Friday, December 30, 2011

A Look at the Past and Facing the Future


It's been a good year and it has been a rough year.  We got through it together.  Celebrating our 45th anniversary in August is testament that we can get through it all.

Family is always the most important.  We visited my brother and sister-in-law in North Carolina in May, The Trout's brother and sister-in-law in Iowa, and were able to see all the nieces and nephews who live nearby.  We spent time with both daughters and families in Ohio and Wisconsin and time with the grand kids who are growing so quickly.

Three weeks were spent in France and Paris.  We have a great love for the food, wine, people and the magnificent history and sights of France.  We met the most wonderful people in the gités we rented.  Our greatest thrill was meeting Barbara and her husband, Robert, a fellow blogger I have corresponded with for some time.  It is true..when you meet a blogger you have been reading for a while, you are not meeting a stranger.  It is more like connecting with a friend you have known forever.

Then the next adventure....we bought a 26 foot travel trailer so that we could be a little freer in our travels out West.  Unfortunately, my knee was bothering me a lot by this time, so we could not do all we wanted to.  There is always next year.

We had beautiful weather in Montana this year.  A high school friend and his wife stopped by to reconnected after almost 50 years.  The Trout's best fishing buddy and his wife spent time with us at the cabin also.  And then I had the pleasure of meeting another blogger friend; Diana and her husband Pete.  Once again, it was as if we had known each other for years.  What a thrill to finally meet.

After that, things started going a little sour.  The Trout had to have surgery for a small intestine blockage.  We were fortunate to find an excellent surgeon and though he lost a lot of time fishing the trout streams, he was able to recover so that we could start our long trip back to Florida.

My knee has a long history.  It started back in March when we decided to get healthy and work with a trainer at a gym.  I hurt my knee and after several doctor visits, nothing was resolved.  So, I limped all the way through France and when it got worse, saw a doctor in Wisconsin.  No resolve there.  Saw an orthopedic surgeon in Montana who gave me a cortisone shot that was short-lived.  So when we got back home, I finally had a much needed MRI.  Both medial and lateral meniscus in the knee were torn...since March...so I had arthroscopic surgery on December 16.  Hoping this would correct the problem was short-lived again.  It seems the surgery simply aggravated arthritis which I did not know I had, so the pain is still there, but different.  They hope to baby my knee with cortisone injections for a year or two until it will need to be totally replaced.

So, that means we have to be careful with what trips we plan until we have a better idea how I can handle the walking.  Believe me, I can be patient.  I have also let my blog slide by not writing much in the last year.  I hope to improve that in 2012.  That is a definite goal.

Our two daughters and their families came to Florida for Christmas week.  It was the first time in 6 years that we have all been together.  I told the Trout that our quiver was definitely full....all because we fell in love 50 years ago.  The path of life is amazing.   We have been blessed.

Happy New Year to all of you.  May 2012 be healthy and happy, and as we say in German, "Einen Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!!"

19 comments:

  1. Aww, what a beautiful post! I'm sorry to hear about your knee - my sister (age 45) just had her knee replaced last month, my brother (age 53) had his done last February. They are both doing great!

    How wonderful to all be together for Christmas, you must have had a great time!

    Happy New Year!

    Mary

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  2. Lovely post. You had an exciting year but I am so sorry to hear about your knee trouble that won't go away! I hope you are able to baby it for a long time. My SIL is babying hers and so far, it is working. I wish the same for you.

    Have a blessed New Year!

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  3. And a Happy New Year to you both also. Great 2011 review post Susan.

    Sounds like you've had to trust God in all the different seasons of 2011. Your Christmas with your kids and grands must of been the best, nothing like having all the family together, bless your hearts. Now it's time to rest and rest that knee. Love you guys!

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  4. Nice to hear that you bought an RV - that'll make the trip to MT much nicer! Happy New Year!

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  5. What a joy each time I see your smiling face... and remember our lunch together in Montana. Susan, Pete and I wish you a happy and healthy New Year and look forward to what 2012 brings to us all.

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  6. Anonymous11:45 AM

    Thanks for the post and summary of your year. The two of you lead such interesting lives. I enjoy following your experiences and enjoy them vicariously. rw

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  7. You've certainly had a busy year Susan. I hope you and Dale have a very happy and healthy new year and that your knee continues to improve and The Trout can fish more next year.

    Love the picture of you with your family.
    Sam

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  8. I'm so happy to have found your blog this year! I've enjoyed your year round up. My mom is struggling with her knee very similarly to you, she had her hip replaced early in the year and while they were inserting the new "ball" they broke the surrounding bone. UGH! It's been a rough go, and now her knee is just like yours with arthritis that she didn't know she had. Here's hoping that both of you are feeling less pain in 2012 and will get to spend lost of time with those grand children!

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  9. 2011 certainly was action-packed for you and your husband with a little roller coaster adventure thrown in here and there :) All the best to you both for a happy and healthy 2012!

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  10. ....and a good slide into the New Year to you too!
    I love your expression 'your quiver is full' - too lovely. You've had quite a year, but have come through it with flying colours and your optimism intact. All the best to both of you in 2012!

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  11. Dear Susan: Guten Rutsch, aber bitte nicht ausrutschen....
    All the best, good luck, health and happiness in 2012 - a very Happy new Year to you and Dale and all the family!

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  12. sounds like a great year of travel and fun!
    My knee problems all started with a torn meniscus too. I know just where you are at. I'm still nursing it along...waiting.
    Best to you this New Year!! ((hugs))

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  13. Happy, happy new year to you, too!!! I'm glad there were tons of good times mixed in with life's little glitches...hoping the knee doesn't give you too many problems before you need a replacement..ouch. Thanks for the friendship~

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  14. You have had quite a year, Susan. How can retired people be so busy? I can imagine that you had a grand time in your travel trailer, and meeting fellow bloggers is always fun. Spending time with family is the best of all. I pray that 2012 will be a healthy and happy year for us all.

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  15. 45 years, wow! You have been truly blessed! That is an awesome testimony in this day and age. So sorry to hear about your knee - my husband has had some of the same issues and it's been a tough road - physical therapy helped him a lot after the surgery. Hope you have a quick mend and will be able to get back to all the things you love to do very soon!
    Thanks for the re-cap of your year - sounds like it was full of adventures!

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  16. Ah, Susan, I love the way you said, "our quiver is full." Such a beautiful expression of your sentiment. You have had a very full year as well! So sorry about your knee. That is a real bummer. On the upside, so glad all your family gathered for Christmas!! JOY!!

    My brother and his wife bought a travel trailer and came for a visit a couple of weeks ago. They LOVE it and will take it out to a town about 45 miles from their home for the weekends just to get to take it out! Neither Evan or I need to ever be responsible for towing or, for sure, backing anything that long. LOL! ;) We will have to stay with The Weekender idea.

    Glad you were able to meet a few blogging friends. It is really quite amazing the connections made through the blog world. I'm still in awe of it.

    Wishing you and The Trout the best of everything in 2012!
    blessings ~ tanna
    ps thank you for your kind words the other day. I suspect you will have your own days of missing yours. Hugs to you. t.

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  17. Thicket House3:19 PM

    Happy New Year to you and the Trout and all your family, Susan! May your knee problems be resolved. I am so glad for my new knees. If you need both done, get them done together! It's tough but not as tough as doing them separately.

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  18. I so enjoyed reading your year end review. Life has a way of making us change our plans.
    At our age I guess we can just hope for the best and keep going.
    Take good care of each other.
    Rita

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  19. Sorry to read of the health issues for you both. Comes as quite a shock to active people, I know. Glad things are settling down though.

    It really is fun to meet bloggers and I agree with all you say having met quite a few and having several stay in my home.

    Great times you have had with family but I can imagine how hard it is having them so far away.

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