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I do not now remember how I met Wim Woody, nor what we did together. I just remember him as an amiable sort, pleasant to be around. Seems like it had something to do with the nice house above Dr. Brian’s office. I think it is called “Mostly Hall.” Anyway, hate to lose another fine Tryonite!

Some of the White Oak men were taken to Nana’s for breakfast recently. We always enjoy Melinda’s great cooking and the attentions of Christy to our wants/needs. She is a marvel of efficiency; she single-handedly keeps all the coffee cups full and gets our orders right!

I had to get a friend here to drive us to Asheville Ophthalmology and back. Randy Ferebee volunteered; my eye doctor wanted me to have a driver because I have a new malady: wet macular degeneration. I got a shot in my right eye; the salve used to protect and heal it made my vision pretty clouded. The doctor hopes that he got this in time to halt the progression; I get another shot in a month.

I will appreciate your adding me to your prayer list. As the hymn says, I am always “standing in the need of prayer,” but this is acute, a “special case” if you will . . .

Dr. Ferebee is a new friend. He and Judy moved into an apartment near ours within the year. We were all ready to eat when we left the doctor’s office; Applebee’s took care of that problem very well. Randy is a retired Episcopal priest; his brother Dan also lives here. 

Our Valentine party/dance was well attended. Fran says that dancing with me is like being paired with a Mack truck, so I drank wine and watched. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many good dancers, both men and women, that we have here.

I used the occasion to work out on the fitness machines in the gym. I had not found time to do that of late, so it was literally a WORKout. Gotta get back to regular workouts! I used to think that gyms were for athletes only; I have now come to realize, after much time in one for rehab, that everyone needs to utilize the gym’s means for fitness.

I made a goodly number of friends during my time in PRO Physical Fitness gym in Columbus. Owner Dan Laplaca spoke to our Columbus Lions Club on at least two occasions. Therefore, when my doctors prescribed rehab at a gym, I chose PRO. I wish I could remember the names of their skilled workers who got me back to “normal” range of motion and abilities. They certainly made a believer out of me!

Kevin Vees is in charge of our gym and its fitness programs here at White Oak. Their “weight room” machines use compressed air to set resistance, so it is very easy to “dial in” the desired load. I always strived to add a wee bit to the numbers every few weeks. We are given our own special key that remembers our settings. 

This column is not supposed to be about me, but about other people who have chosen to live here. Since a lady tapped on my car window as I was leaving a performance, and complained that I only write about “dead people,” I have written a few “appreciations.” I found one of the subjects, Jerry Soderquist, in rehab in our Medical building. I enjoyed visiting with him and with Linda Lee Reynolds in recent weeks.       

I could not have slowed either of them down for an interview otherwise, so this chronicle of my own life has paid dividends after all. Cheers!