September 10, 2026
As our saga continued….
I have two Physical Therapists in my family. One is our youngest daughter who has her Doctorate and specializes in clients with Parkinson’s Disease. She is in Wichita KS. The other is a P6 {Primary Grade 5) student at Balmullo Elementary school in Balmillo Scotland. She is our youngest granddaughter.
In my former life, I was a walker. I’d get in 1.5 to 2 miles two or three times a week on the golf course out back. For an old guy, I was in pretty good shape. I thought.
Then last July (2025) I was diagnosed with septic arthritis in my right shoulder. In addition to being in the hospital for several days, I needed a daily blood infusion for six weeks.
We live in a rural area, so it was not possible for me to make that journey daily from home. My home away from home became the Springhill Suites by Marriott Wichita Airport. They took excellent care of me.
After being discharged from the hospital, I did some walking in the halls of the hotel, but I no longer walked like I had done at home. I wasn’t able to get in my 1.5 to 2 miles 3 times a week.
Without realizing it, a combination of the hospital procedures and stay, along with the daily blood infusions sapped my remaining strength. I had my last infusion in mid September and then went home. I had been gone since July 11. PI was amazed at how little energy I had, but I was getting around a bit better every day it seemed.
But back to today, September 2026.
As I mentioned, our youngest granddaughter Elspeth, attends school at Balmullo Primary School.She lives not far away in the village.
The Google says the distance between her house and Balmullo Primary School is roughly .2 miles. The Google doesn’t mention that it is slightly uphill.
As we planned our trip to The Old Country, I was so looking forward to walking with her to school. It is after all, just a short distance. But on that first day, I could barely make it to school and back. The results I assume of not doing much of any kind of exercise for the better part of a year.
In the past, I could walk Elspeth to school and continue on up behind the wee village toward Willie’s Wood, stopping for a wee break along the way at Brian’s Bench.
The Google describes Brian’s Bench as “a memorial bench located along a scenic path up behind the village of Balmullo in Fife, Scotland. The bench serves as a peaceful resting point for walkers exploring the local trails behind the village, providing views of the surrounding countryside”
I don’t know who Brian was, but I like his sturdy bench and I’m sure there is a story there somewhere. I enjoyed my views of the green hills, the valley and also in the distance the blue of the North Sea.
That’s always special for someone from Dust Bowl country.
A time or two I would go further up the hill into Willie’s Wood, a fairly dense small forest.
The wood is named after local resident Willie Melville, who planted Willie’s Wood and neighboring Lucklaw Wood to leave a lasting legacy for the community. Willie’s Wood is described as “a charming community woodland. It features winding paths surrounded by fruiting damson, apple, cherry, rowan, and elder trees.”
It seems that both Brian and Willie must have done some serious walking.
So far, there are no benches or small forests named after me.
While on our most recent trip, I really wanted to make it at least to Brian’s bench. But as tired as I was just walking to school, I could see I would never make it.
But every school day my young personal physical therapis would have me up and out, walking with her the .2 miles to school and back to the house. I would do this twice a day. Some mornings she would say, “OK Grandpa, we’re going to speedwalk today.” On some days she even made me carry her cello!
I really think I’m in better shape than when I arrived in Scotland three weeks earlier, but I have a long way to go.
Part of the problem is, my therapy sessions with my youngest therapist ended. Grandma and I had to get on the plane and go back home.
I have my work cut-out for me to get my strength back. I’ve been way too easy on myself this past