Merry Christmas!!!

DeBary, FL

57 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 83F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.


Hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

Not much has been happening around here lately, except getting ready for Christmas. Of course, that means getting presents, wrapping them and getting the ones for out of town shipped off.  Well, all of that has happened and now we're just waiting for the big day!! ;-)

Laura and Ashley came over one day and helped put up the Christmas tree and other decorations, so now the tree is decorated and there's presents under it, just waiting to be opened.

While they were here, Laura found a piece of wrapping ribbon and tied it around my neck. Don't I look festive???

Tomorrow, Christmas morning, Laura, Lindsey, Ashley, Chris and Anna will be coming over here to open presents. There will also be a breakfast, so Linda is putting out some goodies and Laura and the girls will also be bringing something to contribute.

It should be a fun day!!!

Both Jim and Linda are doing fine and I hope all of you are well also. Please be careful if traveling during the holidays.

Did you know that the world's tallest Xmas tree at 221ft high was erected in a Washington shopping mall in 1950?

Woof!!!

It's Been Awhile

DeBary, FL.

60 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast - Sunshine and clouds mixed. High near 80F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph.


It's been quite awhile since I've posted, so I though I'd better let you know what's been going on lately.

Jim has been feeling pretty good, but still has a lot of fatigue. He get's quite discouraged every time he tries to do something and then has to stop and rest all the time, after just doing a little. He had a blood test last Friday and everything was OK there. He'll have another one this Friday and is hoping that those results will be as good.

Linda had an appointment yesterday with Dr. Barnard, (her retinaologist  down here in Florida), and everything looked good with her eyes. She was really worried that she would need an injection in one or both of her eyes, so it was a great relief when the doctor gave her the good news. :-)  Since it was lunch time by the time she was finished at Dr. Barnard s,  she and Jim  decided to head over to Bob Evans where they had breakfast for lunch.

Not much else to report. Jim hasn't been doing much because of the fatigue. Linda has been working on her Family Tree program. She really enjoys gathering all kinds of info about her and Jim's family and can work on it for hours at a time.

Did you know that today is "International Pancake Day?"

Woof!!!

Good News, and The Last Step Become Floridians

DeBary, FL.

36 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High near 65F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.   Tonight, Mostly clear. Low 42F. Winds light and variable.


Yesterday turned out to be a very interesting day. Not at all like Jim and Linda had envisioned.

It started about 7:30 in the morning when Dr. Graham's office called and told Jim that he shouldn't come in for his scheduled appointment to have a radiation treatment at 8:45.  Instead, he was asked if he could come in at 2:00 in the afternoon to receive a cat scan?

The reason was that they had looked at the results from Monday and determined that the lung had indeed started to re-inflate and move around, and being that the tumor is on the lung, the location of the tumor inside of Jim's body had indeed moved.

So, being that Jim and Linda didn't have to go to get the treatment, they decided to head over to the DMV and see if they could get their Florida Drivers Licenses. The original plan was to get FL licenses as soon as we returned here in November, but being that Jim was having all those breathing problems, it just didn't happen.

Anyway, they've built a new DMV office just a little North of here, so they headed over there, When they arrived, there wasn't anyone waiting so as soon a couple of the many stations, (10 or 12), became empty they were called right in and in about 1/2 hour, they were walking out of the facility with their new Florida drivers license!!!!

We're now officially Floridians!!!!!!!

At 11:30, Jim had an appointment with the pulmonary doctor for a follow up visit so they headed over there. Her office is also in Orange City, so it was a short drive. After a successful  visit, they headed over to Bob Evans to have breakfast for lunch, and then headed over to the radiation place to get Jim's cat scan.

The tech at the radiation place told Jim that there had, indeed, been some major changes with Jim's lung and that evidently the radiation treatments have been working as planned and the tumor was starting to shrink!!!!! :-)

Today, at 9:45, Jim has to head over to Deltona to get an MRI. That's a scan of the brain to make sure that no cancer has spread there. (evidently that sometime happens when you have lung cancer).  Then this evening at 5:45 he will head over to Dr. Graham's to get a radiation treatment. Then on Thursday and Friday, he'll get his radiation treatments at the normal time of 8:45 in the morning.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  a very interesting day, to say the least, but all around the news is good and Jim's lung is starting to return to it's normal shape and function. They'll have to keep an eye on it and adjust the radiation machine to match the changes, so he'll probably be having more cat scans so they can make the correct adjustments.  And, it's good that Jim and Linda got their new Fl. license as that was the last step to officially make us Florida residents.

Jim is feeling better and his mood is better with the good news. In fact, life is pretty darn good right now!! ;-)

Did you know that on this date in 1985 - The most-watched Super Bowl game in history was seen by an estimated 115.9 million people? The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins, 38-16. Super Bowl XIX marked the first time that TV commercials sold for a million dollars a minute.

Woof!!!

P.E.T Scan Results

DeBary, FL.

75 deg. clear, SW wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast= Tonight, Mostly clear. Low 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
                 Tomorrow, Partly cloudy skies. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 92F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.


Last Saturday and Sunday, Linda was questioning if she wanted to have the PET scan done on Monday or not. She's wasn't sure that she wanted to know what was happening inside of her and thought, at times, that it may be better, just not knowing!

But, Monday morning, about 7:20, she and Jim took Big RED and headed over to the hospital to have the scan preformed.

Her appointment was at 7:45, but it was close to 8:30 by the time the lady came and took her to the PET Scan area. The lady told Jim that the whole procedure would take about 2 1/2 hours so Jim went to Wally World to buy a few items and then headed back here to the house for about an hour.

When he got back to the hospital, Linda was just coming back to the waiting room, so after talking about how the test went and discussing about what they wanted to do, they headed over to Gram's Kitchen to have breakfast. Linda was pretty hungry since she hadn't been allowed to eat anything since the day before, so she really enjoyed her meal. :-)

Then, it was time to start waiting and waiting and waiting.

The last few days have been pretty hard for both Linda and Jim. (Especially for Linda). It hasn't been easy waiting for 2 1/2 days to learn the results of the scan. Emotions were high and I don't think Linda got a whole lot of sleep.  :-(

This morning, Linda was up fairly early. She and Jim watched the news for awhile and then, a little after 10:00 she and Jim again took Big RED and headed over to the radiation doctor's office at the Florida Hospital. Being that it's only a few miles over there, they arrived plenty early, but Linda said that it was worse just sitting around home that being over there and waiting.

Around 10:30, they were led to an examination room where they sat and waited. for what seemed like an eternity to Linda, before the doctor came in.

Finally, after some conversation with the doctor, he told Linda that the test had come back "NEGATIVE" !!!!!!! :-)    :-) !!!!!

YES!!!!!!  YES!!!!!!  YES!!!!!!

In an instant, a huge load was lifted off of Linda, (and Jim)! Later, Linda said that she felt like crying, but didn't, because the doctor was there.

On the way back home, they stopped at the 4 B's Restaurant and had breakfast for lunch. ;-)

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  Tomorrow morning, Jim and Linda will head over to Daytona to see the surgeon who preformed Linda's surgery. He'll do an exam just to make sure everything's OK, but there is no reason to think that there are any problems.

Plans are already being made to start hauling food and clothes and other things over to the trailer this weekend. Then, Monday morning, Linda has an appointment with her retinologist, which will be the last Dr. appointment before we leave for our summer travels.

There will still be things that need to be done at the house to make it ready for the time we'll be gone, but most of those shouldn't take real long.

Hopefully, we'll be leaving DeBary on the 15th or 16th.

I know I shared this "Do You Know" with you before, but I think it's really appropriate today, so I'm going to use it again.

Did you know that worrying works?   90% of the things you worry about, never happen.

Woof!!!!

We Missed Spring and Waiting

DeBary, FL.

64 deg. light fog, no wind.
Forecast = Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.


I know they're saying that spring has just started, but down here in Florida, we're already into summer. (At least that's what it feels like). We've had temperatures in the mid to upper 80's for most of the last week and on our thermometer on the North side of the house, it was over 90 yesterday. I have to admit that the humidity isn't as bad as it gets later on, but it's been plenty high already.

The thing is, we have to stay here at least, for almost another month, and I'm not looking forward to even higher temperatures and humidity. :-(

 Yesterday, Big RED took Linda and Jim over to the Quest Diagnostic place where she had her semi-annual blood test to be sent back to her GP in Illinois. The test went smoothly and afterwords, they headed over to the 4 B's Restaurant for breakfast.

 Other than that, nothing much new happening around here. Pretty much, we're waiting until Linda has that PET Scan on the 6th of April. Only after that, can we be sure if we'll be able to get back out on the road about the middle of the month.

The uncertainty is not easy for Jim and Linda to deal with. They would like to make definite travel plans, but until the results of the scan are back, everything is pretty much on hold. Jim has already made a reservation on a waterfront RV site up in Myrtle Beach and hopefully he won't have to cancel it. There's only a few waterfront sites, and, as a matter of fact, when he called the other day, there was only one site left for the dates we're planning on being there.

So, we wait!! Jim and Linda will be getting Nora, (our travel trailer), ready to go and Jim has already started going through tote boxes to weed out things we won't be needing for summer travels up to Illinois.

A Point to Ponder : The best way to save face to keep the lower part shut.

Woof!!!

Another Week Has Gone By

DeBary, FL.

54 deg. mostly cloudy, N. wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast = Showers early, then cloudy in the afternoon. High 72F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.


Well, another week has gone by since I've posted. :-(  I guess it's because we're in the house this winter and not in an RV that I'm having trouble finding things to write about.. cause other years, it's been sometimes days between post, not a week or more.

Last Wednesday, Jim and Linda took Big RED and went to Gram's Kitchen for dinner. Thursday was grocery shopping day at Winn Dixie, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, absolutely nothing happened except Sunday morning, Jim and Linda went over to Laura and Lindsey's for coffee and doughnuts and to see Ashley, (who was down here from Jacksonville for the day). Other than that, it's been just normal day-to-day living. Then, last night they again took Big RED and headed to dinner, this time at Bob Evans, where they had breakfast for dinner.

Wow!!! Really exciting. Huh????

Of course, now this weekend, there's a conflict about things to do. You see, Sunday, Dave, (one of the Illinois bunch), who is wintering over in Thonotosassa, FL called to invite Jim and Linda over to the annual Fish Fry that they will be having this Sunday. Jim and Linda would have surely gone except Sunday is the day Linda's brother, Glenn and his wife Jeanette are arriving here from Wisconsin.  they actually arrived in Florida yesterday, but landed in Miami and will be heading to Key Largo and other parts of Southern FL. before driving up here to DeBary,

So, Jim and Linda had to tell Dave that they couldn't make it this year. :-(  Isn't that always the way? Nothing happens for a week or more and then two things happen on the same day!!! :-(

It'll be really good to see Glenn and Jeanette though. With Linda's health problems, it's been over a year since we've seen them. It sounds like they'll be getting here sometime during the afternoon, having dinner here with Linda, Jim, Laura and Lindsey and then staying in a hotel in the area before heading to Orlando to catch a flight back to Wisconsin.

Linda already has Sunday's meal planned and all the groceries have been purchased. She's going to try to keep it fairly simple so that she doesn't have to spend time in the kitchen cooking while Glenn and Jeanette are here.

I think she's planning on making a Pot Roast in the slow cooker. :-)

Did you know that In 1951, Diners Club issued the first credit card to 200 customers who could use it at 27 restaurants in New York? But it was only until the establishment of standards for the magnetic strip in 1970 that the credit card became part of the information age.

Woof!!!

Shopping For Clothes, More Furniture, Big RED Gets Recalled and A Neat Web Site

DeBary, FL.

62 deg. overcast, SE wind @ 7 mph.

Forecast = Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers this afternoon. High 81F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Wow!!!! I can't believe that it''s been 10 days since I've last posted!!!!!   But, as they say, "No news is good news". ;-)

There's been the normal things going on, like grocery shopping, going to Walgreen's and going out to eat once in awhile at places like Arby's and Gram's Kitchen.

Tuesday, Jim took Big RED to a local mechanic, (Bob Gorman's Alignment and Brake Center) and had his oil and filter's changed. They also checked him over real well and declared that he was "good to go"!  :-)

Then, Tuesday afternoon, Jim and Linda too Big RED and headed over to the Used Furniture Store and purchased a nice end table and Lamp to put in the Florida Room next to the Glider.

I think I like it. It makes the Florida Room look more like a room, rather than a porch.

Yesterday morning, Laura picked up Linda and they headed over to the Mall in Sanford where they bought Linda a whole bunch of new clothes. You see, it all started when Linda was undergoing the Chemo and Radiation treatments. She didn't have much of an appetite, so she didn't eat much. Well, she lost quite a bit of weight and since then, she has been very careful about what she eats and has lost even more. So,   ,  ,  ,  most of her clothes no longer fit!

I guess that was one of the good things that came her from being sick!!

While Linda and Laura were shopping, Jim took Big RED and headed over to the CG to check on Nora. She's doing fine over there at Paradise Lakes. From there he went to an ACE Hardware Store and bought a few things and then headed to Bob Evans for breakfast at lunchtime. (Laura and Linda ate at Cracker Barrel). From Bob Evans, Jim went to Home Depot where he bought a board for a project that he has in mind and then headed up to the Dodge Ram dealer in DeLand.

You see, Big RED has been recalled. Yep. he's been recalled for that air bag thing and they're going to have to replace some of the air bag parts. So now, he has an appointment next Tuesday at 8:00 AM to have the work done. The service manager told Jim that it would take about 3 hours to preform the work, so that'll take up most of the morning. :-(

Nothing much planned for today or this weekend. The weather guessers on TV are saying that it will start raining here this afternoon and continue until tomorrow, around noon. After that, it's supposed to be quite a bit cooler but sunny, so maybe Jim can get going on that project he's thinking about.

Oh, I wanted to share a web site with you that I found the other day. It's called Weatherbase and it gives you all the weather data for almost every city in the United States as well as many cities in other countries.

Here's the link to the site. Weatherbase

Jim says that it should be real handy when planning a trip to different parts of the country, so check it out and be sure to check the links for "features" also as there's some good info there too.

Did you know that today is "National Pie Day"?

Woof!!!!

Another Good Report and Linda Goes Grocery Shopping

DeBary, FL.

56 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 78F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

About 10:30 Thursday morning, Big RED took Linda and Jim over to Orange City for Linda's doctor appointment with Dr. Saferali, (the Chemo Doctor). Except for having to wait a long time to get to see her, the appointment went well and the Dr. said that Linda seemed to be progressing nicely with her recovery from the treatments. :-) Of course she wants to see Linda again before we leave the area in April, so another appointment was made.

Then, since it was after 12:00 by the time they left the Dr's office, they headed over to the 4 B's Restaurant here in DeBary, where Linda had breakfast for lunch and Jim had the meatloaf dinner special. Both very good!!!

I don't think I mentioned it, but the 6th of April Linda will be getting one of those PET Scans. All 3 doctors want to see the results of that, before we leave for our summer travels.

I think the first part of April is going to be very, very, busy around here!!!!! :-(

As mentioned in an earlier post, Linda has been wanting to go grocery shopping for some time now. The shopping lists have always been long and Jim has discouraged her from going at those times. Well, yesterday the list was quite a bit shorter, so after going to Walgreen' to drop off prescriptions, they headed to Winn Dixie.

Linda used her walker and everything went well. By the time they finished, Linda was pretty tired, but she didn't have any dizzy spells. :-)

This was a big milestone for Linda. She hadn't been grocery shopping for almost a year!! I'm sure in the near future, she'll be getting even more of her stamina back and will be able to go when there are more items on the shopping list. ;-)

So,  , ,  ,  ,  that ends the doctor's appointments for awhile. So far, nothing but good news!!! :-)  I imagine that the first part of April will be a busy, stressful time though. :-(

Did you know that The word Noel derives from the French expression "les bonnes nouvelles" or "the good news"?

Woof!!!

Another Doctor Appointment, Decorations Up and Presents On Their Way.

DeBary, FL.

41 deg. clear, NW wind @ 4 mph.
Forecast = Sunny. High 68F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.

Yesterday, Linda had an appointment with the Surgeon who preformed the cancer surgery on her back in 2013. It was just a follow-up visit, but it was still nice to hear that, after an examination, everything appears to be fine. ;-)  The appointment was at 10:00, and by the time Linda had filled out another bunch of papers and the doctor had done his thing, it was after 11:00 by the time she and Jim  got out of there.

Since it was lunchtime by the time Big RED got them back to this area, they stopped at Bob Evans and had breakfast for lunch.

Nothing much else happened yesterday.  Linda was finally able to get back to working on her "Family Tree Maker" program. Between being sick and not being able to see well, because of the cataracts, she hadn't worked on it for over a year. It took her a little while to figure the program out again, but is now doing a lot of on-line research and getting more information to enter.

Oh, I don't think I told you. The other day, Laura stopped by and helped Jim and Linda decorate the Christmas tree. It sure looks pretty and if I can get Jim to take a photo of it, I'll post it here. Then, on  Thursday, Jim and Linda packaged up all the presents that needed to be sent to other states, took the boxes to the Post Office and got them sent off!!! That's always a big relief to get them on their way and not have to worry about family getting their presents on time. :-)

Today, Linda wants to head over to LabCorp and get a blood test. The results will be sent to Linda's doctor, back in Illinois. Then, if they still feel like it, she and Jim want to go to Winn Dixie to buy some groceries.

Sounds like a busy day to me.

Did you know that  US scientists have calculated that Santa would have to visit 822 homes a second to deliver all the world's presents on Christmas Eve, travelling at 650 miles a second?

Talk about "Speedy Delivery"!!!!!!!

Woof!!!

Indiana To Kentucky and The Oak Creek Campground

Walton, KY.

45 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 69F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.


When Jim woke up about 6:00 EDT yesterday morning. it was raining and it sure didn't look good for preforming the outside tasks to get Nora ready to travel. Jim hadn't unhooked Big RED from Nora, but there was still the water, electric and cable TV cord to deal with. And of course, the stabilizer jacks and the front tongue jack had to be retracted.

So, Jim drank some coffee, watched some news and weather on TV, had something to eat, and then about 8:30 woke Linda up.

I guess Linda has a "magic touch" because almost as soon and she got up, the rain slacked off and in about 1/2 hour it stopped almost completely!!! ;-) Well, by 9:30 we were pulling out of the CG and were heading back to I-465 under partly sunny skies. 465 took us around the South side of Indy and over to I-74, heading SE towards Cincinnati.

We made good time on 74, with only a few small construction zones. Once we crossed into Ohio, we turned South on I-275 which took us down to the South side of the Cincinnati and to I-75. Heading South on 75 brought us down into Kentucky and to the Oak Creek Campground near Walton.

It was 11:50 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us 2 hours and 20 minutes to travel the 136 miles over here.

The Oak Creek CG is much more to our liking.

There's lots of trees and good paved or gravel roads throughout the CG.

There's a cute playground for the kids,

Open pull-through sites

Shady back-in sites like site #17, that we're in.

Some have a nice wooden decks with picnic tables, (with a friendly kitty included).

And, of course, there's Oak Creek. ;-)

We had some heavy rain most of the afternoon, but it and the storms that passed just to the south of us moved on by about 4:00. That gave Jim and Linda a chance to take Big RED for a nice drink of #2 diesel fuel and stop at a Waffle House Restaurant to have breakfast for dinner.

Today, we'll be heading down I-74 to Berea, KY. to see Rick, (another of Linda's cousins). Berea is only about an hour and a half South of here, so I don't expect we'll be leaving here very early. In fact, Jim and Linda thought about heading on down there yesterday, but the weather wasn't looking good and we're not pressed for time.

Did you know that the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant owned and operated by Colonel Sanders is located in Corbin, KY?

Woof!!!

Good News, 2/3 Of The Illinois Bunch Arrive and A Pot Luck Is Planned

Rantoul, IL

51 deg. overcast, no wind.
Forecast = A mix of clouds and sun. High 63F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.

Since the weather was better yesterday morning than the day before, Jim and Linda didn't leave the CG until about 8:15. By a little before 9:00, (Linda's appointment time), they were in Doctor Anderson's office and being escorted back to one of the rooms where a nurse gave Linda a quick eye test. Soon, Dr. Anderson came in, checked Linda's eye and said that everything looked really good!!!

She also said that she didn't see any reason that the cataract on other eye couldn't be operated on this coming Monday!!! :-)

Good News!!!! Everything's going as planned!!! (so far).

Jim didn't have anything to eat before he and Linda went to the Doctor's office, so when they returned to Rantoul, they stopped by the Red Wheel Restaurant before coming back here to the CG. Both had the biscuits and gravy with a side order of sausage and both said that it was very good.

A little after noon, Dave and Dee Dee pulled into Prairie Pines Campground with their new Keystone Travel Trailer and their new Ford Pickup truck. This last winter, they bought a Park Model home down in Florida, so they really didn't need the big 5th wheel any longer or the big truck to pull it.

Then, about 1/2 an hour later, Denny and Bev pulled in with their Winnebago Brave MH.

(I'll get Jim to take some photos, just a soon as I can). ;-)

As I said yesterday, Gordy and Dorthy won't be coming because of Gordy's health problems, but I understand that Dorthy is planning on driving down here today, for just a day visit. Dave and Dee Dee and Denny and Bev will be staying until Monday morning. :-)

Being that Dorthy is driving down here today, a "pot luck" is being planned for today. The plan is to cook hot dogs, hamburgers and brats on a grill or over a campfire and then make the other items inside.  I don't know what Linda is making but it'll probably be either a vegetable or a desert.

Should be a fun day! ;-)

Did you know that the pin that holds a hinge together is called a pintle?

Woof!!!

Shopping, Weather and Cataract Surgery Today

Rantoul, IL.

55 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Sunny. Highs around 79°F. East wind to 7 MPH.

Haven't posted because there's not been much happening around here.

Friday morning, Big RED took Jim and Linda down to a Menards store in Champaign so that Jim could buy some hooks to put on the walls here in Nora. He also wasn't happy with the way the bottom of the sliding door on the bedroom was held in place when latched open in the travel position, so he bought some hardware to remedy that situation too.

After shopping at Menards, Jim and Linda had breakfast for lunch at a Denny's Restaurant. (because it was right there). The food was good, but it took a long time for the food to come, after it was ordered.

When they returned back here to the campground, Jim put up a couple hooks in the bedroom to hang clothes on and then put up 2 small hooks on the end of the kitchen cabinet, (next to the outside door), so he had someplace to hang his baseball type caps.

Friday evening, we had a storm come through the area. It got real windy for awhile and we ended up getting just over 1/2 inch of rain.

The sky really looked nasty for awhile. 

Saturday was a much cooler day. Jim went to the County Market Grocery Store in the morning and then he and Linda enjoyed the nice weather sitting outside under Nora's awning. Oh, and he did install the hardware that he purchased on the bedroom door. Now it'll stay in place better when we travel. 

Yesterday, Jim and Linda went over and talked to Paul and Louise for awhile. Again the weather was so nice that they sat outside to visit. 

Today, Linda is scheduled for Cataract Surgery on her left eye. She and Jim are supposed to be at Carl Hospital in Urbana at 12:45. I don't know just what time the surgery will be, but that's the time she needs to be there to register.  

Did you know that on this date in 1945 - In Washington, DC, a bus equipped with a two-way radio was put into service for the first time?

Woof!!!

Laundry Day and A Cook-out With Hank, Selene, Mike And Terri

Rantoul, IL

64 deg. fog, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with isolated storms. Highs around 86°F. Heat index around 91°F. South wind 5 to 15 MPH, gusting to 17 MPH. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.

As soon as Linda was finished with breakfast yesterday morning, she and Jim dug out all of the dirty clothes and sorted them into loads of laundry to take to the laundromat. After sorting Jim took the bags out to Big RED and then he and Linda headed over there.

It's more expensive to use the laundromat than it is to do the laundry here at the Campground, but it takes much less time than it does here with only 2 washers and 2 dryers. In fact, Jim and Linda were only gone about an hour and 45 minutes before Big RED brought them back.

After they returned, Hank and Selene stopped by to ask Jim and Linda if they'd like to come to a cook-out around 6:00? Of course they said "Yes"!

During the afternoon, Jim and Linda put all the laundry away, took naps and then Linda cooked some green beans with bacon, (Thanks, Hank and Selene for picking up that can of green beans for Linda at the store),  :-)  Then, around 6:00 they headed next door.

Jim did remember his camera, so he did take a couple photos. (You can click on them to enlarge if you'd like).

Terri, Mike, Hank and Selene enjoying the meal and conversation.

Selene, Linda and Hank who was heading for more great food. 

I was watching out of the window and it sure looked like everyone had a great time, visiting and eating. After eating, Hank started a campfire in the fire ring between their MH and Nora and they all gathered around and talked and talked.

Jim and Linda came back here around 8:00 because the bugs were starting to bug them, but I think Mike and Terri stayed awhile longer.

The rest of the evening was spent watching TV, before going to bed after the news.

Thanks, Hank and Selene for having the Cook-out. Jim and Linda had a great time. ;-)

No big plans, so far, for today. Jim has an item ordered at Ace Hardware that needs to be picked up and there should be mail waiting at the post office. They're forecasting possible rain and T-Storms later, so he'll probably do those things this morning.

Did you know that today is 'Black Cow' Root Beer Float Day?

Woof!!!

Good Doctor's Report

Rantoul, IL.

62 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with scattered storms. Highs around 81°F. South wind to 5 MPH. Chance of precipitation near 40%.

Just a quick note to bring you up-to-date.

Linda's doctor's appointment went well Wednesday morning. The doctor renewed her prescriptions and wants to see her in a month to keep an eye on her blood pressure that has been erratic since the chemo treatments.

Since Linda couldn't eat before the blood test, she and Jim went to the Blue Star Family restaurant for breakfast before coming back here to the park. ;-)

We've had really nice weather around here lately, but the temperatures are starting to slowly climb back towards the mid eighty's (where they should be for this time of year), and the humidity is starting to go up some. Today, they're forecasting possible rain for the first time in over a week and it looks like it's going to be warmer and more humid for the next week or so.

Because it's been quite windy lately, Jim's allergies have been acting up and he's been doing a lot of sneezing and blowing. :-(  A little rain may help that situation though.

Nothing much planned for the weekend. Jim's thinking that maybe they'll have a cook-out with Mike and Terri either Saturday or Sunday, depending on the weather and what else is going on.

Did you know that August is "National Catfish Month"?

Woof!!!

2 Days And Counting

DeBary, FL.

73 deg. partly cloudy, no wind, humidity 88%
Forecast =  Partly cloudy with scattered storms. Highs around 91°F. Heat index around 102°F. South southeast wind 2 to 9 MPH. Chance of precipitation near 35%.

2 days and counting!!!!  ;-)

Not a whole lot to report. Jim and Linda have been packing up "stuff" to take over to the trailer, getting rid of things that will not keep or that will not be needed, and trying to figure out what they'll need and won't need for the next 4 months.

Thursday, Jim and Linda took a bunch of stuff over to the trailer, packed it away and then went to the post office and filled out a temporary change of address card so that the little mail that they do get here in Florida gets sent to their mail forwarding service in Sioux Falls. Then, they went to Gram's Kitchen and had breakfast for lunch. ;-)

The rest of the day was spent going through clothes to try to determine what will be needed. That's kind of difficult because we could get into some pretty chilly weather up North before we return in November.

Yesterday was laundry day. There wasn't a huge amount, but everything possible needs to be laundered before we leave. Jim also pumped up the tires on Big RED and gave him a quick once-over to make sure he's ready to travel.

One of the most difficult things about this whole getting-ready procedure has been the heat and humidity here in FL. By nine or ten o'clock, it's already in the mid 80's with very high humidity, and it make it very difficult for Jim and Linda to do anything that involves being outside.

Take yesterday for example. Around 9:00 Jim got out the air compressor to pump up Big RED's tires. Well, by the time he found the extension cord to plug it in, got it plugged in and then filled the tires, he was soaking wet with sweat and by the time he got everything put away again and came into the house, he was really beat and just collapsed in his recliner. :-(

Now, I know that there are lots of people who work and play every day down here in FL, but neither Jim or Linda seem to  be able to cope with the weather. Maybe they're just not used to it, but you would think that by this time they would be. At least somewhat.

Today, Jim will be taking more "stuff" over to the trailer and pump up it's tires. He already has most of the stuff loaded in Big RED and will probably go over there around 7:00 or 7:30 to try to beat the heat as much as possible. He probably won't get most of the stuff put away, but he and Linda can go back over there later and do that.

A Point to Ponder : Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
--T.S. Eliot

Friday The 13th, A Full Moon, The Spare, Linda's Last Treatment and Happy Birthday Laura

DeBary, FL.

70 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms becoming likely this afternoon. High 86F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

Whoooooo!!! Whoooooooo!!!!! Whoooo oo o o oo ooo o o o!!!!!!!!!!!

OH!!! Sorry about that. I just can't control myself when that big old moon is full and especially when it's on Friday the 13th!!!!

I'll try really hard to control myself.

Tuesday, Big RED took Jim over to Winn Dixie so that he could buy some much needed groceries. They weren't gone too long but Jim did manage to purchase quite a few items. He and Linda thought about doing a load of laundry, but that didn't get done.

Wednesday morning, Jim called LaMesa RV, (where he and Linda bought the trailer), and asked about the spare tire and wheel that they were supposed to order from Heartland. If you remember, Jim found out that the spare was the wrong size and the wheel wouldn't even fit on the trailer. Well, the parts girl had told Jim that she would call as soon as it came in, but guess what? She didn't and Jim found out that it had been there since the 5th of June!!!

So, after Linda got up and had her breakfast, Big RED took them over there and the spare tire exchange was made without a hitch. :-)

One thing that Jim and Linda have learned about this RV place is that they almost never call you back when they're supposed to. The only person who ever called when they said they would was the salesman, to let Jim and Linda know that the trailer was ready to be picked up.

Yesterday, Linda had her final Chemo treatment. Dr. Saferali said that by her blood test, she was doing well and was pleased with Linda's progress.

While Linda was getting her treatment, Jim and Big RED took the new spare trailer tire over to Highbanks and mounted it on the trailer. After that, they stopped by Auto Zone and picked up some spare fuses for Big RED and some Leather Cleaner to use on Big RED's seats and on Jim's Barcalounger, (which is getting pretty dirty).  From there, they went up to DeLand and to the DeLand Truck Center where Jim bought some diesel fuel system conditioner. On the way back here to the house, they stopped by Gram's Kitchen where Jim had breakfast for lunch. ;-)

About 1:30, Linda called from the Chemo place and told Jim that she was just about done with her treatment, so he and Big RED headed over there to pick her up. Everything went well with the treatment and by about 2:30 Big RED was backing into the driveway.  

 Yesterday, was also Laura's birthday, so Inez, (Lindsey's mother) had a party for her last night. Ashley was there as well as Lindsey's brother, Danny. Everyone had a good time and Big RED said that he could hear them singing "Happy Birthday" to Laura way out by the street. :-)

Today some laundry has to be done and then this afternoon, Linda goes back to the Chemo place for that Injection. Then, we'll just have to wait and see what the side effects are going to be like this time. :-(

Did you know that the next time that there will be a full moon on Friday the 13th will be August 13th 2049?

Whoooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo!!!!!!!!!!!

A Shopping Trip With Laura And Ashley, Back At The House Again and A Comment

DeBary, FL.

73 deg. clear, S. wind @ 4 mph.
Forecast = Mostly sunny skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. High near 95F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%

Sunday morning about 11:00 Laura and Ashley came by the campground and picked up Linda and her wheelchair. You see, Ashley has a new sewing machine and Linda has volunteered to help her learn how to use it, so she needed a few patterns, some material and a few other supplies before they could begin. Anyway, after picking Linda up, they headed over to the Mall in Sanford where they went to a craft store where they were able find all the items that were needed. :-)

Of course by the time they were finished shopping, it was lunch time so they went to a restaurant called the Red Robin where they enjoyed some great conversation and a good "gourmet" burger. ;-)

 After spending a very enjoyable week in the trailer at Highbanks, Jim and Linda decided that yesterday, we'd return to the house. So, they started packing stuff up that needed to be brought back to the house as soon as Linda got up and finished her breakfast. Being that they're starting to get better organized, there wasn't that much to bring back, so by about 11:30, we were back at the house.

By the time Jim was finished carrying stuff into the house, the temperatures were up in the mid 90's and he was completely wiped out. Linda managed to get the refrigerator stuff put away but by that time she was exhausted also, so they both took naps before getting the other stuff put away.

Got a comment from Louise, (The Campground host up in Rantoul) yesterday and she said that she's getting ready for us to arrive and wanted to know if site #23 would be OK? Site #23 would be great!!! Jim has always said that he thought that 23 was one of the best sites in the park and it's also close to Paul and Louise's trailer so it would be easier for Linda to get over there for visits and gatherings.

Thanks Louise!!!! :-)

No big plans for the next few days. There's some laundry to be done and some groceries that will be needed. Then on Thursday, Linda will have her last Chemo treatment, so the whole day will be tied up with that.

A Point to Ponder: I've learned that money doesn't buy class.

Woof!!!

Back Home Again

DeBary, FL.

66 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Sunny. High 94F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph 0% chance of rain.

Late Tuesday, after going over to Gram's Kitchen for dinner, it was decided that it would be better to head back to the house before Linda's Chemo Treatment, so yesterday morning, bright and early, Jim started packing things up. Then, when Linda got up at about 8:30, she ate her breakfast and helped Jim finish the packing.

By noon, we were back at the house and most of the things that they had brought back were already put away. They left quite a bit of "stuff" at the trailer this time, so in the future it should be much easier to gather up what's needed and head over there. :-)

We were only at the trailer for 4 days, but it was a nice little get-a-way and I really think it was good for both Linda and Jim.

Today, Linda has her 2nd Chemo Treatment of this series of 3 treatments. Her appointment is at 8:45 and it'll probably be mid to late afternoon before she gets back home. We're hoping that there's no weird side effects this time, (like the rash she got after the last treatment).

No big plans for the near future. A lot will depend on how Linda feels after this treatment.

Did you know that The first Indianapolis 500 was held on May 30, 1911, which was on Memorial Day?  Ever since, the race has always been held on Memorial Day weekend (Sunday)  in (of course) Indianapolis, Indiana.

Woof!!!

A Good Doctor's Report and A Plan

DeBary, FL.

63 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = A mix of clouds and sun. High 81F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.

Linda's doctor appointment with Dr. Saferali was at 8:00 yesterday morning, so Linda had to get up very early in order to get ready to go. :-(  But, by a little before 8:00, Big RED had taken Linda and Jim  over to the Chemo place and soon after, Linda was getting her blood test and was meeting with the doctor. 

The new tests showed that her white and red counts had now returned to close to normal and the other tests done to the blood were now with-in specs. :-)  Also, the rash that Linda had is just about gone and the itching has almost stopped. The doctor was pleased with the results and told Linda that now she didn't have to worry so much about catching something if she went out in public.

So, when Linda and Jim left the doctor's office, Big RED took them over to the 4 B's Restaurant for Breakfast!!! ;-)

Not a whole lot happened the rest of the day. Linda was tired, (remember, she had to get up "before the crack of dawn), so she slept in her recliner for some of the afternoon. Laura stopped by for awhile to visit and find out how Linda's doctor's appointment went and Jim and Linda started making plans to go over to the new trailer at Highbanks for awhile again. In fact, we're probably going to head over to Highbanks either today, or tomorrow, depending on when they can get things together to take over there.

And that, brings up another problem.

Jim and Linda are finding that to go over to the trailer to spend a few days, they're having to take quite a bit of "stuff" back and forth. This makes it difficult to just go over there for a few days. They've started making a list of what they need to take with them and what to bring back here when they return, but there's always something that gets forgotten.  It's also a pain to lug all that "stuff" back and forth and put it all away, especially if Linda doesn't happen to be feeling too well, or is fighting a lot of fatigue.

They don't really want to buy doubles of everything, but they'll probably be purchasing some things to make the back and forth moves a little easier.

So, if everything goes well, my next post should be from the trailer. I like it over there and it gives Linda and Jim a chance to get away for awhile. ;-)

Did you know that today is "National Sea Monkey Day"?

Woof!!!

A Mother's Day Breakfast For Linda

DeBary, FL.

70 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast =  Partly cloudy. High 89F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph.

Laura called Saturday and told Linda that she and Lindsey would like to come over and make breakfast for Linda and Jim Sunday morning for a Mother's Day present.

So, Sunday morning Laura and Lindsey came and did just that! ;-)

Lindsey is quite a good cook and took charge of the scrambled eggs

and bacon

Laura was in charge of drinks and toast. (She butters the toast all the way to the edge) :-)

Ashley and Chris came over too and brought Linda a "Miniature Rose" plant for Mother's Day.

After eating, Jim snapped this photo of Ashley and Chris,

and another one of Laura, Linda and Ashley.

As you can see, everyone was having a good time and was "hamming it up" a little for the camera. :-)

Oh, and I almost forgot!!!! Laura and Lindsey also brought Linda a nice carrying bag for Linda's sewing supplies, (or something like that), and some neat wind chimes.

Around noon, Laura and Lindsey headed over to Lindsey's parents and Ashley and Chris headed over to Chris's mom's house.

Linda was so pleased that Laura and Lindsey made the breakfast for her. It really made her day!!!

Thanks, Laura, Lindsey, Ashley and Chris, for picking up Linda's spirits during this difficult time.    :-)

During the afternoon, Joe called from Virginia Beach to wish Linda a Happy Mother's Day, Mike called from North Carolina, Anna from Jacksonville and Linda called her sister in IL and her brother's wife in WI.

A very good day!!!! :-))

Did you know that Bobbie McCaughey is the mother who holds the record for the most surviving children from a single birth? She gave birth to the first set of surviving septuplets - four boys and three girls -on November 19, 1997.

Woof!!!