2022 Christmas "Letter"

 We wish you a most happy holiday season! We will take the trailer and Shelby to Huntsville, as usual,  and spend Christmas week with Alan's sisters and their families. It is always a joyous time to be together.  Even though we will be gone, we decorated the house and yard.  

Alan uses a ladder to decorate the top of our 9' tree.

New icicle lights and garland on fence

front of house

Shelby loves hiding out under the tree.

We have been receiving Christmas letters and cards from those folks who still do them.  Thank you so much!  Love the pix and the letters telling of your experiences this year.  I stopped doing a yearly letter as soon as I started this blog, thinking that it would keep folks up to date on our activities.  I just looked over this year's posts, though, and saw that I have focused on our trips, which leaves out a lot of things you may find interesting.

Because we are vaccinated and have gotten the boosters, we have resumed normal activities:  movie nights on the big screen TV, game nights, going to concerts, plays, parties, pit sits next to our fire pits, etc.  We feel as if every day is the last day of school!  We are free to have fun again! However, Covid rates are still high here, so we do mask at the grocery store and other public places where there are likely to be a high number of unvaccinated folks.  

Here are highlights of the year.  If you are a Facebook friend, you may have seen some of the pix.

House stuff:

Work on the back of the house is now complete:  The above-ground pool area is now a lovely flagstone patio with Adirondack chairs. The area looks over the "gulch," which is a wooded area.  We sit outside there a lot when the weather is nice.

View from above deck

Area under screened porch, right outside door to guest suite

Path along back of house, with new
railroad tie border for erosion control
Since this picture, I've planted hay-scented ferns along the edge.

I spend a lot of time on flowers in the yard. 

State Fair zinnias were a hit.

Loved all the pollinators that showed up

Planted a row of native sweetspire in front of house.

Zinnias in front of Shasta daisies

Gloriosa daisies bloomed all summer

Front of house next to driveway in spring

The 100 daffodil bulbs we planted last year were beautiful again.  A wonderful variety from White Flower Farms.

Other activities:

In May, my sister Rosemary and niece Jeanne came to visit.  We had a wonderful time with them, visiting and touring around to various places in the area.  One day, nephew Paul Bliese from Columbia, SC joined us in Asheville, NC, where we spent the day at Biltmore mansion and gardens. 

OK, it's not the best pic, but it is what I've got!

While Rosemary and Jeanne were here, we were able to watch the full eclipse of the moon, the Blood Moon, in its entirety.  We sat outside around our propane firepit, watching it and enjoying libations.  Lots of fun!

We have had many full moon pit sits in front
 of the house, but this was the best!

What blood moon looked like.  Picture was taken
 by a friend who is a professional photographer.

At the end of June, we went to an Escapees RV Club rally in Lebanon, TN, near Nashville.  An RV rally is like a convention for RV folks, except that you park your trailer in a field with 600 other RV's! It was blazing hot the whole time we were there, but the electricity stayed on, and we did fine.  Not much hanging out outside with other people though!

While riding in the truck as we tow the trailer,
Shelby gets as close to Alan as her leash allows.

Lots of interesting presentations

We were the only ones with shade because of how
close our awning  was to our neighbors' awning.

Inside/outside thermometer one day

Thanksgiving weekend, we met Paul, Marta, and Ellie Bliese at a cabin in the mountains near Mars Hill, NC.  It rained, so we did a lot of eating and watching football/soccer.  Thanksgiving morning was beautiful, though, so Paul, Nemo the dog, Alan, and I did a short hike on the Appalachian Trail to Big Bald Mountain. The other pix I took were videos, which are difficult to put into the blog, so this is it.

Paul and I at the top

View at over 5,000'

Other stuff:

Both of us are dealing with arthritis issues.  Alan may need hip replacement before too long.  I have a lot of difficulty with arthritis in my feet.  Wish I could get them replaced! Steroid shots in foot didn't work, unfortunately.

I got a Phonak hearing aid, which helps a lot, especially when I am around women.  (My hearing loss is in the higher ranges only.)  I have become active with a garden club, so now I can hear better when I go to the meetings.  The club members are a lot of fun, so doing the various activities with them gets me out and about.  I've also been learning how to do floral designs--one of the requirements of membership. This was one where we had to do a design that was different on each side of the same container.

You've probably overdosed on flower pix, so I will close!  Thinking of all of you at this wonderful time of year.  Stay healthy and keep in touch!