Like many, there are numerous facets to my personality. For those of you who view me as Greenville's "face of Merle Norman", I have completed my professional goal. I love what I do for my business 14 hours each day.  But, I do take "personal time" - "recreational time", not only with my husband, Johnny, and with/for things that interest the two of us, together, but I also have my own "mental health time", just for me. 
 
Grizzly Adams lives in Midlotian, Virginia. He often boasts to his buddies about his cousin who fishes and hunts with him -- "and she's a girl!".  That cousin is me.  I grew up wanting to be Annie Oakley.  Realizing the Wild West Shows were a thing of the past, I refined my goals and stepped into a career so FAR in the opposite direction, those of you whom share my "personal secrets" may often still roll your eyes at me.   
 
A huge "thank you" to the privacy my team has offered me during the past several weeks as a result of: 
ac·ci·dent
ˈaksədənt/ noun
 
  1. 1.
    an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.
 
Sunday, November 12 at about 4:00 pm - just shortly after Johnny headed to The Spa to do some of the many tasks he does to help me with the business, and with me alone, I wound up on the EXTREME losing end of a damaged tree from hurricane Matthew that I had been working on for several weeks, the ground and a chain saw. 
 
Still trying to put the pieces together in my mind, the bottom line is -  the tree snapped.  As I was lying under the tree with no air in my lungs, the immediate "thank goodness" is that the chain saw was thrown away from me.  My damage came from the tree!  Darned tree- but, downed tree, now, and gone tree once spring comes as I plan to burn it where is lays! (Inoperable nasal/sinus damage, inoperable lumbar damage, soft tissue bruising on sternum, broken right fibula and tibia.)  After "inventorying" my body parts for about 20 minutes, I realized my right leg did not work.  My tractor sat about 10 feet away, and with about 45 minutes on the palms of my hands and fanny, I made it back to the tractor.  Every medical professional who has read my chart, directly worked with me, or heard of my accident and had to stop by to see who it was that went through this, marvel at the strength to not only make my way to the tractor, pull myself onto the tractor, make it back to the house, get off the tractor the same way I got on, scoot myself into the garage and wait for Johnny to return.  (I know there's a lot of "run on" in this, but I'm still pretty much in pain!)
 
After passing out from pain trying to get into one of our vehicles, Johnny, called EMS for transport.  
 
With more than a week on the trauma floor at Vidant, two surgeries on my right leg, and now residing in rehab, I am on the uphill swing.   I may not be able see you when you come to open house this evening, but I do plan to be back at work before the holiday season is over - in a brace from my chin to my tail, and in a wheel chair, but I plan to return - as soon as I am able.  And soon after that, shed the brace and the wheel chair!   
 
Thank goodness for modern medicine and the dedicated medical team at Vidant. And thank you to everyone for your cards, thoughts, gifts, prayers, texts and vm's.  With loss of strength and breath (a necessity to talk), I have relied on Johnny to keep many in the loop with my recovery. Now that I have shared this with "everyone", the team members at The Spa will be happy to share my recovery successes when asked.  
 
It's just not my time. I will move forward with enjoying life to the fullest each day, as I always have.   
 
deb.              
 
 
'She may be down, but she still got some life in her!'