Helen and I send sincere wishes to everyone for a happy, blessed, and safe Thanksgiving holiday. We have so much to be thankful for and we know that Easin’ Along readers will be ever mindful of those less fortunate and grateful for the service of every American in uniform serving our country both here and abroad.
We’ll be back next week but, in the meantime, please gobble up all of the joy that comes with spending this time with friends and loved ones.
Joe and Helen
Knoxville, Tennessee
Except for the White house Christmas tree that spent a night in our town, we have had a relatively uneventful week here in Knoxville. The leaves on our trees are all but gone, and our serene neighborhood must now contend with a chorus of leaf-blowers sounding off in a roar so loud it makes my teeth hurt. From my man cave, I watch through the window at some very active chipmunks filling their winter stores with the nuts once covered by a thick bed of leaves.
My activity level moves at a pace much slower than that of the chipmunks. I go to therapy for my knee three days a week; do strengthening exercises when I’m not in rehab, and sit under an ice pack the rest of the time. I’m making steady progress however as measured by the degree of bend in my surgically replaced knee. When I began physical therapy, my bend measured 115 degrees. The goal is 125 to 130. My latest measurement (after a lot of screaming and sweating) came in at 141. I’m now able to drive and, driving to therapy resulted in the only other noteworthy event this week. Read on.
My rehab center, Prompt Physical Therapy, is about three miles from my home and, on Monday of this week, I threw on a pair of gym shorts and a sweatshirt and jumped into my car for another session with Steve, Mary Catherine, and Grace, the wonderful therapists who are helping me heal. Due to some persistent stiffness in my right leg, I tend to drive slow, allowing for extra reaction time to apply the brakes if needed. As I approached the therapy center, I slowed down to make a right turn into the parking lot when, WHAM—something or someone hit me from the rear and moved me forward into the parking lot. Next, that something veered to the left from my rear and ran headlong into a car coming from the opposite direction. The entire episode lasted less than 10 seconds.
“Holy (expletive)!” was my immediate reaction before I gathered myself enough to get out of the car and see if I or anyone else was hurt. I was fine, and the fellow who ran into me was already standing beside his Mercedes and talking into the OnStar system that was alerted to the crash. I overheard him tell the operator that he was fine and ask her to notify the police and call for a wrecker. A policeman arrived almost at once. Patrons and therapists came out to witness the scene.
The lady driving the other car eventually came out from under her airbag and walked out to join us. Other than a blow to her nose from the airbag, she was not hurt seriously, just understandably shaken. Oddly, the propellant from the airbag caused a chemical burn on the sleeve of her shirt.
Since both of their cars were blocking the road, the policeman gathered information from each of them first. As that was going on, the wrecker arrived and hurriedly began setting up to prevent other wrecker operators from moving in and stealing the bounty. I used the time to assess the damage to my car.
My car, a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser is my most prized possession. I named this car Freddie and I refer to Freddie as my toy. Over the years, I’ve had a lot of toys including, boats, motorcycles, four-wheelers and campers. I even had an MGB sports car once although, with my 6’ 4” frame, it wasn’t a good fit. Freddie is perfect for me and, the day before, had just passed 66,666 miles on the odometer.
Freddie is roomy on the inside, and unique on the outside. I keep it polished to a high gloss and rarely let Freddie out of the garage if there is even the threat of rain. Freddie has taken me to some lovely places in our mountains and I’ve shared a few pictures here. Toyota doesn’t make this car anymore which only adds to the appeal.
On this day however, Freddie absorbed a blow to the bumper that resulted in a cantaloupe-sized inward bend. Miffed at first—there was not a scratch on Freddie until now–I soon realized that, of the three cars involved, Freddie was the lucky one. The lady’s car was probably totaled, and the Mercedes would require extensive repair if not totaled as well. Neither car was driveable in their current condition and soon departed on the bed of a wrecker.
The three of us shook hands after exchanging information. Almost immediately, I took a phone call from the insurance company of the Mercedes owner, assuring me of proper care and treatment for the bend in Freddie’s bumper. I turned and went inside for treatment on the bend in my knee…grateful that I am still Easin’ Along and mindful that things could be a lot worse.
Note: Easin’ Along will take a little time off for activities with family and friends. Please know how grateful we are to have our readers join us each week and Helen joins me in wishing each of you a blessed and safe Thanksgiving holiday.
This past weekend was one of those perfect fall days that we have often in East Tennessee. The temperatures hovered in the low 60’s; the trees in our mountains gave off a bright palette of Fall color, and wispy clouds hung low against a backdrop of soft blue sky. The record heat of October was nothing more than a bad memory. East Tennesseans flocked to the outdoors and Helen and I wasted no time joining them.
We had an invitation to join some friends for two nights at a family cabin in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains. For over two weeks, I had spent the vast majority of my time in a recliner icing a knee healing from joint replacement. Although I was not yet rid of the persistent soreness, I felt certain that some fresh mountain air was the perfect prescription for rapid recovery. We left shortly after church on Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon and into the evening most of the activity centered around cooking and casual conversation beside a roaring fire in a massive stone fireplace. A grilled steak chased by a fine Cabernet provided a great beginning to the healing process. A solid night’s sleep under a down comforter added extra fuel.
Monday morning, Veteran’s Day, we decided over a late breakfast to spend the afternoon hiking along the trails at nearby Blackberry Farm, an exclusive mountain resort. I was not yet ready for hiking, but I could use one of the resort’s golf carts to meander along the walkways…perfect. I took my camera; the day was too good to miss the photo ops.
The first stop on this outing was the puppy barn where Blackberry breeds and shelters the Italian Lagatto Romagnolo hunting and water dog. This loveable breed that resembles a smaller Cockapoo, is also known for its ability to locate truffles. Tom Della Tre, the original Blackberry Farm Lagatto Romagnolo, was a master truffle hunter, and his offspring eagerly welcomed our group as we entered the shelter. One of the attendants told us that the waiting list for a puppy extended out five years and the price was well into the thousands. They are cute, but I decided to get my Truffles at Whole Foods instead.
Much of the produce served at the Blackberry dining facility comes from a large garden near the puppy barn. We visited the garden, but, with the growing season nearing its end, most of the remaining crop was kale and a root crop we couldn’t identify. We enjoyed chatting with one of the gardeners while taking in the gorgeous scenery on the hillside above the garden.
The trail away from the garden led to a streamside pavilion. Adjacent to the pavilion, a warming fire burned in a large fire pit where a group of ladies gathered to read books and chat. We decided it was a Mom’s weekend getaway. Helen walked over to say hello and congratulate them for picking such a lovely spot to spend an afternoon. It was an easy choice. The pavilion, the stream and the view looking toward the mountains on a crisp fall day is as delightful a setting, both pastoral and as picturesque, as any I can remember.
We left the ladies to their reading and Helen and I drove the cart up the hill toward the lodge. Our friends walked behind us. At the top of the hill, I took the pictures seen here. By looking closely at one of them, our friends can be seen meandering up the trail in optimal conditions for a stroll on a fall day.
Later that afternoon, one couple, having to work the next day, drove home, and another arrived to take their place. The latest arrivals brought news that snowfall would arrive before dawn. On a day like the one we enjoyed, snow did not seem possible. We don’t get snow in November. We felt that the forecast would change as it always does in these mountains, and settled in for an outstanding dinner of spaghetti and homemade Bolognese sauce with fresh carrots and crispy bread. The fire roared in the den behind us.
The weather forecast proved correct for a change and, by dawn, a light coat of fresh snow covered both and tree limbs and the ground outside our windows. The scene was in sharp contrast to the day before, but pretty nonetheless. Unfortunately, the time had come for us to say goodbye to our friends. The roads were clear and our return trip through the countryside offered up a few outstanding snow scenes. A couple of horses, shown below, hovered near a barn as if waiting for someone to bring them a blanket. I felt for them.
We had a great weekend and, as we were Easin’ Along toward Knoxville, I suddenly realized…my knee felt better. The prescription worked.
