Cooperative Living March/April 2016 - 42

Rural Living | by Margo Oxendine, Contributing Columnist
Heartfelt, Humorous Letters;
Happy, Handwritten Notes
Quite a few readers have sent me quite a few handwritten letters through
the years. And, while I always truly mean to sit down and write back to them,
I somehow never do. I am embarrassed. (But appreciative, nonetheless.)
I
recently received several letters and
emails from you loyal and wonderful
readers. You all inquire about little
Brownie's health. Thank you! I am happy
to say that Brownie is eating like a Marine
on leave. I hide her three heart pills in her
dish, and she seems oblivious to the ruse.
(Well, there's one large pill she always
leaves in the bowl. But it is coated with the
rest of her expensive food, and eventually,
that disappears, too.)
She has also gained a pound or two. For
a dog who had lost a third of her body
weight, this is a great thing. (Another great
thing is that I have somehow managed to
lose at least 30 pounds. How did it
happen? I don't care!)
One dear lady who wrote sent me a
photo of her darling doggie. He has a
remarkable name: Little Hebrew Boy
Underwood. Wow! Little Hebrew Boy (I
don't know his nickname, but surely he
has one), looks very much like Brownie.
He doesn't have her lush, fluffy tail, but
then, few dogs do. In his photo, LHB
appears to have just been awakened from a
nap on a cushion in a rocking chair. He is
propped against a floral pillow, and
wrapped in a blanket. He is adorable.
Thank you, Mrs. Underwood, for sending
his photo.
Quite a few readers have sent me quite a
few handwritten letters through the years.
And, while I always truly mean to sit down
and write back to them, I somehow never
do. I am embarrassed. (But appreciative,
nonetheless.) I was signing my book, A
Party of One, at a reading recently. An old
fellow shambled up and said, " My wife
loved reading your columns. " I gushed a
happy reply. To which he responded, " She
wrote you a letter, but you didn't answer.
She's gone now. " Oh. I felt ashamed.
40 | Cooperative Living | March-April 2016
Many writers include photos of their
own dogs. As more than one reader
points out, " They are like our
children. " (Except, we don't have to
send them to college.)
The readers who send me emails
usually get an answer, unless
they've got a humorless
chip on their
shoulders (it's
always the men,
for some reason)
about
something
I've written.
Sometimes,
if the mood
hits me, I fire
back a snarky
retort. And that
seems to be the end
of that. Good. Mission
accomplished.
She told me
about her parents, and
that she'd decided they
were 100 percent cotton,
and she is 'made of
polyester.'
This month, I am headed back
to the hospital to get my left knee
replaced. The new right knee is doing
remarkably well. I am astonished at
what physical therapy and time (and a
dollop of dedication) can accomplish. I
am not as scared of the whole process
now. I know what it entails: One week
of pain and hell and hospitals. Another
week of thinking, hey, I'm feeling
better. Then, on week three, the major
breakthrough of being able to put on
my own sock. And beginning to drive
again. For five weeks, I will be
showering with a stranger watching
me. And several other thrice-weekly
health-care visitors. Then, I am
blissfully on my own. After that, it's
eight weeks of bi-weekly physical
therapy, and feeling better every day.
My goal is this: To be able to walk in
the woods again by mid-July. Of course,
summer-phobe that I am, mid-July is not
an ideal time to be traipsing through the
woods. But by September, and the onset
of my favorite season, I will be out there.
Probably singing out loud, and
laughing to myself. Yay!
I received another
great letter this week
from a lady in
South Hill. She is
a retired OR
nurse (she
worked until
she was 78!),
who witnessed
and assisted in
... knee and hip
replacements. Her
sweet, chatty letter
was packed with good
advice (she had her own
knee replaced two years ago), and
wry observations. (She told me about her
parents, and that she'd decided they were
100 percent cotton, and she is " made of
polyester. " )
She also mentioned she didn't expect
me to write back to her. Thank you,
Mabel Jane! Consider this your response.
To a person, those who write tell me
this column is the first thing they turn to
in this excellent magazine. Hurray! Keep
paging back here, folks. And I'll keep
attempting to entertain you. (Unless, of
course, you're a fellow with a slim sense
of humor!) 
To order Margo Oxendine's A Party
of One, email recorder@ htcnet.org,
or call 540-468-2147 Monday-Thursday
from 9-5.
www.co-opliving.com
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living March/April 2016

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