I’m sure we’ll also have a happy new year but yesterday didn’t start off so great. Will was plowing our mile and a half drive after hard winds had drifted some spots quite badly, even though we didn’t have much additional snowfall. He buzzed out, as usual, but he came home much slower. Oh oh! It seems like two of the plow’s mounting brackets had broken, one after the other, as well as a few bolts that were supposed to be there … and weren’t, letting the passenger’s side of the bumper and plow dip sadly to one side. Luckily, David had spent the night, after work, to work on his cabin. He stopped by the next morning, just in time to give Will a hand taking the plow off and disassemble the bracket.

We were lucky that David stopped in before going to work to help Will take the broken snowplow and mount off the truck.

The poor truck looked naked with the plow and bumper, as well as the bracket removed. I’d never seen it like that, as it had the plow on when I bought it from son, Bill, many years ago. Today, Will worked on getting it ready to weld, welding the broken parts and finding new bolts for the places the old ones had broken and fallen out. It took all day but tonight, all Will has to do is hook up a couple of cables and check over his work to make sure he didn’t miss anything as darkness approached. Hopefully, before New Year’s Day, the truck will be plowing again. I hope so as my sisters, brother-in-law, and both sons with their families, will be coming for a belated Christmas.

With help, Will got the plow frame dismounted quickly and today, he went to work fixing the whole thing.

I’m really looking forward to having that total knee replacement on January 17th. Scared but looking forward to it, anyway. It will be such a relief to have the pain lessened and, hopefully, done away with. Spring is coming and I’m hoping to have both knees done before outside planting. And THAT is something to look forward to!

Happy New Year to all my Backwoods Home Magazine family! — Jackie

32 COMMENTS

  1. Keep a paper and pen beside your chair. DO NOT get up every time you think of something that needs to be done. Put it on the list and let Will do it, OR do it in the 5 minutes (yes, FIVE MINUTES) you are up every hour….for the first few days anyway. Swelling is what causes pain…try to get ahead of it, as you will have difficulty bringing it back down.
    Blessings as you accept this next challenge…it is so worth it!

  2. Miss Jackie, as someone with 4 implants I can tell you most assuredly that ice will be your new best friend. I froze baggies of water to use over and over. I draped them in the freezer over a large jar so they would freeze into a curved shape to fit my joints. I bought some bags of peas and froze them. They also fit nicely around joinst but lose their cool faster. Ice kept me sane (ok that might be a matter of opinion…tee hee hee) but it also helped with the pain. Take your meds (don’t try to be stoic, it’s not worth it), do your PT, and bend bend bend your knee as soon as possible. The scar tissue builds up so fast if you don’t and you won’t be able to get the degree of bend you need for everyday life. Good luck. Everyone on here is pulling for you!! Pyro

    • That is absolutely correct, Pyro, glad you spelled it out for our friend Jackie. Great idea on the jar, too!

  3. God bless you, Jackie, as you get your knees done. Wish you the very best. We would be in a bind without you and Will and David!!!

  4. It is wonderful to have such a helpful, handy son! It just hurts me to see him working in the cold without gloves! It is near impossible to do much with gloves on but boy does that cold HURT!
    I’m so excited to hear your getting your knees fixed!
    Over my thirty year career of patients, they all said they wished they hadn’t put off getting their knee replacement because it virtually gave them a new lease on life! I wish the same for you!
    Happy New Year to you and all of your family!

  5. Indeed Happy New Year to all-Jackie and all your family and to all in the Blog world- Tis tru, I think it’s part of Murphy’s Law that things happen at the most inopprotune moments-yet the challenge is a great learning experience. Good luck on the surgery, I would reinforce taking the supplements and doing your exercises, but thinking of you sitting back and doing nothing?
    That is so not you-you’ll be out and about full spped as usual. Again Blessings to all.

  6. Happy New Year to you and your family . I pray all goes well for you with your knee surgery. You will be in my prayers .

  8. A Very Happy New Year to you, Will and your whole family. May your surgeries heal quickly and you will be relieved of all pain. Gods richest blessings for the new year.

    Just got home from spinal surgery. Tired but very little pain. Just trying to get my strength back, I live by myself do all my own cooking and cleaning so I understand what you are facing. Thank you for sharing your life with us. Belated Merry Christmas and as I said blessed New Year.

    Fondly, Wanda Towles

  9. Seeing a surgeon next week to find out options for relief of sciatica. Tried everything else, so hoping to come up with a plan. Praying for your knees and a successful outcome

    • I had horrible painful sciatica. Magnesium to care of it almost instantly. Much of our soils have been depleted of Magnesium and its not found in our food sources like it was say 100 years ago. I have torn meniscus and to my surprise the magnesium helped my knee pain in both knees and using the topical ointment once a day and doing well.

  11. Glad you’re getting the knees done before Spring. Here in Ky we had snow but all was gone 2 days later.
    Happy New Year to all of you. Also, for the dogs in cat. Stay well.
    Love in Jesus Name.

  14. Happy New Year to you and yours, will keep you and your healthcare team in prayers as your surgery approaches. Physical therapy is the key!
    Katherine Jordahl

  15. Jackie, Hope your surgery goes well. I have back surgery scheduled for January 11. I have a bad disk which has pinched the nerves in my left leg. Some of the same issues and fears. Frantically trying to get things done for the cows, sheep and other critters during the recovery. Don’t want to be a burden on my neighbors, though all have offered to help. One of the joys of country living, good neighbors.

  16. Happy New Year! Enjoy your Christmas with family. Glad Will got the plow going! Prayers for a successful surgery and less pain.

  19. Happiest of New Year!

    We had the Ujoint go out on our truck today, which was an east fox, but another thing none the less. I am really ready for the new year. And for your new seed catalog! I a made some home made scalloped potatoes with ham from stuff from the garden and it was so good. My potatoes are dwindling, but they will last another two months at least. Then I’ll have the canned ones! Glad for the food for sure

  20. You will be amazed at how you feel after your knee surgery. I had both done at the same time, and had no pain, but then again my doctor was great at this type surgery. Three years now and I am doing great. Hope you have a Happy New year and really do as the doctor says and you will feel great.

  22. Jackie, you will be so glad after you recover from the knee replacement. My husband put it off for years and after her recovered he was so glad he did it! He walks pain free now. Praying for an easy surgery and a quick recovery.

  24. Having had two knee replacements, my advice (as a nurse) is to follow doc’s orders with meds, do all exercises and force yourself to move. No pain, no gain, as my brother-in-law says (2 knees, 2 hips, one shoulder). You will be SO happy to have relief from the pain and better mobility. Good luck

  25. Happy new year to you both! Mitch has had both knees done now and they’re great for him. I’ve now done both hips with success. Physical therapy is the ticket to getting back to normal quickly. Wishing you the same! Will keep you in our prayers.

  26. Never a dull moment in cold country….is there?? Thank the Lord for family or friends who are close by and can help out!! So impressed with Will and your son…who clearly can fix anything. Very much an inspiration to work on our own skill set! Thanks for all the stories and good luck with the surgery. What a relief it will be for you to not have all that pain. Gotta keep on planting and growing :-)

  28. Best wishes to you and your family in the new year. I have had both knees replaced and after the therapy, you will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner! It is life altering and I will pray for your complete and speedy recovery.

  29. Happy New Year to you too. It sure does seem things break down at the worst possible time, doesn’t it? While I don’t think 2023 is going to be as bad as the always-doom-and-gloomers say (and for some of them I swear that is their agenda/money maker), growing as much of one’s food as possible isn’t going away anytime soon.
    While the live below your means/pay off debt/have an emergency fund/have some food/supplies put by” articles are good advice, they should all start and end with “no matter how the economy is”. We blog readers follow this advice as a matter of practice, not when times get tough.
    We’ll do our usual “cook gets a night out” (we order things we don’t cook at home) this weekend but we won’t be out New Year’s Eve. In the past we’ve gone out for appetizers and a drink but with Covid/flu/RSV risk, we’ll spend a quiet evening at home.
    Fess up – how much of the fruitcake bar is actually left? Or did you have a good hiding spot for it lol.

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