Rowing our waka through rough seas- Grahame’s cancer challenge 2019

D - -24 - Xmas day MERRY XMAS everybody. Hope you had a fabulous day with family and friends Marjel was sorely missed  today by us all. Brendan due tomorrow - whoopee - family back as one for a short period. Short and sweet Missive  today. Woke early Breakfast of salmon, Philadelphia cheese and bagels .  Few gifts to spoil us all and then a lazy lunch by the swimming pool at Brother Pey. Quiet night back at Domain lodge building a trimaran out of LEGO We missed our Xmas lunch at Wobble Inn but seems Prop and Rina , Renene ‘s parents did Wobble In Xmas lunch justice with our amazing neighbours . Thank you to the Frear family for spoiling us with an amazing crayfish to adorn the table back home . I was promised they have kept me some Neighbours ensuring a festive Xmas for Prop and Rina at Wobble Inn Crayfish centre stage for Wobble Inn Xmas lunch. Prop and Rina enjoyed on our behalf in our abscence Here with the changing face of Grahame Jelley on X...

D - 23 - Xmas eve On the night before Xmas it is time to remember all those we love or have loved and to be thankful for all the experiences we have shared with those people far and wide. It is a time to remember the “ reason for the season” and celebrate the birth of Christ. I pray that your individual God looks over you all and keeps you safe and healthy. We have a break from the radiation tomorrow but back into it on Boxing Day. Auckland War Museum lit up for Xmas Courtney and Lewis escorted me down to the radiation today and we made the staff happy and laugh with the continual change in my headgear when I arrive . We are going to have to look for some more ideas as the days progress. Friends Klaus and Minette visited today and brought me a new bad hair day hat to add to the collection. Minette calls this my Dr. Do-Little hat. So good to see them as they passed through Auckland  We also had a visit from ex Zimbabwean Holly Wiles and her two young children...

D - 22 - Xmas round the corner Renene has manufactured a wonderful Christmas tree from a branch of Totara we found on one of our walks , butterflies we have kept from Marjel’s collection and  fairy lights we were spoiled with by Renene”s  old nursing days colleague Viv. Isn’t she just the artist. Brings further cheer and happiness to our home away from home . We went up to local hospital lab for our postponed blood test and the lab had gone to amazing effort creating various Xmas decorations out of everyday lab items . Further evidence of artists thinking outside the square. Radiotherapy late today . Still machine 6 but a different team but managed to get a bit of laugh out of them when came out dressing room as a “unicorn”. Renene managed to persuade them to allow her into the machine room after my treatment so here goes some photos of the “Beast that burns” The green laser lines me up with the tattooed on anterior chest and each lateral chest ...

D 21 - family, friends and a unicorn Rest day Sunday but still full of fun and fellowship. We shared a traditional morning breakfast of bacon and eggs with Courtney and Lewis so still eating okay despite increasing swallowing discomfort . Then we went out into the Domain and joined Renene’s extended Whanau/family for a picnic on the grass. So nice to be able to lie in the sun and talk and reminisce with family. Renene Uncle and Aunt Jan and Jules, Courtney and Lewis, second cousin Chantelle and fiancé Shaun Whilst lounging around we were visited by a friendly neighbourhood “ unicorn” which provided a few laughs and lighter moments. Spot the “unicorn” or two!! The second cousins plus Paul and Karen Geldenhuys the went off on a Geo-cache exploration and came back all excited after finding a number of local sites around the Museum and Domain. Good bonding for the younger ones who really hardly know each other . Note Lewis excitement in finding two “Geo-cac...

D 20 - Yabba Dabba Doo -  Shared experiences and missed opportunities Yabba Dabba Doo Courtney and Lewis arrived last night to spend Xmas with us before returning to Lewis family in Oamaru for New Year. We went walk about on Auckland Viaduct Harbour today and experienced  some of its offerings . Whilst Renene , Courtney and Lewis caught some sun and Vitamin D therapy, at miniscule radiation doses compared to my daily dose, I wandered the waters edge dreaming . The missed opportunity - so whilst wandering and dreaming I was standing just outside the fence of Emirates New Zealand compound admiring the crane and all the support craft that are outside the shed when a car parked on the other side of the fence . Out climbed Peter Burling.!!! What an opportunity! But  bugger “ Stage fright” and concern my voice might let me down meant I hesitated and missed the opportunity to hail out to him and engage him in a conversation about what it was like to put Te Aihe, the...