Fern Ridge-Tribune News
The Chronicle (Creswell)
Sweet Lorane Community News
August 4, 2022
By Pat Edwards
Can it be August already? With all of the stress, worry and health issues that Jim and I have been facing recently, I guess we haven’t been paying much attention to anything but ourselves. There’s not much time or desire to heap worries about world and national events or even local concerns onto the load we’ve been carrying, even though they are important to us both. I have turned most of the administrating of the Lorane Facebook page over to our other admins and am thankful that I had the foresight to step down as the publisher of the Groundwaters annual anthologies this year.
It’s strange how life’s pathways can take abrupt turns and occasionally drop off the side of a cliff so that we are forced to either change direction or figure out a way to claw our way back up to the smoother roadway once again. Fortunately, Jim and I haven’t hit too many cliffs or detours during our 58 years of marriage. I’ve always said that we’ve been blessed for much of our lives and despite everything that has gone wrong these past few months, I feel, more than ever that we are. Despite a major surgery and three runs to the emergency room for Jim and a back procedure for me in the past month and a half, we’re looking forward to a future that includes some travel and activities with our big family.
Jim’s surgery was successful, and he’s working with Home Health physical therapists this past week to strengthen muscles and balance to improve his mobility. When instructed to do the homework exercises 10 times each, twice a day, he does them 15 times each, three times a day. He’s taking walks to the end of our rather long blacktop driveway and began the first day by taking “50 steps” uphill on the rural road that runs beside our house and back. Yesterday, he took 75 steps, and today, 100. So, I think that by late September, when our “New England Fall Foliage” tour is scheduled, he’s going to do just fine.
My back procedure, called a rhizotomy, was successful as well, and the lumbar pain I was having has diminished to the point where I can now use our weedeater and push lawnmower in short stints. (I just need to get myself some goggles.)
So, life is good. We’re back on smooth pavement once again and looking forward to the future.
And, we’re planning to attend the Lorane Community Potluck at the Lorane Grange on Saturday, August 13 (noon), and the Lorane Ice Cream Social the next day, on Sunday, August 14 (1:00 to 5:00 p.m.) in front of the Fire Hall. I’ve been asked to remind our Lorane residents that donations of more pies are needed this week for the ice cream social. Contact Betty Willoughby at 541-942-7539 for instructions.
I hope to see many of our friends and neighbors at both!
All Things Lorane 