THE WHITE ALBUM CONCERT

As a Beatles fan I get a little particular about cover versions. A few years ago I went to the Opera House to see a bunch of musos play Abbey Road and Sgt Peppers. Against my better judgement, I absolutely loved it! You can read about it here.

The White Album tour came first, I think, and this is the third time it has been toured, so I had to go. And when it came to Newcastle, even better. No one was interested, and that doesn't stop me anymore, so I got a ticket for one.

The backing orchestra featured many musos from the other concert, including string and brass sections. The singers were Tim Rogers, Phil Jamieson, Chris Cheney and Josh Pyke. I was super impressed.

So The White Album...again, another set of music The Beatles never toured, again experimental, and also the album marking the beginning of the end. The White Album does divide, it is a mix of amazing and experimental and I love it to pieces. I rotate between The White Album and Abbey Road as my faves, but honestly I just love everything they did.

I should have not been concerned, Chris Cheney totally owned the opening track, Back in the USSR and the show just soared from there!

The show was seamless, with the material divided up mostly by style, Cheney taking most of the rock, Pyke, the ballads, and Tim and Phil the quirkier stuff. They sang solo, or as a group etc. It just worked so very well. The backing band were something else, remarkable stuff indeed.

I am not a huge fan of The Living End, but Cheney owned the rockier material on the album, including an amazing rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps. And then an absolute kick arse version of Helter Skelter as highlights.

Same goes for Grinspoon, not that much of a fan, but I do have a huge crush on Phil Jamieson. Phil got a lot of the quirkier songs and that totally suited his style. He hammed it up, dancing and being silly, often with Tim Rogers and he had me in the palm of his hand. I loved him doing Sexy Sadie.

Josh Pyke, who I quite like, landed the more gentle songs, his version of Julia was beautiful.

Tim Rogers, who I love so very much, was brilliant. He hammed it up, especially to Piggies and Happiness is a Warm Gun, adding in a reworked John Lennon cockney crack every now and then. "Rattle your light rail tickets" got a lot of laughs. And also did a superb version of Revolution 1.

They played every song exactly as it was meant to be played, with songs played in album order, down to every odd sound and whistle.

And the audience - and myself - loved every single minute of it.

The variety of musical style, the genius of their collective writing, the excitement of hearing the songs, evoked The Beatles for every second they were on stage.

My highlights were Ob La Di, Ob La Da, Blackbird, and Revolution 1.

After the final song, Good night, they left the stage but we all wanted more.

And the four came out with guitars and did a trio of lovely acoustic songs, Two of Us, Across the Universe, The Ballad of John and Yoko.

This was simply outstanding and quite frankly jaw dropping unexpectedness, you wanted them to jam all night. These were their versions of the songs, and respectful and brilliant.

The orchestra then rejoined them, and they did a stunning version of All Things Must Pass, followed by a rock the joint version of Revolution.

I could have watched these guys all night. It was a really big deal that this worked for me.

If the whole world could watch this just once, there would be world peace I am certain. I felt so good and refreshed and happy and wonderful at the end of this concert. Good music will always be good music if played as it is meant to and played well.

Bless John, Paul, George, and Ringo for creating musical history and perfection.

Bless Chris, Phil, Josh, and Tim for recreating it!

JUNE ROUND UP

June was fairly quiet, still recovering from radiation treatment which finished up the week after the Queen's Birthday weekend. Things were fairly laid back and I did spend the middle part of the month in a huge amount of pain. But by the end of the month, I was starting to heal properly.

In the midst of the pain, I did head out to Lizottes with Vince to see Martini Lounge. I had gotten the tickets earlier and not thought about how I would be feeling, but I dressed up and tried to put the pain behind me and had a good night. The show itself was great, but not exactly what we had in mind. It was a mix of jazz and blues with some Burlesque thrown in. We wanted more lounge music, of which there was none, and I thought - while tastefully done - there was a little bit too much Burlesque. 

Mum and Dad took me to lunch at The Gunyah at Belmont for an amazing Seafood lunch, highly recommend.

Friends came to visit, I attended our bookclub, and we celebrated Mum's Birthday.

On a good day, I headed into the beach for lunch and some sunshine.

I also headed to the cinema to see Jurassic Park and Oceans 8. I saw Jurassic Park solo, and just loved it. OTT, big Dinosaurs, a little Jeff Goldblum, what more do you want! I saw Oceans 8 with Belinda, and we had a blast. This was sheer fun, The Met, jewells, amazing costumes, and a great cast!

There was the usual soccer and markets when I felt up to it!

I read and watched a lot!

And took a few pics.

FIVE MONTHS LATER

Almost five months ago, on Tuesday 20 February I had a Breast checkup that found a lump and that lump, little as it was, was cancerous.

I had Cancer!!!

And then I didn't!!!

I was lucky, and I will never forget how lucky I was.

It was a quick turn around, exactly a month to that date, 20 March, I found out all was a-ok. The cancer was gone, the 2cm zone around it was cancer free and also gone and the lymph taken was also cancer free.

I cannot begin to tell you the relief, all I had to do was rest and let my wounds heal.

And so I did, it wasn't an easy time for me, but really it wasn't that bad...all things considered.

This is where things got a little murky, it all happened so quickly, it left my mind in a spin. I felt too lucky, like maybe I should have suffered more or something.

It's difficult to explain, my mind was still stuck in 'oh my god I have cancer mode', and I had all the feels - sad, cranky, confused etc - but I actually didn't have cancer anymore. Trust me, I was extremely happy about this, but my emotional being just hadn't caught up. But how could it?

That is a lot to take on regardless of how well it turned out.

But I felt churlish so feeling bad when, I was actually ok.

It took a lot of time to sort out those feelings, and I realised - with the help of my amazing therapist - that I just have to go with those feelings and not fight them, if I was sad - be sad, cranky - be cranky. Yes, I might not have cancer anymore, but I needed to catch up and just embrace what was going on. The more I tried to fight these  - to me, silly feelings - the worse I was going to be.

And so I did.

The day I went back to work I found out I would need radiation. I was almost pleased in a way - yeah, I know how it sounds - because it would possibly make things feel real. Be careful what you wish for, as they say...not that I wished for this...no, not at all.

I felt like this period in between operation and radiation was like treading water, again, I felt resistance. Again, I realised I had to go with what was going on. It was an extremely difficult time mentally. Trying to be on at work, and not think too much about the path ahead. Also knowing that physically I was almost mended and the radiation would pretty much undo all of that.

Once the radiation started, I juggled work and treatment - many do - and it worked ok. I was feeling great, it seemed like a walk in the park and I had caught up mentally. I was nearly there.

By the third week of treatment I started to really tire. So I finished up work, and things really started to unravel. I knew all the side effects etc etc but things had been going so well, I guess it didn't really sink in.

By the end of week four, I was a mess physically. My skin has completely broken down, it hurt, it weeped, it sometimes bled. I had to learn how to dress the wounds. They were around my breast, and mostly under my arm. It was not pretty. As week 5 hit, showering and dressing the wounds was beyond painful. This was the worst pain I had felt in my life. I cried through every shower and dressing. And each day my poor skin got worse and worse.

I thought to myself, how do people with actual burns from fire cope with their pain. They must be beside themselves. Obviously they get strong pain killers, but still. So the whole 'it could be worse', was what kept me going. But I also allowed myself to be sorry for myself. Because this also helped me. It was ok to cry, and scream, and swear. It was ok to just sit and do nothing because being physically still didn't hurt. It was ok to get cranky and then wail, wondering if any man would ever want to look at me naked again.

But then, I started to heal. The body is an amazing thing. It took a while, much longer than I realised or I wanted. But again, this was a ride I just had to take, I couldn't fight it, I just had to be. Listen to my body and take stock.

I have no wounds, everything is healed. There are two scars from the operation, both fading slowly. The skin where the burns were are a myriad of colours, from pasty white and new, to browny, to pink and a few little scars. Again, they will all fade in time. And you know, if they do not, that is ok too. 

Better than being dead.

And that is what cancer does - even a teeny one like mine, it makes you face death. And that is fucking scary. I cannot begin to tell you the thoughts I have had, the places I have gone to, even now it is gone. 

More so, now it is gone. Cause there will always be that thing at the back of my head...will it come back, there or elsewhere. You hear these stories so many times, I guess I know at some point it probably will.

But I just try not to think about that...too much. Otherwise I would never get out of bed each day. It would be too much.

It is too much. 

I spoke to my GP last week, what else can I do to keep tabs on things. Nothing, she said, you are doing everything you can already. The radiation has placed me back on a level playing field with everyone else. I know that should make me feel positive and happy - and it does. But it cannot remove that fear. Nothing ever will. I just need to trust my body and hope I remain lucky for a little while longer.

Most days I do not even think about it, I have gotten really really good at decompartmentalising. 

But sometimes I do...and maybe that is not a bad thing.

It makes me want to be the best me, live the best life for me, do what I want, be who I want to be.

I have had so much time to think while I have been recuperating. This period has been 7 weeks! 

I have learnt to listen to my gut and my body and my emotions, and just not fight them. 

I have learnt to be still and just be.

I have learnt to let go.

I have learnt to slow down.

I have learnt to say no.

I have learnt to be better at being in the moment, processing what is happening around me and giving my all to what is happening.

I have sort of lost my ability to multi task, and I hope that stays that way.

I have learnt that it is ok when everything is crazy and pumping around you, not to get caught up in that and just keep going to the beat of your own drum, no matter how slow that may feel.

I have learnt I am far stronger than I ever thought I was.

And yet, far more fragile than I ever thought I was.

And that I can be strong AND fragile simultaneously.

I cry more than I ever did ...which is kinda funny, cause I was a bit of a crier anyway.

And I laugh and smile more than I ever did, cause the little things just amuse me.

But all of these things - and probably more - are minor. I think you will find me much the same that you always did. I like me, I don't need to outwardly change too much. But inwardly I needed to make some huge changes. 

Mostly I just needed to be kinder to myself. I am my own worst critic, I think we all are to ourselves. And we just shouldn't. I try to do too much to prove my worth...to whom...people who don't even fucking get it or appreciate or even thank me. The people who truly love and appreciate me don't need me to prove anything. They love me anyway. And this past five months has really shown me who these people are and how very much I am loved.

I cannot thank you all enough - and you know who you are - for the love, the messages, the phone calls, the texts, the visits, the flowers, the presents, and just being there, listening to me or telling me things to help me escape mentally. The love was real and unexpected - which sounds weird, cause you know you are loved, but the outpouring was overwhelmingly magnificent.

And I am certain it helped me get through this.

I head back to work tomorrow, a little anxious, I haven't been there for 7 weeks. I will still be a little tired, how much have I forgotten, can I catch up? Well, I guess I will try and keep my zen and slowly work my way back. 

My life gets to resume again, I get to do stuff, go to work, go out, and try to return to normal, whatever that was, cause normal feels like it has shifted somewhat. And I am not quite sure what that - normal - will feel like.

Life will be much the same I do think, but with a learning curve of trying to keep my zen, add back in the good components, remove the bad, and keep balanced with a lot of still and just being.

I don't think I have turned into one of 'those people', OMG, this has completely changed my life. But you cannot go through what I have without feeling a shift of sorts, and really that can only be a good thing.

Today was my last day of the experience, although I guess I will keep mending for a while longer. I headed out for an appointment and then went to the beach for lunch.

And something amazing happened, that helped me close off this experience, the cancer period, the journey, whatever.

When I first found out I had cancer, early that week I had the most extraordinary dream. 

Yeah, I know...but please bare with me!!!

It was late at night and I was swimming at Merewether Baths. I often swim at night there, but not by myself and not that late. Also Merewether Baths is where I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, my grandmother who died too young of cancer, and my grandfather, Pop, who also died of cancer, but at the ripe age of 80. This is my touchstone to them, going there for a swim. 

So in this dream I felt Pop's presence. I was right near the ocean part of the baths, where there are rockpools etc, but in my dream, something caught my eye, and it was a pod of whales. Their heads bobbing above the water, just looking at me with their large eyes. At first I felt scared, but I could feel they meant me no harm. So I got out of the water and stood on the little boardwalk between us and watched. These were regular hump backs, but then a huge Killer Whale lept out the water, looked me in the eye and gave that kinda creepy smile that Orcas have and the disappeared.

I woke up feeling freaked out and yet strangely comforted.

And that dream has remained as real to me ever since.

It took me a whole day to look up the meaning.

So whales in dreams represent a big change in your life, strength and spirituality, and signify everything is and will be ok. And Orcas in dreams mean family, longevity, romance, harmony, travel, community, and protection, and bringing you home when the time comes.

I've kept that dream with me throughout this experience.

And every time I have headed to the beach - which has been a lot - I have been chasing these whales, but not seen a single one!

Today, I pulled up at Nobbys, parked a little way away. As soon as I got out the car I saw a whale breach, and stood there for a long time just watching a huge pod frolic and breach and stick their tales out. They were too far away to capture on film, but good enough to see. Two outside of the pack, and a small pack or pod following. I cried like a baby.

My experience had come full circle, they had delivered me home safe.

And I was ready to embrace full life again. 

JUNE REVIEWS

What I've Been Reading

Saga Land by Richard Fidler and Kari Gislason - I listened to this on talking book - read by the authors - and really enjoyed it. It is a mix of the history of saga stories from Iceland and the authors explorations there to find out more about the sagas and the family history of Icelander Kari. It is interesting, gripping, funny, and loads of great history, including the compelling and fascinating side story of Bobby Fischer and a chess tournament in Iceland.

Calypso by David Sedaris - I was very lucky to have received the latest Sedaris from a good friend in publishing months before it was published and I dare say it is his best book yet! Such a thrill to be reading something not many others had read, and because it was great anyway. As he ages he just gets better and better, this is a mix of the usual family stories, some from his younger years but most from recent times holidaying with family at their holiday home. He delves into middle aged life, getting older, family and the deaths of his sister and mother. As always he treads the line between funny and emotional and he can pack a punch when you least expect it. Prior to this I had read his entire back catalogue in order and it was wondrous to take in his evolution over the years. Extraordinary stuff. If you want to laugh out loud, here is one of the very few authors that will make you do that!

A Forger's Tale by Shaun Greenhalgh- I was a little disappointed with this one, an autobiography of an art forger...written from jail. Certainly an interesting story, but I wanted to know more about what happened and I think it would have been written with more clarity by someone else. 

The Museum of Lost Art by Noah Charney- Now this one was great, a book about the world's lost art. From theft to Nazi looting to fire to flooding and so forth. If all of these were found and put into a museum, my goodness it would be something else. I have a bit of an obsession with reading about stolen art - it fascinates me to think something amazing could be hidden in someone's attic. Surely art is for all to see. This tells the stories behind each piece and I whipped through the book and it left me wanting more. A must read.

Insomniac City by Bill Hayes - Bill Hayes is a photographer and beautiful writer. He leaves the west coast for the east coast - specifically New York City - when his partner dies of Aids. Once settled in NY, he meets an ageing Oliver Sacks and they become lovers. But that is just the background of this stunning book. Part memoir, part travelogue, part meditation, I cannot begin to say what an impact this book had on me. Bill moves through his life with grace and ease, an insomniac, he uses the beat of the city to stay still, investigate what is around, wander the streets, take pics of everyday people, and sucks it all in. A must read book.

Walk Through Walls - Marina Abramovich - I've been reading this for ages, it was a rough start, mostly as Marina's childhood was rough. But once I waded through that - and her childhood gave her the strength to carry out her art through her life - it just was the most amazing read. I have always been very drawn to Marina, there is something magnetic about her. Whilst I truly do not understand some of her art, I appreciate her meditative state. It details her volcanic love affair with Ulay, and all of her art and pieces. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it certainly gave me some real insight into the woman behind the enigma.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann - I loved the premise of this book, the author decides to follow the steps of British explorer, Fawcett, who disappeared looking for a supposed city in the jungles of Brazil, to see if he could find traces of Fawcett and the city. I really wanted to love this book, and I did enjoy it, parts of it. I wanted more of Grann and his amateur exploration and less of the back story. Obviously you need to know the back story to gain understanding of what Grann does, but it needed better balance.

Too Much ROck 'n' Roll: a life in music - Mark Tinson - great read about the life of local muso, Tinson, excellent stories and heaps of hints and tips to make it in the industry. Highly Recommend.

200 Women: who will change the way you see the world -  this was a huge coffee table style book with short interviews with 200 amazing women from around the world. Lovely photography, and great insight from great minds. Many of Australians included, including my lovely friend, Anita Heiss. This is one we all should read!

How Much The Heart Can Hold: Seven Stories On Love - Seven short stories about love. All incredibly different, all very well written, all enchanting and sexy and romantic and beautiful and sad.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - a classic children's story I have never read, and with the movie coming out I thought I should. I really enjoyed it but was a little disappointed, because I think I had read so much about it that my expectations were too high. A classic kids out on their own adventure, trying to locate their Dad, who is missing in action.

What I've Been Watching

Blue - hugely important doco on pollution and the oceans, and how things like plastic are effecting marine life. Devastating stuff, a must see for everyone who cares about the planet we live on.

I Am Not Your Negro -  based on the unfinished manuscript by James Baldwin, about his three close friends, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jnr, and Medgar Evers and race in America. The doco takes up where James left off and continues the story. Awful and sad, and yet at once uplifting. We have come a long way, but still have miles to go.

Richard Prior Doco  - can't think of the title of this, but it was really good, loads of footage, the good, the bad, and the ugly, the really ugly. Prior was certainly a genius and also severely disturbed.

Elvis Presley: the searcher - Great doco about The King, loads of previously unseen footage, covered the little known things, loads of music, and just made me smile.

Rock and Roll Guns For Hire: the story of the sidemen doco - great doco about the sidemen in bands. Earl Slick for Bowie, Wendy and Lisa for Prince, and so forth. The musos who often tour with big bands, and whilst not part of the band, they kinda are. Fascinating and some great music.

Ferrari: race to mortality -doco on the beginnings of Ferrari in F1 racing. Incredible early footage, scary and heart wrenching stuff.

Arthur Miller: Writer - great doco on the writer Arthur Miller. About his work, life, loves. Quite sad in parts, especially the Marilyn section.

The Child in Time - based on the Ian McEwan book, this is a heart breaking story of a lost child. Benedict Cumberbatch and Kelly MacDonald are great as the grieving parents.

Suburnicon - Julianne Moore and Matt Damon star in this black comedy from George Clooney, about a family in 50s suburbia who are not as they seem. I really wanted to love this film, but found it fell flat.

The Promise -  bit of a dreary love triangle between Christian Bale, Oscar Isaac, and Charlotte Le Bon during the Ottomon Empire.

Mother - Javier Bardem and Jennifer Lawrence are a couple with an extraordinary house, isolated in the country. A strange man, Ed Harris, and eventually his family arrive and create havoc and things great really strange. I mean REALLY strange. Based on the bible and the creation of Eve etc, this is part clever, and part frustrating.

My Cousin Rachel - this is another odd film, Rachel (Rachel Weisz) is the wife of the main character's (Philip) cousin. But his cousin believes his wife is trying to kill him, when he does die, Philip wants revenge, but that does not exactly work out. Weisz is beguiling as always, but something just doesn't work in this film.

Belle De Jour - fabulous French film from 1967 starring Catherine Deneuve as Belle, an uptight housewife who finds pleasure as a call girl.

Terms of Endearment - how lovely it is to revisit favourite films, especially a classic such as this. Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson are at the top of their game in this family drama. While the tears and tissue useage are high in this one, the laughs and the feel goodness balances things out. Just watching the interaction between those gorgeous leads is worth admission alone. This film has not dated in the slightest, deserved of all those Oscars, and totally worth the heartache in the later part of the film.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High - this stoner film is a little bit fun, and a little but silly, but def worth it to watch actors like Sean Penn and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and many others, before they became famous.

The Room - notorious for being one of the worst films made...it is! But kinda funny, about a very odd man and his girlfriend and her affairs!!

Apple Tree Yard - whole this is nowhere as wholesome as the title would suggest. A 4 episode thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. Emily Watson - always brilliant - is a Scientist, top of her game, and a lovely family. She meets a mysterious man, Ben Chaplin, and falls into a torrid affair with him. And her entire life starts to unravel when a man turns up dead and she is arrested for his murder. Did she do it? And if not, who did? Wonderful stuff!

Just One Look  - French mini series, a woman finds an old photo with what looks like her husband, when he was younger in it. She shows him and he says it is not him, the next day he goes missing. Was that him in the photo, why did he say it wasn't him, where did the photo come from, and where is her husband? Many questions to be answered, a great little thriller. I have to be honest I found the ending a little soap operay, but the rest of it was pretty good.

This Is Us S2 - oh boy, this series kills me. I love it so. We find out what happened to the Dad, and it couldn't have been more upsetting. The family moves forward and backwards in life, everything about them is all about their father and his absence. Milo Ventimiglia is without a doubt the shining star of this show. But really the entire cast is amazing, the levels and layers, and the utter realness of it all. One of the best family dramas I have ever seen.

The Durrells S2 - Gerard Durrell's stories of his idyllic childhood on the island of Corfu, this series is just a sheer delight. Mrs Durrell, the wonderful Keeley Hawes, drags her four children from dreary old London to Shining Corfu. They have minimal funds and rent a ramshackle old house and the children run free and find themselves, after the sadness of their father dying. It is funny, and delightful, and you just want to pack up and join them.

Westworld S2 - I often wonder why I watch this, but for every annoyance, there is something that drags me back in. Multiple time lines (more than 20 apparently) make it extraordinarily difficult to work out what is going on, but I guess it's the thrill of trying to work it out. There are not many likeable characters which makes it even more annoying, and yet I persist!

Delicious S2 - picks up where series 2 left off. Dawn French and Emilia Fox are running the hotel and all is going well...until it isn't. It would appear the deceased Iain Glenn still has some surprises to rock their world. The food and surrounds are part of what makes this cute little series rock, plus Dawn French, always a delight!

Arrow S1  Superhero show about a masked arrowman who is determined to save his city from evil, after being lost on an island for 6 years. 

Versace - This is not really about Versace at all, but his murderer, Andrew Cunanan (the amazing Darren Criss). And oh my lordie, what a wild ride it is. This young guy is a psychopath at the highest level, the killing spree he goes on before even getting to Miami and Versace is something else. I did not know this true story and I am completely hooked, what an utterly devious man.

Once Upon a Time S6 - ok this is getting close to jumping the shark, it is getting too repetitive. One more season to go and we will see if all the fairy tale characters get their happy ending...or not...

Genius 2: Picasso - Antonio Banderas was born to play Picasso, literally born in the same town. He is astonishingly good, almost back to his Almodovar days, in this. I love Picasso - which is not a popular thing - well, I love his art. This series made it difficult to love the man, as much as I knew about his dalliances anyway, and that is a whole other story. I did find the movement around timelines a little frustrating, but ultimately the art and the man behind it are fascinating.

Mystery Road - easily one of the best Australian dramas I have seen in ages. Aaron Pedersen is called into a country town to help investigate the disappearance of a young boy. Judy Davis is stunning as the local cop. Seriously, she needs to be on film more, what a great performance. An outstanding cast including Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair, Colin Friels, Tasma Walton, Ernie Dingo, John Waters...only 6 episodes, it left me wanting more.

What I've Been Listening To

Podcasts - the usual - Conversations with Richard Fidler and Chats 10, Looks 3.

ELO - love my ELO, been listening to them a lot

Martha Wainwright - going through her back catalogue, of which I own all - all signed by the lady herself too! Her voice is just stunning, everything she does, in French or English is perfect.

70s Radio - I love my 70s radio, and I always have it on in the background at home.

APRIL/MAY ROUND UP

April commenced with my last week of sick leave before returning to work after my Breast Cancer operation. If you want to find out more about that, you can read about it here.

And of course Easter, which was fairly quiet, but a lovely time spent with family.

The Newcastle Writers Festival never fails to disappoint and this year was no different, have a read here about my adventures in literature.

I commenced my first day back at work with a visit to The Mater to chat with an oncologist about my radiation therapy. Heading back to work was very pleasant with my lovely team leaving everything beautifully for me.

I long lunched at Awaba House with Belinda, had a great family BBQ for Karen's birthday, tried out the new Burger joint at Swansea Pub with Cathy and Ed, lunched with Jayne at The Exchange after a little spend at the record fair.

Also had an early Mothers Day extravaganza for Mum, loads of soccer with my nephew and niece, and the usual markets.

I went back to work on reduced hours after my Breast Cancer surgery, and things were busy busy busy, with a new computer system looming, much training, Library and Information Week, Social Media for Seniors sessions, National Simultaneous Storytime sessions, and Biggest Morning Tea. I was also trying to finish projects and keep things up to date and planning forward to when I would need more time off.

I commenced radiation therapy on the second week of May and left work a little early every day for the first three weeks, for the most part those three weeks were ok, a few minor dramas, and fatigue setting in. However, at the end of week three I started to be really tired and finished up work. Thank goodness, for plenty of sick leave and a very kind and considerate work place.

I did have a lovely lunch in Newcastle the day I commenced radiation, cause you just have to!

Other highlights of April and May were Pint of Science - my last visit to the now gone The Edwards, what a tragedy! I finally saw Kate Miller-Heidke, and JPY at Toronto Hotel.

And my highlight was a lovely weekend in Sydney with my bestie, Cathy. We walked in the sun, soaked up Circular Quay and surrounds, ate very well, visited the MCA, did a little shopping, and saw Belle and Sebastian at the Opera House. 

If there is one thing I have learnt over the past 4 or so months, it is Life is for Living!
(Actually I have learnt much more, but that might be another post for another day!)
Of course, here are my reviews for that period.

And the usual pics...