ADVENTURES IN SCOTLAND-PART 1

Hey there! It has been a while! So, here we are at almost the end of March 2026, and I still haven't shared the adventures from the last few months of 2025! 

October 2025-SCOTLAND

This adventure will require several posts.....

In early October, my husband and I spent just over a week in Scotland, and I still find it hard to believe that this amazing trip wasn't just a dream! 

It all started with a casual conversation about Scotland. Ray said, "Why don't we go?" I hesitated and replied, "We can't just go to Scotland!" But he insisted, "Yes, we can!"

I initially laughed at the suggestion, but our conversation reignited our long-held dream of visiting Scotland—a bucket-list trip for me that we had talked about over the years. 

We didn't even have passports, so how could we even think about traveling abroad? 

It turns out the passport thing was pretty easy! Ray saw that the library right around the corner from us was accepting passport applications, and next thing you know... we were holding our passports in hand, thinking perhaps it was time for an adventure!!

I immediately began researching flight costs and was pleasantly surprised to find they weren't too expensive. What initially seemed like something only other people did started to feel like a genuine possibility for us! However, there were so many factors to consider.

Will my doctor give her approval? When should we plan to go? Where should we stay? Will I be able to handle an overseas flight with my fear of flying over the ocean? So many questions!

And yet, after talking to my doctor, we decided to go for it!!

We decided that rather than waiting, we should do this right away. We didn't want to wait until winter, when many things would be closed or harder to reach, or until spring either. So, the first week in October looked good??!! OMG....We were going to Scotland!!

Leith, Edinburgh

We decided to stay in Edinburgh and take some day trips from there. After doing a bit of research and chatting with a couple of people who had been to Scotland, we opted to stay in Leith, which is only a quick tram ride from the city center and the Royal Mile. Leith turned out to be the perfect spot for us. We found some really nice surrounding neighborhoods, and the waterfront area was beautiful, with some awesome seafood restaurants.

After our flight, which turned out to be much less frightening than I had anticipated, we arrived in Edinburgh at 6:30 AM. Even after going through the airport, collecting our luggage, and taking the tram to our hotel, we still had plenty of time to spare before we could check in.

We decided to drop off our bags at the hotel, have breakfast, and then take a walk around the area while we waited.

Newhaven Harbour, located just west of Leith, is a beautiful area and was a short walk from our hotel.

This area was breathtaking at night!

Pier House had some amazing fish and chips!

It was also pretty cool during the day!

The Ship on the Shore in Leith was fantastic, and the fish and chips were absolutely delicious. However, I must say that the "mushy peas" are likely an acquired taste and definitely not my favorite!

Yes, this WAS my second time ordering fish and chips! 

Robert Burns-Scottish Poet and Lyricist
 

Although the area around our hotel was beautiful, there is so much more to share from our trip! 

Next up, some sights in and around the Royal Mile and City Centre in Edinburgh! 

43rd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH SIR ROD-PART TWO

 Ah....Rod, it's been a while! However....

YOU WEAR IT WELL!

Ray and I both had a fantastic time at the concert, and I got some great photos, even though the couple in front of us stood the whole time! 

It was pretty funny because right before Rod came on, the woman leaned over and told us they weren’t 'concert standers' and wouldn’t be blocking our view. So I was somewhat shocked when, about a minute into the show, she and her husband jumped up and stayed on their feet for the entire show! 

The guy in the red hat and his wife beside him were lovely people, but they lied about the "not standing" thing! LOL

That was okay, though, because hardly anyone was sitting, including me and Ray!

I've seen Rod in concert quite a number of times over the years, but this was the first time since around 2007 or 2008. He remains the ultimate entertainer! It was such a blast!

After just standing and dancing around in the heat while watching Rod perform, I kept thinking, "HOW does this 80 y/o guy do this night after night, traveling all over?" 

The entire show, from start to finish, was incredible! Rod, his band, his backup singers, the dancers...all were absolutely fantastic!

The woman on the right in the photo below has been playing with Rod for many, many years, and she's great!

You're In My Heart-

There was a tribute to Tina Turner just before Rod and one of his backup singers sang the song Rod and Tina had recorded together many years ago. It Takes Two.

Rod sang 'Forever Young' in tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who had passed away the previous week. 

I could go on forever about how much fun it was being at the concert! I will remember this fun night for a long time to come! 

43rd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH SIR ROD-PART ONE

Celebrating our upcoming 43rd Wedding Anniversary by finally seeing Sir Rod Stewart again! 

I wanted to decorate my vest for the occasion! Obviously, if you know anything about Sir Rod, you know he loves his animal prints and pinks! Also, if you don't know what Every Picture Tells A Story is...you should check out some of his old music!

BACK OF MY VEST

READY TO SEE SIR ROD

You can read all about our trip to Vegas a year ago (right here and here ) to see Rod on our anniversary. That didn't turn out the way we would have liked, but we were really hoping this year would be much better. 

Sir Rod

We were only allowed to take in small posters, so I wanted them to convey a big message on a small surface! 

Since Rod and I have both gone through a cancer diagnosis twice, and Rod's music made so many bad days better for me, I thought my sign was perfect! And the hubby's sign is self-explanatory! LOL

MY GUY SHOWING HIS SUPPORT!

Cheap Trick would be opening for Rod, so we had a while to wait for our guy!

While we were waiting, we had a great time chatting with a security officer and some of the other people sitting nearby. We were surprised by how many younger attendees were excited to see Rod!

We had a really unexpected experience while we were sitting there. A guy came down from the stage and handed Ray a pair of drumsticks, telling us that they belonged to Rod's drummer. We were both so surprised that we didn’t say much other than, "Thank you!" We did wonder aloud if they knew Ray was a drummer, but the guy just smiled and went back on stage.

I took this pic from the program we bought! This guy is a great drummer!

Cheap Trick had some issues with their sound, and although they didn't sound bad, they didn't sound great, partly due to the sound system issues. 

I managed to get some good photos of them since people weren't standing up, which gave me a good view of them all. 

                                                 

Anxiously awaiting Sir Rod! Did I mention the "feels like" temp was 102 degrees??! 

Finally...it's time to take our 3rd ROW SEATS  and get ready for SIR ROD STEWART!!

LACK OF COMMUNICATION WITH NEW ONCOLOGIST

So, it’s been a minute—actually, more like three months. I really hate that my first post after all this time is just me venting, but I’ve got to keep it real.

I have discussed in previous posts how the anxiety of a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis, or any cancer diagnosis, is always present. While it may not always be overwhelming, it never completely fades.

Certain triggers can significantly elevate those anxiety levels, such as waiting for test results or noticing a new ache or pain.

Over the past couple of months, I have experienced several triggers related to my health situation, but one thing weighs much more heavily on me than the others...... 

LACK OF COMMUNICATION=Stress 

Currently, the biggest source of my stress is the lack of communication with my new oncologist and her staff. When I say "lack," I mean it is virtually non-existent.

When I began my breast cancer journey with Dr. Saker and his nurse practitioner, Wan, following my initial diagnosis in early October 2016, I was overcome with fear. I understood the importance of having a medical team I could trust, and I quickly realized how essential it was to maintain open communication with them.

I quickly learned to trust that Dr. Saker and Wan were doing everything possible to provide the best care for both my physical health and mental well-being. I knew I could always rely on them to address any questions or concerns I had.

But now, Dr. Saker and Wan have both retired, and my journey continues with a new doctor at a new location. 

Although my new oncologist seems like a lovely woman, the level of care provided by her and the staff at the new location is not sufficient. 

It's nearly impossible to address my questions or concerns outside of my regular monthly visits. I have called the office several times with different concerns and/or questions and left messages, but I've either received no response or gotten a call from a nurse who can't seem to get answers from the doctor.

Unfortunately, I have to come to terms with the fact that I need to either accept the lack of communication and care from this new doctor, advocate for better care at this facility, or find another doctor altogether.

None of these options is ideal, and I feel very vulnerable right now. I'm also feeling a bit angry. Most importantly, I miss Dr. Saker and Wan.

Perhaps I am wrong to expect the same level of care from this new doctor, but I feel I deserve more from an oncologist and her staff. 

So now, I have a decision to make......

EASTER WEEK FAMILY TIME

We felt truly blessed to spend time with family during Easter Week! Alex drove down from Knoxville on Good Friday, and we enjoyed chatting, laughing, and going out to dinner together. Then, on Saturday, we drove to Gainesville, GA, where we checked into the perfect Airbnb!

Strawberry Margarita

Alex at Jersey Peach

 

On Saturday afternoon, Nick and Alison arrived after a long drive from their home in Massachusetts. They stopped to visit Alison's brother and his family in North Carolina before continuing their journey to Georgia. We were so happy to see them both, since we had not seen them since their wedding last April!

April 13, 2024-Such a beautiful day! 

We were thrilled to have our sons, Conor and Robert, along with our wonderful daughter-in-law, Jennifer, Robert's wife, join us on Sunday for a fantastic family day together!

Jen, Pam, Alison

Jen, Robert, Nick, Alison

Conor

Conor, Alison

Jen, Robert

Alex, Alison

Alex

We spent a lot of quality time together, eating and drinking a lot! 

We played RummiCube, Scattergories, Phase 10, and other fun games!

Later in the week, we walked on the trails right across the street from the Airbnb.

View of the covered bridge from our house.

Nick and Alison

One evening, Ray, Alex, Conor, and I walked to the nearby lake.

Our time together flew by far too quickly, but it was truly wonderful, filled with laughter, a bit of craziness, and a whole lot of love!