Category Archives: James

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Busy Calendar

with end of school year, Cannes and N.Y. reunion

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Travel for the Rest of the Year

The other night I finalised the extra flights and ferry bookings I need for planned activities for the rest of the year. So in July it is a quick trip to Brooklyn for eight days. It will be Erich’s first trip to the USA. Then late August early September it is Singapore, Paris and New York again. End of September we are off to Byron Bay for an extended weekend. Early November I am off to Brisbane for a conference then December it is an overnight crossing on the Spirit of Tasmania to join everyone for Christmas.

Gowdey Busy End of School Year

James’ birthday party was held early because the real birthday was too close to the end of the school year. Sarah took part in a fundraising and did remarkably well. Lots of determination to finish shone through. Isabelle, James and Sarah have been told their teachers for next year and which friends they will be with and they all seem happy.

N.Y. End of school year

Charlotte graduates from her current school as she is off to Middle School in September and she will be doing French Immersion which is very exciting. Baxter has been doing some impressive work at Kinder. Sophie is doing well.

Gowdeys were in N.Y. when Charlotte’s graduation was on.

James had his 8th birthday in Brooklyn with 7 cousins (see video in righthand column).

Kate and David went to see Hamilton on Broadway.

Meanwhile Liz was working hard in Cannes in South of France mixing with the rich and famous.

Medical Updates

Erich went back into hospital for them to take a deeper section away fro behind his ear. His eye is slowly improving. Hopefully he will be fit for US trip which is less than 3 weeks away.

My markers went down at last week’s visit to oncologist which was a bit of a relief but I have to stay on treatment indefinitely. This medication can have fairly severe side effects but so far going OK.The neurology in my feet has lessened considerably and I am not in the pain when I walk that I was a few months ago.

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Fresh Starts

A New School Year

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Today we said goodbye and good luck to the Buchanans and Joyces. Due to some unexpected decisions it looks like New York is going to be home base for quite some time. Hannah and Sarah hopefully will enjoy their term in the New York school system.

Erich and I enjoyed a farewell visit from Bruce, Liz and Baxter on Friday/Saturday. We are happy for the travellers but sad for us as we won’t see the family as often.

The Gowdey kids have also started a new school year at the United World College Singapore. This year Isabelle joins them. So now they are all in the same school.

I have made a video to mark the New School Year.

Hopefully Sophie’s ear is getting a fresh start as well. She has once again shown how brave she is when she had yet another operation.

Singapore had a birthday/national day earlier in the month.

 

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I have now completed 5 rounds of chemo so only one to go. I still have some hair – yeah! but some of the other side effects are a bit gruesome but it all finishes on 16 September so not long to go.

Erich spoiled me for this coming birthday – my cooking gadget heart has always been for magimix so now I am the proud owner of :

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Paris, here we come …

5 Week Chemo Break

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I was so excited last Friday to finish Round 4 of my chemo treatment. As luck would have it because of the dates of our trip I am now getting a five week break. So I have three weeks to get into top shape before we leave. My skin is still an issue but hopefully this break will help.

Both Charlotte and Sarah are thinking about their packing. It is quite a challenge for me to go to Europe with only carry on luggage but I am determined to do it. Erich keeps asking about the return trip with the ‘goodies’ but I intend using the post if we buy stuff that won’t fit into the luggage.

I am so excited and I have really enjoyed finding lots of fun and interesting things for us to do. Most of the activities I would have not known even existed but for one lucky contact which then led to another. Even people who know Paris didn’t know that there were private tours of La Tour Eiffel. We are also doing children’s treasure hunts with our own private guide at Le Louvre and Musée D’Orsay – lots of fun hopefully. And lots of other surprises. (We are spending their inheritance!)

Everyone seems so busy. The Gowdeys with James’ s birthday and the end of the school year. Also the round of farewells and sadness of having to say goodbye to some good friends. That is the downside of being an expat … the continual movement of friends. The Buchanans and Joyces are also on the move. Baxter and Liz at the farm for the weekend, Charlotte and Sophie getting ready for their holiday with their dad. Liz and Baxter off to New York to be joined later by Sophie whilst Charlotte joins Sarah and me for our Paris trip. I hope someone in the family has shares in an airline!

Peter is doing a great job at work. He has brought some real energy into the business at exactly the right time. It has made an enormous difference to my peace of mind particularly now with the medical interruption. Maddie is still working with us on Thursday afternoons. She is enjoying her course.

Liz has shared lots of mini videos through icloud sharing in photos on my phone. I have access to them but I can’t figure out how to move them to my mac. I was able to export the photos and they went automatically to my dropbox but the folder in dropbox which says videos is empty. When I look at them on my phone there is no sharing, export or other button/indication I can see.

I have made an interim video of Baxter at the farm but I will add some of the small videos once I figure out the above.

 

 

 

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Australian Long Weekend

Good News Week

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Best news this week was from the oncologist who said my blood markers were back to normal – and only after four treatments. I said “Of course they are because as far as I am concerned I am cured and I am now on the wellness side.” He just laughed and said, “What ever you are doing just keep doing it.” I had my fifth session after seeing him. There are 3 in each cycle so next Friday will be the last in Cycle 2. There are 6 cycles in all with a Friday off between cycles. So far my hair is still there – in old treatment it fell out after third treatment.

The Buchanans had a team/family banding massive 2 day hike in the the middle of nowhere in the Blue Mountains. Liz says there was 7 hours of hard core hiking each day. They ran out of water and ate apples for dinner. The reward was a fabulous house at Katoomba. There were moments of stress and scariness but all ended well and on reflection it was a great adventure shared. IMG_1830 (2)

Peter is on a fitness challenge at work and so far he is doing really well. He is playing golf regularly with his father in law, does the occasional run and is boxing twice a week. He is doing a brilliant job at building the business as well. He is making regular sales which is great for the bottom line.

Some of his recent sales

Some of his recent sales

Making a birdie

Making a birdie  (I can’t find tool to move photos next to each other – still learning!)

Lots happening in Singapore. Kate has been doing a course Nordic Walking I think it was called.

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These photos put themselves side by side???

James had a big day yesterday. He received a medal for soccer.

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Then later that day he did his first bike ride solo with no training wheels.

Planning

As part of my positive mindset practice I am enjoying planning ahead. Paris is my main focus, then Christmas and my bucket list for next year. I loved the umbrella Liz gave me so have bought 2 matching ones for Charlotte and Sarah from the same place. They are great as they are very tiny and I will be able to carry them in my tote bag easily. That’s my news …

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Six Weeks Later

And things are looking good

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It was six weeks on Friday since my major op. so now I am back to driving and tomorrow I am going to start walking to work again. On Friday I started my second round of chemo and I am apparently responding well to treatment. I am now accustomed to having a frozen head for three hours!

Last weekend we returned home after a great week in Singapore with the Gowdey family. We managed to fit in some fun stuff with the family – our favourite chilli dumplings, a great live show from New York, a hike in the bush (grandma crumbled), lunch at PS Cafe, a great show at the Arts Science museum and two great dinners out besides all the stuff at home – card games, two dogs and unfortunately one very sick Nelson.

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Sharing our News

Please subscribe

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Can you please subscribe so you will get an email when I add a post.

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Please add comments to let us know your news. I only just discovered that Liz has just returned from New York, Charlotte, Baxter, Hannah and Sarah B. have been in Tasmania and David was in India this week. I am not sure that comments are working as I think Sarah Gowdey tried when I first started and it didn’t work.

I think I can add comments so I am going to add the last email I received from Maddie as a comment.

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Hot Day in Singapore

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Yummy Drinks

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Highs and Lows of the Week

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I am very pleased with myself as far as my walking goes. I replaced my Jawbone with the Fitbit. Jawbone changed their clasp and I thought it was terrible as it kept opening and then I ended up losing it. I had being wearing Jawbone for a few years thanks to David buying one for Erich when he had his bi-pass. The Fitbit turns out to be much better – I love it.

I started on 1 August to aim for 10K steps. I walk to work 3 mornings a week and usually walk home one day. I don’t do exactly 10K steps each day, some days are far more and some are less. Each week I have been doing over 75K steps.

This week I have had to change my plans a little but I still got my steps done.. It is slightly amusing as one ages that one has to have various things tinkered with to keep the body functioning properly. Erich has had his heart and eyes ‘reconditioned’ and now I am having some remedial surgery to ensure the nasties don’t interfere with my wellbeing.

Kate sent me a couple of tiny videos of Isabelle so I combined them and made the video – Miss Isabelle’s Chinese Song – see near the top of video list in right hand column. I am going to try and load lots of the old ones as well. I may combine them like I did for Isabelle.

Kate sent me the photos below. The shirt James is wearing was Simon’s, the nightie Sarah is wearing was one of Katie’s favourite. Kate was always a sucker for satin. The singlet top was a Buster Brown – the 3 Canadian kids had tops like this plus plaid pants that went with them. The ranges each year used to have different animal tags on them so kids could choose a top that went with the pants – elephant with elephant etc.

I am slowly learning WordPress and I am pleased with how far I have come in three weeks. I am now going to concentrate on making this site have a log in for security. Hopefully in the next two weeks.

Memories ...

Memories …

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The BW photo is a tiny proof and it is all that I have. We had this done professionally and I have no idea where the photos went. I think we may have done them as Christmas gifts and couldn’t afford to have copies for us. Don’t know. The coloured print was taken on a Saturday morning at Sandringham council grounds. The Girl Guides obviously had a job. Do you recognise the man, and that cute little fellow to the left? I thought I had a photo of Kate in that nightie but couldn’t find one. It gave me the idea of showing some of the scrapbook on line.

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James Wins Soccer Award

Player of the Week

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You must be doing very well to receive an award. Good for you.

 

Well done James

Well done James