL than in NC today. But it will be short lived in FL. Biking was the only physical activity John could do with his bad hip that didn’t give him any pain. Of course he could barely walk getting off the bike!! Now nothing bothers him. Totally pain free. Hope Eric gets some relief soon. Take care and give Magnolia a hug for me.
Pam, we are still in disbelief that Trump was elected again. I know many people are deeply unhappy with the economy, immigration, and more. But even if Trump has some reasonable ideas about what needs to change, his burn-down-the-house approach is crazy and destructive. And the people he’s surrounding himself with (for the most part) are scary. I truly hope, as President Lincoln said in the very dark time as he took office, that “the better angels of our nature” will somehow prevail.
I am so glad that John is doing so well after his hip surgery. We’re grateful that Eric can bike, but are missing hiking. Meanwhile, we’re happy to be in flat Florida, although we’re freezing at the moment, haha! Magnolia is sitting next to me and says thanks for the hug! Hopefully you’ll get to meet her in person. :-)
I read your blog in a cough syrup induced haze when it first arrived in my inbox and this morning realized I had not commented. Finally over the last couple of days Michael and I have decided we are going to live–whew, that was a bad bug!
As you said, I just don’t understand why so many people think it’s OK to elect these truly reprehensible people and I will add also allow those elected to select horrible, nasty people (Hegseth) to help lead our country??? It seems morals don’t matter in this political landscape where we now live.
I love your ability to make a community where ever you go and maybe that’s our answer. I refuse to select my friends on the basis of politics, I never have. I have one rule about conversations in our house among friends and family–NO politics.
I dislike when people offer unsolicited medical advice but I’m going to do it this time as I’ve been through the exact thing Eric is experiencing. I had a partial tear in my meniscus diagnosed without a MRI. It did not get better and another orthopedic surgeon recommended a MRI which diagnosed not only my torn meniscus but also that I was almost bone on bone in my right knee. The surgeon told me he could fix my meniscus and I would be non weight bearing for six weeks!!!!!–or he could replace my knee and I could walk the same day. I didn’t do anything for about six months and finally elected to have my knee replaced. It was a brutal recovery but I am so glad I did it!
Hope you guys are enjoying your winter travels and I can’t wait to see photos of all those bulbs you planted!
Hi Janna, I hope you and Mike are feeling much better by now! There are some really nasty bugs out there. And nasty people being elected/appointed to lead our country. :-(( I just cannot believe that Pete Hegseth actually is going to be heading up our Department of Defense. You’re right, any sense of morality (or compassion) doesn’t seem to matter at all in our current political landscape.
Knowing that you went through something very similar to Eric with your knee issues, I appreciate your advice. We’ll know much more when we return in late March for the MRI, but I will definitely keep your experience in mind—and I’ll be in touch with you! Meanwhile, we’re finally getting some warmer weather here in Florida and are loving the biking and wildlife. :-)
Laurel,
Delighted to hear from you and glad to know you’re back on the road again. Nevertheless, your home in NC looks cozy and inviting. I’m confident that your new friends feel very welcome there. Speaking of blog posting, my last one was around the first of January, and I’m woefully behind in reading the posts of my “bloggy friends.” Helen and I are RVing to the West Coast for three months. The one and two-night stops along the way don’t allow much time for reading or writing. Thankfully, we’re in Lake Havasu, AZ, for a three-night stay, which gives me a little time to catch up. I love all your pictures from your NC life. It must agree with you because you look fantastic. Have a fabulous winter journey, and please stay in touch. Joe
I’m happy to hear from you, Joe. How fun that you and Helen (and Mortimer!) are off on a three-month trip to the West Coast! We had hoped to do the same this winter, but decided to wait until next year because of Eric’s knee issues.
Those one and two-night stops can be tough, but I trust that you’re getting close to your destination. I’m looking forward to reading about your winter adventures. Take good care, all three of you!
**New Reader and commenter. I agree with the political views. It is scary times.
**I live in Syracuse, NY. Today we are getting snow, sleet, freezing rain, rain, and then back to snow.
**I, too, had a meniscus tear (which the MD said was due to the arthritis) which was repaired. It gave me a couple more years before I needed a knee replacement but I didn’t have to go through the “non weight bearing” part of it. I had my first replacement at age 54 and the second at age 56. Many, many people gave their opinion that I was too young but I was only able to work and that was all. No walking the dogs or grocery shopping or cleaning the house. My quality of life was nothing and so I went for it.
**Glad to read your first entry. I look forward to going back and forward for more posts. :)
Hi Joyce, I’m glad you found our blog and I’m glad you commented! I appreciate you sharing your experience with your knee pain and surgery. Eric also has knee arthritis, and now I’m wondering if the meniscus tear is related to that. In late March we’ll return home and Eric will have an MRI and we’ll see what the doctor recommends. I hope whatever he recommends that it will be a permanent fix instead of a temporary bandaid that only lasts a couple of years.
We really miss our hiking adventures! And Eric is in pain every day, so it even limits how much and how fast he can walk. You were smart to go ahead with knee replacements, even if some people thought you were too young. Plus, the younger you are, the faster you recover from surgery. We’re in Florida right now and had some really cold weather for a couple of weeks, but nothing like what you’re experiencing. I just looked at the weather in Syracuse…brrrrrr!!! Stay cozy! :-)