A few good things make life better.

 2020 will not go down in history as a great year, memorable yes, but not great.

 

However, as usually happens there are positive sides to every crisis and the pandemic of 2020 has had a few positive outcomes. 

 

Hubby D and I have spent more time together than ever before in our lives and we are still best friends. He is still working out of his "office" in our family room. 

We golf together every Sunday in a couples group and sometimes go out in the early evening during the week.

 

Up until a week ago, I had played more golf than ever before. But something gave out in my hip and I am struggling. I don’t know if it is a muscle injury or a joint injury, but I have a pain in my back side (putting it nicely). I am hoping it is only a strained hamstring but knowing me, it is probably something worse. It has been a year of personal injuries that is for sure.

 

As I am sure ou remember, in February I had surgery on my left shoulder and then my left knee was completely replaced in March. I am still rehabbing both of these. 

 

Here is a bit of what has been going on in our life since March. I am hoping you and your family are surviving. It has been a long spring and even longer summer. The fall does not look to be much different.

The local Egyptian Geese had a bunch of babies this spring and they continue to rule the fairway on hole #6 behind our home.

My orchids bloomed beautifully in March.

In May we started the project of replacing all the windows in our home with hurricane windows. It has been a big project.

Memorial Day I recruited a group of fellow club members and we decorated the golf course with flags and bunting. We repeated this for the 4th fo July. 

The bunting kept flying up so one of the ladies came up with the idea of weighting the bunting down with old golf balls.  Genius!

This time we planted 1,000 flags. A photo of our flags made it onto the front page of the local USA Today newspaper.

In June we celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary. This photo was taken on our 25th anniversary while we were on a scuba diving trip in Belize.

Yesterday my mother and father celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Because of the virus we could not travel to be there. So many celebrations have been put on hold.

Unfortunately in early July we very suddenly lost a good friend. It was a very sad time for us. As his wife, NG told me, enjoy every moment you have. You never know when you might loose your spouse. She is so right. We try to enjoy every moment. 

During the most recent tropical storm (Isalas) Hubby D and I drove along the beach on highway A1A to see the waves and feel the wind. It was fun. The storm really did not affect Florida at all.

At one of our stops along the way we found this marker for where Ponce de Leon first landed in the State of Florida. I had always thought it was St. Augustine, but apparently the first landing was right here in Melbourne.

We are in a routine now, Hubby D working all day, me trying to stay out of his way. I suppose it could be worse. As I have said many times in this blog . . .

Life is short. Dance often!

 

Cheers,

Brenda 

Not a very good view from here

I am lying in bed staring at my toes. UGH!

Some of my family and friends know that I have nursed my left knee for many years. It was injured after I tore my Achilles tendon jogging. Long story ---

Finally I had no choice but to have a complete knee replacement. The surgery was two weeks ago TODAY and I suppose all in all it has gone well.

Along with interviewing doctors, I studied different procedures.  I finally decided to have a lateral incision with a doctor in Orlando. A lateral incision should make recovery much easier. This doctor has been doing this type of knee replacement for 20 years. We will see.

Right now my left foot is swollen and I am trying to keep it raised higher than my heart so the swelling will go down. I think it is working but I am still dealing with "not so comfortable" pain. (It has actually been much more painful than I anticipated.....)

The end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 have been very busy. The knee surgery just capped things off.

Because I really can’t do much, I have had some time to think about all that has gone on since my last blog. Grandson LW spent 16 days with us over Thanksgiving while his mom and dad celebrated their wedding anniversary in Japan. Whew! It was a fun 16 days, but every evening after I tucked him into bed; my knee told me that it was time to get it fixed.

Fresh from his bath in his pj's, LW asked, "Where is Japan, PaPa?"

While LW was staying with us we went shopping for our Christmas tree.  Having LW along while we pick out our tree has become a tradition.

There was an assignment at LW's school to make a picture about family traditions and LW chose to draw a picture of a Christmas tree because it is our tradition to pick it out and decorate it together.

Once we had the tree standing in the foyer, LW could not wait to get it decorated. He would not stop until we were done. He kept pushing and pushing. "Oma, when can we do more decorations?" I believe it was the shortest time ever to decorate our tree.

LW put the lights on the tree. I only added a few on the very top. I think they were the most beautiful lights we have ever had on a Christmas tree.

At Suntree Country Club there is an annual holiday party, the Holly Ball. Last year we missed the deadline for reservations so this year we made sure we could attend.

The annual Christmas Golf tournament, the Santa Open was canceled the morning of the tournament because the course was too wet from heavy rain. Several of the couples carried the tournament over to a nearby course that was open.

Over the Christmas holiday, Granddaughter MVL and grandson BSJ along with daughter ASJ visited. It was a very wonderful holiday.

Original design was the theme of this year's batch of Christmas cookies.

After the house emptied out, we spent New Years at a special performance of the Melbourne Jazz Band. Hubby D and I decided it was one of the very best New Year’s celebrations we have ever had. The music was fantastic.  Although my dancing was not so good (my knee was really hurting) it was great and we will definitely do it again.

LW celebrated his 5th birthday. I asked him what kind of cake he wanted and he told me, "A blue cake with marshmellows."

At one of the winter functions at Suntree Country Club, I spotted these shoes and I had to take a photo to show to granddaughter MVL.

Valentine's Day was fantastic as always. Hubby D always gives me roses and they are always beautiful! I am a very lucky woman.

This year we played cosmic golf and had a great time.

In February I put golf on hold and had a bone spur removed from my shoulder. Missing the activity, I decided to put my energy into redoing our garage and installing new cabinets.

The only thing left to do in the garage is the overhead shelving. It is fantastic and I am so happy to have it done.

Right after I had my shoulder surgery, Hubby D decided to trade in one of our cars for a new one. It is really spiffy.  LW likes it, too!

Along the way, lots of other fun things happened. Life is never boring around our house.

LW had his first science project.

LW dressed up as a doctor in February in honor of Dr. Ben Carson.

A trip to the park did not end well. LW wanted to stay and my knee said it was time to go home.

In March while my arm was in a sling, we attended a wine dinner at Suntree. It was wonderful. Hubby D and I decided it was the best meal we have ever had in Florida. The evening featured Prisoner wines and fabulous food.

March 17, St. Patrick's Day there was supposed to be a big charity golf tournament at Suntree. Sham-ROCKIN' Golf Tournament benefiting The Children's Hunger Project of Brevard County.

I was the co-chair with VS and all the details were coming together perfectly. 

Suntree members were really rallying behind this tournament. We had 22 sponsors!

AND THEN THE CORONA VIRUS HIT. Here we are practicing social distancing as we set up our sponsor signs.

The day before the tournament, we decided to cancel the event. The LPGA recommended canceling all amateur events. The President made an announcement that no more than 50 people should gather at any time . . . we had nearly 90 golfers and another 10 volunteers for the tournament and luncheon afterwards. The morning of the tournament, the President announced people should gather in groups of no more than 10. We knew we made the right decision.

Golf still continues to be played at Suntree - golfers are driving in carts with only one player. But, it was the right thing to do to cancel the tournament. 

I have started physical therapy for my knee and it is improving each day. Right now it still hurts a great deal and I have engaged the help of good friends to drive me back and forth to my therapy as I can't drive while taking the pain medication. I am a lucky woman to have such great friends.

We are experiencing all the same uncomfortable life challenges here in Florida. I hope every day that the nation can get back to normal sooner than later. However, this appears to be the new normal, for a while any way.

Plenty of beer!

So this is where all the toilet paper went!

I will have to start looking for some other challenge - I am hoping to be back on the putting green soon. When life returns to normal . . .   I can start playing golf again.

Cheers,

Brenda Hyde

NOTE: As I finished this blog, Hubby D started working exclusively from home and he has made it his mission to make sure I walk every day. My doctor wants me to walk a minimum of 50 minutes a day. Right now I am only up to 3 sessions for a total of 20 minutes, but Hubby D is motivating me to get out more and move the knee. This is good! (And, I love having him along occasionally for my walks.)