Remembering playtime at school

Oh yes! Those were some of the happiest days for me. I can still remember them now, both in and out of the classroom. Nostalgia time for me but there you are. Those colorful desks and chairs that I and my classmates sat at. We played with blocks, Legos, and all kinds of apparatus that blind and partially-sighted kids played with. We played all kinds of word games in class and we all loved it.

We played with shapes. We played with raised and Braille letters. We constructed buildings and built boats and planes. We did so much!

There were the Friday afternoons when we played with dominoes, played card games, and then we made up games under the watchful eyes of our teachers. Then there were the games during break time. We played cricket, football, ran and frolicked in the playground and then the biggest moment! We swam in the pool!

I would readily tell you that ours was a balanced playtime, a bit of this and a bit of that. I loved every moment of it and I especially loved the hide and seek games that we played. It was so much fun doing this as blind kids. Ah yes! Those precious moments that shall forever be with me.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
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This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

When workers came to my balcony

Looking back at this now I can only smile to myself and even chuckle. To me it was very funny and even my mom had a laugh, so excuse me if someone does not find this episode a bit humorous.

First off, I did not even know that they were on my balcony and here I was strolling into my room after having taken my morning shower. The curtains were open as always and I would hasten to tell you that they are always left open because my condo is situated in such a way that there are no buildings close enough with windows for anyone to spy on me.

So back to my story of the day. I came strolling into my room all wrapped in my bath towel and then I heard them. They were talking and laughing and I could tell that they had probably not seen me as yet and how did I know this? I could be wrong but they did not sound close enough. Just imagine my horror and you guessed it! It could happen to anyone, sighted or not. I turned quickly and proceeded to scamper towards my bathroom. The towel began to slip and soon enough it was almost all off of my body. I shrieked as I entered my bathroom and hurriedly shut the door. Good thing I had some clothes hanging at the back of my door or else I would have had to wait until I heard them go.

The thing about living in a condo is that you have to make sure that you receive and read all of those very informative notices from the management office telling you when workers are supposed to be on your balcony.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

Challenges of a cable box

Well, with no more vision to be able to see the lights on my cable box, it is awfully difficult at times for me to know what is going on when my TV goes silent on me. So much so that whenever the TV goes silent, I have to do a few things before calling for sighted assistance.

First off, I put my hand on my cable box to see if it is warm. If it is not then I go to phase two of my checklist.

I check the status of my electricity and if it is gone then I wait. I usually check the status of my electricity by going to my fridge and listening for the fan. Or I try turning on an appliance in my kitchen and if I do not hear either a sound or feel heat rising then I know for sure that current is gone.

Now then, if the cable box is hot and current is present then I start to worry. Or even if the cable box is cold and current is present I still worry.

It would not do me any good to call the cable company as they would definitely ask me to tell them whether or not the lights are on and with practically no vision this is impossible for me. So I have to call for sighted assistance.

This does not happen very often for me, but when it does I am like a fish out of water, so to speak. Just another challenge for me to face.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

Peeping at some treasured memories

I can truly tell you that my virtual scrap book, as I call it, is stuffed to over-bulging with all kinds of memories. As a matter of fact, this poor old scrap book is divided into individual volumes based on times and places. I have preserved them very carefully in my mind and can recall them at a moment's notice. They have served me very well over the years and will remain with me until I leave this world.

I am so happy that I have been able to do this because were it not for my virtual scrap book, I would probably go crazy now that my sight is gone and I am no longer able to see my favorite things.

Winter, spring, summer or fall, the memories are there for me. Snowflakes, a huge ice rink, and Christmas lights winking back at me as I skate. Spring, and blooming flowers, thick green grass, swaying trees, and birds and butterflies playing in their own world. Summer, and kids wading around in shallow ponds, sun peeping through the trees, blue skies with puffy white clouds sailing noiselessly by, and a sandy beach and a jade green ocean with boats gleaming in the sun. Fall and the red and orange leaves littering the ground and yellow ones about to fall from the trees.

These are my memories forever. Memories that I can recall whenever I want.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

Birds and butterflies

They are the joys of my life, and now that I am no longer able to see them, I use my memories of them to keep on enjoying.

There were the days when I used to admire their gorgeous colors. Their gracefulness and their agility. Their friendliness and their silent companionship.

I can still hear my birds each morning as they sing to me from my balcony, but alas! It is not the same for my butterflies. They won't come near me when I am indoors and even when I walk outside, they are almost never around. I have to make a conscious effort to travel to where they congregate. That's okay though, I still have my memories of them to keep me going.

Those cherished days as a kid when my dad used to lay them gently in my tiny hand and I would stand as still as I could and look down at them. They were so delicate and so beautiful. Then there were my birds! I loved them when they were free and I loved them when they were mine.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

My exercise bicycle

When I bought my exercise bicycle I knew that I would need sighted help to familiarize myself with it, but first things first. I had to find a way to get it assembled.

My superintendent was ready and willing to help me with this task and it was done in quick time. Then came the moment for me to learn what it could do for me and now I had to learn all about the various options and programs. Of course, the menus were not accessible to me because there were no spoken options. Nothing spoke and so for a blind person it was totally unusable.

You are probably asking yourself, then why did I buy it? I am yet to find an exercise bicycle with audio instructions and it is not for the lack of constantly asking the sellers and manufacturers why this continues to be so. I do not really get an answer to my question. The most I get is for the service folks to say that they do not know.

I hope that this changes some day sooner than later. Suffice it to say that for now I'll use the bicycle's basic functions.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

Looking after plants

This is the one thing that I really enjoy! It does not matter now that my vision is gone. I still enjoy looking after my beloved plants. They never let me down! They are always there for me!

I have learned over the years how to be good to my plants. Water them regularly and they'll be happy forever. My techniques are the same whether or not my vision is gone. I stick my finger into the soil of said plant to gauge whether or not it is damp. Then with the utmost of care I drizzle water into the pot. I feel the leaves to make sure that they are green and healthy, and if they are dry and brittle then I gently remove them.

I do not think that a lack of vision prevents me from being able to look after my plants. If the leaves are dry then they are brittle. If they are green then they feel nice and firm to the touch.

The greatest challenge for me is to ensure that I keep them clean, and naturally! There will be times when I miss out on those dead leaves that have fallen out of my reach but that's the challenge for me! To find and destroy them!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

Down an escalator with Mom

Now that my vision is almost nothing, it is always a wee challenge for me each time I venture down an escalator with Mom or, for that matter, with anyone else. I could find reasons or excuses for this but truth be told, I can't seem to find any or to come up with any at the moment.

Could I blame it on lack of vision? Or could I possibly blame it on fear of falling? Or rather still, could I blame it on a possible fear of the unknown? Maybe someone reading this particular blog could offer me some suggestions?

I have never really fallen on an escalator, so why am I afraid? I usually take all of the necessary steps before getting on an escalator and I am indeed very careful, so why then? I hold tightly to the banister of the escalator and I stick my cane on the step below where I am standing in order to gauge when the last step is coming up, so why then? I usually trust the person that I am with, Mom or anyone else, so why then?

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

Yellow is forever

Ah yes! In my mind, yellow will always be forever. Why yellow? I am not too sure but all I can tell you is that it has always been so for me. From my earliest memories as a child to now, and despite not being able to see anything anymore, yellow still reigns supreme.

It's funny but anytime I go clothes shopping or even shopping for dishes and appliances, yellow is always my preferred color. As I write this, I can see the color yellow right up close in front of me. My favorite childhood cup was yellow. My favorite dress was yellow and one of my favorite jackets and sweaters were both yellow.

Ah yes! My yellow bird was named Gretzky! My most cherished scene is a rising yellow sun, and then again there is the golden yellow sand of my favorite Caribbean beach. Yellow will be forever mine!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"