Lo! It's a blog post from Jim & Barb!

Hey Folks,

If anyone is still reading the blog, we thought you might like to see a few pictures of the new elevator that has reopened the upstairs to this wheelchair bound cowboy want-to-be. Its almost peak foliage season here in Vermont and we are enjoying some beautiful views from the vantage point from our living room. Barb finds the elevator very useful when bringing in wood, etc. Barb and I have spent the last several weeks tweaking the daily routines of our lives to accommodate Jim living in a wheelchair. We have added activities as Jim improves in strength and endurance. Although we won't be able to make the Walton reunion this year, we have set our sights on NC trip sometime in spring when Jim will once again be able to share in the driving. Which requires us to modify the braking and acceleration systems in our car.

Wishing each of you a great fall. Hugs to all. Should you what to contact us more directly our email addresses are as follows;

ajameswaltonjr@netscape.net;  amaliya9@aol.com

If you have any interest in keeping the blog going drop us a note.

Jim and Barb

A Quick Update from Tori

Hey Everyone!

I spoke to Grandpa briefly this afternoon just so I could get an update to put up for everyone who's noticed that he isn't at Fanny Allen anymore. That's right! He's made the transition home and is still settling in.

For those of you anxious to stop by and visit - it might be a week or so - we're still waiting for the lift to be put in so y'all can visit in the kitchen, like always. Until then, phone calls and cards are always welcome! I'll try to get him to pop a post up pretty soon so you can hear from the man himself how things are going.

Keep him in your thoughts & prayers, please.

XO

-Tori

Tenative Discharge Update

For those of you keeping track of my whereabouts, I thought I’d let you know that there’s been a slide in the August 22nd discharge date—to August 29th—In order to give us a little more time to tie up some loose ends and make some discharge arrangements. Although it’ll be nice to get home, I’ll continue to make the most of my time here. Still got lots to do and lots to learn!

The highlight of this week was practicing a couple of chair transferes to automobile seats. Whew! Bit of a challenge, putting the ol' muscles to work. Can't say that I've become proficient at this quite yet -- but I did manage to get my buns into the front seat of the Highlander -- before needing to lie down for an afternoon nap! I'm thinking of installing a zip line in the garage with a big hook on it to aid in my transfers. Might even run it down to Patty & Lawrence's house so I can try out Maddies' new trampoline every once in a while. Ahhhh, things to look forward to! :)

Keep the cards, letters, and prayers comin’ folks! Can’t thank you enough for all of them!

Hugs to all,

Jim

Another trip down memory lane...

Hi Folks!

Don’t know where the time goes! But I figure while I’ve got Lisa here—I’ll have her type this blog for me again… Much faster that way!

The last while has been filled with routine; the same ‘ol same ‘ol. Each day leaves me a little more skillful and a little stronger (or so I like to believe!). And every day leaves me more than ready for a good night’s sleep! Did I say, more than ready? : )

It’s been fun to get some feedback on the last blog I posted regarding the ‘ol washtub and outhouse.
And I wanted to incorporate at least one of those comments into this week’s blog which comes from
Cousin Ann English: “…I also remember visiting your family at Papa John’s house, the pump on the back porch, the outhouse, and later the bathroom off from the kitchen. My memory of washing in the tub is at Aunt Eliza’s house when staying with Judy. We washed our hair in rainwater from the barrels outside because there was rust in the groundwater. This was done on the back porch in a pan. There was also a pump on the back porch at Aunt Eliza’s house. What wonderful memories of a very simple life!”

Ann’s note, of course, immediately brought back memories of the large oak barrels placed beneath the
eaves/roof valleys, to catch rainwater at Papa John’s house. Each barrel, as I recall, had a large piece of
muslin-esque cloth, to screen out any roof debris or critters. For just as Aunt Eliza’s ground water had
rust in it, so did the ground water at Papa John’s. I suspect Mother used that water for a number of
things, including doing her laundry, but I honestly can’t remember.

Well I didn’t mean for this blog to turn into another trip down memory Lane and my wild and woolly
youth, but I seem to have more quiet time these days to reflect on some of life’s more meaningful
things-- family, home, friends, and such.

Hugs to all,

Jim

(Part of) The Family!

Tori here...just thought that I should put up this pic. Kyle & Peter paid us a wonderful visit yesterday and I couldn't help but share the photo. Enjoy!

Renovations and reminiscing

So...on the renovations side, Chris and Jeff have ripped out the old and begun the plumbing for the new. It's been a quiet couple of days as Jeff had another project to work on and Chris is taking Brewer on his first camping trip up at Little River State Park (I think Tony and his boys, Cole and Luke were going to join them at some point). Plumbing fixtures have been ordered along with a couple of new windows and work should resume Monday.

On to the reminiscing side...When our family moved back to Maple Hill from Virginia (in the fall/winter of 1950), I had already started the second grade and Stanley (my brother) would have already started the first grade (Forrest remained in Virginia to finish high school). As I recall, plumbing in Poppa John's house was practically non-existent. I distinctly recall a hand-pump and sink on the back porch and an outhouse some 75 or 100 feet from the kitchen backdoor. I think I'm right when I say (and Forrest will correct me if I'm wrong!) that Dad within a reasonably short time of our moving back to Maple Hill, installed a bathroom (in what was once the kitchen pantry) and upgraded the kitchen to include running water...although the outhouse (with its Sears Robuck catalog) still received the occasional visitor.
How well I remember spring, summer, winter, or fall-- Stan and I getting our weekly bath in the ol' galvanized washtub in the kitchen/dining room, with Mother boiling pans of hot water on the ancient kitchen stove.
This whole aside is brought about by a card and poem I received yesterday from my dear friends, Milt and Betty Cochran entitled, 'Ma's Old Galvanized Washtub', which brought a tear to my eyes and of which I'll share a few lines:

Did you ever take your Saturday bath
An' try to wash an' scrubb,
While squattin' down on your haunches
In a galvanized washing tub?
If not, then you ain't missed a thing.
But now I'm tellin' you what's right.
I done it 'til I wuz almost grown
An' every doggone Satuday night!
In summer it was bad enuff
But, in winter it was rough.
Spreadin' papers, buckets and kettles
And all of that sort of stuff.
Getting ready for that ordeal
Was only half the rub
of takin' a bath on Saturday night
In a galvanized washin tub.
Did you ever stand there stripped to the skin,
A wood stove bakin' your hide,
A dreadin' to put your dern foot in
Fer fear you'd be burned alive?
Finally you'd git the temperature right
And into the tub you'd crawl...

Then you'd get out o' the tub...
Next to the stove
And stand there drippin' and shakin'
The front of your body freezin' to death
While the back of your body is a bakin'

Shiverin' 'n shakin', burnin' 'n bakin',
That's the price I had to pay.
That awful ordeal'll haunt me
Until I'm old and gray...

Well, that's it for now, from he annals of Maple Hill recollections...
Til next time--
Hugs all 'round,
Jim

Time flies...

It seems like a week since the last time I blogged...Oh wait! It has been nearly a week! So, here is the latest report from Lake Wobegon:
The days are becoming a bit of a blur. Each day builds on the other. From a skills point of view as I look back over the last few weeks, I'm able to do a number of tasks that I would not have been able to do when I first arrived here-- like 'egg-on-a-rail-beach-volleyball' (not something you'll see at the London Summer Olympics...), or, what I call recovering from the 'turtle-on-its-back' position--no small feat--but another event you'll not soon see at any Olympics. : )
This week, we celebrated Tori's 20th birthday here at Summer Camp Fanny Allen which included everything from hot dogs and hamburgers to ice cream cake and Grammy Houston's delicious apple pie! Most of the family was present-- Oh wait! Except for me, that is-- as I came down with a (fortunately short--lived) infection which kept me 'quarantined' in my room-- but I still managed to get a hug from everyone before the evening was over. However, just be advised that all of my therapy sessions are back to full-gallop...no wimps allowed here!
Speaking of wimps, I gotta get some sleep! So, until next time, hugs to you all! Jim PS-- keep those well wishes and prayers coming in. They ARE felt and much appreciated!!!