Category Archives: Joyce

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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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4 Weeks to Paris

But who is counting?

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Chemo

I have had my second treatment in Round 4 so only one more Friday and I get to have a break. I won’t start Round 5 until beginning of August. I should have started on 30 July but the genetic testing woman who gave me the appointment knew about chemo and still didn’t change the time. When I told the oncologist he said the genetic testing people think they are top of the food chain.

I am getting help from my GP Elizabeth for my skin. She gave me some stronger antibiotics which seem to be helping and I have some illegal hemp oil (external use) which the Naturopath at the chemist got me as it helps skin heal faster. Unfortunately the chemo slows down healing a lot. The blisters on my heals took forever and there are still terrible marks there. I suspect the pox are going to leave lots of scars.

Third Yeah! Weekend

Erich and I went to Werribee Mansion. The actual mansion was really something and the grounds are unbelievable. The Victorian Government had to buy it as no-one could afford to keep the grounds in the original layout so it is classified as heritage. The hotel part is run by a small boutique group. I always believe the blurb and I am continually disappointed. The restaurant was less than ordinary and the room was nothing to write home about even though I booked Indulgence etc. There was the saving grace of a pool and spa though I could only have a facial as my skin is so bad I couldn’t expect someone else to touch it. Erich had the massage.

Fourth Yeah!  = Paris

I am counting down the days. The accommodation is all paid and all our tours and special activities are confirmed. Interestedly there is an article in the Weekend Fin Review that the Ritz just opened at the beginning of June instead of March as they were meant to. So how lucky are we. The photos and article show just how splendid it is all going to be!!

Different Generations – Different Opinions

I am loading part of an article written by Bernard Salt in the Weekend Australian. He write a column each week. I totally agree with him in this case. I know that not all the family agree. Writing thank you notes was once part of the Grade 3 (8 year old) curriculum when I taught. Addressing the envelope correctly was also part of the learning. In my office the Y generation have no idea of addressing envelopes – I haven’t tested them on thank you notes.

Thank You Notes

Dinner at 25 Toorak Road

That’s the name of the restaurant and it is one of our favourites. I love one of the lamps that they have in the restaurant and consequently discovered the owner’s wife had them made. They are very French style.The upright etc are metal with parchment style shade.

So last night we went to dinner and came home with a new lamp which we had ordered six weeks ago. I only had one bunch of week old roses to christen it with. It will look so good with two bunches.  We don’t have much room in our apartment for more things but I squeezed the lamp in and I think it is sensational. It gives out a lovely glow to the room.

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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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Charlotte and Sarah

What's this?

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Each Wednesday I am going to add a photo. I want you to email me the answer. For this first one the clue is that you both have this sketch in your house. What is it?

We are staying in one of the rooms at the front.

We are staying in one of the rooms at the front.