Christmas Letter 2022

 Merry Christmas 2022

Dear Friends,   This is my first Christmas letter in many years…  When George and I first got married,  I wrote Christmas letters  for several years…  I don’t know why I stopped —but in lieu of Christmas cards this year,  I decided to send our Christmas Greetings to you via Facebook and my Blog.   

Overall,  2022 has been good to us.   Healthwise we both struggle (not because we are old or anything!!!! Ha ha)—but I’m happy to say that we have had no MAJOR problems.  George still has his Degenerative Disc Disease and suffers with pain in his back and right leg..  My heart has been behaving nicely this year (which is a good thing).  BUT—my neuropathy problems in my legs and back keep me in pain a lot these days making it hard for me to walk…. Right now,  both George and I are ‘enduring’ that pain —and keep putting one foot in front of the other each day.  We neither one are willing to ‘give up’….  SO—overall we feel blessed, even if we both use canes continuously now!!!! 

The highlight for both of us this year was celebrating our 80th birthdays!!!!  George turned 80 in March and we took a trip to Florida to visit his son and family.  What a marvelous visit!!!!   Then for my 80th Birthday in August,  George took me to one of my very favorite places:  Cass Railroad in West Virginia  where we rode the old steam engine train to the top of the mountain and back… I was in 7th Heaven!!!!!  (My Dad worked for the railroad —so I have always loved trains.)

Our kids are all doing well—and both George and I are so proud of all of them.. George’s son/family lives in Florida;  His daughter lives in Nashville, Tennessee   and recently took a fantastic trip to Ireland;  My eldest son lives in Knoxville, Tennessee;  My middle son and his wife live in Maryville, Tennessee  (and are hosting the family on Christmas Day);  and my youngest son and his wife live in Dalton, GA (and they hosted the family at their home on Thanksgiving Day).  Between George and me, there are 7 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren… Two of these Great Grands were born in 2022 —so our family continues to grow. 

We had two sad events this year.  One was the death of my daughter-in-law’s father in Georgia,  and the other was the death of my son’s father (my ex-husband) in North Carolina.  Two births and Two deaths in 2022!!!  That is LIFE!!!

George and I have taken several short trips this year (family trips/events, to Biltmore, Fall Creek Falls, etc.)..  We took three longer trips (but not as long as the trips we used to take).  Our three major trips taken annually are:  Mt. Nebo State Park in Arkansas in February,   Pisgah Inn in North Carolina in June (to celebrate our Anniversary),  and Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina in December.  

One more highlight of 2022 was another tradition that George and I celebrate.  That is attending “Christmas at Biltmore” in December.  This event  ‘makes’ Christmas so very special for us each year.

Merry Christmas to ALL and God’s Blessings on each of you for an awesome 2023!

Betsy and George