July 2011:
July 8th to my parents to spend my vacation there. But I was not well. On Tuesday 12 I saw a doctor. And so in the end I spent 2 days in hospital in my old hometown. On July 21 I traveled back to my residence so that I could travel to my usual hospital to get my Remicade treatment on Friday, July 22nd. And when I came back there from my treatment I heard of the bombing of the Government building and soon the shooting of Utøya. The massacre of young people in a peaceful island had started. Ordinary people became heroes out of necessity but the professional people, police and ambulance personnel often just stood there. The people who just lived close or just was there on vacation risked their lives and was there to give comfort and to start the life saving effort on savagely hurt people. Young people who often had seen their friends die. The Police has naturally declared themselves as competent and as doing all the right things, of course thinking of the safety of police officers comes before the very survival of the victims.
July 23 back to my parents and to continued TV watching. Until it got a bit too much. My fathers birthday on July 29th I was still not well so my mother and I stayed home and dad got to see his family. It was only possible with the help of family members. My father has Alzheimers so one cannot just put him on a bus. He was naturally better then than now as it is a progressive disease. But he gets some medicine that is helping slow the progression of the disease. On July 31 it was back to my recidence and then work.
August 2011: A good month for me. And to Bergen to see Opera Bergen's Cavalleria Rusticana and Le Villi.
September 2011: Another Remicade treatment on the 16th. Then after a weekend at my parents I had another 2 days at my usual hospital (26-27).
October 2011: La Fanciulla del West (Zurich), Madama Butterfly (Wiener Staatsoper) and Jose Carreras in Konzerthaus Wien.
November 2011: Another Remicade treatment on the 11th. Then the next weekend, Paris!!!!!!!!!! Maria Guleghina in Oberto and Marcelo Alvarez in La Forza del Destino. Then Otello in Zurich with Jose Cura.
December 2011: Cav/Pag in Copenhagen (Jose Cura) and Macbeth in Oslo. Christmas and my Birthday (28th).
January 2012: January 1st back in residence. January 2nd ambulance to my hospital. January 4th in the afternoon back in my quarters. January 6th back to hospital for my normal Remicade treatment. On January 21, I was in Zurich for Turandot with Jose Cura, I thought, but I got Johan Botha.
February 2012: nothing bad.
March 2012: March 2nd my Remicade treatment. March 3rd to Berlin to see another Turandot. Maria Guleghina was fantastic. March 4th home again. March 8 - 9 a hospital visit.
April 2012: I spent the my Easter vacation with my parents. One of my aunts died on April 1, and it was not my best Easter since I was also not quite in my best health. On April 27 I had my ususal Remicade treatment and then it was time to travel for opera again. But on April 28 the plane never left and the other would have made me late for Macbeth in Monte Carlo with Maria Guleghina. But maybe it could have worked. I left the airport and visited my parents in stead of Monte Carlo. My mother had news, bad news, cancer was visiting my mother for the 3rd time. Good enough reason to visit my parents.
May 2012: My travel to Spain, for Chulapona in Madrid, Nabucco with Guleghina in Bilbao and to comfort myself. But I was not in splendid health, still I loved my Spain visit. To my regular hospital May 31rst to June 2nd.
June 2012: The plan to travel to Stockholm to see Jose Cura as Cavaradossi in Tosca was cancelled. And I am still not quite happy about it but it was a combination of personal reasons and strike in Norway and an unhappy phone call. Or at least 2 unhappy phone calls. But my mothers birthday was a happy event. My mother is undergoing treatment so she is naturally suffering from fatigue. With just me and her eldest niece as guests it was enough for my mother. As restful and peaceful as one can wish for. On Monday it will be her second treatment at hospital. My mother is brave, and I love her!!
My father can forget much but he always remember how much he loves my mother. No lack of memory hinders my father in his effort for be a father and spouse. Strange how much clearer I can see my parents through their sickness. Lots of love!!!!!!!!!!
For reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com
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