Here I am gracing the shores by the convict-built bridge at Ross, a pretty little village in Tasmania, north of Hobart.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Convict Bridge at Ross, Tasmania
Here I am gracing the shores by the convict-built bridge at Ross, a pretty little village in Tasmania, north of Hobart.
Travel pics from Tasmania & Tambourine Mountain
I downloaded some of my pictures so I could share them. After several tries to post multiple pictures, I'm going to upload them one at a time. First up: a picture of Hobart (Tasmania) from Mt. Wellington.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Moving North
We're about to change our routine from daily beach walks and cappucinos to a visit with friends of Charles & Valerie's in Caloundra, and then move on to visit Steve & Betty Ostrycharz, who live near Gympie. Both of these are north of here, about 1 1/2 hours (Gympie's about a half hour further north of Caloundra). We'll have new routines to discover, just as the weather has shifted from daily sun to a bit of rain and showers for the next week.
I've also done a fair bit of reading, as our daily schedule allows for copious amounts of it. Finished off the mysteries I brought with me. Fortunately we found a good used bookstore within walking distance, so I'm working on a Jane Smiley book on the early settlment of Kansas, and also Manley's book "A Short History of Australia."
I'll post again when our new adventures have revealed themselves.
I've also done a fair bit of reading, as our daily schedule allows for copious amounts of it. Finished off the mysteries I brought with me. Fortunately we found a good used bookstore within walking distance, so I'm working on a Jane Smiley book on the early settlment of Kansas, and also Manley's book "A Short History of Australia."
I'll post again when our new adventures have revealed themselves.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Laid Back Life
We're adjusting well to the slow pace of indolent life next to a beautiful beach, with great surf and warm weather (80's). Our routines include a daily walk on the beach (Phil sometimes does his with our friend Charles; I do mine either alone, with Phil or with Valerie) and lots of reading. Our friends Charles and Valerie are with us in their apartment, so we're a bit like college roommates, doing a lot of talking and spelling each other on cooking duties. It's a tough life, but we're managing it.
I've gone with Valerie two times to play in the surf, not something that comes naturally to me. She grew up in Bondi Junction (suburb of Sydney) and daily playing in the surf, so she loves to get into the waves and swim. As a northwesterner who grew up in inland Yakima, playing in the surf was something I did rarely, on camping trips to the Washington or Oregon coast, where the water was cold enough that you didn't spend much time there. Here the water is a warm 25 degrees C (roughly 75)--heavenly to splash about it. I worry a little about sharks, though none have been around here and they do have a shark net on this beach. I don't go out very far. There's also been a pretty strong undertow the last few days, so I'm overcoming my nervousness about holding my own as the tide sucks itself back out. But I've quite enjoyed myself the two times I've been in. A splash about every 2-3 days is great for me.
The other fun thing about travel is enjoying different foods. Even shopping for them and trying to discover things you like is fun. Best thing so far is the cappucinos, which are just like Italian cappucinos, because the Italians came early to this country and brought their cappucino habit with them. A nearly daily cappucino has also become part of our routine. Fresh tropical fruit is another. We're at the end of mango season, but the pineapples are wonderful (and huge--think I mentioned that in my last post). The shrimp and fish are also pretty tasty. Haven't had many shots at lamb yet, but will do that too before long. As on our boat, when you are moving at a slow pace, food becomes one of the more important parts of your day.
I am thinking that a 14 hour plane ride is worth it for what I'm getting back. This is pretty nice!
Next Monday we plan to hitch a ride with Charles and Valerie traveling about two hours north to Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast part of Queensland (about 1 1/2 hours north of Brisbane). They're going to babysit a house (with a cat) while their friends Neil and Lyn Ball take a vacation. Apparently Neil & Lyn stayed in our Seattle house for a few days while Charles & Valerie were staying in it, so we are returning the favor, meeting them and then staying a couple days in their house while they're gone. Then our former Seattleite friends Betty and Steve Ostrycharz will pick us up and take us another half hour north to their farm outside of Gympie. After staying with them for about a week, we'll take the train back down to Surfers (where we are now) and reoccupy the apartment while Charles & Valerie take their turn visiting the Ostrycharzes. Complicated? It's taken us a few days to work all this out, but then what else do we have to do?
That's it from the Gold Coast of Oz. Will post again when something exciting turns up.
I've gone with Valerie two times to play in the surf, not something that comes naturally to me. She grew up in Bondi Junction (suburb of Sydney) and daily playing in the surf, so she loves to get into the waves and swim. As a northwesterner who grew up in inland Yakima, playing in the surf was something I did rarely, on camping trips to the Washington or Oregon coast, where the water was cold enough that you didn't spend much time there. Here the water is a warm 25 degrees C (roughly 75)--heavenly to splash about it. I worry a little about sharks, though none have been around here and they do have a shark net on this beach. I don't go out very far. There's also been a pretty strong undertow the last few days, so I'm overcoming my nervousness about holding my own as the tide sucks itself back out. But I've quite enjoyed myself the two times I've been in. A splash about every 2-3 days is great for me.
The other fun thing about travel is enjoying different foods. Even shopping for them and trying to discover things you like is fun. Best thing so far is the cappucinos, which are just like Italian cappucinos, because the Italians came early to this country and brought their cappucino habit with them. A nearly daily cappucino has also become part of our routine. Fresh tropical fruit is another. We're at the end of mango season, but the pineapples are wonderful (and huge--think I mentioned that in my last post). The shrimp and fish are also pretty tasty. Haven't had many shots at lamb yet, but will do that too before long. As on our boat, when you are moving at a slow pace, food becomes one of the more important parts of your day.
I am thinking that a 14 hour plane ride is worth it for what I'm getting back. This is pretty nice!
Next Monday we plan to hitch a ride with Charles and Valerie traveling about two hours north to Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast part of Queensland (about 1 1/2 hours north of Brisbane). They're going to babysit a house (with a cat) while their friends Neil and Lyn Ball take a vacation. Apparently Neil & Lyn stayed in our Seattle house for a few days while Charles & Valerie were staying in it, so we are returning the favor, meeting them and then staying a couple days in their house while they're gone. Then our former Seattleite friends Betty and Steve Ostrycharz will pick us up and take us another half hour north to their farm outside of Gympie. After staying with them for about a week, we'll take the train back down to Surfers (where we are now) and reoccupy the apartment while Charles & Valerie take their turn visiting the Ostrycharzes. Complicated? It's taken us a few days to work all this out, but then what else do we have to do?
That's it from the Gold Coast of Oz. Will post again when something exciting turns up.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Sun, surf and Paradise?
We have landed in Surfer's Paradise, a part of the "Gold Coast" on the eastern Australian seaboard, about 40 minutes south of Brisbane. It's balmy, in the low 80's. I've been for my morning walk on the beach, and am looking forward to a relaxed month of not doing too much of anything. Yeah for warmth!
We arrived in Australia two weeks ago, spending three days in Sydney, where we connected with a cousin of Phil's (Becky Ridge), friends from Madison Park (Neil & Patty Inman) and stayed with Elva Sinclair, mother of Valerie Reynolds (she and her husband Charles have stayed in our house for the past three summers while we sailed).
After that whirlwind visit, we flew to Tasmania, where we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves touring the island for 10 days. We poked into most of the corners of the island, seeing the rich inner valleys on the east coast where there's lots of agriculture, driving along the north coast which forms the south side of the famous Bass Strait, then down the west side through the mountainous region that houses Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Claire, two of the "must see" destinations. Back to Hobart, where we started, to check out the local scenes and then our last two days were up on the lower east coast at Swansea, which was our base for doing a little hiking in Freycinet national park.
In all, we saw the great variety that the island has in a total square area about the size of Maryland. A lot of the landscape on the north coast reminded us of Lopez Island--with rolling hills (a little taller than Lopez's) and cultivated or grassy fields with sheep. In all it was a great tour, and a nice introduction to the "laid-back" life style of Tassie (as Tasmania is known here). Wonderful fruits and vegetables, great seafood and tasty dairy products. Saw lots of wallabys, unfortunately most of them roadkill. No Tasmanian devils, which we did not make an effort to see in a wildlife park, and none wandered by au naturel.
The biggest challenge was driving. Aussies drive on the left side of the road, like the English. We're been attempting to retrain our reflexes, both as pedestrians and drivers) but it's a slow process. It's surprising how much of car handling you automate--you find out when you try to reverse it. I found it most difficult to navigate curves smoothly, especially inside curves (which here means a curve to the right). Since the Tasmanian roads were also quite narrow and often curvy, but the trucks and tourbuses the same size as usual, this makes driving quite exciting at times. We survived the week without scratching the car, which somewhat amazed us, but are relieved to let go of driving for awhile and use our feet (or ride with the Reynolds while they are with us).
Right now we are lodged in the apartment Charles & Valerie have in Surfer's Paradise (the name of this community), and they are here too. We'll spend a few days together so we can enjoy their company and get oriented to our surroundings. Then they will take off to visit friends and we'll be on our own. At some point we'll venture further north to visit friends who live up by Gimpy (about 2 hours north of Brisbane), but for now, we're happily into kicking back and doing not much of anything.
I'll post again when there's something exciting to share.
We arrived in Australia two weeks ago, spending three days in Sydney, where we connected with a cousin of Phil's (Becky Ridge), friends from Madison Park (Neil & Patty Inman) and stayed with Elva Sinclair, mother of Valerie Reynolds (she and her husband Charles have stayed in our house for the past three summers while we sailed).
After that whirlwind visit, we flew to Tasmania, where we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves touring the island for 10 days. We poked into most of the corners of the island, seeing the rich inner valleys on the east coast where there's lots of agriculture, driving along the north coast which forms the south side of the famous Bass Strait, then down the west side through the mountainous region that houses Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Claire, two of the "must see" destinations. Back to Hobart, where we started, to check out the local scenes and then our last two days were up on the lower east coast at Swansea, which was our base for doing a little hiking in Freycinet national park.
In all, we saw the great variety that the island has in a total square area about the size of Maryland. A lot of the landscape on the north coast reminded us of Lopez Island--with rolling hills (a little taller than Lopez's) and cultivated or grassy fields with sheep. In all it was a great tour, and a nice introduction to the "laid-back" life style of Tassie (as Tasmania is known here). Wonderful fruits and vegetables, great seafood and tasty dairy products. Saw lots of wallabys, unfortunately most of them roadkill. No Tasmanian devils, which we did not make an effort to see in a wildlife park, and none wandered by au naturel.
The biggest challenge was driving. Aussies drive on the left side of the road, like the English. We're been attempting to retrain our reflexes, both as pedestrians and drivers) but it's a slow process. It's surprising how much of car handling you automate--you find out when you try to reverse it. I found it most difficult to navigate curves smoothly, especially inside curves (which here means a curve to the right). Since the Tasmanian roads were also quite narrow and often curvy, but the trucks and tourbuses the same size as usual, this makes driving quite exciting at times. We survived the week without scratching the car, which somewhat amazed us, but are relieved to let go of driving for awhile and use our feet (or ride with the Reynolds while they are with us).
Right now we are lodged in the apartment Charles & Valerie have in Surfer's Paradise (the name of this community), and they are here too. We'll spend a few days together so we can enjoy their company and get oriented to our surroundings. Then they will take off to visit friends and we'll be on our own. At some point we'll venture further north to visit friends who live up by Gimpy (about 2 hours north of Brisbane), but for now, we're happily into kicking back and doing not much of anything.
I'll post again when there's something exciting to share.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Certified Survivor!!
I passed my first post-treatment screening with flying colors. Everything on the CT scan was “unremarkable” which is just what you want to be as a cancer survivor. Today’s physical exam by my radiation oncologist also showed that I am healing well from the effects of the radiation. So I’ve been sent away from radiation oncology to be followed by a gynecologist with a specialty in oncology. Got that? Just part of all the confusing specialties you get to learn about as you make your way through treatment.
Phil’s taking me out to dinner to celebrate. My psyche feels many pounds lighter, I’ll say that for it! On to planning for Australia (we leave on March 2, and will be gone through April 30). I’m really looking forward to the sunshine and warmth, as well as the time to play.
My next treatment venture is to have the infusion port removed on Thursday. That’s the port that was installed in my upper right chest to facilitate my chemo treatments, so they wouldn’t have to mutilate the veins in my arms. It will be nice to have that little bump gone—it has been a sort of constant reminder that I’m not “normal.” After that I can focus on healing my body from the blows it has been dealt. Truly getting back to normal.
I won’t post that often on my health anymore. If you want news, email me directly. I’ll turn the blog into a means for posting our life adventures. So I’ll come up with some new categories to entertain you all, and let the “health” postings fade away.
Thank you for your wonderful support, encouragement, prayers and good wishes. It takes a “village” to sustain you through a journey like this, and you have each been there at just the right time to be part of my village.
Cheers!!
Phil’s taking me out to dinner to celebrate. My psyche feels many pounds lighter, I’ll say that for it! On to planning for Australia (we leave on March 2, and will be gone through April 30). I’m really looking forward to the sunshine and warmth, as well as the time to play.
My next treatment venture is to have the infusion port removed on Thursday. That’s the port that was installed in my upper right chest to facilitate my chemo treatments, so they wouldn’t have to mutilate the veins in my arms. It will be nice to have that little bump gone—it has been a sort of constant reminder that I’m not “normal.” After that I can focus on healing my body from the blows it has been dealt. Truly getting back to normal.
I won’t post that often on my health anymore. If you want news, email me directly. I’ll turn the blog into a means for posting our life adventures. So I’ll come up with some new categories to entertain you all, and let the “health” postings fade away.
Thank you for your wonderful support, encouragement, prayers and good wishes. It takes a “village” to sustain you through a journey like this, and you have each been there at just the right time to be part of my village.
Cheers!!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Holiday changes & New Year Travels
Sorry it’s been so long since I posted. I'm sharing a couple pictures from our New Year's celebration with Joahnna Rivera's family (Guy's fiancee). The first is Joahnna's mother Carmelita (known to most as Millet-accent on the second syllable). The second is Guy and me.
Our Christmas plans for a nice family time in Morro Bay were upended when my stepmother had a stroke the Monday before Christmas. She was in the hospital four days, released on Christmas morning, so we managed to get everyone together at my parents house in Carpinteria for a nice Christmas dinner. The drive back and forth from Morro Bay was over two hours each way, however, so I only got down to see them twice, and the rest of the group just on Christmas day. Needless to say, we had a few anxious days, but she is recovering well, with the primary damage some trouble in retrieving the words she wants. Around the edges, we had a nice family time in Morro Bay, with Phil’s brother Howard joining us, along with Shana (in from North Carolina) and Guy, together with Joahnna and her son Zach. Fun having a teenager around again! (that would be Zach, who is 16)
After Christmas Phil and I drove to Long Beach to visit our friends Ken & Jean Frost, greatly enjoying their charming home on the Naples community canals. Then we drove back up the highway to Santa Clara to celebrate New Year’s with Joahnna’s family. We met lots of aunts and uncles and are working to get names fastened to faces so we can recognize them at the wedding. We have now been inducted into how one extended Filipino family celebrates New Year’s—with lots of family fun.
After three days in Santa Clara, we then spent three days driving home, arriving in Seattle on Sunday January 4. On Monday I turned around and flew back to Santa Barbara in order to participate in some workshops at Fielding Graduate University (where I did my doctorate). They continue to hold workshops that alumni can attend, and I enjoy dipping into that intellectual atmosphere once a year. I’m staying at my parents and going back to Seattle nest Monday, so it’s nice to have a bit more time with them too.
I continue to shed side effects a bit at a time. My appetite and taste buds seem to be back to normal, though I may have to reacquire a taste for red wines, I’m finding. My hair is very gradually beginning to thicken up a little. I reacquired the swelling in my legs that I experienced while on the boat this summer (I think for the same reason—a lack of activity), and am working dutifully to increase my exercise by walking and doing yoga, hoping that that combination will diminish it. That’s my primary issue right now.
I have my first followup CT scan scheduled for January 26th, with a debriefing by my radiation oncologist on February 3. That’s the date I’m looking to to be certified to celebrate. So hang on with me as I patiently wait to get there.
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