This year the actual changeover of years was a little odd for Erich and me. We took off from Singapore at 9.30pm New Year’s Eve, so it was already 30 minutes into the New Year in Melbourne. By the time it was New Year in Singapore we were well on our way back and not a mention was made on the flight.

Kate, David and the kids had left for Bali early in the morning on New Year’s eve. It was a bit of a spur of the minute decision and made possible by Kate’s incredible ability to find accommodation at the last minute. From all accounts and photos it was a great success. They spent a week there. The Singapore kids start back to school week of the 9th.

At the same time on the other side of the world the Buchanans were having a great time with friends in Utah in the snow. That also looked like lots of fun though I have no wish at all to relive my years spent in the snow.

We also took the last week off. Monday was a public holiday and I had a treatment on Thursday and early Friday morning we were off to Sydney to see Charlotte and Sophie before they went back to New York.

We stayed at Westin in CBD Sydney. We took Sophie to audiologist to get her hearing aid on headband adjusted then went searching for some card games. It was pouring with rain and so I thought some serious card playing was in order. After several physical visits to game shops in CBD and several phone calls I managed to find the last pack of Phase 10 in Sydney I think. We reintroduced Sophie to Uno which she enjoyed immensely. She then played with Opa whilst Charlotte and I played Phase 10. It looks like it was the grand daughters turn to slaughter their Grandma at cards as Sarah beat me in Singapore and Charlotte managed it in Sydney.

As a treat we had dinner with the girls in the revolving restaurant at the top of Centrepoint Tower. There was an ongoing debate on whether we were moving or the glass as moving. My money is still on the floor!

We were very sad to say goodbye on Saturday morning. The girls spent almost 24 hours getting home to snowy New York. They will be back to school on Monday as their school started back last week.

Erich bought me a beautiful ring whilst we were in Sydney for my bucket list birthday year. It is being resized and couriered to Melbourne hopefully by the end of the week. We have also heard about our new car travelling from France! Due to arrive late January so we should get it early February – ordered in August do you mind!

Peter and Rebecca started the New Year with a breakfast with friends at their new table with the new floor, new wall …

 And PJ continues his love affair with his courtyard and the BBG

It is back to work tomorrow (9th) with no special events for several months when we go to the Blue Mountains in May for races. (No I am not taking part! but kids maybe are).

Usually I added another couple of pages to the Christmas scrapbook series. I have stopped doing the physical scrapbooks now so I had made two short videos and a summary of Christmas period this year.

In Singapore rain was forecast everyday so ‘in or out’ was the question. Luckily ‘in’ won on Christmas Day and we set up inside. The table looked incredible. The flowers were stunning.

After the carols on Christmas Eve at the Fullerton Hotel Kate and David had hosted a more casual dinner for a few families who had been at the carols with us. So Christmas Day was our second run through with turkey, ham and all the wonderful trimmings.

It bucketed during the afternoon but we partied on safe and dry inside. The day went from 2.00pm until 9.00pm. A very successful day!

Liz and her crew in the days leading up to Christmas – the girls flew back to Australia for Christmas. On Boxing Day those remaining all took off for the snow.

David made the paper unexpectedly on 27 December:

Kids have been doing some amazing Lego constructions over the break.

I don’t know why but as soon as it gets close to the time of leaving the office for holidays lots of little emergencies pop up. Yesterday was my last day in the office for the year and I had two “fires” to put out. I just hope they are the last ones for the year as I hate getting panic emails from staff when I am away. Having Peter in the office helps. He isn’t taking any time off over Christmas which means I have some peace of mind when I am away.

We took the staff to a Christmas Lunch at Maha – best Middle Eastern in Melbourne. Unfortunately Jayden had to attend a family funeral so couldn’t join us.

I was pleased to hear from Maddie:

“I finished to first half (makeup) diploma but i chose to not continue on with the second                                component (special effects) and start a new course which i started last month. I now study                            Counselling Psychology and moved back home with my mum.”

Isabelle and Sarah seem to have birthday celebrations spread over a month.

Erich and I will miss Sarah’s actual day but arrive in time for Isabelle’s on Monday. Both girls helped make their cupcakes for classmates. I am surprised they are allowed to do that as I think the nut allergy thing has stopped a lot of that in Australia.

Erich and I had another wonderful dinner at Ezard’s for our anniversary. That is becoming our go to place for special occasions. It is degustation, expensive but great food and service. I can’t believe that we have been together twenty years. Erich probably deserves a medal.

Little bits of teasing news from Liz about whether she may be going back to work. Looking forward to hearing the outcome. All sorts of things happening in Brooklyn. They will be all heading in different directions over the holidays. Erich and I are looking forward to having a quick catch up with Charlotte and Sophie in January.

There has been so much happening at work to finish off the year. We had Beth Jennings in again to take photos of staff. I was happy with the result

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In Singapore they celebrated United Nations Day at school with a big concert. Isabelle was very excited about it. Sarah played an Indonesian instrument (sorry Sarah I forgot what it is called.)

Peter and Rebecca hosted her family for a pre-Christmas get together.

At Isabelle’s class they had a secret reader – she hid under a blanket but Isabelle wasn’t fooled as she saw her mum’s handbag. How good does Kate look. Isabelle helped make the cupcakes for her classmates. Early birthday celebration.

This week Kate had been visiting Majella in Dubai. Things appear to be going well with Majella’s treatment.

I am feeling a lot better this week.

I am really working on my ‘brain training’ about the pain and it is working. Thank you to Gowdeys for my lovely orchid. It looks great on our dining table (picture is when it arrived in my office). Liz gave me a white one when I came out of hospital and it lasted for about 3+months so I am hoping this one does the same.

Erich fell backwards onto his tailbone about a week ago and he is still suffering. The bruise covers his whole bottom so he doesn’t like sitting much.

On 14 December we celebrate 20 years of marriage. I am not sure where the 20 years have gone but I am very grateful to have such a devoted husband. We are going to dinner on our anniversary eve as we couldn’t get a booking on 14th.

We are taking the staff to a long Christmas lunch on Friday afternoon at Maha Restaurant. We aren’t starting to late as O have a treatment at Cabrini late morning. Then on Saturday, Sarah’s birthday, we head off to Singapore for Christmas.

I started this blog with an idea of keeping the family informed of what everyone was doing. It seems it has become superfluous as it is not being read that much for all sorts of reasons and the odd thing on Facebook seems to be all everyone wants. I was hoping for more contact with grandkids but I understand use of internet etc is being restricted. So I am writing this more of a diary/scrapbook of the family for me now. I can cut photos from Facebook and keep them all in one place.

It is already summer and here in Melbourne we didn’t even have spring. It has been so cold and grey – totally depressing. In New York there seems to be a few leaves.

Liz came and went in a flash. It was good to hear of all the news from the NY family. I will be interested to hear the outcome of some of the proposed changes. Typical Melbourne weather when she was here – in the thirties one day and high teens the other two. She was rushing home for Thanksgiving. Not sure if she arrived in time or how Thanksgiving went as I have not heard anything and there was nothing on Facebook.

I have been a bit melancholy this week. I gave two substantial gifts lately one to a friend and one to a member of the family and I did not hear one word back from either. It was like it never happened. I remember Liz saying once I should give just for the sake of giving and not to expect anything back. I am afraid I can’t be like that – I do get hurt. Part of the joy of giving for me is seeing/hearing the response.

I am not sure if this made me so sad or it was because the pain in my feet has come back with a vengeance. I seemed to loose my positive outlook which meant I sort of lost control of the pain. So not sure it sadness caused pain or pain added to sadness. It seems hard to get on top of it when it is severe as it saps my energy and I feel very flat and very tearful.

Anyway to avoid the hurt and disappointment I invariably get, from now on I am not going to give gifts. I think in some ways they have passed their time anyway. Once it was the only time you got something new so they were looked forward to and very precious. Now we all have so much we don’t really need any extras and it doesn’t seem to be very special at all. I think money to charity might be a better option – a goat here, a chicken there etc. In my office we are averaging three charities at least every week writing for support. Because we have given to a few I think we are on a ‘list’ somewhere.

Singapore – At wreath making night

New York – Bruce has a birthday

I am very frustrated with lack of steps for my walking totals. I was hoping by Christmas to have got back to the 10,000 steps per day but this week it kills just walking around the apartment. Treatments going OK. I have my last for the year on 16 Dec in the morning. Taking staff to lunch at Maha same day. Then off to Singapore on Sarah’s birthday.

Isabelle Writing in Chinese

Reached the $100M

David and Liz

Last Friday night it was great to have David join us for dinner. We had Rebecca and PJ over as well so we had a great time sharing news. David had eight meetings that day so he was exhausted. He left us around 11.00pm to catch a 1.00am flight back to Singapore.

We thought David’s two day flying visit was stressful for him but now we are expecting Liz from N.Y. for just three days!! Arriving Sunday morning and leaving Wednesday morning. She will be back to her family for Thanksgiving. They intend going away to a horse riding place with the Galvins for Thanksgiving.

A little bit of Paris in NY

Kids in New York 

I have been so impressed with all the activities the Buchanan and Joyce kids have been doing, Hannah and Sarah particularly so. I wonder how they are going to like returning to their more conservative all girls school next year after cheer leading and winning swim team fun!

I hear elementary school is also going well. Would love to hear on Facetime what you are enjoying and what’s different to Balmain.

Brain Power

The on-going side effects of the chemo had been really debilitating and there seemed to be no real relief strategies. There is some research that vitamins B1 and B12 can help a bit in some cases but there is not much more suggested. The cancer team all shrug their shoulders and give sympathy but not much more.

When I was in Singapore in October Kate took me to an osteopath in the same clinic where she goes. He was French, cute and gave me an incredible 45 minute foot massage along the nerve endings etc. He suggested I see an osteopath in Melbourne. I asked the oncologist what he thought and he casually said he thought some people got some relief from acupuncture so couldn’t hurt.

Nick, the osteopath that Erich and I go to, was away doing service work in India when we got back so I couldn’t get an appointment until last week. He also gave my feet a great massage and manipulative exercises. He suggested a book that he had just read on pain and the brain. It has a summary of all the latest research, in lay terms, into the connection between brain and pain. A lot of this research work has been done in Adelaide. It was my life line. I got it on audio and listened attentively. When I finished my whole outlook and strategy plan had changed. It has helped enormously.

“On its release the Explain Pain concept was considered ground-breaking and it is still proving to be a phenomenal force in the move to better understand, manage and prevent chronic pain. Explain Pain resources aim to give clinicians and people in pain the power to challenge pain and to consider new models for viewing what happens during pain. Once they have learnt about the processes involved they can follow a scientific route to recovery.”

The book is on Amazon but the audio version I bought from Neuro Orthopaedic Institute (NOI)

Je parle français…

I sat my first French exam in 50 years last week. I smiled when I read Liz’s post about how she felt having breakfast with the principal. It was kind of the same – the whole thing took me back to school exams and the feeling in the pit of the stomach, having a complete mental blank for a moment and so on. There were four part – reading, writing, listening and speaking.

In some ways it was funny. I was there as a student with two examiners but part of me was also judging them as a principal judges her staff and how they perform with their students. One of the examiners had very encouraging body language whereas the other was much more the other way. Anyway I think I passed – in true French bureaucratic style won’t know for sure for weeks.

I have already started working for the next level which is in March. They are held on the same day twice  a year all around the world, As standardised as humanly possible.

Paris Follow-Up

The French handmade leather handbags that Charlotte and Sarah designed in Paris have finally arrived. I have them sent here as I knew the lass in Paris had to be honest on declaration about the cost. I was concerned that there would be duty to be paid and didn’t want that hassle in NY or Singapore. We were able to send Sarah her via her dad. Charlotte’s hopefully will go to her via her mum next week.

I am working on how comments on this particular word press style work. You can see the comments if you click on the word ‘comments’ at the bottom of the blog. They stay hidden until it is clicked.

Oh yes I finally launched my podcast – it would be great to get some reviews from family on iTunes. Yes you can comment on the Blog- it won’t come up instantly as I get to edit spam out but it will be viewable fairly quickly.

My Wellness Progression

It has been two months since I added to this blog. I lost a bit of momentum as I got progressively more tired as the chemo went on. I am so thankful that I managed the Paris trip when I did. It seems that all the yucky side effects waited until I got back. I am still having terrible problems with my feet. I was quite down about it this week as I seemed to have some small improvements then it is bad again. I was hoping for continued small improvements but it isn’t happening that way. Consequently I can’t do my 10,000 steps a day. I am lucky to reach 6,000-7,000.

I have a treatment every three weeks. It is an anti-angiogenesis treatment – it helps stop my blood feeding tumours. It doesn’t effect my immune system or hair. I am at Cabrini only about an hour to an hour and a half versus 4 hours for chemo. The actual transfusion is quite quick but I see the oncologist first then go downstairs to day oncology unit and they take blood then treatment etc I finish with these in June then I will go to three monthly blood tests and visits to oncologist. I am pleased that I am still being monitored every three weeks and my markers continue to be good.

Buchanan – Joyce Exodus to New York

It all seemed to happen so quickly. It has been great seeing all the Facebook photos. I am impressed at how well everyone seems to be doing in their new schools. There is a Sept-Oct round-up video in right hand column

Hallowe’en

It has been embraced by Singapore and Brooklyn families. Kate has created a Singapore tradition I think. Loved seeing that all the family followed a theme in NY. Did the teenagers get much stuff? In Canada way back when we tended not to give candies to older kids as it was considered only for the younger ones.

Peter and Rebecca

They have been busy working on their home. Peter was so excited to earn a big bonus for last quarter which meant they could get their wooden floor done. He worked very hard getting rid of the tiles in the kitchen. They were able to take an extended long weekend on the Gold Coast.

Singapore Visit

We enjoyed hanging out with the Gowdeys. We were delighted to share Kate’s birthday and the preparations for Hallowe’en. The decorations they have are amazing.

No chemo this week. Only one more round to go. Decided not to go away for the weekend. (To be honest a couple of the places were disappointing and now I think the Ritz has spoiled me!)

Just enjoying being home and using my present from Erich.

Did I happen to mention how much I love my new ‘Magimix Cook Expert” ?

I have been trying new things almost everyday. I am particularly taken with the way it does soup almost automatically. So being the compulsively driven woman that I am, yesterday I decided to have a soup making afternoon. In my solidly packed freezer I have added:

• Cream of Celeriac (never used it before) and Spinach Soup
• Pear and Watercress Soup
• Butternut Squash Bisque
• Creamy Chestnut Soup with Pancetta and Sage
• Creamy Carrot with Spinach

Part of my taste success is that I use my own chicken bone broth as my stock. Yesterday I depleted my supply in the freezer so I went to Prahran market early this morning to buy 5kg of chicken bones. They are now in my gorgeous copper stock pot. I’ll cook the stock for 24+hours and it will be a very healthy and tasty base for my next batch of soups.

We had the chestnut soup last night. I had never made it before and it was amazing. Too expensive though as I had to buy frozen chestnuts and they weren’t cheap. Everyday Erich and I have a soup for lunch. Each recipe usually makes for 6 so we get 3 lunches out of each batch. The freezer at work also has lots of our soups in it. If there is a gold medal for healthy soup making I claim it.

I gave my Thermomix to Rebecca and PJ. So I expect there will be some yummy stuff coming out of that kitchen as well. I have to share a cute thing in French. The way you say ‘in law’ is ‘belle’ so daughter is fille so daughter in law is belle fille – which literally means beautiful daughter, Mere is mother , so mother in law is belle mere. So ma belle fille now is the proud owner of a Thermomix. So I asked my tutor how do I say my beautiful daughter in law? Not belle belle fille but ma merveilleuse belle fille – even if you don’t speak French it sounds great, n’est pas!

I bought 400 Soups a few years after Soup Bible and when I got it home I discovered it was the same content just repackaged.

Peter is selling up a storm. There isn’t a lot for sale on the market in Melbourne at the moment which is keeping prices up. Erich and I are both enjoying having him in the business. It gives me more peace of mind when there is a family member there when Erich and I are not.

Maddie is still coming in and doing some data entry stuff for us. She is enjoying her course and last weekend she did her first paid make-ups. She turned 19 earlier this month.

Our Paris photos arrived this week and we are thrilled with them. Now my dilemma is choosing and figuring out how and where I can make a small display.