Christmas "Letter" 2024

 We have had a busy year, full of fun and interesting activities, as well as the usual set-backs of living.

Probably the biggest thing that we did was sell the trailer and truck and purchase a used Winnebago Travato camper van.  Towing (and parking) the trailer was always stressful, but as we got older, we realized that we needed something that worked better with our aging lifestyle. It took a while to accomplish it all, but we now have our 2017 Travato. It is fully self-contained, with a tiny kitchen and bath, all within the body of a Dodge Promaster van chassis--(the same vehicle as all the Amazon trucks). 

takes up a lot less space on our long driveway

Has a nice awning and screened door opening

We decided against doing any big trips and just did short stays at nearby state parks, able to get sites at the last minute because our rig is only 25' long total and because we are free to go during the week.  On our birthday weekend in April, we enjoyed going to Warrior's Path State Park in Kingsport for our inaugural trip. Lots of people stopped by to see us and see the van. We also spent several days at each of the following: Roan Mountain State Park, Panther Creek State Park, Watauga Dam Campground, Pipestem State Park in WV, and Linville Falls Campground  in NC. Linville Falls was particularly fun because we camped with our friends Mairzy and Rick.  Mairzy snagged four lottery tickets for the synchronous firefly viewing at Grandfather Mountain.  We had seen synchronous fireflies in the Smokies many years ago, but Grandfather Mtn. also has ghost fireflies and glowworms, which we hadn't seen before. See link for more info, if you are interested:  Grandfather Mountain Info.

waiting for dark to see fireflies

view from restaurant at Little Switzerland on Blue Ridge Parkway

This area was completely destroyed a few months later
 by hurricane Helene. Helicopters  were landing on this terrace
to bring in supplies and evacuate people.

We are delighted that we had a lot of visitors this year:  Susie and Ed from Atlanta; Charlotte, Brian, Amy, Logan, and Brooke from Huntsville; my dear friend John from Knoxville, and nephew Pete and wife Karen from Chicago. It is so fun to welcome people to our home.  The fact that we have a dedicated guest suite in our basement with a private entrance makes it easy for people to be here.  So if you haven't been to visit, please consider it.  We love hosting folks at our home, both as overnight guests and for entertaining.

Pete and Karen at Rocky Fork State Park

Picture of me holding Pete as a baby

Pete is my godson

We finally finished off most of our outdoor house projects, so our outdoor spaces are fun to enjoy.  As you can see, we like colorful things:

Spiral staircase to upper deck

Adirondack chairs where pool used to be--just outside
guest area door, overlooking the "gulch"

We have a firepit here, so invite folks for "pit sits" regularly.

I continue to enjoy working in the yard and being a member of a local garden club.  I have started hiring someone to help me with yard work, so that helps a lot.  He is a delightful student from Zimbabwe.

At 71 and 81, we are dealing with aging and increasing health issues, none of which are life-threatening.  I have knee problems; Alan has back problems.  So we are slowing down, making accommodations to what we are able to do, and planning for the future.  I realized that when we made out our wills right after we got married, we did not have an executor nor powers of attorney designated for when we both are gone, so we revised our wills to deal with that glaring issue.  I also bought a NOK (next of kin) box, which is an easy filing system that has all necessary information for the next of kin to deal with. NOKBOX link Nephew Paul Bliese, who lives in Columbia, SC, has agreed to be executor and deal with everything once we both are gone.  We have loved having Paul and Marta as our closest Bliese relatives throughout most of our marriage--getting together at cabins or B&B's several times a year, having holidays at their large and welcoming home, and meeting for meals in Asheville.

Having dear family on both sides is a particular joy.  As you can see above, Alan's sisters and family visit frequently, which is wonderful.  We spent a delightful Thanksgiving in Atlanta with Susie and Ed, and Mitzi, their cat.  We will be going to Huntsville for Christmas, where Charlotte, Harry, and their extended family live.  When I married Alan, I got a fantastic bonus:  his loving family.

Mitzi's new best friend

The only real negative for the year was the election, which was devastating.  I don't usually talk about politics in this blog, but dealing with this is something that we are still trying to wrap our heads around.  Right now, reading about what is happening nationally is too painful, so we have stopped watching, reading, or discussing the news.  I turned off the TV during the entire Reagan administration, so we will be doing that for the next four years as well, I guess.  I have thought and journaled about how I will deal with this. I have decided that I will do what I can to support those who continue the fight--adding more donations to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, for example--and supporting candidates who do not advocate overthrowing the government and the rule of law. Other than that, I am following Lawrence O'Donnell's advice that, "Optimism is a choice."  And I make that choice.  I plan to pay attention to the beautiful, to the kind, to the insightful.  Read thought-provoking books and articles.  Control what I can control, and that is a lot.  This beautiful world and our wonderful families and friends will still be here for us to enjoy, no matter who is president. No jousting at windmills; that is crazy-making. 

We fly the flag every day because we love this country.