Monday, May 28, 2012

May 5 km

Yesterday morning, Kim and I got up in the dark and drove into St Lucia for the 10th Anniversary Rotary Fun Run raising funds for the Kim Walters Think Pink Think Choices Program. Kim braved the cold and the early early morning to take me in, support me and take photographs.




It was a big day for me. I was a bit emotionally wobbly as it was the day after my mums birthday and that was sitting in the back of my head. I still miss her terribly. I was getting a stream of messages from my brain buddies which were very encouraging and heartfelt. Consequently I was in tears before I got started. It's a good thing really, crying makes running harder cos the breathing is all wrong and you can't see!




So I started off on the 5km with a head full of thought about how far I've come and what and awfully short time it's been. About halfway through I was starting to think"may be I can't do this after all" but I pulled myself up by the bootstraps and told myself to sop being silly and get on with it. I got on with it and picked up the pace for the last 2 km and actually ran part of it!




My final official time was 43:36 for 5km. Its not the fastest in the world, not record breaking but for me its my best yet and I'm really proud of how well I did, how much I surprised myself on the day and I know that I'm only going forward from here. I did really well for a chick with a hole in her head 15 months post op and no one is going to tell me any different!


In other news. My 1 year 4 month post will probably be a wee bit late as I will be flying to Sydney that day to spend a week with the lovely Alonya and Rick! 

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

1 year 3 months

It's that time again! I'm now 15 months post op.


The last month has been crazy crazy busy. Our lovely Ossian left us to continue his adventures in Australia. We went on the photo-walk at the botanic gardens. I caught up with an old school friend at the photo-walk, who will be coming to more of them *happy dance*


I started the 58 prints for Townsville and Rockhampton Cancer Council accommodation Units in the last month and have finished it yesterday. All that is left to do it transport them to Townsville and Rockhampton!


My lovely friend Andi also started her new project in the last month.  Each month she will be donating ₤1 from the sale of each of her ₤2 mobile phone/zipper charms to a different charity. Charity Charms £2 (£1 to Charity ) or Bookmarks £4 (£1.50 to Charity)  postage extra.
This months charity (May) is cancer research.
June will be supporting The Isadore Foundation
The Isadore Foundation is a Non Profit Organisation that aims to out a laptop into every carers home in rural Norfolk. They provide a Laptop; Printer and all the training required to fully utilise the computer provided.

Rethink - July 2012
Headway - August 2012
NACC - September 2012
MS Trust - October 2012
ME Association UK - November 2012
Arthritis Research UK - December 2012
FMA UK - January 2013
Unicef UK - February - 2013
RNIB - March - 2013

If you are interested in purchasing some of Andi's fantastic handiwork and helping out some incredible charities while you are at it, head on over to visit her on facebook, her website or etsyand let her know :)
  • Earrings £1 donation 
  • Bracelets £1 donation
  • Necklaces £2 donation
  • Charms £1 donation 
  • Bookmarks £1.50 donation

Request item on JazzAndi Gems
PAYPAL ADDRESS SECURE PAYMENT THROUGH PAYPAL - a-otoole@ntlworld.com



Coming up I have, on the 27th May a tiny 11 days away, a 5km run/walk for the Kim Walters Think Pink Think Choices Program. (Choices) is a free community service regardless of where treatment has been undertaken offering support for women and men diagnosed with breast cancer and women diagnosed with gynaecological cancers and their families. http://www.uchealth.com.au/choices/

You can help me to raise funds to help men and women diagnosed with cancers continue to receive multi- disciplinary holistic care through the Wesley Hospital Choices Program. This one I am doing for Aunty Elaine who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. My fundraising page is herehttp://www.mycause.com.au/Walkingthewalkforcancer 

There are more Photo-walks on the horizon! I'm really looking forward to them. In the meantime I am still job hunting. It's good to know I "interview really well", now I just need to convince them to give me a job :) 

 I guess that's it for now. I'm feeling more "normal" these days which is nice. I still have my moments of worry that I am not keeping up, or that I won't be able to keep up, but they pass pretty quickly. I am feeling more confident and comfortable in myself than I can ever remember feeling in my life. Nice side effect of brain surgery! 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

58 Prints Complete

On April 26 we launched the 58 prints project. The aim to collect 58 framed prints for cancer council accommodation lodges in Townsville and Rockhampton Queensland. As of  today May 15 we have achieved just that. 40 prints for the Gluyas Rotary Lodge in Townsville and 18 framed prints for the Central Queensland Cancer support Center in Rockhampton.

This was not a solitary effort. If not for +Tony Porter+Markham Lane , +Colin Gerbode+C. Corey Fisk+Dryade GeoSean Neil, +Ken Caughlin+Thomas Vaclavek+Grant Galbraith+TJ Caracci, +Michael N Sutton, +Mykal Hall, +Maria Shvedova, +Suchita Kulkarni, +Raya Ozruso-Cottrell, and Terry Woollcott, I would not have been able to manage it.

This marks an end to my print projects. There are only 2 more accommodation lodges in Queensland, one does not require prints and the other has not been finished yet. However, this does not mean that the print project needs to end. You can talk to your local cancer council, association etc and ask them if their accommodation units need donations of framed prints. Ask them what kinds of prints they would prefer, landscapes, rural, seascapes, animals, plants etc. You never know what you can achieve until you try!

Here are the beautiful prints which have been donated to Townsville and Rockhampton







Friday, May 11, 2012

58 Prints Updated

We are currently sitting at 40 framed prints! How amazing is that! The breakdown at the moment is 23 of 40 for Townsville and 13 of 18 for Rockhampton.  We're on the home stretch now. 


Here are some of the incredible prints which have been submitted so far




If you want to contribute prints or funds please contact me at julia.robertson@gmail.com

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Remember Andi?


Andi is a fantastically talented and generous woman. She makes beautiful jewellery which is a form of therapy in itself. She has a page on Facebook and a store on Etsy where she sells her wares and a shiny new website 



Andi has started a new project! Each month she will be donating ₤1 from the sale of each of her ₤2 mobile phone/zipper charms to a different charity. Charity Charms £2 (£1 to Charity ) or Bookmarks £4 (£1.50 to Charity)  postage extra.

This months charity (May) is Cancer research.
June will be supporting The Isadore FoundationThe Isadore Foundation is a Non Profit Organisation that aims to out a laptop into every carers home in rural Norfolk. They provide a Laptop; Printer and all the training required to fully utilise the computer provided.

Rethink - July 2012
Headway - August 2012
NACC - September 2012
MS Trust - October 2012
ME Association UK - November 2012
Arthritis Research UK - December 2012
FMA UK - January 2013
Unicef UK - February - 2013
RNIB - March - 2013

If you are interested in purchasing some of Andi's fantastic handiwork and helping out some incredible charities while you are at it, head on over to visit her on facebook, her website or etsyand let her know :)


  • Earrings £1 donation 
  • Bracelets £1 donation
  • Necklaces £2 donation
  • Charms £1 donation 
  • Bookmarks £1.50 donation
  • Keyrings £1 donation

Request item on JazzAndi Gems
PAYPAL ADDRESS SECURE PAYMENT THROUGH PAYPAL - a-otoole@ntlworld.com

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

58 Prints Update

56 of 58 frames ordered, They will arrive on my doorstep tomorrow morning. This week I shall also pick up more paper and ink for the fantastic prints which have been coming in. Can't wait to get these printed up and framed!



So far I have 11 photographs printed and waiting for frames. There are a bunch more waiting to be printed and more on their way here. I am amazed and thankful for the generosity of so many people.


I had been negotiating for a break on frame/ink/paper costs but it seems that it's not going to happen. If you can or would like to help out with the cost of frames/ink/paper please feel free to wander over to paypal and shoot some funds through to julia.robertson@gmail.com



Friday, May 4, 2012

Meet Andi!


Meet my friend Andi.

Andi suffers from chronic pain after spinal surgery. Two years ago she set up a support group for chronic pain sufferers on Facebook. The group now has 96 members from around the world who support each other and help each other out. The aim of the group is to support people with Acute; Chronic pain; diseases. Whether it be from MS, ME, Cancer, Chronns, Spinal problems, MD, Oesteoporsis, Arthritis, etc ; Accidents. 


Andi is a fantastically talented and generous woman. She makes beautiful jewellery which is a form of therapy in itself. She has a page on Facebook and a store on Etsy where she sells her wares and a shiny new website 



Andi has started a new project! Each month she will be donating ₤1 from the sale of each of her ₤2 mobile phone/zipper charms to a different charity. Charity Charms £2 (£1 to Charity ) or Bookmarks £4 (£1.50 to Charity)  postage extra.
This months charity (May) is cancer research.
June will be supporting The Isadore Foundation
The Isadore Foundation is a Non Profit Organisation that aims to out a laptop into every carers home in rural Norfolk. They provide a Laptop; Printer and all the training required to fully utilise the computer provided.

Rethink - July 2012
Headway - August 2012
NACC - September 2012
MS Trust - October 2012
ME Association UK - November 2012
Arthritis Research UK - December 2012
FMA UK - January 2013
Unicef UK - February - 2013
RNIB - March - 2013

If you are interested in purchasing some of Andi's fantastic handiwork and helping out some incredible charities while you are at it, head on over to visit her on facebook, her website or etsy and let her know :)




  • Earrings £1 donation 
  • Bracelets £1 donation
  • Necklaces £2 donation
  • Charms £1 donation 
  • Bookmarks £1.50 donation

Request item on JazzAndi Gems
PAYPAL ADDRESS SECURE PAYMENT THROUGH PAYPAL - a-otoole@ntlworld.com



Thursday, May 3, 2012

Projects Update

For those of you tracking my current projects.....

The 100 prints for the Charlse Wanstall Apex Lodge went exceptionally well with the final 2 prints arriving today from +Olav Folland 



The 58 Prints for the Townsville and Rockhampton lodges project is under way with interest and offers coming in from around the place. Please keep them coming in :) Tell your fiends :) 

May 27th I am doing a 5km to raise funds for the Kim walters Think Pink Think choices program more info herehttp://www.mycause.com.au/mycause/raise_money/fundraise.php?id=50977

I have volunteered to jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane with my cousin for her birthday in August!

And as of today I have signed up, with my fantastic husband +Kim Robertson , my amazing son +James Robertson , my brilliant brother+Brendan Walker and my beautiful sister in law +Larissa Walker for the Relay for Life on November 3rd 
http://qld.cancercouncilfundraising.org.au/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=459922&langPref=en-CA

We live in an amazing world, full of incredible people and mind blowing opportunities. Make the most of life, you only get one.