A SPLENDIFEROUS VIEW FROM BLACK MOUNTAIN TOWER

21st April to 27th April 2012

This week we celebrated Anzac Day on 25th April, this day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.  ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they took in that name endures to this day.

This day is important for Australians because when war broke out in 1914, Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 13 years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world.  So in 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.

It was on 25th April that the Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli where they meet  fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight long and devastating months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated, after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured terrible hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers had been killed. On Anzac day we Australians remember the significant sacrifice of those who had died in the war to give us the freedom we experience today.

On Saturday Jarrett competed in the annual Anzac Relays, racing in a team of four, each running 3.8km.  With determination just as our soldiers would have had, the team Jarrett was in were the first Junior Team across the line and came second overall. I was there cheering the team on and was so pleased to see them win the junior category.

Black Mountain Tower - Canberra

On Monday we, as a family went up Telstra Tower (which is also known as Black Mountain Tower), the tower rises one hundred and ninety five metres above the summit of Black Mountain and it has 360 degree view of Canberra and the surrounding rural area.  Black Mountain Tower was officially opened on 15th May 1980 by the then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser.

Not only is it a tourist attraction, it is important as the transmitting station for Canberra television services and FM broadcasting services, and as a base station for other radio communication facilities, Telstra Tower is a key station in trunk communications for Canberra, and an important node in the intercapital broadband network. It is also important in respect of television relaying, catering for up to 5 simultaneous interstate relays as well as national regional relays from Sydney and Melbourne and relays originating in Canberra.

The tower has won two awards for outstanding design, the first was in 1979 when the Tower was nearing completion, it was for imaginative and effective use of concrete in a building and then in 1980 it won the Civic Design Award of the ACT Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. 

Looking out over Canberra was splendiferous, I saw the Parliamentary Triangle, The National Library and Government House.  The Autumn colours that delightfully covered the city were breathtaking and whilst we have many buildings Canberra still has so much glorious bushland.  After looking at the view, we sat and enjoyed a hot chocolate whilst still being able to look out at the view.  We then went outside to the outdoor viewing deck, it was exceptionally windy and we were almost blown away but were totally amazed yet again by our picturesque city.  If you are ever visiting Canberra or are a Canberran who has never been up the tower, I would recommend it as you really can see how magnificent Canberra is. 

 I had a visit from Anna who is Tess my Starlight Wish Granter's Sister, she is lovely and when she visited she gave me a picture that Tess had done years ago for her daughter, it was done in hobbytex and is a cat.  As you would know I really love art and craft and was really intrigued and impressed with the hobbytex picture, I wonder if you can still get hobbytex, that would be something that I could do and perhaps then sell to raise funds for the brain tumour fund.  Anna also gave me another extraordinary gift, it was a gold medal and engraved on the back are the words 'Dainere Gold Performance in Courage 2012'.  I had tears in my eyes as I looked at it, so many times I have said that I am not anyone special, I have just been given a journey that I face the best way I possibly can.  Anna wanted to get a copy of a story that I wrote about Theodore, teaching children that just because you are different does not mean you should be left out.  I wrote it for Christian Living last year as part of an assessment to teach younger children a moral lesson.

On Tuesday I had physiotherapy with the wonderful Kaitlyn again, she found that down near my sacrum was twisted and again the top of my spine, so she did a gentle release on both and massaged my back then put heat on it.  My muscle in my gluts was tight so she taped it to see if it would provide some relief.  Then she surprised me with the most beautiful quilt which she had made to keep me warm in the colder weather.  She is not only a talented physiotherapist but also a talented sewer. 

My Occupational Therapist, Tom visited on Tuesday also and went over how I was going with all the equipment, I have found that some works and a couple of things don't so he took them away.  I am so very lucky to have such an exceptional therapist who listens to me and has such wonderful knowledge of what may be useful for me.

Our weather was absolutely freezing on Wednesday, I think it was a preview to what our Winter is going to be like and it looks like we are in for a long, extremely cold Winter.  It was a good day to stay indoors under a warm blanket and watch a good movie. 

On Thursday I had hot chocolate with my friend Ally and her Mum and we chatted for a while.  I really enjoyed catching up with her, she is a special friend, she always makes me laugh.  I am finding that I am becoming quite fatigued very quickly lately, so I am not able to spend too much time out with people. 

Today I saw my dietitian, she is happy with my nutrition, we have to be aware that when I have days that my pain is worse I may not be able to eat as well, so she is getting a sample of a product called 'polyjoule' we have to make sure it does not react with any of my medications.  Apparently it has no taste and you can put it in drinks or in food as it has no taste, so does not change the taste of the food or drink you are having.  She is going to monitor how I am going on a monthly basis and I am able to email her if I have any questions. 

I have done a test run to school in my electric wheelchair, it is terrific, so much more smoother than my manual wheelchair and I think I am quite good a driving it.  It will be interesting to see how I go next week back at school with all the students around, I may have to do some dodging, so that will test my driving skills.

Yes, School Holidays have just about come to an end, next week is the beginning of Term 2, I am looking forward to continuing learning about anatomy in Sports Science, Volume in Maths and Romeo and Juliet in English.  Next week I also have an appointment with my Oncologist, it is on the 3rd of May. 

May you all enjoy the week ahead, no matter what challenges you may face be sure to stay positive and have hope and you can overcome any hurdle.