Friday, January 31, 2025

Happy Friday! We’re glad to see the last of January 2025 … it felt a year long! 😂

Belize completed radiation therapy and continues to do well following treatments. In 10 days she’ll have a follow up appointment in Gainesville. 🐾🥰

Earlier this week we met the Ks at Oakwood Smokehouse for dinner. Sue had eBay items for listing from Diane and herself. This little job keeps me busy and helps support animal rescue. It’s a win - win.

Randy popped over for an hour’s visit Wednesday. Dawn’s been working extra hours for several weeks as Walmart’s vision center is short staffed. Hopefully she’ll be back to regular work schedule in a week or two. 

After more than a month without The Caddy, Mark got it running. We’d ordered batteries from one source which never arrived (well, 1 battery out of 4 did arrive.) We’ve still working on a refund after returning the one battery! 

Meanwhile, I found a 36 volt lithium battery and charger through Amazon for under $700. With some modification Mark got the golf cart running! 🤩 The weight difference from the 6-6 volt batteries and the new 36 volt lithium is -335 lbs! 

Mark had a morning in the woods while I went to Cheri’s game day yesterday … with the golf cart. Yay! Our weather has prettied up and we’re in the 70’s again! The Scotties are happy to have their ride running again. 

Yesterday, a mystery package arrived … 

a pretty heart pendant on a gold chain. I’d like to thank whoever sent it to me. I’m wearing it right now. 

Today we picked up Nancy and went to fun bowl for the first time in 5 months. It was nice to see everyone and we won $34 … plus practiced. Our teammate Linda bowled too! Good times!

So bye bye January … looking forward to February and a good birthday month! 

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Good morning. We were up at 5:30 as is usual on these days when Belize goes to the university for her radiation treatment. By 630 Mark was on the way north.  He likes to get there early, take Miss B for a walk and then settle in for a long days wait.  This week will be for treatments, and then a reevaluation.

Me? I’m going to start working on the tax papers.

Two days later, and I am finally getting back to this blog. Ha ha. Yesterday was indeed a day of paperwork. Now I have gathered the majority of the backup files! Yay. 

Today, I attended a painting party at the Rose plantation in Fruitland Park. It was fun, Nancy, Deenna, Elaine and I went. There were two other folks from the villages who were talkative and fun. The painting was called “we will always have Paris.”

It was a fun day, and included a nice choice of lunches, a glass of wine and the paint party. The above is a sample of what we were painting! 

It was super-fun! 

Nasty weather for us tonight. Guess we will just hunker down and watch some TV. Tomorrow I drive to Gainesville with Belize for her last radiation appointment.  

Sunday, January 19, 2025

Good evening from Central Florida, where we are expecting another two weeks of winter weather. Yes, yes, I can hear you laughing. Last night, it was warm ahead of this front that arrived today. Mark and the three Scotties sat on the front porch for over an hour just enjoying the warmth. Tonight is going to be in the 50s and we won’t be warming up over 60 some degrees for several days! Anyway, it was a good day for starting work on the caddy. The batteries died several weeks ago and we tried ordering batteries from AliExpress. Well, of the four batteries that we ordered, only one arrived. There isn’t much you can do with one battery. L O L so, two weeks was spent hassling trying to get our money back or the batteries delivered. So far, neither has happened but, in the meantime, I found that Amazon had a 36 V lithium battery available which would be half the price of going with six new 6 V batteries. So, that has arrived, and Mark is replacing and redoing the base floor of the golf cart to accommodate the one new battery.   Weight wise this will be a difference of 320 pounds less. In my mind, the golf cart is going to be much peppier!!! 

With inauguration day tomorrow here in the United States of America, I will no longer be partaking of the morning nor evening news. My thoughts are that the media has created a fire storm and I refuse to be part of it so, for the next 48 months I will be taking it “one day at a time.”  

Diane and Kris had their first weekend away in their Casita and their van. If only the weather had cooperated …

When the cold front moved through this morning, it brought a plethora of heavy rain, which turned the campground into a mud hole. It’s a shame, but we have had it happen several times over the years. They hunkered down and watched a movie. As Diane says they could’ve done that at home.  Anyway, I hope they will use it again on a sunny weekend in a better campsite. 

Sue and Wayne are in South Florida. A friend of theirs, Frank, passed away two days ago. They were hoping to see him on this trip. We are very sorry for their loss.

Our neighbor Jim, Rose’s husband, passed away this morning after a fairly lengthy heart issue. He had actually lived seven years after a dreadful heart attack and never really regained his stamina. He will be sadly missed at all our events. Jim always had a smile for everyone.  

I have been down with a flu bug for the past five days. Although I’m still coughing, I think I can sleep in my own bed tonight with enough NyQuil to knock me out. Ha ha ha. It was awful, not getting any sleep. I must be in good shape as tomorrow is 🎳. 

That’s it for now. Hunker down, stay warm and be safe.  🥰

Saturday, January 18, 2025

Good evening from Central Florida were 75° and cloudy. We had a warm print move in, just for today, and ahead of a very cold front that’s sweeping Canada and the United States. Yes, we will be on the tail end of it, but still pretty cold for us.

I came down with a terrible flu bug on Wednesday and I am just starting to feel better today. I tested for Covid and that was negative, and I have had the RSV shot, a flu shot and the Covid shot. Who knows what this was, but it sure knocked me flat on my back. A trip to the doctors office on Thursday got me some antibiotics.

With me sick on Wednesday, Mark drove three times in a row to Gainesville with Belize for her appointments. She seems to be tolerating everything just fine, and by the end of next week will be finished the 24 treatments. At that time, an evaluation will be done. Then it will be up to us to decide how much further we want to go depending on what results we have so far. She has not had the terrible side effects that usually occur.

Meanwhile, Robbie’s wart that was removed on December 31 turned out to be melanoma. As we are unsure if they got a clean margin, we are going to the university of Florida with him on February 3. There we will have a consultation and be given some options. There is a clinical trial “vaccine” being used to treat melanoma in dogs. If he is a candidate we would go ahead and do it. At this point, we don’t know if the melanoma has spread. It’s a wait and see situation. 

BarkBox day!!! 

I heard from my cousins in Winnipeg that they are snowed in with a big blizzard. Stay safe, and stay off the roads. 

That’s it for now  🥰

Saturday, January 11, 2025

Good evening! We’re just home from a great party at newer neighbors Shelley & Kipp’s. They hired a band, invited the entire neighborhood and had food galore!

The full moon peered down on the festivities! Nice bonfire kept the party going into the evening. 

Beautiful evening! Downtown Eustis across the lake. 


The band was very good! They played 4-5 hours. It was a cool day with a high of 60F. 

I came home at 5 to feed the kids then took a cigar back with me for Mark. We met some neighbors we didn’t know. Good event! 

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Good morning from Central Florida, where it is a bright sunshiny day. It is a little chilly with the north wind.

Mark is at University of Florida in Gainesville with Belize for her fifth appointment. Robbie and Wyatt had a walk to the circle with me before I head out to lunch with the girls. Tomorrow, it’s my turn to drive to Gainesville. It’s not too bad, we are getting used to it.

This week has been one of phone calls and looking for lost items that were apparently shipped. One company, on a small present for Mark, has given up responding to me. I ordered November 10 and they refused to give a refund. So yesterday, I got on PayPal And negotiated a refund.  This morning, I had to deal with another company. I had ordered 412 V batteries on December 20. They were supposed to arrive December 30. I gave it a few more days with the holiday rush. However, today is January 8 and all I ever got delivered was one battery. They are sold two batteries minimum. So how in the heck did they manage to ship only one. Anyway, and trying to deal with the company they only want to give me half my money back. I am willing to return the one battery if they can’t get me three more. So, today I had to deal with MasterCard, who has started a dispute. Is anything going to be easy this year? 

Sunday, January 5th, 2025

Good evening! It’s a chilly-willy night here in Central Florida with temps dipping to 52F. We’re snug with the fireplace going and watching Goliath, a 4 series with Billy Bob Thorton.  It’s a bit gruesome. 

Earlier we met Sue and Wayne in Leesburg for lunch at Wolfy’s. (It was good!) Of course we had some laughs. 

BeeZee had 3 radiation treatments last week that she tolerated quite well. In fact, we think she’s feeling better! The radiation continues 4 times a week til the end of January. Lots of driving back ‘n forth to Gainesville, just under 2 hours, door to door. 

Front porch sitting yesterday afternoon. 🐾❤️

Robbie had a big wart removed last Tuesday and seemed not to notice. We gave him CBD oil for possible pain. Hope to hear good news on the wart cytology. 

That’s it for now. 🥰

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Good afternoon. Yes yes it’s really me writing a blog. Unless I publish it before I’ve looked it over, it disappears!!! There have been a few technological grinches around lately. Ha ha. 

So what’s been going on you ask. Our friend Bonnie came from Oklahoma for Robbie’s 14th birthday party in mid-December! We had a fun time and the little guy got a lot of wonderful treats and some new toys from his friends. Of course Belize and Wyatt got in on the action and ate cake as well.

Bonnie and me at Ski Beach for lunch. 

Everyone wanted to help Robbie open the gifts. Fortunately, there were no dog fights that day. 😝

Quite a haul for one wee Scottie! We ❤️ our ol’ boy!

Christmas was fun. On Christmas Eve we met at the Olive Garden restaurant for dinner. Lots of laughs and a good meal.

As you can see, the restaurant expected some shenanigans and tucked us away in a quieter area with a huge table. 🥰

Christmas morning, we managed to open quite a few gifts considering it’s just the two of us and three wee Scotties!

Everyone had fun! 

Christmas Day dinner was at Sue and Wayne‘s! This year was roast beef with all the trimmings. It was delicious and we had a wonderful evening.

The table was beautifully set. 

The latter part of Christmas went by rather quickly as we had appointments for Belize at the University of Florida small animal Hospital in Gainesville. Our Miss B has been diagnosed with TCC, a form of bladder cancer.  We’ve been ongoing with test since November trying to discover what was the problem. Now that we know, she began a series of radiation on December 31 that will last through the end of January. Four days a week we drive two hours each direction for her appointment. It’s going to be grueling, but we hope with the right food we are feeding and these designated treatments, that we will have her for a long, long time yet.

And as if that isn’t enough, while Mark was at the Gainesville appointment with Belize, I was at our local vet office with Robbie. He has a wart that we were watching for quite some time that suddenly grew. We had it removed yesterday and sent off to cytology. So, now we wait for an answer on that. And that pretty much describes how the last month of 2024 went for us. Ca-ching! 

Today, we are putting Christmas away and getting ready for a very busy month of back-and-forth. Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy and prosperous new year. .