Ready to roam

Took delivery of my new (second hand) campervan yesterday. It was quite a morning, beginning with a 4am wakeup because I was excited. After the flight, the paperwork, the loooong wait at QT (RTA equivalent) and forking out some more $$$$$, I needed to stop for a rest before I hit

the road back to the Gold Coast. So, I relaxed awhile on my bed, by the river at Mooloolaba before joining the peak hour traffic through Brisbane and back to my son, who inspected almost every inch of the vehicle and declared it OK.

I'm ready to roam, if only this dreaded disease would desist from its attacks.

Moving on to happier things

It's Monday evening, and in the morning I'm boarding a plane to fly to the Sunshine Coast to collect my campervan. I'm very excited. Tomorrow afternoon I'll be driving the van back to the Gold Coast to stay with Tim and Oscar for a few days.

Then..... on Monday 6 December, I'll be setting off to drive the van back home. My friend, Lesley, is flying up to the GC to meet me and share the trip back. We'll arrive back in Sydney on Friday 10th in time for my next consultation with my Chinese herbal doctor, then go to the airport to await the arrival (from South Africa) of Nikki and her two littlies (Zeke and Willow). They will stay in Wollongong for a week before flying to Adelaide for Christmas with her husband, Sam, and his family. Then back to this side of the country for another week before heading back to Durban.

Then on 22 Dec I'm flying back to the GC to spend a week with Tim and Oscar over Christmas.

Sounds like lots of flying and lots of driving - time for fun and family before the next health-related round begins.

Will post some pics along the way.

Ding, ding. Ready for the next fight?

It's on again. This insidious disease just will not cower! New, fast growing, tumours in my peritoneum, close to where the most recent one was.

1. Oncologist says palliative chemotherapy only solution. (Don't really like that 'p' word or even the 'c' word)

2. Surgeon says he's the only one in Australia who does a 'peritonectomy' and infuses special chemotherapy directly into the abdomen while he's in there. More 'p' and 'c' words.

It involves - 12 hour op. 5 days in ICU/HDU, 30 days in hospital, 3-6 months to recover (if I make it that far).... AND...... this will give me a 30% chance of long term survival. Pre- and post-operative chemotherapy also required.

More tests to be had to determine my eligibility. What good fun!!

On a lighter note:

See the blog "following the fragrance of shooting stars" to see the next amazing adventure my friend, Wilna, is about to embark on. Hospital bed or that truck??? Hmmmmm

Feeling OK physically. Emotionally...well.....................

there will be more when

1. I have more news and
2. I feel up to it

Please get the towels and water and buckets ready for the next round. Ding. Ding

November 9

Oh dear! It's November 9, and I haven't been back here to keep in touch. Well, life has been busy.

I've had a fun 3 day weekend in Sydney with girlfriends. The highlight was seeing the production of Namatjira at the Belvoir Theatre. I highly recommend it, if you get the chance to see it.

Another recommendation is for the movie "The Social Network". The story of the invention of Facebook.

After the girls' weekend I went to the Hunter Valley for an overnight stay and a reunion with my Teachers' College mates. Great fun catching up with the girls and boys. We're going back again in two years' time :)

And then the big move. My father moved from his house into a unit just around the corner from the house. A big move, a big day - exhausting but satisfying. Dad is very happy in his new environment. And we still have 6 weeks before the house is settled, so plenty of time for the garage sale and the final clean up.

And then a week on the Gold Coast. I went up to spend some time with my son and little grandson, Oscar. He turned 3 on 3 November and we had a sausage sizzle party to celebrate.

Here is Oscar practicing his candle-blowing in preparation. Isn't he just gorgeous??:)

It was an icecream cake which melts very quickly in warm weather and the birthday boy loved digging his fingers in

While I was on the Gold Coast I also visited my dear friends, Judith and Morton, who have a beautiful garden on their 30 acre property at Rosebank, in the hills behind Byron Bay.
Here's a pic of them last Sunday - for those of you who know them :)


And the last piece of news is that................ I have made a deal to buy a used campervan. It's time to start seeing my own country.
I finalise and collect the van from its owner in Coolum, on the Sunshine Coast, at the end of this month.

No wonder I haven't had time to write. Glad to catch up now.

Back on my bike

Well, following the good news from the tests, the weather has also improved, so I've been motivated to venture out on my bicycle again. The chain was off, the tyres were flat, there were cobwebs decorating the spokes and pedals - but it is still in working order and after a good friend gave it some TLC, it's now up and running and so am I.

I first ventured out yesterday, on the spur of the moment, after sitting in the sun to have my breakfast and my morning cuppa. The day was so beautiful and there was only a gentle breeze, so I donned my riding gear and took off. I only went a few kilometres before I was puffing and my thighs were burning from the effort, but it felt good.

So, I have been out again this morning (another top day) and cycled twice as far as I did yesterday. The cycle path travels along the coastline beside all the beautiful beaches, so it is always such a pleasure to be on the path. For those of you who know it - yesterday I made it to Fairy Meadow beach and today I went as far as Bellambi Lagoon. There are seats strategically located along the way, so a nice 5 minute rest is in order before turning back.

I hope the next ride will take me to Bulli, to Sea Salt Cafe where I can treat myself to tea and a toasted muffin before turning back.

Meanwhile, I'm off to Sydney tomorrow for a long weekend with 'the girls' in the big smoke. On Saturday we will see the play Namatjira at the Belvoir Street Theatre. Really looking forward to that as it has excellent reviews.

Good news from latest tests

Good news today. I had a blood test last week and a CT scan this morning. I collected the scan and report from the radiologist and went straight to the surgeon to hear the results. And Yippee!!!! both blood and CT reports say all is clear and all is fine. The surgeon says he is very pleased. Me too :)



These pics are from the two weddings I conducted over the recent weekend. In the above I am with the groom and his best man, waiting on the bride's arrival. We were at Fountaindale Grand Manor at Robertson in the Southern Highlands.

This wedding was held at Seven Mile Beach at Gerroa on the south coast.

Both were beautiful and it was a great pleasure for me to officiate.

Celebrated Dad's 90th birthday

Dad (striped shirt) with some of his special guests. He doesn't look 90, does he! The red-shirted 76 year-old looks older, don't you think?

My Dad turns 90 on 8th October. In Australia this recent weekend was a holiday weekend, so we decided to hold the celebrations this weekend. A picnic in the park was planned and during the week leading up to the party day the weather was fine and sunny, if a little cold. That would have been fine........ but............. the night before the party, the heavens opened and delivered all the rain that had been held back over the past months. So... on the morning of the party I had to cancel the picnic and move the celebrations into the house - which is only next door to the park.

Fortunately not all the people who would have come for the picnic arrived, but we had quite a nice crowd of people call in during the afternoon for a glass of wine and a piece of birthday cake. Dad had a great afternoon - that's all that matters :)

It was a great day. We'll have more, quieter celebrations on Friday 8th.

And then on to - moving him to his new abode and emptying his house in readiness for settlement in December. And for me - more scans and blood tests and cosultations. Life is busy!!