BOXING DAY 2025

​CHRISTMAS PICS

Kris is ELF (?) 😂

Diane dressed us for cooking (although I was banned from the kitchen!)

Eternity Knots in pretty glass from RanDawn for Sue & Diane!

Diane brought “hats” … we had fun!!! Sue looked great!

🎶 He wears it well 😂 You should’ve been a blonde Randy. 

Wayne was happy to have his turn with macramé “hair.” 

Dawn owned the look! 

It was a joyous day with good company … delish foods and “99” card game which Sue won! $6.50 I think. 😂

Today was relaxing for us … a little tidy up; some tablecloths in the washer.

All the family donated clothing for the homeless that was being organized by a neighbor. Tasha popped over and we loaded up her trunk. There’s forecast two cold nights this coming week so heavy jackets, socks and hats were needed.

That’s it for today! 

HO HO … OH OH 😇

​Merry Christmas y’all … I hope your day is going smoothly! 

As many know, the kitchen is not generally kind to me. Mark likes to putter around in there and I clean up. 

Well … Mark went for a shower and I began setting up the serving dishes for tonight’s dinner. Easy peasy, right.

Then, I opened an Atkins chocolate shake for my quick lunch, took a gulp, noticed the coffee pot in the drying rack. While the right hand fussed about with the twisted cord my left hand imitated my right (ambidextrous) and poured the chocolate shake onto the countertop, lower cabinets and floor!!! 

That was a major mess to clean up!!! I no sooner completed mopping up when the butter dish caught my eye. I gave it a good soapy wash up and grabbed a paper towel to dry it. Well the darn thing flew out of my hands and smashed to the tile floor! 🥹 

By the time Mark walked barefoot into the kitchen I was putting the vacuum away … and heard him cussing! 🤬 

So I picked glass out of his heel and am now BANNED from the kitchen for the duration of today. 😆

Christmas Eve 3025

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Wishing love, peace, happiness, health and prosperity for Christmas and the coming new year! 🎄🎅🏼

Not a bad pic for a couple of Seenagers 🤩 … Mark’s had a bit much sunshine and my hair’s over my nose. 🥂

Monday, December 22, 2025

​It’s nearly Christmas 🎄 and what have we accomplished in 2025? 🤪 It’s been one heck of a year!

Not many Christmas cards were written this season. Lovely to receive but … I couldn’t create a Scottie antics card without 🪽 Robbie’s 🐾 presence. We miss him so much. 

March was a flight to Asheville to celebrate Nephew Jeremy’s fabulous wedding! 

The biggie in 2025 was our personal household move! We loved our Harbor Shores home, the neighborhood and longtime friends. Of course over that length of time there were big changes! New neighbors became friends as several moved away. Then … our  Nancy opted for an easier lifestyle 25 minutes away … and we helped with some painting at her new home. 

Next I think, was Diane & Kris wanting a lifestyle change. That gave Mark and me a challenge! We were driving 1 1/2 hours each trip helping to remodel their chosen place and ready the other for sale. That took care of mid-March to mid-July! Whew! 

Family lunch at Leesburg’s Ski Beach in May!

While all that moving business was going on my head was on a swivel. Diane showed me 3 homes in Spruce Creek. I liked the neighborhood but the homes were too “small” for us. I looked at 2 in The Villages … but no fences allowed for the Scots. Walking them 6 times a day was too much. (It was a brutally hot summer.)  One Villages home I liked  … but no privacy. Kissing lanais was the terminology. 🤨

So … I announced we’d stay where we were another 5 years!!! Right 🙄. The universe had other plans for us. 

Google found a home matching my needs and piqued my interest. Diane showed me on a Thursday … I mentioned it to Mark and put an offer in Friday. Negotiating took til Monday. 🤪

Then the work of prepping our Harbor Shores home for sale became real … real fast! 😂 We listed it with Kelty Realty and John found us a buyer right away. Of course Mrs. R. B. was sold … the first time since I was 19 years young without a BOAT!!! 😳

Our “new” home needed a lot of maintenance catch-up along with a new roof, electrical work, plumbing repairs all before we could obtain occupancy home insurance!!! THAT was a busy month! Anyway, August 19th we officially moved into our nicely redone “big enough” home. 

September 10th we embarked on making new connections by attending a dinner and dance, joined a few groups and became one with the new lifestyle. 

Losing Robbie literally in 2 hours October 4th to ruptured liver cancer was the worst. We were shocked and devastated. Plans for his 15th birthday were underway. It was heartbreaking. 

In early November we blew the budget and went on a 10 day cruise. (We needed the break from the year to date.) The K’s joined us along with Wayne’s cousin Tony and his wife Janny plus their friends from Taiwan. That made us a group of 8 and we had a blast! 

Nancy came to stay and dog-sat Belize and Wyatt. The kids were spoiled and loved it all apparently. We came home renewed and ready for the holiday season. 

Diane & Kris hosted Thanksgiving with family and friends. It was a wonderfully chaotic time with a couple of games played. Their new place functioned perfectly! 

Golf Cart Christmas parade night

Now it’s nearly Christmas and I’m finally getting this wrapped up. 😂🎅🏼 “Not a moment to spare!” (Randy’s Nanny’s saying!) 

Mark and I are hosting family Christmas dinner in our new (to us) home. Sue, Wayne, Diane, Kris, Dawn & Randy will be here! 

Merry Christmas y’all and our very best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2026! 🥂❤️

Monday, December 15, 2025

​GC Parade FUN

Good evening! Well, last night was a blast. We entered our 1999 EZ GO TXT old golf cart into our neighborhood Christmas parade. 

The parade route was 1 1/2 hours long winding throughout the streets. There were people lined up along the roadside and driveway parties to cheer us on. About 200 golf carts paraded! There was a hot chocolate and cookies snack back at our club house plus an hour’s show. What a F U N time!

Today, I met new friends at the Art Association luncheon. The Orange Blossom restaurant was good! Nice lunch menu! I was glad to be there. 

Now tonight it’s family dinner. More later. 

CHRISTMAS CHEER 🐾🎅🏼

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Wyatt and Belize showing off their new Christmas collars although Wyatt tried taking his off by rubbing along the hallway wall. 😂

Thursday, December 11, 2025

​EATON BEACH 

Good evening! Today’s fun was lunch with pals KimBob at Eaton Beach. 

It was a couple hours of catching up. They’d been on a cruise in September, us in November. We had a great afternoon! 

Tuesday, Belize had bloodwork, ultrasound and a chemotherapy appointment. I dropped her off at 9 o’clock. She’s quite happy in her stroller and according to staff, easy going about it all. 

Afterward, I went to Nancy’s for a visit and coffee. She’d already had a morning workout! Darn … I hadn’t even had a coffee yet  😂 

Nancy opened a couple Christmas presents that I hoped would be good for her upcoming trip to Pigeon Forge - a goodies snack pack gift basket and flannel nightgown. Nancy had made Buckeyes … chocolate covered crunchy peanut butter and confectioners sugar balls. Too delicious!!! 

Mark ran manly errands (Lowes) and picked up Belize at 5 o’clock  it was a long day for her! Great news though … her next appointment will be SIX weeks away. She’s doing very well. (It’s a year since diagnosis of TCC Bladder Cancer.) She’s eating well and maintaining her weight and activity level. We’re thrilled! 🐾❤️

Our friends Pat & Ken moved from our former neighborhood yesterday, officially. They’ve been renovating their new nest. We look forward to seeing it. There’s nothing fun about moving but satisfying to see the plan come together.

The K’s have been wineing and dining in South Florida this week. 

RanDawn both had colds this past week; there’s a virulent strain going around with a wicked cough. When we talked to Randy today, he sounded much much better.  

That’s it for now. We have a busy weekend coming up with events. ‘Tis the season … 🎅🏼

Saturday, December 5, 2025

​good morning from foggy North Central Florida, where we have rain rolling in for the weekend. Mark and his friend Wayne are in the woods this morning. I’m not sure Mark should be out there as he had a sore throat last night. ‘Tis the season for colds! 

Last Wednesday was the kickoff to the December holiday parties with the Coast to Coast club. 

The party was great. The food was excellent, the decorating very pretty and the band awesome.  As you can see, everyone was up dancing.  

The next night was Yaya‘s at Nancy‘s!

It was a smaller group than some years, but lots of fun. Nancy cooked her famous Cincinnati Skyline chili with all the fixings!!! There were Christmas crackers with jokes inside, Christmas bauble necklaces for all and a gift exchange. Well done Nancy! Her place was decorated to the ‘nines’ !!!

Both Belize and Wyatt are doing well with daily walks and golf cart rides. We are keeping them as busy as possible.  Now with two misty rainy days upon us, I will have to dig out the toys with treats for a fun time.  

That’s it for now! Happy Holidays!!! 

Saturday, November 29, 2025

​good morning from chilly North Central Florida where it is 60° at the moment. Brrr 🥶 

We had a fun Thanksgiving day at Diane and Kris is home. Cindy and Hailey were there plus Diane’s neighborhood friend Tina. Nancy came with us and added to the fun.  We played a couple of games, ate ham, turkey and all the fixings! 

Whatta fun time! That’s Hailey up front resetting the picture timer. 😂

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

​GRINCHMAS STRIKES 😂

Good afternoon on this TG-Eve where we’re putting up Christmas lights for the first time on our “new” home! I’m having a blast whereas my grinch has 3 various sized ladder and his drill readied for the task. 

Check out his grimace. 😂 Next year we’ll have an easier time of it. I think.

We’ve put 100’ of bright C3’s across the garages, front and peak. Our inflatable Scottie will guard the front entrance. Three projectors will handle the sides of the house as we’re on a corner lot with plenty of wall space! (Maybe a picture once the sun sets tonight.) 

Last night’s sunset across the street from us …

Florida is beautiful at this time of year! 

This was happy hour yesterday after some grocery shopping at Walmart! It was mobbed!

We forgot a few things at Walmart and come home to our lights on full display! 

Our front porch Scottie 

Maybe tweaking here and there but overall it’s done. 

Now Mark’s cooking up a batch of turkey dinners for Bee & Wyatt. 🎶 The beat goes on … 

Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. 🥰

Monday, November 24, 2025

​Good evening! We’re home from Applebee’s burgers with Sue & Wayne. It’s a beautiful evening! 

Yesterday I went to our neighborhood holiday music concert. I was amazed at the talent and decorations. It was a nice kickoff to Thanksgiving and the Christmas season.

While I was “being a social butterfly” as Mark said, he was happily puttering about in the attic.

There’s decent headroom in the garage attic so a few pieces of plywood flooring is a good plan. Things like seasonal decor might be stored there eventually.

 

Tuesday, November 18, 2025

​Waaaa 😭 The Cruise is OVER

Jack, Jill, Janny, Mark, me, Tony … at the elevators, ready to go and disembark. What a fantabulous time we have had! The weather was perfect, the seas smooth. 

All eight of us at the departure lounge. Four of us have a 5 Hour drive home and four have a three day trip to Taiwan.

Departure was quick and easy. The ship had cleared customs and we all just walked off. We had to take a shuffle over to the parking lot as we didn’t come into the same slip.  We were about 2 miles or more away. Port Everglades is now huge. 

Back home, Nancy had taken a wonderful care of Belize and Wyatt. We had a white claw together and caught up on the news. Then she was off to a meeting in Tavares and we began unwinding.

Thank you, Nancy, for the new addition to our family.  “Just what this house needs” as my dad would say.  😂  It’s so cute and holds the big buddy cookies. 

So today Mark is running errands and I’m unpacking the suitcases and doing laundry. It’s great to be home, and we will be back to normal soon.  

Saturday, November 15, 2025

​Yesterday, we arrived in St. Thomas and managed to do a little portside shopping. I have been down with allergy since going in a few shops and a very dirty tour van. I did go to the ships medical and was tested for Covid and the flu. Fortunately, both came back negative. They gave me some medication just to help but said it is allergy based. 

Pics from St. Kitt’s … beautiful around the port but poverty ridden elsewhere.  According to our driver, the average income is about $200 a month!

Monkeys on leashes are common. The locals have them available at every roadside stop. Of course they charge for pictures with them. Desperation is a plague. 

St. Thomas … the nicest of the Virgin Islands (our opinion. 

Bad hair days with 85% humidity. 😂

We had dinner in the island dining room last night and helped to celebrate Tony and Janny’s 30th. 

Janny likes her “beauty cam” setting … but the app doesn’t cooperate when I touch her phone. 😂 Janny set her phone for me to video the crew singing 🎵 Happy Anniversary. Well, I “pushed” the camera button and the beauty cam went to a commercial. 🙄

Cruising along this morning to Grand Turk … arriving about 1 oclock. (We’ve been enjoying our cabin’s balcony.) 

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

​A N T I G U A … a lovely Caribbean island which is not easy to walk around. 😂 Mark says I can trip on a dime. Perhaps it’s true as today I kicked an orange cone out of the way of an obstruction without noticing it. 😂 Sue and Wayne cracked up laughing. 

We poked about some shops and supported the shop owners by purchasing a dress and a few sundries. We’re not used to the humidity anymore. (Central Florida is much drier a climate than South Florida was.) After an hour we were ready for air conditioning. 

So yesterday … we met up with Fraser & Barb for lunch at the Blue Bitch Bar along the downtown beach. It was so good to see them both!!! Sue, Wayne, Mark and I took a taxi downtown and received very mixed directions on where the restaurant was. After 20 minutes of confusion we bumped into BARB who said … “What a motley crew!” 😂😂😂 We gave her big sweaty hugs. 

It was sure hot … and no A/C there. Delicious lunch with cold drinks … so good to catch up with them after 14+ years! 

Our cabin door decor 💕

The complex Fraser’s been building in Sint Maarten … they watched our ship leave port last night. Probably the last full year as subtropical island residents. 

Tuesday November 11th, 2025

​Lest we forget … on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour.

I’ve been remiss and occupied so will attempt an overview of the past few days.

November 6th we arrived in Ft Lauderdale and checked out Sue & Wayne’s motorhome/2nd home site. It’s a grand entrance into a unique Class A motorhome park. 

We enjoyed seeing the various sites and features of the park. Then Mark and I were off to our hotel room where we met up with Tony & Janny.

We had a good dinner at Sicilian Oven nearby … a beautiful evening in a hard to find location. Siri helped us get lost and provided some serious laughs. 

Friday November 7th we boarded Caribbean Princess in Fort Lauderdale in record time and spent the day eating, drinking and unpacking. By 3:30 we left port with a Sailaway party top deck.

Two days were spent at sea with entertainment, good weather and great fun. 

The first formal night all 4 couples were together for dinner. Janny & Tony’s friends from Taiwan are (English names) Jack & Jill. 

After much goofing about the photographer managed a reasonably good photo of we 4. Lots of laughs!

(More tomorrow…it’s getting late.)