Julie in Paris

Doesn't Julie look pretty in this picture.  A certain amount of contentment on her face.  She is in Paris looking at artwork done centuries ago.  I only regret that we didn't stay longer.  Four days in Paris is not long enough, but as usual, I learn only after making a mistake, seldom before.

Palace of Versailles and Art Work of Jeff Koons. 

Whow what a castle.  I have never seen anything like it, or imagined, anything like it.  The amount of wealth measured in the human effort to create it is absolutely amazing.  It is audacious beyond belief.  There is a room, about a football sized room, that has paintings, huge paintings around the circumference.  It shows seven centuries of victories by France against its neighbors.  But, building castles and winning wars took it toll.  Soon the bellies of the people, the empty bellies, caused an uprising that overturned the powerful.  The castle is now just a symbol of those times, a beautiful symbol, but nothing more.  And we were there.  I appreciate the insight it gives me to America.  Julie, I suspect, appreciates the art.  She has the talent to do great things in art, but probably not the opportunity to get the exposure required to make it as an artist.

Now, isn't that a beautiful couple.  Whats the name of the river that runs through the middle of Paris.  Well, it is behind us in this picture artfully composed by myself.  I lost the battery to my good camera and this is my cell phone bringing you these classy pictures. Yes, it was cold, but it briefly stopped raining to allow this picture.

This is Julie in a small cafe next to Notre Dame.  We had hot wine and crepes.  Julie had some messed up carmel crepes, ugh, while I had some maple, cream and banana crepes.  I would have had another glass of hot wine, but service in Paris is not all that good.  But, they make up for it by being very expensive and speaking French.

I am going to put together a google web-show of the pictures and put a link in this blog, but for now, one last picture.

These are cat mummies from Egypt in a Paris Museum.  For all of you cat lovers, perhaps we could restart this old custom.  It makes great stuff to put in your display cabinets at home.  More later from Julie and Robert, back from Paris.

Back from Paris

Well, I could almost keep up with Julie in Paris.  She was in hyperdrive.  Even Ashton would not want to walk as much as we did going to see museums, castles, arches, rivers, etc.  Great, absolutely great food, especially desserts.  Some great draft beers.

Paris was raining and cold.  Julie got a cold from her effort.  I got a sinus headache from all the dry air on the plane and our hotel.  But, we are fine.

Versailles Castle was audacious. It is easy to see why the French people revolted.  Kind of like Fuld who was the President of Leeman Brothers bank who walked away with $480 million while his bank was going bankrupt. Same story, just a different century.

Perhaps on the last email I misled some.  Julie's Petscan was clean, no cancer detected .... but, with this kind of cancer, they KNOW that there are still a few cancer cells left (below the radar so to speak) that will come back.  When they do come back they will be resistant to the first type of chemo treatments she received.  In short, the calvary, the most effective drugs, will probably not work the next time.  They then pull the second bag of drugs from their arsenal, etc. until the bag is empty.

Every three weeks Julie will get Herceptan, which is supposed to interfere with the cancer drugs multiplying.  They will continue this as long as it works.  The good news is that for a few people this can last for years.  Keep your fingers crossed.  They are also debating whether or not to remove what is now a small tumor from Julie's breast.  If it becomes active, it could grow out onto the skin and be difficult to treat.  But, Julie has not decided yet whether or not she will have it removed.  It is dormant for the moment.

Julie has seemed more tired than normal since her return from Paris.  Her cold and the excitement of the trip in the past, I guess it is normal.  I don't like to hear her cough from the cold or clear her throat, because in my mind it sounds just like the cancer.  I guess that is just the baggage that comes along with this disease.  

Paris Bound

Julie and I agreed that if she made it through the first fight with cancer (5 months of chemo treatments), we would go somewhere special.  I was thinking the Carribeans or similar.  Or one of those cruises.  Or Mexico or Panama.  Well, work said I needed to go to Paris this week and talk to Total Oil Company.  Julie, said she wanted to go.

So Monday I leave for Paris. Julie follows on Tuesday.  We fly together on Sunday back to Philadelphia. 


Julie's last pet scan showed no cancer in her lungs, liver, heart, etc. Bones are still in question, but probably okay.  Julie's blood work shows her red blood cells are in the normal range.  Her white cells are still down but improving.  She will be on Herceptan every three weeks for the rest of her life.  They will go back to chemo, we are told When not if, the cancer returns.  But, until then, we are trying hard to learn to live in the moment and enjoy each other.  We are doing better with staying happy and in the present.


Well, more later.  Getting ready for Paris.