Pat Edwards
Can it be August already? With all of the stress, worry and health issues that Jim and I have been facing recently, I guess we haven’t been paying much attention to anything but ourselves.
There’s not much time or desire to heap worries about world and national events or even local concerns onto the load we’ve been carrying, even though they are important to us both. I have turned most of the administering of the Lorane Facebook page over to our other admins and am thankful that I had the foresight to step down as the publisher of the Groundwaters annual anthologies this year.
It’s strange how life’s pathways can take abrupt turns and occasionally drop off the side of a cliff so that we are forced to either change direction or figure out a way to claw our way back up to the smoother roadway.
Fortunately, Jim and I haven’t hit too many cliffs or detours during our 58 years of marriage.
I’ve always said that we’ve been blessed for much of our lives and despite everything that has gone wrong these past few months, I feel more than ever that we still are blessed. Despite a major surgery and three runs to the emergency room for Jim and a back procedure for me in the past month and a half, we’re looking forward to a future that includes some travel and activities with our big family.
Jim’s surgery was successful, and he’s been working with physical therapists this past week to strengthen muscles and balance to improve his mobility. When instructed to do the homework exercises 10 times each, twice a day, he does them 15 times each, three times a day. He’s taking walks to the end of our rather long blacktop driveway and began the first day by taking “50 steps” uphill on the rural road that runs beside our house and around back.
More recently he took 75 steps, and then 100. So, I think that by late September, when our “New England Fall Foliage” tour is scheduled, he’s going to do just fine.
My back procedure, called a rhizotomy, was successful as well, and the lumbar pain I was having has diminished to the point where I can now use our weedeater and push the lawnmower in short stints.
So, life is good. We’re back on smooth pavement once again and looking forward to the future.
And, we’re planning to attend the Lorane Community Potluck at the Lorane Grange on Saturday, Aug. 13 (noon), and the Lorane Ice Cream Social the next day, on Sunday, Aug. 14 (1-5 p.m.) in front of the Fire Hall. I’ve been asked to remind our Lorane residents that donations of more pies are needed this week for the ice cream social. Contact Betty Willoughby at 541-942-7539 for instructions.
I hope to see our friends and neighbors at both!
Online: allthingslorane.com
