As we celebrate the Fourth of July, dissension, shouted without civility from all sides, blares at us constantly from cable television and social media. Despite the noise, America remains a country blessed beyond measure. Our nation of staggering beauty stands as a symbol of freedom for all the world to see, and people of every stripe have taken extraordinary measures to stand at our borders seeking entry to this great nation–seemingly unconcerned with all of the discord around us.
Helen and I sincerely hope that on the 242nd birthday of America, the strident screeching will subside, even if for only a day. We would love to see all Americans pause and agree on at least one thing; that what we have was accomplished at great sacrifice—with deeds more than words–and is worth preserving.
For our part, Easin’ Along would like to dampen the noise briefly and send up a prayer asking that the most blessed nation on earth remain ever so. We do this by weaving some of our favorite travel pictures throughout one of the most popular patriotic songs ever written. So, please, let’s put down the remote, turn off the Twitter, and ignore in the inflamed rhetoric. With that accomplished, pause with us for about two minutes to reflect on the blessings we have and then let’s celebrate the birthday of our country in a very loud, very positive, and very unified, voice. That would be something to shout about!
The words below are a prelude to that prayer in song. The video follows. It is best when viewed in full screen. We would love your thoughts.
“While the storm clouds gather far across the sea Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free Let us all be grateful for a land so fair As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. “
After finally agreeing that she could not put it off any longer, Helen (adorable wife) underwent surgery for replacement of her left knee in March of this year. Readers to Easin’ Along probably remember this post, it was one of the most popular articles since we began our website. It seems that retirees have a lot of interest in the subject of joint replacement.
Helen’s recovery from that procedure went amazingly well. After two days, she discarded her walker, and within two weeks, she was driving again. She credits a regimen of exercise she started before her surgery as well as adhering to the rehab program prescribed for her after the operation for much of her success. I, on the other hand, give most of the credit to her attitude. Helen never whines or complains (much), and most importantly, she was determined to get back to her busy, active life on two good knees.
Her original plan was to wait until late fall or beyond before having her right knee replaced, but after her success with the first operation, she conferred with her doctor about scheduling the second surgery. Although she was experiencing some soreness in her left knee, she had no problem putting all her weight on that leg. She got the green light to go ahead with the second operation three months after the first. She continued her exercise program, interrupted only by our camping trips.
“Why wait? Let’s get on with it!” Helen is one tough gal.
Do I want to do this?
The day of her surgery arrived, and we were walking into the hospital at 6:30 am for a 9:00 am date with the doctor. Check-in went smoothly. Soon after donning a purple surgical gown, and a pair of purple socks, all we had to do was sit and wait. Helen’s expression seemed to ask “Do I want to do this all over again,” but as it always happens, the smile soon came out, and she was ready. As the nurse came in to wheel her away, our wonderful associate pastor arrived to spend a few minutes with us and bless us with prayer. We were very grateful for the time she gave us.
Let’ go!
Around 8:30 the television monitor in the waiting room let me know that the surgery had begun. At 10:30 her doctor came in to inform me that all had gone very well and she would be in Room 702 in a couple of hours. I was very relieved. A healthy Helen is an essential element in our family.
When the patient arrived in her room, I was sitting in the recliner reading a book. In spite of being a bit loopy from anesthesia and pain medications, she smiled broadly and exclaimed: “Got’er done.”! A new knee was in place and, according to her doctor, her former knee was one of the worst he had replaced in a long time. It’s a wonder that she made it as long as she had on that thing.
Just in from the OR
Within an hour, a therapy nurse arrived, checked her bandages, and helped her to the bathroom. Next, she said it was time to walk. Helen passed that test with flying colors and was on her feet for about five minutes before the pain medications kicked in, so she returned to the prone position. The rest of the day was uneventful, but she was able to get out of bed when necessary with no problem. I decided that there was no reason for me to spend the night and left for home assured that she was in good hands. My parting words to her were, “You’re doing great but, I’d rather be camping.” She gave me a thumbs up before closing her eyes.
First steps
The next morning I returned to find her sitting up, drinking coffee and texting her friends. On the way up to her room, I passed the hospital gift shop and spotted a blue baseball cap with the words Happy Camper on the front. I decided that she had to have it even though Helen is not much of a hat person. To my surprise, she donned it proudly and left it on for most of the morning. I thought it fit her very well.
Finding friends
The remainder of the day was devoted to therapy sessions and consultations. At about 3:30 in the afternoon, she was deemed fit for discharge and did not need to hear those words more than once. “Let’s go home” she directed.
Home again!
In the space of about 30 hours, and with a new knee, Helen returned home. She was extremely grateful for the skill of her doctor and the care given to her by the hospital staff. I do not doubt that the remaining days of care and treatment will be as successful as her first experience. I’m just as confident she would rather be camping and, will very soon be…Easin’ Along.
We returned from a busy and fun-filled week in Louisville, Kentucky the day before two of our grandchildren arrived to spend the week with us. The purpose of this visit was to attend Vacation Bible School at our church and to absorb all the hugs Helen (adorable wife), and I could squeeze out of them. We had a wonderful time. The highlight of the week was watching them spend several hours composing poetry and reading their work aloud to us—what fun. Although we had plans for the week after their departure, it was sad to see them go.
Poetry session
Easin’ Along readers may remember that we had to leave Gracey (travel trailer) at home rather than take her to Louisville because Bert (truck) was in the shop. Well, Bert received a new set of wheel bearings, so Helen and I were itching to get back on the road once the little ones left for home. The primary reason for another trip so soon is because Helen is scheduled for a second knee replacement next week and I will be receiving a new hip in three weeks. We did not linger long over the decision of where to go for some calm before the cuts, because we both knew we had to go to our favorite campground in North Carolina.
We love this campground near Cherokee, NC and have returned several times since we discovered it two years ago. The campground sits on the banks of SoCo Creek, and we always ask for a campsite that allows us to back our trailer to a spot within feet of the water. Due to a large amount of rain in recent weeks, the creek was running high, and the sound of the flowing water enveloped our campsite in total tranquility. We slept with the windows open and slept very well.
Creekside coffee
Usually, we look for some activity or place to explore when we are on road trips, but we are familiar with this area, and therefore content with sitting by the creek to give our soon-to-be-replaced joints a bit of a break. We came here to do nothing, and we can do nothing as well as anybody. After an extended conversation over coffee at Creekside, however, we drove the short distance to Bryson City, NC to do some browsing through the charming shops along Everett Street where I found a book to read in the used bookstore I always visit. We also picked up some freshly made dark chocolate from the chocolatier in town. For the final stop on our visit, we strolled over to High Test Deli and ordered two of their fabulous sandwiches to take back to camp for dinner.
High Test Deli, Bryson City, NC
Day two started out much the same. First, it was pancakes for breakfast, then Helen struck up a conversation with a group of campers from Birmingham, AL attending a Bluegrass Music Festival in the area. This group was having too much fun, and their laughter was infectious. I chuckled when I noticed that all of the ladies in the group had matching pajama bottoms to wear around the campfire. I regret that I did not get a picture of them.
Admiring the view
Following breakfast and some time spent attending to a few maintenance items around Gracey, we drove to Deep Creek Campground in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Although both of us knew we needed some exercise, we knew that we wouldn’t be able to do much. Nevertheless, we were up for a walk along Deep Creek to the waterfall a short distance down the trail. The weather was perfect with the temperature in the low 70’s, and the sun was out in full. Deep Creek was full of folks floating along on colorful inner tubes. The water was probably a little bit cool because everytime a tuber fell in or got splashed you could hear them squeal. Once we made it to the Falls, we were able to take a few pictures of the floating passersby admiring the view.
Floating parade
I was ready to return to the car, but Helen insisted that we walk on a few hundred yards to a bridge over the creek so that we could say we made it. I’m glad we did. The colorful inner tubes and the fun-loving tubers formed a floating parade that we watched for a long time. I suppose it helped that we were not in a hurry to do much of anything except enjoy the moment.
Cherokee Campground
By Monday most of the campers had moved out, and we had the campground pretty much to ourselves. Taking advantage of the calm and peaceful surroundings, we read our books, took naps, and watched a couple of fishermen cast flies in hopes of catching a trout. This pace was one we could handle, and a great pace for two folks just Easin’ Along.
