Hello to all my family, friends, and contacts.
I have been cleared of Cancer as of my first post-Trial appointment on March 4th 2024. That is nearly four years after being diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer. It has been a long journey, but an interesting and educational one during which I met many simply amazing people who did all the scnas, bloodwork, and two major operations. The first by Orthopod Dr, Willem Du Toit, to replace my left shoulder and upper arm as well as a Craniotomy by Neurologist, Dr. Du Plessis, both at Panorama Hospital during Covid. This was followed by 2 years at the Oncology Trials Unit led by Doctor Corlea Coetzee and Wilna, who is her amazing Administrator and Medical Technician, as well as all the other 14 staff who took me on this journey. They are all simply amazing, and wonderful Afrikaans speaking people. It was never that I did not want to go for all the scans and infusions as they were so incredible to be with each time.
I have been working out two or three days a week in the gym, and am rebuilding my strength. That is going very well indeed. I also walk 3km plus every day, apart from trudging up the hill to my vegetable garden every morning to water each plant to make sure that they are all healthy. They are providing occasional food for the suppers we enjoy at Phantom Acres where I stay in Hout Bay, along with the Land Lady and three other people. I only started the garden in mid summer, so I am still learning how much the soil can hold. I also keep all our fruit peels to make natural fertilizers along with yeast, Baking powder, and Brown suger. It is a good brew. I also wash out the Milk bottles and use that milky water on the plants. Also, Rice water.
There are Broad Beans and Cabbage growing for the winter along with Aubergines, lots of Spinach, and some Green Peppers. Next spring I will try a number more options. So far. the Tomatoes have been not so happy. I now also know which parts of the three terraces need more organics in the soil as it is made of what appears to be fine Granite sand. I will dig deeper and wider for each plant in this coming spring, and fill them with a combination of compost, potting soil, as well as chicken and horse manure, ans a little cattle manure as well. I use my shower water, which I collect in a 20L basin and allow to stand for 24 hours to get rid of any chlorine.
I have also been teaching and invidulating at Rondebosch Boys High School on occasion as a substitute since July 2023. I enjoy that as I do not have to concern myself with administration of any kind. My name does not appear on any computer list! RBHS was my first appointment in 1976 where I was a housemaster at Canigou Boarding House, and taught Afrikaans. I then went to SACS for 35 years, duirng which I took a sabatical for 1996 and 1997, where I substituted for a year in Connecticut, and then taught Global Studies for a year at Archbishop Stepinac School in White Plains, NY, in the USA.
After my year, 2014, of travel around the world (all in my 2014 Bloggs), I taught Geography, History, and Global Science at the Hout Bay International School for three years, 2015, 2016, and 2017. I then started a new school helping Daniel Landi, who had this yearning to create a Cambridge Education based school in Hout Bay. It was an immediate success, but inevitably much hard work to start from scratch. I told him that I could do it for two years, thereafter I was exhausted. It is now a thriving Grade R to A Levels school.
I was approached in 2022 to fill in for a term at Camps Bay Hiigh School, where I taught History for the 4th term. I really enjoyed that, but doing it full time is beyond what I want to do again. Both here and at RBHS, I still have really good relationships with the students, which makes it both enjoyable and worthwhile.
I have been blessed by a very good friend of mine in the USA who I met when he was 12 years old. I was the Field Sports Director at the Curtis S Read Reservation which belongs to the Westchester Putnma Council Scouts of America. He came with this troop and we formed a bond which remains until this day. I have been friends with hs parents and have visited them many times over the years since 1986 when I met him. He has sent me the Dollars to fly to NYC, and to stay with them and other USA friends of mine for 6 weeks from June 20th. My last visit was in December 2017/January 2018, and I vowed, that if I could ever get to the USA again, post-retirement, that I would certainly not go in the winter!
I have written an historical novel on the San Poeple/First People, 500 BC/BCE till 2004, RUNS GENTLY UPON THE EARTH. The publishers launch was in December 2023 at a Book Fair in Soweto. I have been struggling to get a second print going through my publishers so that I can launch in Cape Town's Southern Suburbs, and a second launch in Stellenbosch. I am not sure if it can be done during this June, which means a further wait until August/September 2024. Very frustrating, but I need to be patient. Not always one of my virtues! It has to be by 13 June or after 2nd August , so if I cannot get the invitations out fairly soon or very soon, the delay will be inevitable.
All the very best to my family, friends, and acquaintances. Take care.
