Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Accentuating the Positive

With the Russian madman causing mayhem in the world, I am really trying to maintain a positive outlook.

The war news is dominating and it’s difficult to avoid. But am very aware of how my mental health can affect my physical health, so I am attempting (and so far succeeding) to limit my news watching/viewing. I look at just enough to get a very superficial overview but even that is more than I want. I feel so sad for all the people affected by this megalomaniac!

Accentuating the Positive
Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Chemo is Doing its Thing

Time flies by, even the chemo treatments. Yesterday was #5 of the planned 6. The results of my blood tests continue to be good. The cancer marker went from 301 to 187 this week. But not low enough to move on to the next stage. Dr. McCleave said they want to see it at around 30 which is quite a long way yet.

Chemo is Doing its Thing
Susan Colby
There’s Hot, and Then There’s HOT

When I came back to South Africa in 2019, I naturally gravitated to where I was born and grew up. And actually ended up in the what we used to call the village of Kloof. (It’s no longer a village!) Kloof is about 18 miles/29km from Durban and just on 1600ft/500km above sea level, giving the area a more moderate climate than Durban, usually being a good 10F less which was the case when I took Rodney to the park this afternoon. Plus less humid.

There’s Hot, and Then There’s HOT
Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Chemo #4 Done, 2 to Go

The fourth treatment went as planned. Mick came with me so he was able to meet my doctor. It’s always good to have another set of ears in a consultation but this one was very straightforward because everything is going so well.

Chemo #4 Done, 2 to Go
South Africa
Susan Colby
A Massive Immune Booster

November 16 last year is the fateful day I got the definitive news that changed my life.

By then I ‘d been in hospital for 8 days going through tests and everything else that goes along with a cancer diagnosis. I’d just had laparoscopic surgery for a biopsy and the GYN/surgeon came to visit me after I had very gently been given the diagnosis. He’s a lovely man and from reading his bio, a pretty religious one as well. He said to me as he sat at my bedside, “Have you considered end of life?”

A Massive Immune Booster

olive oil

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Tauranga Farmers Market

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What's on I LOVE Farmers Markets and love to visit them wherever I am. It's a great way to get a feel of  'local' and they give me a real sense of 'place.' Most areas have markets - some areas of the world there are so many that they have them just about every day of the week. Visiting a market is one of the easiest and least expensive way to enjoy the local area without breaking the bank. Everyone has to eat, so why not do your shopping at your local market and make it an adventure! Here in New Zealand, the Tauranga Farmer's Market is every Saturday, all year and is held on the local primary school grounds. What a wonderful market it is! A real community affair with farmers and vendors coming from all over the Bay of Plenty area. And they don't call it Bay of Plenty for nothing. This area is so fertile, just about everything grows. And the market has a very good representation of the abundance in this area.

Naturally, I was keeping my eyes open for story ideas and local presents to take back with me. There was so much there, I was almost overwhelmed!

For instance, Macadamia Liqueur, anyone?  This stuff is absolutely heavenly! Smooth and silky, slips down very easily. The plus for me was they have the little mini bottles so I can take a couple with me. The market is full of the traditional market ware - seasonal vegetables, flowers, plants, cheeses, local and organic meats, prepared food stands with amazing baked goods. And there was a great food demo going on presented by Peter Blakeway, a well-known New Zealand cookbook author who prepared some wonderful-looking scallops! Everything he used in the recipes was available at the market, that day.

Then there was all the tasting to do! Delicious Kiwi cider, as good as any I have had anywhere! Lots of fruit wines and wonderful cheeses. We even tasted local olive oils, pressed by a local farmer who uses biodynamic farming methods.

 

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Tauranga Farmers Market Primary School Arundel Street Trixie Allen, Market Manager 07 5525278

Harbourside Macadamias  402 Matahui Road Katikati New Zealand Phone : +64 7 552 0718 Fax : +64 7 552 0718 Mobile : +64 27 552 0718 Email:   info@harboursidemacadamias.com

Ocider 50 Oikimoke Road, Te Puna Tauranga New Zealand Phone: 07 552 4558 Email: info@ocider.co.nz

Katikati Frantoio Limited Bert van Heuckelum 117 Lindemann Road RD1 Katikati, 3177 New Zealand Phone 07 549 1467 Email:info@olive-oils.co.nz

Peter Blakeway 027 571 2518 Email:peter@peterblakeway.com