Day 39: Green mirror studs

The golden web weaves its magic through these earrings, a pair of rough-cut square green mirror studs. I bought them in 2013 while in Bordeaux at a conference. Bordeaux is a stunning city with its wide boulevards, elegant stone buildings and public art. I'm looking forward to a return visit with Rob and the boys sometime soon.

Fiona and Georgie Miroir d’Eau reflecting pool, Bordeaux, Sept, 2013

I was in Bordeaux with Fiona and Georgie to attend a European Political Science conference. We'd travelled across from Edinburgh together on Easy Jet, where we were literally treated like cattle, replete with holding pens in the airport hangar! We stayed in a lovely B&B in an interesting part of town, with a great earring shop around the corner. It was full of quirky jewellery and homewares in bright popping colours - Suzie Crogan would have loved it.

It was through Fiona that I met the wonderful Vivien Lowndes, now based at Birmingham University in the UK. I'd known of Vivien's excellent work, but hadn't met her when in 2009 Fiona suggested we invite her to a workshop Fiona, Georgina Waylen and I were organising in Sydney the following year. Vivien was an important contributor at that workshop, her insights helping us to clarify the direction of the research agenda we were hammering out. As it turned out, the intellectual stimulation of the workshop, and hosting Vivien and other great colleagues from overseas - Mary Katzenstein, Karen Beckwith, Laurel Weldon and others - couldn't have come at a better time for me; it was a welcome distraction during a hiatus between three rounds of surgery after this damn breast cancer was first detected.

After Vivien's IPPA Lecture, 2015

Since 2010, Vivien and I have had the opportunity to catch up at conferences and workshops in the UK. In 2015, Deb Brennan and I applied to bring her back to Sydney as a Distinguished Professor for a month. At UNSW, Vivien gave fabulous master classes to students, a public lecture and one-on-one advice to PhD students; her book on institutionalism has become a bible for me and many of my students. While she was here Vivien was also subjected to some wild Sydney weather, with an East Coast low threatening to blow her Coogee apartment into the sea!

It was wonderful having the opportunity to develop a close bond with Vivien while she was at UNSW. We realised we have many common challenges, including balancing our work and family lives while also managing health issues; as Vivien says, we're kindred spirits. Vivien willingness, especially in the last few months, to share experiences of her treatment have been incredibly generous and comforting. Yesterday Vivien sent me this photo from a writing retreat she's at in the Maldon Hills - it looks idyllic - I want to go!


I was wearing these earrings the day Deb and I took Vivien out for a farewell lunch at the Boathouse, Blackwattle Bay - which shows how a golden thread runs through them from Fiona and Georgie, across to Vivien and to Deb - how special!

It also makes sense to be wearing these today as Deb and Mel invited us over to dinner, to welcome brother Paul, Geeta and Jai, to their neighbourhood. Last night Angus made the ice cream - one mango, one choc mint - in the ice cream maker Deb and Mel gave the boys for Christmas. We had such a special time in Deb and Mel's gorgeous new house, and enjoying the 'new normal' having Paul and Geets in town and connecting with these precious friends.

Day 39 and I'm feeling good. A lovely cup of tea and catch up with neighbour Katie helped fill in the morning, in between phone meetings. I'm trying not to focus on what's to come next week but concentrating on these next fews days without any nausea or discomfort, and enjoying James-mas, of course.