DOUBLE FANTASY

 

"I'm just sitting here watching
the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go"--John Lennon

When I was a kid, as in junior high and high school, I had a fantasy.  No...not that kind!  It was, however, one that played over and over in my mind until it seemed almost true.  This fantasy involved me being a successful, published writer of fiction, driving a Jeep Wrangler, and living in the mountains with my outdoorsy husband and five--yes FIVE--kids.  I think this fantasy combined a number of movies and books I had enjoyed such as Spencer's Mountain (if you remember that one, it REALLY dates you).  The point is that this fantasy has lived in my heart and soul and mind for years.  I haven't given up on the part about being a published writer (guess I'd better get going, huh?), and I DO live in the mountains, but the rest of my fantasy has changed a bit.

 

Now, instead of dreaming I'm in my thirties with a busy lifestyle, I mostly want to stay healthy for as long as possible to enjoy the life I have been given in the past fifteen months.  I've had a bit of a scare with immobility with an injury to my right knee that started about six months ago.   I'm sure the aging process has contributed to this injury, but nobody seems to be able to pin down exactly what's wrong with it.  I've had one diagnosis of arthritis, another of  a sprained MCL and another honest physical therapist admits she isn't sure.  The short version of this saga is that I have gone from being able to hike, to walk whenever I felt like it, and to be pain free to dealing with at least minor pain and seriously decreased mobility on a fairly regular basis.  I've been assured that there's nothing fundamentally wrong with my knee joint, which is definitely a plus, and I'm currently going through a couple of weeks of PT to strengthen my quads and hip muscles so that I can better support my knee.  I recently had a cortisone shot which has tremendously, and I'm hoping the inflammation will stay down and I can recover completely, even once the shot wears off.  The bottom line is that this injury has made me wonder if I've squandered an entire year by not taking full advantage of my mobility when I had it. I had told myself that my 60s would be the decade when I'd enjoy hiking and exploring these beautiful outdoor spaces, and I did do some of that.  But now I hope for the returned strength and mobility to get back into the activities I enjoy so much.  Given the opportunity to heal and recover fully, I hope I would take better advantage of what I have.

 

Another way my fantasy has changed is that I've traded in the idea of a Jeep on a Chevy Silverado and a Casita travel trailer.  We have made pretty good use of the opportunity to use the Casita in the past year, recently having explored near Blowing Rock and Boone, and we are looking forward to two trips in the near future.  One is to northern Georgia, not far from home, for a four day trip with our friends Mike and Sue in one of the Georgia state parks near Helen.  Then at the end of September we're headed to New Hampshire and Vermont in Dora (the explorer trailer) to see the fall foliage.  I've never been up that way, and I do love fall colors, so I'm very excited about this trip. In our neck of the woods, we've had so much rain this summer that the "experts" warn that the fall colors may not be very good, but I'm hoping we see the Northeast at its best.  How bad can Vermont me in early October?  As for the Jeep fantasy, there's always the lottery!! 

 

 

My good friend Katy and I have agreed that if either of us wins the lottery, we'll buy ourselves AND the other one a Jeep. Works for me, and Katy, I'm still trying!! I do spend too much of my free time on Jeep Wrangler forums and websites advertising used Jeeps, so I can't honestly say that dream has did. It's not very practical, but then again fantasies aren't supposed to be, are they? I still like the look of the traditional 2 door Wrangler and would buy one in a heart beat if I could afford it (although the 4 door is probably more functional).  I may be almost 63, but I'm not too old to want to sport around with the top down!!

 

 



 

Although I didn't end up with the five kids I thought I wanted, I do have a loving family with whom I've been able to share many memories. This summer we were able to play host to my niece Laurie and her two boys. We celebrated Sam's ninth birthday at the top of Water Rock Knob, which was pretty cool, especially when the other sunset viewers all sang Happy Birthday to him.



Then in July my niece-in-law Ashley brought their two girls and her sister Travis to visit.  I had REALLY been missing Olivia and Jane Ashley, and I appreciate their mom taking the time out of her busy schedule to bring them up here.  I think they had a good time!  I was pretty gimpy while they were here, but Carol and I did manage to take the girls to Dollywood for some adventure and fun.

 

 

Other summer visitors included my friend Aimee Castille and her daughter Taylor, who came to visit with Jessica Matens.  Both these ladies were colleagues in the English Department at BRMHS and it was WONDERFUL to see them.  Again, I think they had fun.  We went white water rafting on the Nantahala (Jess and Taylor's first time), and did some shopping in Asheville and Waynesville and had some good porch time too.





Other notable visitors this summer included my two oldest and dearest friends, Annie and Brenda, who also visited in July.  Somehow we managed to let an entire week go by without me even getting ONE photo of all of us together. Rats!!  It must have been all that fun we were having that made us forget!  Carol's daughter Laura also came with her cousin Angie and her friend Amanda.  We really enjoyed their visit and hope they liked Ridgehaven well enough to come back and see us soon.

 

Yuri Weydling and her friend Mark stopped by for dinner one night when they were in the area. Again, I got a good fix of old friends from Baton Rouge.  Thanks for the Community Club coffee, Yuri!! 

 

 

 

I also got a chance to visit with two of my former students for a nice lunch at The Early Girl Eatery in Asheville.  One of my favorite restaurants and definitely two of my favorite people, Erin Mann and Kate Cronin.  These two put up with me for THREE--count 'em three--years in high school English, but somehow they managed to survive!

 

Well, after re-reading this post and seeing how many people we had come to visit us this summer (and I didn't even mention my brother Glenn and his daughter Katie who stopped in for a short visit), I realize that I have a NEW fantasy...to own a B&B in the mountains of North Carolina! 

 

Seriously, it's been a great summer, and with Labor Day weekend upon us, I admit I'm sorry to see it go.  Yes, my favorite season is right around the corner, but with LOTS of nice rain and temps usually in the 70s or low 80s, I have thoroughly enjoyed these past few months, in spite of my knee problems.  I hope to start substitute teaching on a fairly regular basis soon (my sub orientation is coming up week after next), so this life of laziness and carefree existence may be soon coming to an end.  Compared to full-time teaching at Baton Rouge High AND part timing as an adjunct at BRCC, how hard can that be?

 

I guess my fantasy world may have changed somewhat from when I was fifteen, but I'm pretty much Living the Dream right here and now.  I may not own a Jeep (yet), but I still believe in their slogan, LIFE IS GOOD!!