After Margaret’s passing, the next two weeks were filled with a lot of waiting.
Some waiting is peaceful. You sit by the river, watch the water roll by, and enjoy the quiet.
This was not exactly that kind of waiting.
This was the kind that comes after a hard week. The kind that comes with phone calls, paperwork, questions, delays, and more questions. The kind where everyone is trying to do the next right thing, but the next step is not always clear.
Since we had already spent the maximum amount of time allowed at Moody Bluff, we needed to find a new place to stay. That led us to Riverside RV Park in Elizabethton, Tennessee, which became our home for the next couple of weeks. It turned out to be a good place to land.
Riverside sits along the bank of the Watauga River, and after the week we had just been through, being near the water felt like a small gift. We still had things to deal with, decisions to make, and family responsibilities in front of us, but at least we had a peaceful place to come back to at the end of each day.
While we were there, we spent a lot of time just watching the river flow by. Along with the water, there were hundreds of geese and ducks that seemed to make the riverbank their home. One of the neighbors on the other side of the river fed them in the mornings, and when that happened, the flocks would come almost running to the feast. It was quite a sight.
Throughout the day, we also watched tubers, kayaks, and fishermen float along the river. Some were out for fun, some were out for quiet, and some looked like they were hoping the fish were more cooperative than the paperwork we were waiting on.
For us, the river became part of the rhythm of those two weeks. It did not make the waiting easier exactly, but it gave us something peaceful to watch while we waited.
Much of that time was spent with Brian and Penny.
Waiting.
Waiting on information.
Waiting to start the processes that needed to be started.
Waiting for answers that seemed to come slowly, if they came at all.
There were delays at nearly every step, and those delays pushed everyone close to the limit. Brian was leaving town on the 25th, and so were we, which made every delay feel even more frustrating. There was only so much time to get things started, and each pause seemed to make the window smaller.
On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, we attended the monthly Cousin Lunch, this time at 11E Diner in Jonesborough.
There were 18 of us there that day, and it was one of the first times in a while that we could simply enjoy the company. No one forgot why we were all nearby. No one forgot what the past few days had held. But for a little while, we were able to sit around tables, eat a meal, tell stories, catch up, and enjoy being together. Sometimes that is exactly what everyone needs.
On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, we provided a meal of appreciation and held a memorial service at NHC Healthcare.
The staff there had become family to Margaret, and also to those of us who had spent time at the facility over the last several years. When someone is cared for in one place for that long, the people there become part of the story. They learn routines, personalities, likes, dislikes, good days, and difficult days.
They had walked through a lot with Margaret.
Providing that meal and taking time for a memorial service felt like the right thing to do. It was a way to say thank you to the people who had cared for her, checked on her, encouraged her, and became part of her daily life. It was also a chance to remember her in a place that had been such a big part of her final years.
By Friday, June 19, we were finally able to make some sort of plan. If everything went well, we hoped to have the information needed to begin handling the estate.
We were not completely sure what had caused the delay, but it appeared the process may have gotten hung up because the wrong doctor had been contacted. That one mistake seemed to pause everything for over a week. In times like that, patience is not always easy to find.
By Saturday, June 20, we needed a change of scenery, so we headed to North Carolina to meet Olivia and Nate and celebrate Father’s Day. Kevin also visited his dads while we were there.
It was good to step away for a little while.
The waiting was still there. The things that needed to be handled were still there. But a day with family, a Father’s Day visit, and a little time on the road gave us something else to focus on.
Then on Sunday, June 21, Father’s Day, we decided to take advantage of the river right beside us.
Since Riverside RV Park sits on the bank of the Watauga River in Elizabethton, we sought out a tubing adventure. Wahoo’s was a familiar name, so we joined 45 other people for a very sunny float down the river.
And by sunny, I mean burning.
The Watauga is fed from the bottom of the dam, so the water was around 42 degrees. That made for an interesting combination: hot sun above us and cold water below us. The water felt good at first, but it did not take long to realize that 42-degree water has a way of getting your attention.
Still, after days of sitting, waiting, talking, planning, and trying to move things forward, floating down the river was a welcome break. There is something about being on the water that helps, even when it does not fix anything.
You still have the same responsibilities when you get out. The same questions are still waiting. The same paperwork still has to be handled. But for a little while, the current carries you along, and you do not have to do much more than float.
That evening, we went to Black Olive in Elizabethton for dinner and were treated to Adam being our server again. There is something nice about going back to a place and seeing a familiar face, especially during a stretch where so many things feel uncertain. A good meal, a familiar server, and a chance to sit down together helped bring the day to a good close.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026: Beth and I made a quick run to Troyer’s for some groceries and special drinks since this would be our last full day in Tennessee. Afterwards, we stopped by Pal’s for one last breakfast of ham biscuits to hold us over to our planned late lunch.
At 2pm, we met Brian and Penny, Troy, Kelly and her family, Olivia and Nate, Ashley and Wesley at Mountain Home National Cemetery. We gathered for short words of comfort from Matthew with MHNC and Michael from Caris. After those words, we said one more goodbye to Margaret. We returned to the cemetery after our late lunch/dinner with Brian, Penny, Olivia, and Nate to view her final resting place.
These two weeks were not exciting in the usual travel-blog kind of way. There were no big sightseeing days. No long list of attractions checked off. No perfectly planned itinerary.
Instead, there was waiting.
But, there was also family.
There were delays, meals, memories, paperwork, river views, hundreds of geese and ducks, a cousin lunch, a memorial service, a Father’s Day visit, and a cold float down the Watauga River under a very hot sun.
It was not the kind of stop we would have planned, but it was the kind of stop that reminded us why this lifestyle matters to us.
Being mobile does not just mean we can go see new places. Sometimes it means we can get back when family needs us. It means we can shift plans, find another campground, stay close, and be present when it matters most.
Riverside RV Park became more than just our next place to park the camper. For a couple of weeks, it became our waiting place. And sometimes, that is exactly where you need to be.
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