2 Years To The Day ......

I can`t believe it`s 2 years since i had a trip to Australia . The time seems to have flown by so quickly !
My partner and i arrived on the 3rd November in Sydney , and we had 2 wonderful days , until we travelled down on the 5th nov , to see my sister , near Dapto . It had been 4 years since i last saw her , here in the UK . So it was a vey emotional reunion to say the least . To see her newly built home and surroundings , and her 2 children , who have grown up too fast !

Just a few of my favourite photos , as we took 300 of them !


The infamous Sydney Opera House ....

Looking down on Sydney , from the tower ...... i did not take this one , as i am afraid of heights !!

Travelling around The Blue Mountains , at Katoomba , Echo Point , and The Three Sisters .......

Upon walking around to the waterfall , tucked behind it , virtually hidden in the trees , we saw a house there ! What a view they must have had !! I loved it so much there , when we got back , i looked at properties to buy . And guess what ! ? The house that we saw , was for sale ...... With over a MILLION price tag !!

Some of the many 1920`s / 30`s homes at the seafront looking onto Bondi Beach ........

Gothic building at Melbourne ........

Below is a photo of my younger sister , me and the kids ...... I`m on the right in case you were wondering Tammy !!

This was one of the last photos i took before we had to say the inevitable " goodbye " for who knows how long we`ll see each other again ......

I have done this post as a tribute for my sister ..... why , you may ask ?

Because , no she hasn`t died , but because she was diagnosed with cervical cancer at only 38 .

May 17th this year , is a date that is etched on my mind .... I was standing at the bus stop , and got a text from her saying ... bad news i have cancer ....... My world fell apart , and i stood there crying .............. That day was a daze , and since then it has been a constant worry that she will have successful treatment for it . On June 20th , she had to have a radical hysterectomy , including lymph nodes removed , as it may have spread there too . Because i`m so far away to see her in person , and give emotional support ..... i have some guilt at not being there for her . Even though my parents now have emigrated there as well , i felt "alone " . I can`t even begin to imagine what she has been through , although we talk on the telephone , it`s not the same as seeing them in the flesh ....

What makes me even more angry is the way it came about ....... Over in Australia , they have smears at 2 yearly intervals , unlike here , ours is 3 yearly . The cancer that my sister got was cin stage 3 , which takes 5 to 7 years to develop . So how can someone miss this ???

Someone has done a serious mistake out there , and my sister is paying the price .....

Then last week , another text came from her , they have found something on her liver now ........ Blood tests have been done so far ..... if anything shows on those , like a tumour , she has to have an MRI scan , then they decide on what to do at a later date . I`m not sure what the future holds for our family , but i hope that things will improve and that my sister will have her health back , she deserves it .

So please , all you women out there , get a smear done ! Forget about the embarrassment factor , it could save your life !!

This is a last photo , which i have embedded on my mind , after i said goodbye .......

Alot of my time and energy is going on her , thinking ... alot of that is being done , and hoping that she`s strong enough to take this on and to come through the other side - happy and healthy ..... that is all i wish for .....

My focus on creating things is clouded at this time , and i lack motivation to do so many things that i have ideas for . As i have found that creating is an emotional form of expressive release for me and i can`t seem to grasp it with both hands and get on with it ......

I will get it back ... But i`m not sure how long it will take me .... I will still be doing things , but i need to give 100% to a project i`m on with , and i am myself`s own worst critic !! So i hope you will come back , and thank -you for reading this post of mine !