2009 – What a Year!

This has been quite a year in Our Life on Wheels. For one thing, we spent less time with those wheels turning than any other year since we started full-time on the road. Health issues required us to stay close to home so we could get some medical work done.

I had a fairly simple surgery, just arthroscopy on the right knee, but the long-range prognosis is that I’ll need knee replacement sooner rather than later.

Suzy had two surgeries this year: left wrist carpal tunnel, and left shoulder replacement. We learned this week that it wasn’t a TOTAL replacement after all, but a “hemi-arthroplasty.” The surgeon says that the shoulder was so tight that, to replace everything the way he expected, he’d have had to tear Suzy’s arm apart. Fortunately there was good cartilage, and he is pleased with the result and her progress to date.

Building up to the shoulder replacement, Suzy went through months of physical therapy, one- or two-hour sessions twice a week. Can’t go very far away with that schedule!

Here on the home front, we planted our garden: three rosemary plants, an Indian Hawthorne, a Red Bird of Paradise, and lots of cactus and succulents. Because we were close to home all year, we lucked into the purchase of a new-to-us park trailer, 386 square feet of living space, residential kitchen and bathroom appliances, full-length awning, two iron staircases, and a whomping huge heater / air conditioner. All we had to do was move it onto our site from another site here in the park. That meant, of course, that Rosie, our faithful motorhome that had been our only home for 7 years, had to go to storage. Rosie’s OK with that, however, as she has been able to take a few small trips this year.

The longest trip was just over two weeks, starting with the Rex Allen Festival In Willcox, AZ, (for more pictures click here.), Then it was on to the Truth or Consequences, NM, area for a wonderful visit along the Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway, (visit here or here to have your fill of the Geronimo Trail),The trip ended with a rally with our SKP friends in Columbus, NM, where Pancho Villa invaded the United States in 1916.

We bought a new BBQ grill, and I even learned how to do Beer Can Chicken. This is a big RV park. To get around  more easily we bought a used golf cart. Because it’s had its problems, we have named it the “Reluctant Frog.” Of course, the biggest news for us all year was the arrival of our first great-grandchild, Darren Keaton Plain, in Carson City, Nevada. We haven’t met Darren in person yet, but we have lots of pictures! That’s the way it was in 2009 in … Our Life on Wheels. We pray for a wonderful year for all of you and all of us, whether on wheel or not!

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Before I forget: Al the Stargeezer put up a post a couple of days ago about a wonderful lady here in southeast Arizona that is in need of a lot of help, and Al asked for all of us to think about a solution. If you are so inclined, I urge you to at least read Al's Blog "Appeal for Help."