Judith's first round of semi-annual tests were all negative which means she is still cancer free after six months. We continue to thank God for the wonders of modern medical technology. Right now she is totally preoccupied with getting herself ready to go to Queens University in Kingston, Ontario to begin studying Physical Education/Kinesiology. Queens is where Mark got his electrical engineering degree and where Stephen will be going into his final year of mechanical engineering. It's almost 300 km east of Toronto on Lake Ontario - a three hour drive by car from where we live.
By sheer coincidence (?) Judith's boyfriend (also Mark) will also be going to Queens to study mechanical engineering.
OFSAA Award for Judith
In June, at the end of year Athletic Banquet at Denison High, Judith was awarded the OFSAA Award for field hockey by the York Region Athletic Association. OFSAA is the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations. The award reads in part: Congratulations on being selected by the YRAA Association as the recipient of the "360 Athletics - All Round Field Hockey Student Athlete Award." This award represents your positive attitude, fair play, dedication, and leadership throughout the entire Field Hockey season. We thank you for your hard work on and off the field.Nine Years In Canada
On 21 July it was exactly 9 years since I landed in Canada. Ingrid, Judith and Stephen will be celebrating their 9 year anniversary of landing this week on 25 August.
On August 11 the Holst family - Ingrid's uncle, Oom Joop, and aunt, Tante Ria, cousins and their children and grandchildren - held their 12th Annual Holst Picnic at Gulliver's Lake in the Hamilton area of Ontario. 
This will be the 8th year that we have gone to be together with them for the occasion.We have a store not far from where we live that sells egte boerewors (farmers' sausage) from a South African butcher so it's a great opportunity to make the most of the excellent braai (BBQ) that Herb has made from a half drum and charcoal fire.
Ingrid and Tante Ria sharing a joke.On the same day as the Holst Picnic, Stephen and his girlfriend, Heather, went to Canada's Wonderland to cool off in the waterworld. I don't know what they weren't thinking but instead of putting their stuff in a locker they just left it on the grass while they went to have fun in the water. When they came out they were amazed and dismayed to find that somebody had walked off with their rucksack containing all their clothes, cash, credit cards and not one, not two, not three, but four pairs of prescription glasses, including 2 pairs of prescription sunglasses. Luckily for them the thieves were only after the cash and the following day Stephen received a call that his kit bag had turned up - minus wallet. Quite a shock for a South African to discover there are actually criminals in Canada!
Beginnings of a prostate saga
Blood tests that I have had over the past four years have shown above normal PSA levels in my prostate - indicative of possible cancer of the prostate. Further examinations and tests were unable to confirm anything until this April when one of ten biopsy needles showed very slow-growing cancer cells in 5% of the specimen. For the grade of cancer cell that was found it will likely be a number of years before any medical intervention is indicated so I have opted not to do anything radical for the moment but to wait and see what the tests show in 6 months time and take it 6 months at a time. Meanwhile I am watching my diet, taking exercise and rest and have put myself on some supplements that are supposed to be prostate friendly :-)
In July Mark and Luisa, who have been in Holland for the past seven months, went camping with Vincent and Jeroen and their families. Here are all the happy campers. I suppose Luisa was taking the picture. She is returning to Canada at the end of this month to begin her Masters at the University of Toronto.
