*Tanya*S*

• My Kids
• Family & Europe
• Friends
• Inner Release
• Australia
• Interests
• Friends Links

~Love~ If only...

You can sing me a love song, but do you know right from wrong. Hold my body close and tight, and come into my dream tonight. Because dreams and only dreams of you is where your love comes shining through. Please don't wake me let me sleep, so your love my heart will keep. All the stars in the sky above, know I need your love.

If only love could be that true, I would never have to be blue.

I gave you the key to my heart, but you don't know where to start. If you know how to use the key, open the door that leads you to me. My heart is battered and bruised, will we win or will we lose. The fight can't go on any longer, this love-hate war, let love be stronger. So stop fooling with me baby, give me your love don't say maybe.

If only love could be that true, I would never, ever have to be blue.

It's nearly been ten long years, I haven't seen you shed any tears. The sea won't hold the tears I've cried, you said I do, you shouldn't have lied. Look into my eyes and you will find, that only you can make love blind. I know you've got a heart of gold, but to me, you're really cold. I have feelings too you know, that's the one thing you can't show. I don't want anyone else to see, the pain that's deep inside me. I can't take this any longer, my love for you keeps getting stronger.

If only love could be that true, I would never, ever have to be blue. I can't say goodbye to you, that's something I just can't do.

written for ~Colin~ by Tanya 11th November 1995

A friend of mine Amanda Hughes sings the song I wrote the lyrics for on this page

My Kids

I have 4 children and 2 grandchildren...... ~Wayne Lee~ ...... ~Tammy Lee~ ...... ..~J'aime Lee~ .... ~Conan~ .....and here is my grandson...~Dylan~

and my grand daughter..~Aaliyah~..

My kids are fantastic ~Wayne~ .....he is a dad now here is a picture of ~Kelly & Dylan~ ......looks out for his sisters, he's a great kid.~Wayne & Dylan~. Here is another picture of ~Dylan~ at his 1st birthday a really nice party. And another of my grandson~Dylan~ The girls in these pictures had just finished the school year 05 here they are at their formal ~Tammy~ in her last year of Uni studying a Bach of Commerce in Resource Management and Financial Planning. She will make a great businesswoman. ~J'aime~ the quiet achiever, always wanted to be a vet has a gift with animals. .....*S*.. She has a mind of her own.....Here are ~Tammy & J'aime~ at OPA's 80th and~T & J~ at a lookout in the National Park...and here they are in ~Noosa~ great picture of them....~Smitty~ the King of Cat's now lives at Oma's ... Here are the girls with~Bonnie N Clyde~ ...Bonnie had 11 pups~Tammy, Bonnie & Boys~ of which all went to good homes the last to go were~Boy Jack & Tupac~ ~Conan~ has brought so much love to our family he is a gift that is treasured by all. Our lives have dramatically changed with his arrival and he is our #1 priority. We now have a new addition to the family a Staffashire puppy ~Bullet~

Family

I come from a large family ~Mum & Dad~ traveled the world having kids.

Let me tell you a little about my parents ~Dad~ is Dutch born in Amsterdam and Mum is Russian born in Yalta from Ponton Greek Grand Parents who were tobacco farmers who settled in Yalta. My parents met in Australia and kept going from Holland to Australia and the USA in between to realize Australia was the lucky country and both live here now. My father a wise man, wished he could change the world for the better, he believes that the older you get the less you need. He dressed like a millionaire only wearing Ralf Lauren clothing as they feel better on your skin he used to say. haha. Mum on the other hand will buy materials and make her own clothes, everything looks terrific on her, she is a natural beauty who lives for her health as that is your wealth. I look up to my mother and hope that I can also look as fit & healthy as she does when I reach 86+. She has 7 kids, 15 grandchildren & 9 great-grandchildren, and still wears a bikini to the beach. Spend some time with her and you will find out her secrets to living a long and healthy life. It's very simple eat the right foods, don't overdo anything in life, try to avoid stress, and enjoy the outdoors as much as you can.

Something else she is; she will always do things for herself, she does not like eating out, and helps anyone who needs help. She can make $2 out of $1, she treats all the grandkids like her own, and has a way about her that is like no one else I know. She has a 6th sense when it comes to working out a better way to do something. I know mum is always right, sometimes we don't want to believe it but in my mum's case, you can bet your bottom $ she's right. We the kids don't always like to follow her advice but if we want to be as fit & healthy as her maybe we should.

~Mum & Dad's Kid's~ ~Kitty~ born in Australia, ~Susy~ born in Holland, ~Tanya~ & ~John John~ born in Australia, ~Galina~ born in USA, ~Michele~ and ~Robert~ born in Holland.. oh how cute they looked back ~in the 70's~

Tammy & J'aime with their grandparents who are in QLD **~June & Ron~**

My adorable nephew ~Kane~..

Europe March - September 1999

When Colin arrived in Europe in 1999, I wanted to show him everything so starting at Harlingen the top of Holland to ~Rockanja~ the bottom of Holland. We went to the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam he loved said it was the best place in whole Europe I loved Brugge it's like a fairy tale...so pretty and Paris is another world in its own, we spend a whole day there walking around the city went to the top of the Eiffel Tower taking in all of the scenery...

We drove through the night to Normandie showed him all the history he wanted to see even to The Poppy Fields in Iepers. The girls were bored so we took them from Normandie back to Paris to ~Euro Disney~ the highlight of the trip for Tammy & J'aime.

Then it was time for a bike ride around Holland (Colin didn't know what he was in for) we started at Hoofddorp the first day we rode 100km to Hoorn saw lots of Windmills along the way...it's the best way to see Holland as it's flat you can see for miles the changes in the countryside and the cows along the roads..it's was an awesome ride.

We got back 5 days later and 500km round trip (sore butt and all) to Beverwijk where my other sisters were waiting to party it was Friday night at Scheiwijck They know how to party in Holland after a fit 5 day's we had 5 days of just drinking and seeing bands I loved it. Everyone is in a fantastic mood.. Laughing all the time, with my Sisters and ~Marian~ cooked a beautiful farewell meal topping it of with Kiss of Fire coffee's that knocked me out..*LOL*

We spent a week on the beach sleeping in a tent the kids loved it....My nieces ~Galina~ here with her friend Fay and ~LaToya~ with my friend Brigitte have grown into beautiful woman....

I loved ~Holland~ but came back to ~Cronulla~ where I really feel at home.

One thing I really missed was ~Outrigger Canoe Paddling~ This sport is ~AWESOME~ and being out with nature at your mercy gives an adrenaline rush better than anything you find in a pill..*S* ~Hamilton Island 2002~.. each year just get's better and better and the results do as well ~2002 Gold N Silver~

I love Paddling it's a great mental and physical sport..and something you get better at with years of experience, it grows on you, and you can become addicted to the sport it's such a high.

Here are some of my friends from Koa Kai the Island Beauty ~Vikster~...our ~2002 Team~...here at the ~Nationals 2001~...this was a great OC1 race...

Some friends I made along the way in paddling are the NZ Dragon Boat team Feb 2002 we won 2 gold and a silver at the ~International Dragon Boat Festival 2002~ had the best time with the Kiwi's they are very open-hearted people. Here with my sis ~Kiri~ love ya and here again with her team at Hammo 2001 in a sprint ~Cronulla Crew 2001~ This year we had the best time in Hamilton Island coming in 3rd against the best in the world in the 500m & 4km sprints ~Cronulla Open 2003~ we know how to have fun..we are Gold medalists in the State Titles 500m, 1000m & 16km Marathon for both years 2003/2004 and are looking forward to compete in our first National Titles this year 2004. In 2005 I coached the Open women & junior teams from Cronulla, this was a great achievement for me as I was pregnant the whole season and my teams did very well. The open women retained their state titles gold in the sprints and came 2nd in the marathon, and the juniors cleaned up first-year paddlers 3 golds in the State Titles. At the Nationals 2005 the Open women got gold in both the 500 meter & 1000 meter events and 2nd to Lisa Curry - Kenny's team in the marathon event. The juniors got 3 bronze medals in all their events. I could not be happier as all their achievements I celebrated as mine as well. The Nationals were held in Cronulla and hosted by Cronulla Outrigger Canoe Club & AOCRA NSW a great effort by both and a well-run event that made the awareness of Outrigger Canoe Paddling wider in our area.

My ~Sisters~ came over for 2000 and we took a family photo we hadn't been all together for 12 years so here ~Sauer Family in 2000~ are all of us in 2000 when all the girls are together watch out....~5 Sisters~ always cause a scene..*S*..

My 40th party was great with ~Zena's & Friends~ one of them ~Dogs Head~ owns this fast boat and will take me out skiing this summer, right Dogshead..

USA 2002 Paddling Adventure

In September 2002 spent 2 weeks in the US, I have wanted to go there for the past 4 years and finally got the opportunity to do so. The last time I was there I was only 4 years old so it was nice to form my own opinion of the USA and I had never been to Hawaii. With my sport originating from Hawaii it seemed the obvious thing to do.

With our sport, we can travel quite a bit in Australia and if you are lucky the world as well, it’s up to you to take the step to paddle overseas I was going no matter what. I raced the Queen Lili’uokalani Canoe Race held on Kona every year. I ended up paddling for ~Surfers Paradise Master Woman~ the team Robyn had paddled with the previous year. One of the girls Julia, Robyn & I had paddled with at Hamilton Island back in ~2000~

We arrived in Hawaii on 26th August and stayed at ~Waikiki Gateway Hotel~ for 3 nights. While we were there of course I took in all the sites went ~Surfing with Mike~ my instructor at Waikiki Beach, who said if I don't stand up I will get my fee back, that was good enough for me so I stood up first go. Great longboards and the waves at Waikiki Beach are awesome just rolling in one after the other and ~The Great Duke~ watching over you. After an hour of surfing, I decided to take a long walk to the top of Diamond Head Crater, passed this awesome ~Dolphin Gate~ right around Diamond Head crater along ~beautiful waters~ to the top to see this magnificent view of ~Waikiki Beach~ you can see the bottom of the ocean.

The Queen Lili’uokalani Outrigger Canoe 18 Miles (30KM)Iron race from ~Kailua Pier~ to Honaunau (the city of refuge). We stayed at the beautiful ~King Kamehameha’s Beach Hotel~ right at the start of the race. We had a beautiful ~Koa Canoe~ from a ~Maui Hawaiian Outrigger Club~ and took her out for a quick ~Training Session~ to feel how she runs.

There were 122 women’s teams entered in this race and we placed 4th in the ~Masters Iron Koa~ division. The ~Spirit~ is with you when you are in a Koa Canoe you feel it inside and part of this sport is keeping the history alive, being out there in the ocean warriors of the sea heading for our destination. Winning isn’t always what you need, to achieve a higher level of being.

At the presentation I heard talk of another race Catalina Island, I didn’t know where it was but when I found out I said to Julia find me a crew, and I’ll be there. I had no flight booked to LA and didn’t know whether I would even get on one, but I knew I had to go there.

I arrived in LA at about 9 pm hired a car and at about 10 pm I was on the road to a place I had been wanting to go for over 4 years. I stopped just outside of LA at Motel 6 at Palmdale so I could continue my journey the next day. I drove 8 hours that day through the most beautiful desert, stopped to take a picture of this site at ~Bishop~ driving along the Highway I took this shot standing in the middle of ~HWY 120~ and looking back on ~HWY 120~ to ~Lee Vining~ past breathtaking ~Mona Lake~ here another beautiful shot of ~The Lake~, At last, I got to ~Nevada~ and a place called ~Fallon~.

Now I know most Aussies would not go visit Fallon and I might even be the first to do so but I had to see someone there, ~Jim~ we had chatted in ICQ for 4 years so it was nice to meet him finely...

There is not too much to do in Fallon so I headed for the coast the following day. Jim suggested I drive to ~Lake Tahoe~ a place worth seeing, I drove through Carson City to the entrance to the Lake and boy what a beautiful sight ~Lake Tahoe, I knew I would have to come back here one day and sure enough, there is a race at ~Lake Tahoe~ Labour day weekend and I’ll be there 2003. I crossed the ~Californian Border~ Then drove 8 hours, just in time to catch the ~Sunset in Santa Cruz~

The following morning at 6.30 am I started my long drive all the way down the coast on HWY 1 stopping at ~Castroville~ and along the way to take pictures had something to eat at Ventura, cute town, took a dive in the freezing cold surf at ~Thousand Oaks Beach, stopped at ~Malibu Beach~ to watch the longboards, got to ~Santa Monica~ to ask someone if they knew which was the best way to get to Long Beach along the coast.

Wow 12 hours from Santa Cruz to Long Beach what a drive I was tired but made it safely to Long Beach.

I met up with a team member in the afternoon and we went to rig the canoes for our race the Saturday morning from Newport to ~Catalina Islands~ a 33 Mile race the US Championships I was so looking forward to do. Julia had told me I got into their masters team so I was really happy and ready to get in the canoe and drive my body to the limits. We had the best race the best crew and finished in 2nd place all with huge smiles. The ~Kai Elua Master Woman~ are awesome they took me on board as one of them and I paddled as one of them. Our support boat played AC/DC for me to make me feel at home as I was the only Australian racing in the women’s crews. Again a big field that took us 4 hours and 33 minutes to complete, we were in the Masters division and had 10 open crews behind us.

When I do eventually buy my OC1 ( I used the money I had saved to buy one on the extended trip) I will call it “Hi’i Lani” (in the hands of god). It’s a great name for what we do when we are paddling out in the ocean we are Hi’i Lani only God knows where we will end up and how we will finish. Pages I made for the Koa Kai Club when I was a member are below. Tanya's Page for Koa Kai
Tanya's fun Page for Koa Kai

Friends

In Holland I saw a few of my old ~School~ friends ~Ingeborg~ and ~Renata~

This is an ~Aboriginal~ family I met while I was living in the desert, here is a picture of 4 of the 11 kids...Daisy, Sophia, Rosemary & Brenda.*S*

Training partners in Noosa, ~Jenny & Mitch~ (who got me out of bed many a morning at 5 am) to ride or run or swim..*L* Jenny & I trained with the Noosa Outriggers in 1991. I also trained with Mitch who was 13 at the time my goal was to compete in the Noosa Triathlon my first triathlon. (most people would pick a shorter one to do first, not me) I couldn't swim 25m freestyle 2 months before the event but managed to swim the 1.5km swim in 29min (not fast but great for me) in the 40km bike I came in 20th of the women and the 10km run after all that took me 55min. I made it so I was happy and started doing shorter-distance triathlons. In the first-ever all-women's Triathlon in 1990, I entered a team (did the run leg) we came in 3rd and in 1993 became the Noosa Triathlon Club champion women. ~Triathlon~ and the~Bike~ leg and the last ~Transition~ and finely the ~Run~ & training in the ~Gym~ I'm always competitive and believe that I can do anything if I put my mind to it, in work, sports and making ends meet even when you have nothing, I try to help others when it is asked of me. I believe we all have a purpose in life and everything happens to you for a reason if you can learn and pass on that knowledge to others then you're doing okay.

Inner Release

I also work in accounts for a local company with old-fashioned value where you work as though it is your own business.

The other thing I am really interested in is The Venus Project the link is above. I went to the World Tour of Jacque Fresco this month in Sydney it was amazing. This man 95 years old knows a lot and shares his thoughts on the world economy and what it could be if enough people do something about it. The Venus Project

Australia

Is the Lucky country, believe me.....It's one of the largest countries, a continent, with only 25 million people living on it. Mostly on the coast, people are attracted to our big wide open spaces. Australia is a beautiful land and one of the most popular places people will want to live in the future.

We have some of the best beaches in the world, this is ~Cronulla Beach~ with my kids and their cousins over from Holland... they love it here.

We should respect our land as we are here on borrowed time to embrace its beauty. Love yourself and your surroundings people, cultures, day to day life it's all here for you to enjoy.

Interests

I wrote a ~Planet Future Story~ a science fiction story about the future it's a must-read aimed at 12-year-olds about the choices they have for their future...... I have updated the story to include an ending that connects to a resource-based economy type of lifestyle. ~Future Planet Freedom Story~ It should really be made into a movie like Avatar but instead of the fighting on the future planet those that left Earth know that to fight is to die and in order to survive you are only interested in maintaining the essentials to exist. (A different New World not like WEF). A lot of the story I wrote 25 years ago 1995' has come true and we will see how it ends. Let's hope it ends in a positive way as in the story with the new planet being free from corruption.

Health is what you are able to digest, Wealth is what you are able to save, and Wisdom is what you are able to remember *S*....so true.

I love music

~Led Zeppelin~ being my favourite.

Favourite Australian WA band~BOYS~ I saw them play 13 times in Sydney and developed a good friendship with lead singer Brent Lucanus. I only recently (September 2023) found out he had passed away on the 27th of October 2021. I wrote this poem for him below of my time spent with him.

Beethoven is my favourite classic, you must see the movie "Immortal Beloved" to understand his life.

TV the 500CC Motorcycle races~Mick Doohan~ my hero, 5-year world Champion, Mick has retired from racing motorcycles but a champion we will never forget.

I just came along to let you feel love, be happy with who you are, and appreciate life for what it is not for what you have. As I read somewhere..a man with lots of toys still dies.